Addiction

[rcvesselstyn]

1976, we were on our third boat together. It was a Victory 21 and she was fast. She was basically a stripped out day sailing race boat. She had a little cuddy cabin with enough room for bags of sails but nothing else. No head, no stove, but just enough room to roll out a sleeping bag in the cuddy cabin if your legs stuck out into the cockpit. We were ready to cruise! By this time my brother and his family had a Columbia 22 and my dad and mom had a Coronado 27. We were our own Yacht Club. Our little flotilla would head out for day sails or trips over to Catalina every chance we had. Most of the pictures my brother took of those trips show our boat from the stern.

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That didn't last very long. he said he needed more room for his family of four. I think he just got tired of being in the back of the pack. He bought a Cal 28. It was huge, and faster. We would get to the island and put a boom tent up. We would cook with a camping stove and of course we carried a bucket. When we visited my parents boat it was always a treat to have a table to sit at for a meal. When we visited my brother, even with the 8 of us, the boat was cavernous.

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The Victory was a fun boat. It had a very low freeboard and did not have a self bailing cockpit. In any kind of a chop it was not a dry boat . On day sails and trips to the island one of the mates main jobs was to bail. We were coming back from a trip over to Catalina Harbor. This trip there was almost no wind on the back side. Thankfully we had a great little British Seagull engine that started first pull every time. The only problem was you had to fill the tank.

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We were almost to Eagle Rock when the engine decided it needed to be refilled. There are always a lot of sharks in this area but as I sat on the lazaret cover filling the engine I saw a dorsal fin that was taller than our freeboard lazily headed for us. I finished filling the engine and started it up. When I crawled back to the cockpit I quoted a movie that had just come out the previous year, " I think we need a bigger boat." We stayed on our course towards the West End with the very large shark following us closely. The wind had started to pick up so we shut down the engine and set a course for Redondo. After about a half an hour the wind and sea really picked up and the tops of the swells started blowing off into the boat. The mate spent an hour with our multi-purpose bucket making sure we stayed afloat. The wind and waves eased a bit and had shifted direction enough so we could ease off the sails. The mate sat down beside me, tossed the bucket into the little cabin and reiterated I think we need a bigger boat.

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When we got back to the mainland I got in touch with Dad. I asked if he could put out the word to find us a really good deal. When I was young it surprised me how many people my Dad knew in the boating community. Later I realized that they knew him. The next day Dad called me and said the marina was about ready to impound a Cal 25 that had sunk at the dock. He said the owner might be willing to let it go for just a little more than the back fees and penalties. He didn't know much about the boat except that it had good sails and a soggy engine. If we sold the 21 a 25 would fit in my slip without any additional slip fees. This was really important because we were paying almost as much for the slip as we were for the house we were renting. I called the owner right away and it was a really good price. It was still more than we had spent on both our cars together. This was going to be more money than we had ever spent on anything. We met the owner down on the dock. Looking back at it now I realize how bad the boat really was. The deck was covered with bird droppings, the hull had 3 inches of growth, the main hatch board was curled up and delaminated, and there were chicken bones or the remains of a seagull in the cockpit. Down below everything was mildewed and there was still a good three inches of water in the cabin. I couldn't wait to give him the money. I was so excited that my hands were shaking when I handed it over. As it has turned out with all our boats, we sold the 21 to the first person who looked at it. My brother helped us tow what was left of the 25 over to our slip. Three days after that trip to the island we had a new boat.

[SVE]

Much healthier than drugs and so much more fun!!

[SailingChris]

It's fun to read about experiences like that. It's also a reminder that we don't need the perfect equipment to have fun and adventures. My brother and I set out on our first extended backpacking trip, 2 weeks with what we could carry, with a canvas Cub Scout pup tent that our mother had extended with some canvas from the surplus store. Same thing with boats: you don't need the big vessel with hot water & refrigeration to go sailing. And now even more than then, this is a golden age for anybody wanting to sail because there are so many used, usable fiberglass boats around.

We humans fall into two categories: those who decide to have fun now, and those who make serious plans to do it some day. Some day, when they can afford a big enough boat, or enough other fashionable equipment. Problem is, waiting for some day allows lots of unexpected things to intervene.

Last summer a neighbor kid bought himself a 1967 Hinterhoeller, can't recall if it's 25 or 27 feet. He and his dad had a ball sailing it all summer, teaching themselves how she handled and how they should handle her. I gave as much help as i could during those early, uncertain days of COVID, but they didn't wait until they knew everything. They went out and had fun right away. Not recklessly, but without undue caution. By the way, if we wait until we know everything about sailing, we'll never be on the water, right? My standard speech to prospective sailors is that it's an activity with endless opportunities for learning.

Chris Campbell
Proud owner of Cal 20 #1220, Martha C

[rcvesselstyn]

Wise thoughts. We have enjoyed your posts from the Great Lakes. Sounds like some brutal winters. We would really enjoy hearing more of your experiences sailing the area.

[Mary Mac]

Wonderful story! I agree with Chris, enjoy life now.. it doesn’t need to be fancy. I found my boat as a rotten mess, but I love her! It was what I could (barely) afford. The work I put in is always rewarding, and the sailing is fun. Do you have photos of the restoration, Randy?

[rcvesselstyn]

Thanks Mary. If I find the photos I will tell the tale.