Just bought my 1st sailing boat

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?
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Hell, no! I made cock ups & some were serious, but none was fatal! Your boat will cope with more than you can, just remember to plan what you are going to do & what should happen, do it & record what does happen, then review it & work out what you did wrong in your planning. That way you will learn really quick & are unlikely to make the same mistake twice.

I did my YM theory using the RYA correspondence course borrowed from the library but never did any practical. My first trip on my own boat was a 45 mile delivery trip with the previous owner & I had done years of dinghy sailing, much of it on Liverpool bay, plus a week's charter out of Mylor in the Fal (a brilliant safe cruising area).

Initially you will tend to be very careful & cautious, but as you gain confidence, watch out for the silly over confident mistakes. Try to be as methodical as you can. But don't forget to enjoy it too! Your cheeks will ache from grinning after the initial passages.
 
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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?
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Must admit I didn't bother with the ds theory. Read the book you have, then straight to the ds practical. What wasn't clear from the book became clear very quickly. Not the recommended way but it meant I got some hands on skipper training quickly - which meant I could concentrate on learning on my own boat in a safer way.
 
Thedreamoneday said:
Anyone done what I'm doing and wished they hadn't?
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I have known a few. They were all obstinate people that took no advice. One was a South African couple that bought an old Gallion 22 in Hamble, fully intending to sail it home. I did my best to dissuade them, and did let the CG know.

They sold it in Dartmouth I think.

Another is a current friend. A few of us have sailed with him (once) and have given up, as has he. In life generally he cannot take advice and makes the most ludicrous purchases. He spent £500 on an led bike light about seven years ago. Out of earshot, £500 is now a James Unit.

You are obviously not of that mind, so I don't think that there's the slightest chance of it happening to you. Welcome to the world of really really not having any spare cash.
 
Ah, slight misunderstanding, I wasn't clear- when I asked if anyone had had done what I'm planning and wished they hadn't I didn't mean buying a boat! I'm sure there are a few who would have done things differently but not wished they hadn't.

I was really meaning being a novice and starting out in relatively strong tidal areas such as the Mersey.

Some great replies though and reassuring to hear the boat which is a Westerly 22 Nomad is safe and will handle a lot more than I could throw at her.

Thanks for the positive replies.
 
I did the same as you last year - bought a boat with almost no experience, and learned from youtube, books and here.

My absolute best bit of advice I can give is - go out with other people. Join a club, and volunteer on people's boats - explain you're new, and I honestly think most people will jump at the chance to take you out, and that's the point where you'll learn loads.

I got a crew position on a club racer working one side of the jib... we never won anything, but spent a lovely 4 hours every weekend with guys who love sailing and like to talk sailing all the time.

You'll learn the most from spending time with other people.
 
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?[/QUOT
E]
Congradulations you wont regret it.
Most interesting sailing areas have there challenges, its part of what maks them fun.
pick nice days, till you get the feel of things, the odd few who wish they hadn't scare themselves or more acuratly go out with some one else who scares them.
The comp crew and a good book will get you started,
Im not familliar with the comp crew or day skipper practical but any practical course is monney well spent when you are starting out, having your own wee boat to keep it all fresh and gain expierience is great,
You are bound to end up with a few regrets along the way. if not your just not trying hard enough, once you have enough regrets to entertain or bore some at at bar you get to call it expierience.
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welcome to the fun world of owning a yacht and telling people who are not in the know that you are a yacht owner thus making them think you are like a real life version of howards way!

i got my first yacht 3 years ago (seawych 19). it was a good beginners boat and forgiving but was not roomy or quick enough for my liking

sold it at a loss. as i paid £1500 for it and spent at least £350 on it but only got £700 for it with a tender. But now i am a proud owner of an Intro 22 with a wide beam so is a lot roomier and quicker. got it for £2100. but it is a fin keel so not as forgiving when aground which happened when a friend was at the helm and we lost the rudder when we were towed off by the RLNI.

i have not done a course yet, am stickign with the thames and medway areas for now.I am with EYC


again welcome!


here are pics of my boats. do you have any of your new pride and joy?=

seawych-

v3aDmi6.jpg


vuKCi45.jpg


intro 22

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xgoomjd.jpg


QTNXvF0.jpg


JMsVbYi.jpg
 
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boguing said:
I have known a few. They were all obstinate people that took no advice. One was a South African couple that bought an old Gallion 22 in Hamble, fully intending to sail it home. I did my best to dissuade them, and did let the CG know.
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There is, or was recently, a 36 foot Bavaria on eBay which someone had bought new to learn to sail on, hoping to cover his costs by chartering the boat out. He seems to have learned something, albeit expensively, and not what he was hoping to learn.
 
Thedreamoneday said:
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
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Standing by :)

Best of luck.
 
If you look at the DSC moorings this weekend you will probably see that a lot of the small cruisers that moor out there in the summer have been taken out over the last set of bigger tides. The season is approximately April to now. It can get rough from now on! Boats overwinter on the hard at the club, at Heswall boatyard, on MUCH calmer moorings at Heswall and, since they are only small, a few lucky ones go home for some TLC.
 
I can't wait for Sunday to pick her up, I've just ordered my almanac, hand bearing compass and charts- nearly all ready to go.

Feels like December 23rd 1976 :-)
 
Nice one!

Thedreamoneday said:
I can't wait for Sunday to pick her up, I've just ordered my almanac, hand bearing compass and charts- nearly all ready to go.

Feels like December 23rd 1976 :-)
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Congrats and happy sailing. I'm looking to get a mooring sorted at West Kirby and get a bilge keeler for next year. I've also got little experience, been on a few sunny flotillas in the Ionian (non tidal) and half way through my Day Skipper theory correspondence course. Hoping I might pick up a winter bargain and store it somewhere. Did you buy an existing mooring or get a new one installed?
 
Thedreamoneday said:
I can't wait for Sunday to pick her up, I've just ordered my almanac, hand bearing compass and charts- nearly all ready to go.

Feels like December 23rd 1976 :-)
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Nice one. Happy sailing. I'm looking to get a mooring at West Kirby and put a bilge keeler on it. I've also got little experience, a few flotillas in the Ionian (non tidal) and I'm half way through my Day Skipper theory. Did you buy one of the existing moorings or have a new one put in?
 
Finally got her in to Liverpool marina tonight, what a crazy 24 hours that was.

I went with my brother to pick her up yesterday morning and began to tow her slowly back along the m6, after about 30 miles the trailer began to snake across two lanes pulling the car (Jeep Grand Cherokee) all over the place, I was convinced we were going over at one point it was frightening but managed to get it all straight an on one lane.

We drove about another 10 miles and I then noticed smoke bellowing out of one of the twin axle wheels on the trailer so pulled over on the hard shoulder. When we got out to have a look the rear wheel was at a 45 degree angle. The hub had come away by about 4 inches!

After a load of head scratch in we agreed the only option was recovery, so the breakdown company was called . The 1st truck came which was too small so we waited for the next bigger one to show up, after 45 mins my new boat was on the damaged trailer on the back of a flat bed getting towed to the next services a mile away where the breakdown company said to take it so they could have a look!

We all got to the services where the recovery guy said it was the most unstable load he'd ever recovered and refused to take it any further. So there I was in Knutsford service station with my new toy sat on a useless trailer with no way of getting it the 35 miles to the marina.

I had to leave her there and sort it out today, I got straight on the phone to a company with a hiab who thankfully went to the service station today lifted her off the trailer and took her to the marina at about 4:30pm, I was so pleased to get her out of the services so quick.

She was then craned in to the marina and is berthed comfortably along side the other boats- it wasn't the start of boat ownership I had in mind and I'm considerably lighter in the pocket but I had a massive grin as i powered round to her berth at the far end of the marina. Really looking forward to giving her a good clean and getting her all set up this weekend.

Cheers
 
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