Apprehension about Sailing again.

[Railbob]

With regards to the lockdown and inability to sail, is anyone feeling a bit apprehensive about sailing again? For me it’s almost two years ago that I really sailed with just two outings which were mostly under power last year. I must admit that I’m feeling that I need to get a few miles under my belt before our summer cruise. Does anyone have the same feeling?

 

[arto]

Yes, a little. I think it's the same at the start of every season for me, with general rustiness (me, not the boat) meaning I forget to do stuff that needs doing. But it all comes back quickly enough once you're out on the water. Just pick a nice day for the first sail and don't aim to do anything too ambitious.

 

[mjcoon]

On the other hand I don't really want to practise in the "shallow end"!

 

[Gary Fox]

I plan to go straight out into blue water, when my delayed maintenance is done, even if I have no achievable destination and have to come back when supplies get low. Just for the sake of being out there.
The ludicrous arbitrary batflu restrictions, altered daily on the whims of bureaucrats, have taken the attraction away from free'n'easy European country-hopping.
A bit nervous, yes but it goes away..once out of sight of land!

 

[Wansworth]

It’s quite a well known problem, not just on going to sea,after lockdown I felt I had to get used to quite mundane things

 

[ds797]

"The best way to find out is to get her out on the ocean. If anything is going to happen , it's going to happen out there.”
- Captain Ron

 

[mjcoon]

The ludicrous arbitrary batflu restrictions, altered daily on the whims of bureaucrats, have taken the attraction away from free'n'easy European country-hopping.

Sorry you don't understand the science. I thought it had been made as clear as possible. It is politicians who have to balance cost and benefit to the population, rather than "bureaucrats". And early on the social scientists who thought no-one would follow the rules so there was no point in promulgating them...
What no blame on Brexit?

 

[TernVI]

I was lucky to do a bit of low-key dinghy racing last Autumn.
Even so, I feel I've lost a lot of confidence when it's windy.
Nov 2019 to Sept 2020 was the longest time I'd not sailed since I was about 4 I think?

Doesn't help that the wind has been a bit 'all or nothing' this year.
Lost some sailing to no wind and some to too much.
Yesterday and today were great though.

You get one or two nice days on the water and all the anguish is history.

Personally, I'd set aside all this macho 'out of sight of land' crap and yot to the next bay as soon as the weather is nice.

 

[Jungle Jim]

I can recommend two-up on a new-to-you boat, an inexperienced crewmate, first sail of the season, Saturday on a bank holiday weekend off cowes, with the racing fleet start line appearing to be across the mouth of the medina, trinity house lifting Gurnard cardinal, and a redjet and a red funnel rocking up at the same time.

If you were one of the racers I most humbly apologise, that day I was the WAFI.

I'm not fazed by anything after that, but it was very much in the deep end

 

[Gary Fox]

..all this macho 'out of sight of land' crap...

Macho? Allow me to present Laura, 14, who sailed solo round the world (with her teddy ))

 

[johnalison]

I don’t think that I would want to sail with someone who wasn’t apprehensive before sailing. For many years our annual cruise involved crossing either the Channel or North Sea. I spent much of the winter wondering how on Earth I would be able to cope with whatever crossing was in prospect but when it came to the point of doing it I was as happy as Larry, the more so when out of sight of land. I have an additional anxiety about how to manoeuvre the boat at close quarters but fenders are wonderful things and I seldom get into difficulties these days. As for being rusty, yes, we often fumble a bit with the business of getting going until we get back into the routine, and it takes maybe twenty minutes before helming feels natural again. One thing the winter break does is make getting back to sea seem all the more romantic.

 

[Adios]

Personally, I'd set aside all this macho 'out of sight of land' crap and yot to the next bay as soon as the weather is nice.

Out of sight of land is surely about the feeling of being out of reach isn't it? Freedom! Distance from "it all"! Other psychological aspects to it maybe but it never crossed my mind that macho was one of them. Being alone out of sight of land to me would mean a real holiday which I've not had since I had kids that create increasing amounts of work proportional to how much of a holiday they are having. Oh to be becalmed out of sight of land for a few weeks

 

[ryanroberts]

Was slightly apprehensive, have been maintaining own engine, not soloed for a while either. Managed to get two and from Alcatraz, even shot out of the needles at 10kt SOG and felt pretty smug. Then ended up sitting in St Albans overfalls with no wind like an idiot again but it has been a good few days.

 

[prv]

Yes, a little. I think it's the same at the start of every season for me, with general rustiness (me, not the boat) meaning I forget to do stuff that needs doing.

I'm definitely a little rusty at the start of each season - not so much forgetting stuff as being slightly clumsy around the deck or taking a second longer to rig a fender or whatever - the muscle-memory isn't quite up to speed. Not apprehensive mentally, though.

While I never went far afield last year, I'm not sure I did significantly less sailing overall. Certainly this year so far the biggest limitation has been work and the weather.

Pete

 

[Daverw]

Must admit that this last weekend we went out for the for first time other than just giving the engine a spin and checking equipment calibration etc.

Was surprised to how apprehensive I was when woke up to get ready especially as swmbo is not a natural sailer and needs to relearn each time.

nearly did not go out but did, nothing new really happened, caught a small mud bank but lifting keel sorted that, furler wrap with spinnaker halard, forgot to close cam, arrived too early on tide, wind greater than I promised swmbo, anchorage rolly, anchor dragged and eventually had to leave for marina, then early start to get tide back home which then when well.

so really nothing changed from last time.

 

[Daydream believer]

i was doing 20 mile bike rides before I had the fist AZ jab & having had it, 7 weeks after I was struggling to get the wheelie bin from the street . So 12 weeks later I am concerned about my fitness. I have only just launched the boat & did one short trip. I was unable to fully hoist the sail due to having rigged the reef lines properly, so I could only test the engine. It started immediately, after the layup which was great news.
So I am very apprehensive. I had intended to go from Bradwell tomorrow & cruise to Ipswich over a couple of days. this gives me Brightlingsea & Shotley to stop off if I get tired. However, a friend is going to Ramsgate & with the wind not playing ball for Ipswich I might risk Ramsgate. Just hope that it is not a step too far.
Whatever I do I always have slight nerves when I leave port; especially a foreign one. It usually lasts until I get the fenders & lines in & the sails up then get settled. Cannot help it. In fact I sometimes look out over the sea wall & have to stop myself getting " marina bound".
It is probably a good thing, because in my much younger days I was definitely far too "gung ho" & did all sorts of silly things that my aged body could no longer stand. Good fun though

 

[Sandy]

When being relaunched and having to do the most technical sail of the season, weaving your way across the moorings in a depth of water that is 100 mm greater than the draft of the boat in an ebbing tide, has always been challenging especially as you have not driven the boat for five or six months. I solved it be moving to somewhere that you can be afloat for twelve months.

 

[ryanroberts]

It is good to hear most of you old hands get nervy and rusty, I thought it was just me

 

[Railbob]

It is good to hear most of you old hands get nervy and rusty, I thought it was just me

And me

 

[awol]

Macho? Allow me to present Laura, 14, who sailed solo round the world (with her teddy ))

View attachment 116497

And with a Raymarine Tiller Pilot ?!!!!! Mine have all given up at the end of the guarantee, some after repair, due to water ingress.