I had another sailing lesson with David Mosley today. I got to drive an F18 for the first time. I did get to do two tacks and a gybe on an H16 once before in VERY light wind. So if you count that, this was my second try at driving.

I have to say that is just more fun than you should be allowed to have in public.

I had to go to a meeting at work just after we came in from sailing and I just sat there with a stupid grin on my face and could not concentrate on the meeting at all.

Oh, and I am picking up my 2003 beautiful blue Mystere 4.3 from the Outter Banks of North Carolina in May! This was an awesome day!

sounds like the bug bit hard.

You've got a pretty good teacher if Power Dave is your guide.

Woohoo !

You are a real cat sailor now (boat owner), welcome to the club. Congrats on the M4.3

You've got a very nice future of discoveries ahead of you. This is the best time you'll have as all things are getting better by the hour for about 1 to 2 years.

Wouter

YEEEEHAAAHHH! Pictures soon please!

Dave is a great teacher. Today he had me do lots of gybes. I found them to be much harder to think about than tacking. I felt slow and clumbsy. Once the wind picked up a bit we just sailed for a while so I could get the feel of it. I got a little nervous when he went out on the wire but I realized that let me go faster so I thought...okay...you stay out there.

He said I did well but that made me laugh. If he could only have heard what I was thinking inside my head. It would have sounded like. "Ummm..... now... which way?" LOL.

After a while I didn't have to think so hard and for brief moments I could just feel what I needed to do. Then we would tack or gybe and all of a sudden the wind was different and I had to think about it for a while again. I wanted to sit up on the hull and laugh. Did all of you feel like that? Do you still?

Laugh is probably not the word I would have chosen, but yes and yes, sometimes.

Never thought about it before... YEAH!!!

Hey Sunny that's my stupid grin, give it back! That is the way I feel every time I get off the boat. 20 some years now.

Dan

Sweet, that is great! (alas, someone who might know less then me )
BUT... be careful young grasshopper! You know the "title" under your username? It says: member, newbie, carpal tunnel... etc. There should be a title "obsessed" or "off his meds"

LOL I still get that. Last week I went sailing at 5 am before I had to go to my classes at uni. It was a PERFECT day and I was stuck with that grin all through my classes.
One of my friends even said "If I didnt know any better Id say your in love"
.. I am, I really am.

Wendy:

Did you get the boat I sent you the link too? If so you owe me a gift certificate to Chili's (Just kidding)!! You got a good deal. $2500 right? You got a better deal that I did. Come to Slip to Ship with me and Ashleigh in Ocean Springs Memorial weekend and we can learn together. David is going to show me how to rig it. Did I send you the link to the owner group? There are some tips there. Glad I could help. Are you a member of the yahoo beachcats user group? That is how I found mine. Get Rick White's "Catamaran Racing for the 90's". It will help you a lot and get the righting pole.

Doug and Ashleigh Snell
Hobie 17
Soon to be Mystere 4.3
www.tcdyc.com

I had some brief sailing instruction from my dad when I was about 13. 6 years ago (when I was 28) my brother acquired a Hobie 16 through a trade and he asked me to go out on it where he lived on Folly Beach, SC (he thought that I knew what I was doing). I was sooooo lost but not wanting to let my younger brother down, I put on a good face and was pleasantly relieved that I could figure out how to get from point A to point B....and BACK. Down at Folly Beach we went about a mile away from shore and it felt like we had gone to the moon and neither of us wanted to go much further. And now?....oh the difference.

Yes Doug, I did get the boat that you sent me the link to. It is Jon Britt's boat. I will gladly send a gift certificate to Chili's.

Wendy:

Sent you a PM with address for Chili's certificate. Thanks. Can you make it to Slip to Ship in Ocean Springs on Memorial weekend? We can learn the boat together.

Doug

I feel pretty confident saying EVERYONE knows more than I do at this point. I assume that eventually I will not think about every little technical thing but now I have to think...okay I need to gybe, that means turn away from the wind, to do that I need to pull the stick toward me, now keep it turned while I hand the stick around, (ouch, my arm, won't make that mistake again) sit back down, where am I and where did my wind go? Okay, I found me, power back up. Suppress wild giggle.

sigh, it's a start!

Wendy:

Just have fun. You WILL learn. It just takes time on the boat. Get Rick's book and just try to learn one now thing each time you go out. Hope to see you in Miss. Did you get the PM.

Doug Snell
Hobie 17
Soon to be Mystere 4.3
www.tcdyc.com

I did get your PM. but I won't make it to ocean springs. I think that will probably be the weekend that I will get my boat.
I will definitely try to help others into the sport after I learn. I am an adult educator by profession. It is difficult to be a woman in a male dominated sport. (kayaking was too) I am the only woman anywhere around me that is interested in cats. That is why I know that I will be sailing alone most of the time. Women won't come out with me but get mad if their men do. It would be better if I looked like a boy...I don't. As a kayaker I have gotten more than one of my male friends in trouble for kayaking with me. Their women could not understand why they needed to be out with me for a few hours. It is better if I just stay out of that drama and plan to be alone. The problem with that is it can get lonely and it is not the safest idea. I always let somebody know where I planned to be. I understood that if I got into trouble it might be a very long wait so I always planned for that. White water can be much more isolating than a lake so I think this will actually be much safer.
I hope that after I learn I can teach other women to sail. I hope I can make my own playmates.

Wendy:

Hope we can hook up at some regatta. I want to some day make it to Fla to sail with friends. I think I am going to sometime get a slide on camper for S-10. Get the book and PLEASE look at the righting pole, especially if you are going to do it alone. You will have a ball on this boat. I can't wait. Distance races will also be fun. Yea women can get so jealous sometimes. It is funny in our local fleet sometimes. I hope to hook up with someone this season. Go on our site sometime.

Later

Doug and Ashleigh Snell
Hobie 17
Soon be be Mystere 4.3
www.tcdyc.com

A physically fit woman with a boat will have no trouble finding a male crew “if you want one”…do you have any idea how many men (who love water sports) are looking for a woman that is water sports oriented?

It took me 11 years of searching to find such a woman. The first time we were in site of water she told me “don’t show me water unless I can get in it…LOL” I knew she was the one right then and there… I married her two years later…it’s been heaven … the best thing I have ever done. Sunny, you will have no problem getting a crew…If you do have a problem then you need to move to Florida… because here… a good hearted woman… who loves the water... is more precious than diamonds.

Regards,
Seeker

If it is a group outting or I know the woman well it is not usually a problem. I just stay conscious of it and try to be very respectful. I am just out there to have fun.