when were you hooked?

Is "strait" a typo or merely a summation of what boating does to the mind ?

<hr width=100% size=1>a pragmatist is an optimist with a boat in the UK - but serious about not being in the UK !
 
A galvanised tin bath (full length variety) on the river by our house probably aged about 8, beach spade used as the paddle, fortunately the river was quite shallow. Then endless mackerel fishing trips at 2/6d a time out of Newquay on hols mixed with hours and hours rowing around in circles on Tre-something boating lake. Built a canoe at 11/12 years old. Final addiction completed by 4 weeks on the 1962 Tall Ships Race on a Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter called 'Theodora' lent to Ocean Youth Club. Oh and I'm a Pisces too.

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>
 
1950ish on annual camp with the 105th London Boys Brigade (Lifeboy section). Went to the country! and rowed on the River Arun at Amberly Sussex and then on the boating lake at Arundel. Never did learn to row properly but have sailed on and off ever since.

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In about 1940 at the "Royaol Connaught Boat ( or was it Yacht) Club" in Poona ( now Pune) on the Mula Muhta river.. My Father came home on leave and I was deputed to crew him in a race.. Just strong enough to haul up the steel centreplate of the gunter rigged dinghy.. We got caught in a rain squall, Dad's glasses went over the side and I became the helmsman... They've been trying to prise my hands off the tiller ever since!!
Cheers Bob E..

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1961 My Dad turned up with a Gremlin dinghy on the roof of his Sunbeam Rapier...

the rest is here..

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.yachtsite.co.uk/fairweather>http://www.yachtsite.co.uk/fairweather</A>

Nick

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When I was 4 my father designed and built a clinker, gunter rigged, dinghy in the back garden of the quarters we lived in. By the time I was 5 it was ready for sailing.Tacking on the River Avon was a really good intro with holidays in Salcombe & Rock in rented cottages. (He also designed and made a device to get it on and off the roof of the car easily). I have been hooked ever since and that was many many many years ago.

Iota



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Local Scout group happened to be Sea Scouts, joined when about 8 or 9, canoed and sailed mirror dinghies in Sutton Park (North Birmingham). Oh happy days!

<hr width=100% size=1>Adrian
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.kydproducts.co.uk>http://www.kydproducts.co.uk</A>
 
Got hooked on a school holiday when I was eight down to Fort Bovisand near Plymouth when we spent a rarther cold day pootleling around in a wayfaier and generly annoying the commercial divers.
My 1st taste with big boats (unless you count being a passerger on BF's Plymouth- Roscoff route) was on the Master Bulider owned by the Ocean Youth Club On my first Youth Afloat weekend in Poole.

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About 12 or 13, a friends father had a very old International 14 at Woburn Park - we cycled there one saturday on a very gusty day, took it out with full sail, planed straight across the lake and promptly capsized at the opposite bank - no lifejackets, no safety boat, leaking bouyancy bags......... then hiring cruisers on the Broads ans Solent, then built a large cat.......... Been hooked ever since.

<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
I'd rather be sailing... :-) /forums/images/icons/smile.gif
 
First x-channel/first sail in boat my father built, me aged 6 reading swallows and amazons. Never left after that, in spite (because? NO!) of seasickness. Still trying to run away to sea, or anywhere wet. No wonder, marooned in Cambridge as I am.

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Just to be different..

I have never read Swallows & Amazons....
The nearest I came to boats as a child was crossing the Mersey by ferry....
But - one day during a wet camping holiday near Aviemore, my good lady & I decided on the spur of the moment to have some dinghy sailing instruction. One soggy afternoon on the loch later....the bug had bitten deep. (or was it the midges?)

<hr width=100% size=1>Fabricati Diem, punc
 
Re: Just to be different..

>>>> I have never read Swallows & Amazons....

Shame sir, my non-sailing mother read them to me as a child. It stirred my passion. It was great to be aboard "Nancy Blackett" for a coffee last summer in Holland while the skipper told me about his real job as barman on "Mirelle" distributing beers to passing Vertues!

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My Grandfather was a Cornish fisherman, working out of Mevagissey, and I loved fishing with him when I was little. And then when I was older my Father rather fancied sailing and bought an Enterprise dinghy. I initially crewed for him, but as he was hopeless and I wasn't, we swapped positions- me helming. He was big and heavy, and I was small and light, but we went faster with him sitting out. Sadly, he soon lost interest in sailing, it was too much hard work. I was hooked on boats by my Grandfather,and on sailing by my own Enterprise. It was also a great way to meet sporting guys when I was at University!

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Last year. Our neighbours took us out on their Westerly Konsort as a thank you for helping them to move house (OK, they're ex neighbours technically). That was pretty much it for SWMBO and I. We were back the next week pestering them to take us back out, and shortly afterwards, we bought a boat.



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Freezing cold week in February in the Solent doing my Comp Crew on a knackered old boat with no hot water and no heating......first time sailing - did course as my weeks holiday from work and have never looked back.

<hr width=100% size=1>Its 11.59am - lets open the beers...
 
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