First open water voyage

[TonyMS]

In 1966 we lived in Charlwood, near Gatwick airport, and bought a 12 sq m Sharpie (Olympic class in 1947) complete with trailor for £120. We used to tow it down to Ichenor, and in our second year we were regularly sailing across to Wooton creek with our 3 children and dog, drying out near the friendly club, and sleeping under a tent over the gaff. The only boat we've had with full standing headroom!

 

[Wansworth]

In 1966 we lived in Charlwood, near Gatwick airport, and bought a 12 sq m Sharpie (Olympic class in 1947) complete with trailor for £120. We used to tow it down to Ichenor, and in our second year we were regularly sailing across to Wooton creek with our 3 children and dog, drying out near the friendly club, and sleeping under a tent over the gaff. The only boat we've had with full standing headroom!

Our sports teacher had a Sharpie on the chains at Itchenor about that time leaking was a problem

 

[JerryRhum]

I'm in my mid 40's and, until now, have never had any interest in sailing.

I bought a sail boat for use, under engine, on the local canal.

Once I bought the boat however, it seemed a shame not to learn how to sail it.

I did a couple of 'try sailing' sessions in Pico's on a local lake and that showed me that sailing may be the sport for me.

I am now just back from a weekend onboard a Dufour 385, starting my Competent Crew. That experience has sealed the deal, I am hooked!

We sailed up and down the Orwell and Stour and visited all the towns and villages mentioned in 'We didn't mean to go to sea'.

When we got out in to the bay the wind was blowing a Force 6 and we flew along.

I'm already in negotiations with my wife as to when I can go and do the next three days!

 

[Concerto]

I'm in my mid 40's and, until now, have never had any interest in sailing.

I bought a sail boat for use, under engine, on the local canal.

Once I bought the boat however, it seemed a shame not to learn how to sail it.

I did a couple of 'try sailing' sessions in Pico's on a local lake and that showed me that sailing may be the sport for me.

I am now just back from a weekend onboard a Dufour 385, starting my Competent Crew. That experience has sealed the deal, I am hooked!

We sailed up and down the Orwell and Stour and visited all the towns and villages mentioned in 'We didn't mean to go to sea'.

When we got out in to the bay the wind was blowing a Force 6 and we flew along.

I'm already in negotiations with my wife as to when I can go and do the next three days!

View attachment 176222

Oh dear you are on the slippery slope to becoming a PBO (Poor Bloody Owner). I started sailing in 1965 when I was 10 and currently sail singlehanded on my 1980 Westerly Fulmar. My dream when I was young was to sail round the world, but life got in the way. However in 2022 I sailed round Britain via the top of Shetland - about 750 miles longer than the normal Round Britain via the Caledonian Canal. To get feel of what sailing round the coast is like, then watch my videos of the trip. It will get your juices flowing even more. There are 13 parts, all are 10 to 12 minutes long. You can also read the posts I made as I sailed the trip for written description, the links are in my signature.

 

[mattonthesea]

Swallows and Amazons at age 7. Hooked. Poor family in central London so no chance of ownership. Two special occasions my brother got the money to go on dinghys in Hyde Park. My Head of Games regularly received visits from me with ideas for how sailing could be on the curriculum!
Age 15 made a friend at school with whom we bought a National 12 with our combined summer holiday jobs. Cycled 5 miles across London to race on the Thames at Putney at least twice a week.
I was very good for insomniacs; I could bore them to sleep very quickly with tales of sailing! Still can

I did lose touch for two decades but there was always something missing; something that would surface every now and then, take a look around, and then sigh sadly as it retreated back.

And then invited on a week charter in Turkey. Not looked back since. Sailed the Atlantic, the Baltic, Med, UK and over 20 000 NM

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Both of us sailed from a very young age. Some of my earliest memories are of my father building a Mirror in the workshop at home. We had to take the window out, unplanned but fortunately easy. Just worked up through progressively faster and twitchier dinghies to university sailing, then 470s. Did that until we married. It wasn’t a mixed class in those days so we bought a catamaran. Apart from our recent foray into XODs, we’ve had multis ever since.

 

[Stemar]

I've always loved the sea and boats but, as the song goes, life got in my way. Besides, boating is a rich man's hobby, and we were raising a family on a tight budget. We had a family holiday planned and budgeted for, but the kids got some childhood disease, so we couldn't go. Madame said, "You've always wanted to go sailing, why don't you spend the holiday money on a sailing course?" Expensive mistake.

Still, we manage to run our boat on a budget most people would think barely adequate for a decent second hand car, which is why I'm horrified to see some of the prices quoted on the Most Expensive Marinas thread. Yes, the boat, like our car, is a bit tatty but, like the car, safe and (touch wood) reliable.