Your first boat and memories??

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Kept at Benfleet Yacht Club in about 1978. First and last plywood boat!
 
Aged 13, nagged my parents to buy me a Phantom. Not that I had any idea what it was or how it would sail, just that it was advertised locally and I liked the look of it. What a nightmare! Leaked like a seive, won me the scorn of all the other envious lads at school and, much to their ammusement, having until then only sailed a Bosun, certainly helped to perfect my capsize drill!

Aaah, heady days, jumpers for goal posts...

Mark
 
still sailing my first boat. I was taken down to south of france by the original builder (Tom Lack) who was then the broker for re-sale, and had a good look round her before agreeing that she was the one for us.
That was 1987

Still have her - but she will be going on the market in about a month when winter work is finished:

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Mirror No 58399, (highest sail no on this thread so far, which makes me the youngest, or possibly latest starter? 1977, then aged late 20s), bought ready-to-paint, ie virgin plywood and a big bag of fittings. Answered to the name of Peanut.

First sail; Halcyon 23 down the Orwell to Felixstowe to wave at the Queen on Britannia after she had done East Anglia on her Jubilee tour. Motored down the Orwell in rain, got to Felixstowe harbour as the sun came out and the wind picked up, up went the sails, and I experienced for the first time that wonderful moment when the boat comes alive and the engine is silenced.

I've been hooked ever since!
 
Five years old, I was taken to the beach by friends and set off to sea in my inflated lorry tube. Couldn't see what all the fuss was about, I was only gone for an hour.
 
I started boating in 1948 rowing boats off Beer beach on holiday. Sailing began in 1957 in National 12s and Fireflys when I joined the RAF. The first boat I owned was another Mirror which I built in the garage of my Married Quarter in Felixstowe in 1984. I'm still hooked on boats after 58 years, is there a cure, I hope not.
Stan
 
mirror - 30747? - most memorable moment was without doubt being 4 miles off Bolt Head (out of Hope Cove) one evening and meeting a basking shark at least 50 times the size of boat.......... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif followed closely by the OB failing to start and the tide starting to flood leaving me to row like popeye to get back into Hope Cove rather than (the quicker journey) to Salcombe!
 
My first sail was on a Mirror dinghy on the river Cam in the 70's. Early memoroes include being overtaken by a family of ducks. Still happens occasionally. !!!
 
Re: Let\'s hear it for Mirror dinghies.

[ QUOTE ]
Amazing how many 'butters started with Mirrors.

What would today's equivalent be?

Sunsail flot yots?

[/ QUOTE ]

can yer build one in yer garage?...
 
Re: Let\'s hear it for Mirror dinghies.

Many kids seem to learn on Toppers these days but they are not equivalent to Mirrors.

I have had three in my time; after a break of a few years till the kids became of an age when they could learn to sail, we bought "Titmouse" - in our Arthur Ransome phase, and then I bought another, very rotten, one for £100, just for the launching trolley that came with it.
 
Re: first boat? what a memory

First thing we had that floated successfully (when I lived in Kent) was a car roof which had been cut off a wreck, upside down it floated nicely and with a milk crate for a seat in the middle and a long piece of bamboo which was used as the paddle canoe stylee it really went quite well on our local lake. Two up was maximum, mind we were only twelve - thirteen at the time and no more than a force two esle the waves (ripples) might have swamped our almost adequate 1.5 to 2 inch freeboard. Quite a few of the local lads did not seem quite so keen to have a go for some reason.

First real boat was a Hurley 20 had plenty of fun messing about in that trouble was I had grown up so much in between.
 
Re: Let\'s hear it for Mirror dinghies.

I started in the 1st Portsmouth sea scouts with 'Skipper' Jack Ashdown in a 30 odd foot ketch rigged dipping lug old ships cutter called 'Royal Arthur' She was much bigger and quicker than a whaler but had to be helmed with a huge tiller, sitting on the afterdeck.

At the same time had a canvas PBK kyak that I tried to rig a sail on, then an old Firefly I saved up £40 to buy and do up. At the same time crewing and helming Cherubs in races, then an old RNSA 14 clinker dinghy when I was about 14 then a Bonito single hander that I bought from Cowes and had a mad sail back to Portsmouth on a SW F5.

Then I started working for Joint Services and got to play on big boats and get paid for it! (Halcyon 27 and Contessa 32)

20 years later I bought my first 'big boat', a Vivacity 20 then a year later my second, a Macwester 26. No reason to go bigger, there's only the three of us.

It was a great way to grow up and learn. I almost feel sorry for people in such a hurry to jump straight into a 35 footer.

Given the choice of time/experience or money I've always gone for the former.

I've just been lucky,(and broke!) I suppose.
 
First boat the family owned was a new Mirror (No 9669 - that dates it!), launched at Waterhead in Windermere with the aid of an instruction manual.

First one I owned myself was an elderly OK (K233) at South Staffs SC, closely followed by 2 more (K113 & K1403) in progressively better states of repair.

First 'cruiser' was a 17' engine-less wooden sloop 'Snowgoose' that got me around many bits of Essex & Suffolk in the early 80's despite an almost complete lack of navigational or safety equipment apart from a hand bearing compass & a large pair of oars - but it didn't seem to matter at the time...
 
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In 1975 Achilles evacuated British nationals from Vietnam. Whilst in the English Channel on November 12th 1975, Achilles collided in fog with the Greek registered tanker Olympic Alliance. Four men were injured and she suffered considerable damage to her bows. After the damage was inspected at Portsmouth, Achilles sailed to Devonport for repairs where a new bow section was welded in place. In 1976 she undertook a ‘Cod War’ Fishery Protection patrol. The next year she was deployed in support of the British garrison in Belize. Achilles was due to pay off into Standby Squadron in 1982, but was reprieved as a result of the Falklands Conflict. In 1983 she joined the Orient Express deployment. After spending 1989 in the Dartmouth Training Squadron Achilles eventually paid off on 27th March 1990 and was laid up at Devonport. Achilles was sold to Chile in September 1990 and delivered to her new South American owners on the heavy lift ship Mighty Servant Four. She was renamed ‘Ministro Zenteno’ (PF-08) and now operates out of the port of Valparaiso.
 
Most of early sailing days were on father's boats, or somehow connected.

Circa 64: first sailing memory aboard a Victory called Zelia, which I think belonged to the Electricity SC in Portsmouth - last seen in Cowes about two years ago.

65-67 - an Island called Teal, approx 16' clinker built with heavy metal centre plate, moored in Chi harbour between Emsworth and Langstone. Most remember wading around in the black mud looking for cockles. He also added a gunter rig to the pram dinghy, looked a bit like an Optomist but didnt sail so well. Also in 1966 circumnavigated Hayling Island in a friend's Dayboat - still have the handwritten certificate to prove it.


early 70's: now in Tenby/Saundersfoot, built a Mirror at Sea Scouts. My big brother had a Minisail which I borrowed one day without asking, got knocked down about 5 times in 10 minutes so quickly put it away in the dinghy park. He found out and beat the sh!t out of me.

Father bought a brand new Leisure 17, and to save money he made the rudder himself from a large piece of mahogony! Then swapped for a Prelude (19') which we won the Round Caldey Race and I got my first trophy - a small silver rose bowl still on the sideboard at home !

All very happy days - and learned a lot along the way. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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