# Newbie from NC



## Bamper (May 13, 2016)

Hi Everyone! My husband and I just purchased a new to us 1985 MacGregor 22 in April 30th and we have already taken it out 3 times. We even spent the night this past weekend. My 15 year old daughter nicknamed it "The Bamper" (Boat camper.) We may have serious escape the real world issues. But as I told my friends, "I can't expect to retire on a sailboat one day if I don't know how to sail." So we bought our first boat in a manageable size and we are learning. We have no real experience but I have been reading forums and books and the guy who sold it to us was very thorough showing us the basics. We have had a power boat (used on local lakes) for decades so we know some things, but maneuvering a sailboat is definitely different. Anyway, I am happy to have access to this group and look forward to any advice, help and insight ya'll can provide. I am sure I will have questions. Thanks in advance for your answers.

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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Welcome aboard.

Great that your teenage daughter is happy to be involved.. keep that up!


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## catlady (Oct 27, 2011)

Welcome aboard! Sounds like you’re having lots of fun already!


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

A Mac 22 was my first boat. For someone who knew nothing it was a great boat to learn on. Welcome to SailNet and don't be afraid to ask questions.

(let one of the moderators know if you want to change to a user name that is not your email address)


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## midwesterner (Dec 14, 2015)

Welcome and congratulations on your new family adventure.


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## Bamper (May 13, 2016)

Donna_F said:


> A Mac 22 was my first boat. For someone who knew nothing it was a great boat to learn on. Welcome to SailNet and don't be afraid to ask questions.
> 
> (let one of the moderators know if you want to change to a user name that is not your email address)


I may be asking you a LOT of questions!

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## jwing (Jun 20, 2013)

You may not know enough to ask this question, so I'll offer some unsolicited advice: Learn how to prevent an accidental jibe. Accidental jibes can happen super-fast if you are unaware of what they are and what causes them. They can kill a person (or worse), and they can damage the boat. They can occur in light air. On the other hand, they are easily preventable. Lots has been written; use your favorite web search.


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## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

I dunno that calling an accidental jibe on a 22 foot Mac potentially lethal, is a great way to describe what is otherwise a pretty easily managed problem.

Either way Welcome Bamper. What waters are you folks sailing down in the tarheel state?


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## Bamper (May 13, 2016)

jwing said:


> You may not know enough to ask this question, so I'll offer some unsolicited advice: Learn how to prevent an accidental jibe. Accidental jibes can happen super-fast if you are unaware of what they are and what causes them. They can kill a person (or worse), and they can damage the boat. They can occur in light air. On the other hand, they are easily preventable. Lots has been written; use your favorite web search.


Thanks for the advice. I have been looking at YouTube and reading books. The practice of sailing is slightly different when you read about it and then experience it! We did get a little freaked out on Mother's Day. Heading close hauled on the lake, trying to get through a narrow part and the wind kicked up. It felt like we got blown over quite a bit as if the wind was getting funneled. I was too busy hanging on and standing what felt like sideways to look at the compass to read the heeling angle... but I'd guess it was 30ish. It probably felt worse than it was. We had the jib and main out and the jib doesn't quite make it back to the mast so its not huge. We ended up pulling over behind the land and dropped the jib and we sailed slowly with just the main the rest of the day. After that episode, we read up on it and one mistake I know we made was fighting the tiller. We should have let the boat head into the wind, right? To lose power. Any advice on this episode would be welcomed as well.

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## cb32863 (Oct 5, 2009)

Bamper said:


> Thanks for the advice. I have been looking at YouTube and reading books. The practice of sailing is slightly different when you read about it and then experience it! We did get a little freaked out on Mother's Day. Heading close hauled on the lake, trying to get through a narrow part and the wind kicked up. It felt like we got blown over quite a bit as if the wind was getting funneled. I was too busy hanging on and standing what felt like sideways to look at the compass to read the heeling angle... but I'd guess it was 30ish. It probably felt worse than it was. We had the jib and main out and the jib doesn't quite make it back to the mast so its not huge. We ended up pulling over behind the land and dropped the jib and we sailed slowly with just the main the rest of the day. After that episode, we read up on it and one mistake I know we made was fighting the tiller. We should have let the boat head into the wind, right? To lose power. Any advice on this episode would be welcomed as well.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


Rounding up can help but, you may not have room. Ease the mainsheet in the puffs. Then as she flattens out, bring it back in. Only do a drastic trim change when necessary. learn to read the breeze on the water. No worries, you'll get the hang of it. You should switch responsibilities as well. One person on the main, one on the jib/Genoa and another calling wind.

Welcome to the asylum.


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## jwing (Jun 20, 2013)

I had a recent sailing class graduate on my boat who taught me a saying that he learned: "tiller toward trouble." In the case of being overpowered, the trouble is the gunwale that is being pushed down into the water. Moving the tiller toward that side would turn the boat toward the wind (known as heading up), thereby de-powering the sails. However, cb32863's advice of letting the mainsail out is a better strategy. If you think about it, you will realize that both maneuvers have the same alteration of the sail's angle relative to the wind. Heading up changes the hull's direction, while easing the sails keeps the hull moving in the same direction.


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## Bamper (May 13, 2016)

jwing said:


> I had a recent sailing class graduate on my boat who taught me a saying that he learned: "tiller toward trouble." In the case of being overpowered, the trouble is the gunwale that is being pushed down into the water. Moving the tiller toward that side would turn the boat toward the wind (known as heading up), thereby de-powering the sails. However, cb32863's advice of letting the mainsail out is a better strategy. If you think about it, you will realize that both maneuvers have the same alteration of the sail's angle relative to the wind. Heading up changes the hull's direction, while easing the sails keeps the hull moving in the same direction.


I think I can remember that! "Tiller toward trouble." And the next time it happens, I will let out the main.

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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

Welcome to SailNut!

and learn how to reef...

Good luck!


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## Bamper (May 13, 2016)

SHNOOL said:


> I dunno that calling an accidental jibe on a 22 foot Mac potentially lethal, is a great way to describe what is otherwise a pretty easily managed problem.
> 
> Either way Welcome Carakeys. What waters are you folks sailing down in the tarheel state?


So far, we took her to Falls Lake because it's the closest and we know it well. This past weekend we went to Kerr Lake and it was much better with wide open water and more consistent wind. It rained, but we had on rainsuits and it was still a lot of fun.

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## Bamper (May 13, 2016)

eherlihy said:


> Welcome to SailNut!
> 
> and learn how to reef...
> 
> Good luck!


There aren't any reef points in my sail.

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## tschmidty (Sep 25, 2008)

You won't generally get wind on the lakes in NC that you need to reef. Sounds like you are close to Raleigh though which will give you access to the eastern sounds where you might get more wind. Reef points are pretty cheap and easy to add to a sail, but not something to worry about yet.

Have fun out there!


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## Bamper (May 13, 2016)

tschmidty said:


> You won't generally get wind on the lakes in NC that you need to reef. Sounds like you are close to Raleigh though which will give you access to the eastern sounds where you might get more wind. Reef points are pretty cheap and easy to add to a sail, but not something to worry about yet.
> 
> Have fun out there!


We do want to go to the Pamlico Sound and the Abelmarle too. Lot's of exploring to do. 

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## bones92 (Apr 1, 2016)

Welcome, Bamper. We're in the Raleigh area, and we've only been on Jordan Lake so far, but a trip to Kerr is on the list.

Also, a trip to Oriental would be great. As you know, lots of open water down there on the Pamlico (and Neuse).

Glad to see another family embracing the sailing scene.


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## Solar54 (May 9, 2015)

Welcome Bamper!


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