One of your best sailing experiences?

Sailing from the Algarve to the Canaries. Firstly watching the milky way covering the sky until the moon came up.

Then seeing green torpedo shapes whizzing past - dolphins, and blue noctiluca, surprising how large they are.

Also sailing on the boat of a friend who was a sailing guru to us, helming as we went into Ferragudo anchorage. He and my other half were sorting the anchor out so I selected a spot I thought was good, only to find it was exactly where he intended to go.
 
Great question, I just stuck some photos in a scrap book my Dad started years ago, as I rearranged them a glance at the back of one stuck out. It was me sitting on top of our Invictor and said "Newtown creek 1972" that brought it all back. Brought a tear to his 97 year old face. We sailed, just us two to france, I did the nav and put us right in cherburg entrance.
 
Sailing our boat several, miles up the Rio Chagres in Panama. Spending a couple of night up there, including our wedding anniversary , in the middle of stunning jungle, with howler monkeys and being the only boat. Exploring by dinghy all the way up the Chagres to the Gutan lake dam. A magical experience.
 
There are so many good ones, and the miserable ones fade away remarkably quickly once you're safely in harbour.
For me it must be the many sailing holidays with the kids when they were growing up and later seeing them take off on their own sailing adventures.
Also: anchoring a Dutch barge in the Wadden Sea and drying out, seeing the water retreat and countless seabirds taking over the sandflats, or sailing another barge on a dying breeze in the evening, gliding to the quay and coming to a stop without using the engine, or sailing to Gometra Harbour on the west coast of Mull, anchoring on our own and seeing deer, golden eagles and an otter, or making landfall in Nova Scotia after crossing from the Azores. Or that perfect reach two weeks ago, in a warm offshore wind, fully powered up and the boat running as if on rails? Or last sunday's charity sail in boisterous conditions taking three novices out for a trip and seeing them enjoying themselves hugely...
 
johnalison said:
Any time we overtook a larger yacht.
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During one of my first races as a dinghy sailor at my first sailing club, I overtook a 26 foot cruiser (same course) and I could not figure out why.

Better, more technically knowledgeable sailors may know.

It was a great sunny day with enough wind.

I had to turn my head away and smile because I knew the cruiser owner well and felt a bit embarrassed at overtaking them in a very humble wooden dinghy, with poor sails.
 
We had a rigid tender with dagger board and 2 part mast (all carried aboard a Centaur). When I was about 12 or 13, I persuaded my Dad to let me take the dinghy with its mast and sail under the footbridge to the West side of Canna. Only condition was wear a lifejacket. I could then sail along the rocky coast with the swell crashing on rocks in and out of hidden coves. I still remember the looming shapes of rocks underwater as I rose and fell on the swell.

Today I would be far to sensible to contemplate such a trip!
 
It’s really difficult to decide which are the best memories. Here’s a few:

My first channel crossing as skipper Sailing from Penzance across to L’Aberwrach. No GPS no Decca navigator. Walker log and compass and arriving off the French coast not exactly sure where we were but eventually finding the Vierge Lighthouse and going into L’Abewrach to have a most memorable meal in a café/restaurant there.

Ocean crossings are always memorable. My last major ocean crossing from Gran Canaria and arriving off Barbados and my wife realising that you really do smell land when you’ve been at sea for a couple of weeks or more.

Arriving in A Coruna after a smooth(ish) Biscay crossing and realising once again that you’re in a totally different country and culture.

Sailing into New York was pretty memorable. Likewise sailing into Newport, Rhode Island.

First channel crossing with our young children onboard. Celebrating half way with jelly babies.

Sailing our SCOD for the first time after three years of rebuilding her.

I could go on…
 
john_morris_uk said:
It’s really difficult to decide which are the best memories. Here’s a few:

My first channel crossing as skipper Sailing from Penzance across to L’Aberwrach. No GPS no Decca navigator. Walker log and compass and arriving off the French coast not exactly sure where we were but eventually finding the Vierge Lighthouse and going into L’Abewrach to have a most memorable meal in a café/restaurant there.

Ocean crossings are always memorable. My last major ocean crossing from Gran Canaria and arriving off Barbados and my wife realising that you really do smell land when you’ve been at sea for a couple of weeks or more.

Arriving in A Coruna after a smooth(ish) Biscay crossing and realising once again that you’re in a totally different country and culture.

Sailing into New York was pretty memorable. Likewise sailing into Newport, Rhode Island.

First channel crossing with our young children onboard. Celebrating half way with jelly babies.

Sailing our SCOD for the first time after three years of rebuilding her.

I could go on…
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I had a SCOD
 
If I had to only choose one memorable sail, that is very difficult. From racing offshore, racing round the cans, cruising extensively, there are too many to choose from. I love rough weather sailing and entering Scapa Flow will probably be the most memorable as it was so rough a lifeboat was sent out for me, but I did not need it. You can read a report on that day here. Round Britain day 43

At the other end of the wind scale, this video of sailing up the Medway in almost no wind was highly unusual as in 8 miles I never saw another boat, something I had never done before or since.

 
Lots of memories some really great others not so.

I was very new to sailing a friend offered me a trip to Cherbourg from Chichester harbour at end of August. There were four of us on a 26 foot AWB which was a little crowded and we left around 2200 on a Friday, pitch black and rougher than expected. Being so new to it all I'd taken large amounts of Stugeron which helped. Another crew member and I were told to get some sleep as we were on midnight to 0400 watch. I was repeatedly tossed 6 inches into the air from my berth with the roughness of the sea and was not impressed to hear sounds of vomiting from above. We eventually reached Cherbourg with two of us not having been sick.
I suggested we found a decent restaurant for the evening but was appalled when skipper said he had some tins of stew which he'd thought would do.
We were due to sail back Sunday evening but the wind had increased and an HR 36 (which looked huge to us) which set out came back saying it was awful out there so we were stuck, Bank Holiday Monday forecast was worse and I started to worry as my Mrs and I were due to fly out to Italy on the Wednesday and a possible sailing on Tuesday was leaving it late.
It was agreed if Monday was a no-go I would catch the ferry - but BH Monday, and I had difficulty getting a place on a ferry all were full, wondered if I might have to return via Poole. Eventually found a ferry which was going to Southampton and arranged for long suffering wife to pick me up there and then the pair of us go for my car parked at Chichester. However, all worked out and I got home in time to get last minute bits on Tuesday, pack and catch very early flight.
The mob set off on the Tuesday, one crew member spent the entire passage lying full length on the cabin floor as sea was still rough and boat all over the place. Skipper refused to enter Chichester for about 4 hours after they arrived as it was low water and the bar looked (and was) downright dangerous. They eventually got home very early Wednesday morning but had stocked up with wine and beer at cheap rates.
 
Daedelus said:
Lots of memories some really great others not so.

I was very new to sailing a friend offered me a trip to Cherbourg from Chichester harbour at end of August. There were four of us on a 26 foot AWB which was a little crowded and we left around 2200 on a Friday, pitch black and rougher than expected. Being so new to it all I'd taken large amounts of Stugeron which helped. Another crew member and I were told to get some sleep as we were on midnight to 0400 watch. I was repeatedly tossed 6 inches into the air from my berth with the roughness of the sea and was not impressed to hear sounds of vomiting from above. We eventually reached Cherbourg with two of us not having been sick.
I suggested we found a decent restaurant for the evening but was appalled when skipper said he had some tins of stew which he'd thought would do.
We were due to sail back Sunday evening but the wind had increased and an HR 36 (which looked huge to us) which set out came back saying it was awful out there so we were stuck, Bank Holiday Monday forecast was worse and I started to worry as my Mrs and I were due to fly out to Italy on the Wednesday and a possible sailing on Tuesday was leaving it late.
It was agreed if Monday was a no-go I would catch the ferry - but BH Monday, and I had difficulty getting a place on a ferry all were full, wondered if I might have to return via Poole. Eventually found a ferry which was going to Southampton and arranged for long suffering wife to pick me up there and then the pair of us go for my car parked at Chichester. However, all worked out and I got home in time to get last minute bits on Tuesday, pack and catch very early flight.
The mob set off on the Tuesday, one crew member spent the entire passage lying full length on the cabin floor as sea was still rough and boat all over the place. Skipper refused to enter Chichester for about 4 hours after they arrived as it was low water and the bar looked (and was) downright dangerous. They eventually got home very early Wednesday morning but had stocked up with wine and beer at cheap rates.
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I think we were asked for our best sailing experiences, not our worst! Great story though.
 
billyfish said:
I had a SCOD
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Ours was SCOD 62, one of the slack handful built by Camper & Nicholson themselves. Originally built for the John Lewis partnership and named Norama. She’d been renamed Lusula by the time we bought her as a ‘project’. Renamed again by us as ‘Tiggy’. We cleaned up some silverware in Cowes week but Mrs M said living on board was worse than camping so she was sold on and we bought a Sigma 33.
 
Even tho Id spent my entire life sailing on "Dads" boat, and some lovely trips we had too. Probably my most satisfying journey if you like was had 18mnths ago when the yard launched our new to us boat and my first boat and we cast off and headed down the channel for a pootle across the harbour then back to our mooring. To be skipper of ones own boat for the very first time was a tremendous thrill.... nice bit of wind joined us too. Even got a few approving waves (pun slightly intended) from fellow boaters. All in all t'was a hugely satisfying event.
 
johnalison said:
I think we were asked for our best sailing experiences, not our worst! Great story though.
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I actually enjoyed it though, I was so hyped on Stugeron I was convinced I wouldn't be sick and once I had persuaded skipper that his tins of beef stew could wait for an emergency it was fine.
 
john_morris_uk said:
Ours was SCOD 62, one of the slack handful built by Camper & Nicholson themselves. Originally built for the John Lewis partnership and named Norama. She’d been renamed Lusula by the time we bought her as a ‘project’. Renamed again by us as ‘Tiggy’. We cleaned up some silverware in Cowes week but Mrs M said living on board was worse than camping so she was sold on and we bought a Sigma 33.
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Ours was BUSH BABY a burnes build sail number 66.great boat but started to spend more time under it than in it.
 
Two very different experiences. Enterprise National Championships 1978, got round the wing mark in 5th place, looked behind to see 220 boats behind. I still have my 7th place plaque from that race.
Our first fortnight away in our first yacht, a Spring 25, headed west for the Scillies and the gods were kind and we got there in 3 days. Woke up at 5am because the sun was so bright to see St Helen's Pool spread out, with no other boats, in a glorious dawn. We have never managed to get back there due to lack of co operation from the weather
 
One great experience we had was when we did the HR 3-day regatta in Germany, in spite of my knowing no other useful German words than 'achtung'. We were treated extremely well, though no quarter was given on the water. In the first race I saw that the line was skewed and was alone in starting from port, getting to the first mark 3rd out of about twenty. We are on the far right

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