1st sail apprehension.

[jamie N]

After the really long winter, where the weather (here) was continuously awful, and having completed all of the tasks that I could imagine needing done, we actually left the marina yesterday; brilliantly sunny day, southerly 10 kts, air temp about 9-10C and a high spring tide.
What could possibly go wrong?
Well, my thought was that pretty much everything would. "There's got to be something that's been overlooked?", but there wasn't, and the 1st sail of the year was a (nervous) joy!
After an hour or so, back to the pontoon, alongside with a gentle kiss of the fenders, ropes on, and it's how it should be.
A couple of mates came and asked how it went. I told them, and simultaneously they said "Nothing broke that you've noticed yet".
Ain't that the truth, we'll see later on.

 

[Minerva]

My boat is a 3hr drive from home. Yesterday, for the first time this year I left work, drove up and got to the boat in the last of the day light, and had a beer watching the sunset.

What a marvellous time of year!

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Taking Chiara out for the first sail of the season is similarly nerve wracking. A complex boat, so much to go wrong. The checking is mostly done before launching, but that can’t include the sails.

 

[Rhylsailer99]

I am also nervous my mind runs wild with crazy thoughts. I imagine my flywheel coming loose, and ripping a hole in my boat whilst navigating a thin strait with a ripping current.

 

[Gixer]

I’m planning on going out later today for the first time properly this year.
I’m also really nervous……

 

[Concerto]

Just had notification that the repair to Concerto has finally been completed. Now need to book the lift in and sort the chaos below. Things like the contents of the sail locker, liferaft, sails all need to be returned to their correct place - but I want to repaint the sail locker first. This is being complicated as I live two and half hours away and I am just starting to redecorate our lounge after I completely remove the false fireplace. Sailing will have to wait a few weeks to check the new standing rigging.

 

[lustyd]

We left Dartmouth a few days ago headed for Portland and the visibility almost immediately dropped to about a boat length. Thankfully not our first if the season, we had a very sunny sail from Salcombe and not a bad passage from Plymouth before that. Nice to be moving again after four months stuck in Plymouth hiding from storms!

 

[ProDave]

First sail of the season is always a mixture of excitement and apprehension.

We won't have that pleasure until after crane in mid April.

This years "what could go wrong" items are new forestay and back stay. (shrouds replaced last year and hence already tested)

And a new boom to fit after crane in and rig the reefing lines into the new boom.

 

[johnalison]

I’m not normally concerned about mechanical failure so much as human failure. Generally, the boat has been well enough prepared, but there are routines for such things as hoisting the sail that I tend to forget and often one critical step has been overlooked, leaving the mainsail part-hoisted and the two of us looking around and hoping that there is nobody around to see the mess.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I’m not normally concerned about mechanical failure so much as human failure. Generally, the boat has been well enough prepared, but there are routines for such things as hoisting the sail that I tend to forget and often one critical step has been overlooked, leaving the mainsail part-hoisted and the two of us looking around and hoping that there is nobody around to see the mess.

That is our principal concern. Mechanically checking the assembly of the boat is just a part of the process, remembering to unfild properly, not get the lazyjacks stuck on the battens, drop the kite in the water, get tye rudder blade fully locked down, etc. There’s a lot to remember on a folding tri. Part of the joy, but part of the stress.

 

[William_H]

The is always (to me at least) as skipper and chief engineer a worry about what can go wrong. I almost invariably set up for a (short) race with crew organised.
Yes after 45 years of same boat I have had experienced a lot of disasters(3 mast failures several collisions). All very embarrassing. All over come and mostly forgotten. But yes I still get nervous. Sadly the older I get the more nervous I become. (crazy)
It just has to be balanced against the joy of a successful outing. ol'will

 

[jamie N]

First sail of the season is always a mixture of excitement and apprehension.

We won't have that pleasure until after crane in mid April.

This years "what could go wrong" items are new forestay and back stay. (shrouds replaced last year and hence already tested)

And a new boom to fit after crane in and rig the reefing lines into the new boom.

Still a couple of spaces at Inverness.......

 

[Lucky Duck]

Usually a demonstration of how much speed had been lost to fouling over the course of last season, even just slime. Particularly under power

 

[Wansworth]

Will probably hoist and lower the sails run and stop and start the outboard before thinking of letting go for the first time ,must remember not to shout at the wife!

 

[ProDave]

Usually a demonstration of how much speed had been lost to fouling over the course of last season, even just slime. Particularly under power

In the case of a boat that's been out over winter, cleaned and freshly anti fouled, the opposite is true. Early season sailing will be the fastest you will get all year and by the end of the season it will be slowing down due to slime and other build up.

Thankfully there is a drying pad in a nearby harbour should we feel the need for a mid season scrub.

 

[Boathook]

After the really long winter, where the weather (here) was continuously awful, and having completed all of the tasks that I could imagine needing done, we actually left the marina yesterday; brilliantly sunny day, southerly 10 kts, air temp about 9-10C and a high spring tide.
What could possibly go wrong?
Well, my thought was that pretty much everything would. "There's got to be something that's been overlooked?", but there wasn't, and the 1st sail of the year was a (nervous) joy!
After an hour or so, back to the pontoon, alongside with a gentle kiss of the fenders, ropes on, and it's how it should be.
A couple of mates came and asked how it went. I told them, and simultaneously they said "Nothing broke that you've noticed yet".
Ain't that the truth, we'll see later on.

That's the type of weather I like for my first sail on my last boat.

New boat has had a lot of work (rigging, engines, rudders, etc) done by the yard and myself, so I would be happy for even less wind. There will be something I have missed, but hopefully not to important !

 

[lustyd]

Usually a demonstration of how much speed had been lost to fouling over the course of last season, even just slime. Particularly under power

We lost almost no speed at all after two years (still not lifted out, praying we can get a slot in the Solent some time this month). We were down by 1.5kt but then bought a Scrubbis cleaner and back to effectively normal speeds. No affiliation with them, but it works very well.

 

[Lucky Duck]

We lost almost no speed at all after two years (still not lifted out, praying we can get a slot in the Solent some time this month). We were down by 1.5kt but then bought a Scrubbis cleaner and back to effectively normal speeds. No affiliation with them, but it works very well.

At my home berth I can borrow a Brizo but I haven’t had much success with the appendages, in particular the sail drive leg and prop which were both looking particularly grim on lift out

 

[Lucky Duck]

In the case of a boat that's been out over winter, cleaned and freshly anti fouled, the opposite is true. Early season sailing will be the fastest you will get all year and by the end of the season it will be slowing down due to slime and other build up.

We are in agreement

 

[lustyd]

At my home berth I can borrow a Brizo but I haven’t had much success with the appendages, in particular the sail drive leg and prop which were both looking particularly grim on lift out

Thankfully we don't have a sail drive, but I did jump in to scrape the prop while in Scotland once. It had a few barnacles but was better than expected given how long we'd been in.