Just bought my 1st sailing boat

Thedreamoneday

Thedreamoneday

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 Jul 2013
Messages
358
Location
North West
Visit site
Im completely new to the world of sailing this year and decided i need to have my own little boat to build skills and confidence, so I've taken the plunge an I've put a deposit down on my 1st sailing boat a 1967 Westerly 22!

I pick her up in 2 weeks!!

She's in really good condition with the previous owner clearly loving an caring for her!

So be prepared for all the silly newby questions I'm sure will follow starting in the next few weeks.

Cheers

TDOD
 
sailorman said:
well done that chap.enjoy & you can then say i used to be rich,but then i bought a boat :)

where will you keep her
Click to expand...

Thanks,
I live on the Wirral and have managed to secure a mooring in west kirby but for the 1st 6 months until I get more confidence etc I'm going to put her in Liverpool Marina plus the insurance wont cover me on the mooring due to the location!!

Feel like a kid at xmas :-)
 
Excellent!

Assuming you have little or no existing experience, I thoroughly recommend this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Complete-Day-Skipper-Skippering/dp/1408178540 . Despite the name, which implies that it should be a close accompaniment to the RYA course, it's actually written for someone who finds themselves in possession of a boat and wishes to learn by themselves rather than being taught. In particular, the ordering of topics is carefully thought out so that you get out on the water ASAP with just enough knowledge to do so safely, then adds further information as required.

Not on any kind of commission, I just think it's a great book for setting beginners on the right path.

Pete
 
Congratulations - having stepped up from dinghies to a small yacht myself only last year the learning curve has been near vertical but its all starting to make sense now partly thanks to many many incredibly helpful members of this forum and a lot of reading and getting out there and giving it a go; it seems most sailors realise its impossible to know everything so don't be afraid to ask. Fair winds !
 
prv said:
Excellent!

Assuming you have little or no existing experience, I thoroughly recommend this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Complete-Day-Skipper-Skippering/dp/1408178540 . Despite the name, which implies that it should be a close accompaniment to the RYA course, it's actually written for someone who finds themselves in possession of a boat and wishes to learn by themselves rather than being taught. In particular, the ordering of topics is carefully thought out so that you get out on the water ASAP with just enough knowledge to do so safely, then adds further information as required.

Not on any kind of commission, I just think it's a great book for setting beginners on the right path.

Pete
Click to expand...

Yes, very little experience - I have completed my comp crew course and I've bought 'Day Skipper' from Alison Noice but will look in to that one too,

Thanks
 
Many congratulations. I cut my teeth sailing in the Mersey and dodging sandbanks off Hoylake many many years ago. If you can sail there, you can sail anywhere.

Enjoy the advice from the forum. Trouble is some of the advice is absolutely top notch and some you want to take with a massive pinch of salt. Not always easy to tell which is which!

Bill
 
Thedreamoneday said:
Thanks,
I live on the Wirral and have managed to secure a mooring in west kirby but for the 1st 6 months until I get more confidence etc I'm going to put her in Liverpool Marina plus the insurance wont cover me on the mooring due to the location!!

Feel like a kid at xmas :-)
Click to expand...

Congratulations!

I am also a resident of the insular peninsular, and a westerly owner (although I keep my boat in the menai strait). I am sure you're going to have a blast.

Liverpool Marina - I used to keep a boat there and I would say that if you're looking to build confidence then the Mersey may not be the best place. The tides are fairly uncompromising, traffic (as I'm sure you know) is large and the entrance to the marina can also be a challenge. The Dee is a friendlier river for sure and picking up a mooring bouy can be easier than cutting your teeth in amongst the pontoons.

Dee SC has an active small cruising boat division and are always looking for new members. Very friendly too, as I'm sure are the lads at WKSC. Over the winter DSC put on training evenings and they always seem keen to help out people new to boating.

Many of them will be taking their boats out for the winter in the next month though.

Insurance - GJW will insure on a dee mooring (summer)

Either way, enjoy!
 
Congratulation, welcome and well done.

We have all been there.

There are no silly questions, just silly answers and my experence is that if you do get silly answers there will be a forumite along shortly to correct it for you.

By all means read the AN book, its a good one but it does go further than you need for day sailing. Do take the Day Skipper course. It helps build confidence, especially if you can do it where you plan to sail. It does help having some local knowledge before you take your own boat out for the first time.

One tip, never, never ask about your anchor. Way too personal a topic for here. Everything else is just fine.
 
Well done. Your life has now changed - forever!

I remember being in the pub the night I bought my first boat. I was grinning from ear to ear. A sage old mate of mine with whom I sailed said:

'You remember when you used to go to bed and falling asleep thinking about women?'

'Erm, yes' I said.

'Well, not anymore' he replied.

He was right.
 
If she's gunter rigged try fitting a bowsprit to carry a second headsail - I did on my old W22 and it sailed a lot better with much less weather helm. It also looked cuter!
 
Thedreamoneday,

PhillM is right as usual; if any sailor here or elsewhere claims they have stopped learning, kick them in the wotsits and move on to someone sensible !

You have already shown the right attitude with the books you've consulted...

As for ' not thinking about girls any more ', well that's not strictly true, but now whenever I see an attractive woman I find myself grading them, ' would they cheerfully enjoy a beat to windward or would they moan about messing up their hair / makeup ? ' !

Have Fun.
 
Dee SC is indeed a decent club (I am a former member) & West Kirby is NOT a good place for a mooring except in fine weather. I kept my first boat (a Westerly25) at Heswall (by the old DSC clubhouse) quite a bit more sheltered up there, but still vile with NW'ly gales over the ebb. Quite handy for an evening sail after work when the tide was right, but every holiday we had an 8-10 hour passage to Conway at the start & finish so we moved the boat there & drove the journey in 90 mins or so.

The 22 is a good solid cruiser & sails better than you might think by her looks, they also have excellent internal accommodation for her size - I could never have coped with the lack of side decks tho. All around the Wirral the tides are big & fast with lots of shallow water & relatively few sheltered anchorages or harbours. Unless doing passages to IoM, Ireland or Anglesey, the better cruising areas are all around the Menai straits & the moorings are generally safer too.

You will have a great time learning, but take care, there is a lot to learn & the area is a tricky one.
 
Welcome aboard, ask as many questions as you want even though they may sound daft to you. I got into to sailing boats this time last year, though I have years of experience with power craft. It's not that difficult to pick up 'sailing' as you will learn by your mistakes like me and don't go out your comfort zone until ou have gained more confidence and experience. As mentioned before, some good advice will be offered on here, but draw your own conclusions and ask more questions if your not sure ;)
 
Last edited:
Seajet said:
As for ' not thinking about girls any more ', well that's not strictly true, but now whenever I see an attractive woman I find myself grading them.
Click to expand...

Funny you should say that.

Only a couple of weeks ago my 9 year old boy and I sat on a promenade grading them. He took the lead. Most scored zero or 1 ! (He is partial to slim blondes).

I will try to ensure his priorities change when he eventually chooses a sailing mate.
 
Wow, thanks for the welcome.

I appreciate the concern around the sailing area I've picked, it does get a bit ferocious at times-I'm now hoping I haven't bitten off more than I can chew, I am willing to take my time, start off slowly an not venture too far until the confidence has improved though.

I am due to take my day skipper course early next year after I've done the theory in the next few months which I'm sure will help boost skills etc.

Anyone done what I'm doing and wished they hadn't?
 
Thedreamoneday said:
Wow, thanks for the welcome.

I appreciate the concern around the sailing area I've picked, it does get a bit ferocious at times-I'm now hoping I haven't bitten off more than I can chew, I am willing to take my time, start off slowly an not venture too far until the confidence has improved though.

I am due to take my day skipper course early next year after I've done the theory in the next few months which I'm sure will help boost skills etc.

Anyone done what I'm doing and wished they hadn't?
Click to expand...

I went sailing with friends then bought a boat, green as grass i woz with no formal lessons. Not much has changed in 41 yrs :o
 
Anyone done what I'm doing and wished they hadn't?[/QUOTE]

Don't be daft! Best thing I ever did, buying a boat! Dayskipper is great fun too.
I too go to sleep thinking about my boat AFTER FOUR YEARS! Life changing indeed, never been more scared, had more fun, more peace, more magic or spent as much money or felt more alive as I have since buying a boat.

I wish you as much fun as I have had (and hope to have).

W22? Great little boat, regular in the Jesters and several have crossed oceans. Very pretty too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top