I have bad news, that is about the third time this has been posted!

better be shown 5 times than none at all

I didn't mean for that to sound rude, I was just commenting that I had seen that one before. It is funny everytime!

<img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> I have put the box of tissues away so all is well now <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Well, I don't remember seeing it before, so thank you, Bandit. I think every boater has some sort of funny, or sad, boating or unboating story. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

First time I went out for a sail on a F18 popped the kite and almost fell off the back the boat after trimmed.
My funny story

I have a disaster story.
First time racing my cat and I used toggle pins to sucure my stays thinking they would make rigging easy.
Out on trap when I hear a slapping sound. My winward side stay is detached and hitting the sail. Me on the trap is all thats holding the rig up. Thinking of falling rig- Damage and $$$. I am not sure how I did it but a gust pulled me into the hull and I grabed on and gracefully capsized. She sat perfectly on her side with rig still attached and this is with no locking pin at the mast base.
Sitting on the mast I used a bit of rope attached to my shackle key to retie the stay and righted the cat to make it back saftly to the beach.
Fixed the rig and raced all races.

second time racing only 2 weeks ago.
Went out just beyond the moored boats and was caught off gaurd by a swirling breeze which sent my over in a flash. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />
I was thrown forward and fell directly on my sidestay.
The sidestay did'nt stop my fall. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> It also didn't stop the hull falling completly over.
I got out from under the upturned tramp and found a good size hole where my stay plate was and my rig a mess floating along side. 300 meters from shore with an off shore breeze. I watched the last cat dissapear around the point to go racing.
After 3 and 1/2 hours of drifting away I landed on the only beach a mile or so across the harbour.Glad I didn't loose my sunnies and Hat <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I then got a tow back from a jet ski.

Repaired the boat and was out on the harbour the following weekend. 20 knots plus.. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> but thats another story..

The End. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />