# Bought my 1st sailboat



## Towguy (May 8, 2016)

Well after much research and too much humming and hawing I finally found a nice ,well kept C&L 16 ,it's no cruiser but I think a nice size to learn on with my son,wife or daughters,(the small maybe 25 ft cruiser comes next), summer type weather is in full swing now so gotta get out there and use that water while its thawed out! I would like to ask others what they learned on?


----------



## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Good way to start!.. Small responsive boats teach you the fastest however you're bucking the trend today. Seems now a large number of first time buyers get in at 30 feet plus - must be a lot of money floating around 

We started with a small 24 foot Shark, and moved up through to 40 feet over a 12 year span. Now back down to mid 30s.

Enjoy!


----------



## AdventuringWeGo (May 2, 2016)

Congrats on the new boat.

I'm currently learning on a little 12' O'Day Widgeon. One of the first things I learned is that things can go wrong rather quickly on a small boat, and it's definitely forcing me to be more thoughtful about when, where and how I sail. The good news is that with a small boat, typically the only recovery needed from a mistake is to get it upright again, bail the water out and make the mental note to "not do that again."


----------



## gigamanx (Dec 2, 2008)

Congrats on the new purchase! I found learning on a smaller boat much more rewarding. Understanding things like sail twist, traveler adjustments, and trimming seem to have a quicker response on the boat so you can "feel" how your changes are affecting speed. I learned on a Cal 22.


----------



## Pegu club (Jun 10, 2012)

Congrats on the new boat! We started with Bristol 24, and then moved up to a Bristol 29.9. As said above, a good way to start the learning process.


----------



## serpa4 (Aug 2, 2015)

Nice. I just sold my 15' Potter P15 last month and picked up my 30'. It closed and is mine today. I can imagine your excitement. Small boats are simple and fun. Welcome to sailing from a beginner myself.


----------



## krisscross (Feb 22, 2013)

That is a well made boat that can carry an insane amount of sail. Be careful not to get in trouble with her in stronger winds.
Best of luck and congratulations on a good choice of a boat.


----------



## elliowb (Jun 8, 2015)

Towguy said:


> Well after much research and too much humming and hawing I finally found a nice ,well kept C&L 16 ,it's no cruiser but I think a nice size to learn on with my son,wife or daughters,(the small maybe 25 ft cruiser comes next), summer type weather is in full swing now so gotta get out there and use that water while its thawed out! I would like to ask others what they learned on?


Back in the 60s while we were on vacation in Florida, my dad came back to the hotel with a little 12' fiberglass daysailer called a 'Jack Tar.' We all learned to sail on that great little boat.

Many years later, my wife bought a sailboard for me. I actually learned even more about sailing on the sailboard. Without a rudder, you have to really learn center of effort and center of resistance.

Starting with a small daysailer makes a lot of sense. You can make mistakes on something that is very forgiving, although more tender than a keel boat. I'm sure that you'll have a lot of fun!

-- Bill


----------



## Towguy (May 8, 2016)

Thanks all,I aprciate all ideas and not to worry ,won't be using that big spinnaker that comes with it for awhile,my sons pretty excited too he took a couple of sailing courses when he was in high school but hasn't had much chance to use them we ll work on figuring it out together ,


----------



## Tanski (May 28, 2015)

Great boat! I miss mine, used to race it as a teen. Trailered it all over Eastern Canada in the 80's.
Still remember being on the Atlantic in the tail end of a hurricane.
I knew I had things ripping when the centre board would start doing this harmonic vibration thing when up on plane. Boat was humming!
With practice when you dump it over you can right it again and only get your feet wet.
If it never goes over you're not sailing it right!


----------



## Towguy (May 8, 2016)

hey tanski,that's sort of what I accept is going to happen ,so I think wet suits are in order at least till our lake warm up a bit more, Question ..how does the c&l 16 handle when sailing alone,and no one to work the jib sail,so just with the mainsail?


----------



## hellsop (Jun 3, 2014)

Faster said:


> Good way to start!.. Small responsive boats teach you the fastest however you're bucking the trend today. Seems now a large number of first time buyers get in at 30 feet plus - must be a lot of money floating around


Doesn't take all that much money with stuff like this floating around...

Craigslist linky

(Granted, that boat needs some serious attention, but it's doable if you're the sort who's got free weekends and evenings.)


----------



## Towguy (May 8, 2016)

You know with a old boat like that,it could be a hell of a deal,it looks intresting from a distance...but just like a old house or a older /classic car (more my expertise up till now). It could be a money pit that keeps on taking..time & money No I think simple and no surprises in a open 16 ft dingy.


----------



## Tanski (May 28, 2015)

No you can sail it with main and jib solo, wouldn't suggest it until you have a few miles under it and you have a good idea what it is going to do. Key is planning and doing it the same way always. To this day I still do things very much the same way sailing solo on my current boat.
Balance wasn't that bad using the main only as long as the wind wasn't too strong, then you'd need the jib to balance the helm or switch to the jib only. You'd more than likely want to be on shore by then. 
Pretty tame boat in lighter winds, comfortable and dry. Changes into a different boat when it's blowing and you can keep it on plane! That is when you're learning to sail! And getting wet......
Wetsuit is a good idea until the lakes warm up, I used to wear neoprene booties all the time, protection from the hiking straps.
When is goes over it isn't so fast you can't react, as it goes over you can scoot up on the side, walk down the centre board and back up as the boat rights. Only time I had problems was when I stuck the mast in mud, water was shallow enough I was able to reach down and pull up on the mast closer to the top. Probably close to 3.5' deep. Mine never went turtle.
I had the spinnaker and trapeze on mine. I'm not sure if it was an option or done after market but I do know I have seen a couple that had a furling jib. Sail had a wire luff with a swivel on top.
I always rigged mine on the trailer and launched with the mast up.
I did have a new forestay made for mine with a turnbuckle, found it easier to rig if you didn't have to try to pull tension into the stay and put the pin in, could rig it loose and tighten it up.
Used to be an active racing class of them around here in the 80's.


----------



## Towguy (May 8, 2016)

Well progress my buddy picked up my boat today,for me and after checking bearings,lights and such he is going to run it up here next week( it's in Calgary now) and a for,er principal of our school who is an avid sailor on the local lakes is excited to get out on the water with me to show me the ropes...:2 boat: I think it was him that encouraged the sailing program and trips to the coast when my kids were in school


----------

