A confession

[justanothersailboat]

de-lurking to say two things. First, thanks for everything I've learned from this forum this year, particularly all the wisdom about the Thames Estuary. Secondly, a confession...

...every time I go sailing I nervously check this forum in case someone's posted "I had to avoid a complete idiot today" and it turns out to be me! Hasn't happened yet. But I can't help checking even though to the best of my knowledge I think I've only been the idiot once, and it's not usually that sort of forum atmosphere anyway.

 

[Clancy Moped]

Welcome! Making mistakes is all part of it enjoy.

 

[snowbird30ds]

Don't be so impatient and wait your turn, there's a long line of us before you waiting for that accolade but I'm sure it'll get around to you eventually.
Anyways the term idiot usually applies the day you buy the boat right up until you sell it, and if you buy another you get upgraded to pennyless idiot.
Oh yes and welcome.

 

[LittleSister]

to the best of my knowledge I think I've only been the idiot once

Then you're not trying hard enough!

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Concerto]

Welcome to the forum.

Now being an East Coast sailor, where should I avoid?

Lots of us with plenty of knowledge and experience welcome newcomers as it keeps the sport alive. Hope you get lots of sailing next season and learn from your mistakes (er yes, we all make them at times).

 

[Marmalade]

Welcome; idiocy highly prized in this place !!

 

[Praxinoscope]

Welcome to the forum.
We all make mistakes. Even the professionals, just look at the various cock-ups that have happened to various Royal Navy ships over the years.

 

[LittleSister]

Lots of us with plenty of knowledge and experience welcome newcomers as it keeps the sport alive.

Including those of us with plenty of experience of being idiots!

 

[johnalison]

de-lurking to say two things. First, thanks for everything I've learned from this forum this year, particularly all the wisdom about the Thames Estuary. Secondly, a confession...

...every time I go sailing I nervously check this forum in case someone's posted "I had to avoid a complete idiot today" and it turns out to be me! Hasn't happened yet. But I can't help checking even though to the best of my knowledge I think I've only been the idiot once, and it's not usually that sort of forum atmosphere anyway.

I wondered who that idiot was but now that you have confessed I suppose it’s OK. I won’t tell anyone.

 

[justanothersailboat]

Wow, that was more response than I expected. Thank you everyone for the warm welcome. Mostly Medway area.

I went into having a cruiser knowing the basics of sailing and having a bit of navigation theory from Day Skipper but really overestimating how much of any trip would be either of those things and underestimating how much would be keeping an eye on my (family) crew. If I ask one of them to steer while I adjust a sail or take it down, and they can't cope, I've learned the hard way that that is MY mistake. A different kind of learning curve. We only ended up really in someone's way once and quickly fixed it, but I'm still sorry. More often I plod along, while trying to give people with better trim and one fewer reef in plenty of room to thunder past me! Next year I hope everyone will feel bolder and we will probably make more mistakes...

 

[Major_Clanger]

Welcome aboard!

Don't worry about making a fool of yourself. We'll be too busy with our own cock-ups to noticed anybody else's. It's all part of the learning process and never stops.

 

[johnalison]

Master mariners are those who err in private.

 

[mikegunn]

In my experience, the magnitude of my transgressions appears to be inversely proportional to the size of the audience. On the rare occasions that I make a perfect berthing and I look around for the admiring faces, there's not a witness in sight. Whenever there are crowds around, i can be relied upon to provide plenty of unintentional entertainment.
Mike

 

[seivadnehpets]

and underestimating how much would be keeping an eye on my (family) crew. I

I rarely take crew in my boat, it's too small!
But a week with a rented Norfolk Broads halfdecker began with me hanging on to the tiller and trying to do everything, and ended with the seven year old helming and me up on the foredeck with a bucket and sponge, even as we were going about. I learned a lot! The greatest skill is knowing how to share your skill, to give instruction without being bossy and spoiling the fun.

 

[Tomahawk]

Have you been ploughing yet? You are not an East Coaster until you have stuck in the putty. Please remember to go aground with style .. such as right in front of the clubhouse/pub to give us lots to talk about and add to your street cred.

 

[justanothersailboat]

"Master mariners are those who err in private" - great thing about sails is that everyone within a mile or two can see exactly how well you're doing with them

Not run aground yet, I'm sure it's just a matter of time! I shall make sure to choose the most prominent place for everyone's entertainment.

 

[johnalison]

I’m not well acquainted with the Medway area but you could try the Pye Sands or the Deben entrance with an easterly wind. On second thoughts, better not unless you are on very good terms with your insurance company. My last serious grounding was on a night sail across the estuary In 1986. Communication error led to us spending an hour or two near the SW Sunk. It was a night sail fortunately, but a bit unnerving, especially when the bilge started filling a few days later, eventually traced to an entirely different source. On the whole I have been blessed with luck. Even drying out ‘downhill’ in the Roach happened unobserved in the early hours, though it revealed an interesting leak at the rubbing-strake in our then boat.

 

[Concerto]

Wow, that was more response than I expected. Thank you everyone for the warm welcome. Mostly Medway area.

Phew, I think I will be lucky then. I sail on the Medway, but next year I am away for about 5 months. So that should give you a full year to learn how to handle your boat before we are likely to meet.

Where are you mooring and what is your boat?

 

[xyachtdave]

I wouldn’t sweat getting in the way occasionally when you’re sailing

But if you’re under power remember slowing down is sometimes preferable to a cloud of black smoke and another half a knot of speed to stay clear.

You’ll still be ‘in the way’ occasionally, get out there and enjoy it.

Try VHF 74 on if you want to know of ship movements, getting in their way not quite the same sport as say a racing dinghy that would rather you hadn’t been born…!

 

[Tasape]

Every marina and river has its idiot , this one lurks on the Orwell and stour , I’ve not ventured down the Deben yet , ? . I must learn to accept help when offered and stop trying to get myself out of the S..t solo .