# Yet another wannabe sailor intro...



## pdxskipper (Sep 9, 2014)

Hello all,

A year ago I rented a floating home with a boat well on the Columbia River and bought my first boat. I was going to buy a small runabout, but my wife insisted on an enclosed head so I ended up with an old 21' V8 Glas Ply cruiser. I initially thought we would use it to cruise the San Juan's in a couple of years when I retire, but after far too many $440 fill ups and a realistic look at my retirement income, I'm thinking I need to trade it in for a 20' to 26' sailboat.

I sailed with my father growing up in LA. First small club boats, then he bought a Rhodes 19 and a few years later a 22' Pearson Electra. But the last time I sailed with him I was 15 or 16 years old, so I want to take a course.

I've been reading sailing material non-stop for a few weeks now and wow, I had no idea there was so much to learn including another language. I'm a private pilot and I'm having that same 'overwhelming, will I ever get through this', feeling I had when I started learning to fly. My initial impression is that it makes power boating seem like child’s play.

When I mentioned that I was considering taking up sailing my power boat friends looked at me like I had three heads. I also fly sailplanes and it’s interesting that I’m seeing some of the same characteristics of the relationship between power and glider pilots that I’m finding between powerboat drivers and sailors… :laugher


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

Welcome to SailNet!

Initially, all the terminology can be daunting. But that moment when you're on your boat and it all comes together or you actually follow an entire conversation without mentally checking your Chapman's is...sweet.

But that's what I love about sailing. There's always more to learn around the next bend.


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## pdxskipper (Sep 9, 2014)

Thanks Donna!


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## clip68 (Jun 26, 2014)

Welcome to SailNet!


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

Welcome to sailnet, and yes reformed stinkpoters are welcome. Sailing is amazing but it does take a different mindset. Power boaters are all about getting someplace quick. Sailboats are all about enjoying the journey. Keep in mind that your top speed is going to be a lot lower. People used to power boats often have a hard time dealing with 40 miles a day during daylight hour range.


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## CatMan22 (Apr 16, 2012)

Welcome to sailnet, and congratulations on returning from the dark side. Deal with the terminology however is comfortable to you, the left side of the boat was the left side forever until one I day I blurted out port and things seemed to change overnight. There are some really good people on this site willing to help others out and I'm sure there are a couple close to you. Enjoy and let us know how things are going for you.


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## pdxskipper (Sep 9, 2014)

miatapaul said:


> Welcome to sailnet, and yes reformed stinkpoters are welcome. Sailing is amazing but it does take a different mindset. Power boaters are all about getting someplace quick. Sailboats are all about enjoying the journey. Keep in mind that your top speed is going to be a lot lower. People used to power boats often have a hard time dealing with 40 miles a day during daylight hour range.





CatMan22 said:


> Welcome to sailnet, and congratulations on returning from the dark side. Deal with the terminology however is comfortable to you, the left side of the boat was the left side forever until one I day I blurted out port and things seemed to change overnight. There are some really good people on this site willing to help others out and I'm sure there are a couple close to you. Enjoy and let us know how things are going for you.


Thanks miatapaul and CatMan22!

I agree about the different mindsets, as I mentioned I see many similarities with airplanes verses sailplanes. Most people of each group can't imagine what draws people to the other, 'dark side' and it seems it's the same with boating  Also there's the huge loss of speed and of course the blissful silence (relatively), same with boating. Some of the more 'stout of heart' soar x-country, but most soar just to get in the air and fly.

Most sailplane pilots take great pride in flying very coordinated and precisely, striving for maximum performance. As engines can make up for and hide sloppy flying, many sailplane pilots look down their noses at airplane 'drivers', I'm guessing that sometimes it's the same with boaters?

I could only take so many $100 hamburgers (lunch at a x-country airport) before I took up soaring. Also during my years flying I picked up a good background in navigation, weather and lift/drag, angles of attack/incidence, wing camber, etc.

But over the last year I've fallen in love with being on the water. I have fun just throwing my anchor and spending hours reading, osprey watching and cleaning up the spider crap. As I'm retiring in a couple of years I hope to spend much of my newfound time sailing.

I have my first rookie question, when running or on a long tack, do most sailors prefer, a neutral or weather helm?


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## j4anderson (May 29, 2014)

Welcome and I think you'll find several other sailors who have some flying experience. I started sailing this year and find it is pretty interesting which aspects of aviation are useful and/or similar and which are quite different. But I never looked at a wing like I do a full sail...there is just some kind of beauty about it.


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## Delezynski (Sep 27, 2013)

Glad ya got the right idea! 

Hang in here and you will change from a wannabe to a "BE".

It's a GREAT life and as was said before a LOT of aviation people are into it.

Greg


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## Dave_E (Aug 7, 2013)

Welcome to the forum!

Get a sailboat and don't look back!


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