Does anyone else here sail?

[emily_in_nc]

Do a Google search on women's sailing clubs in your area and see if anyting turns up.

Congrats, and wishing you smooth sailing!

Thanks Regina! I wouldn't want to join a women's sailing club, though, since this is an activity DH and I will be doing together. We took all our ASA classes together too. I just thought it would be fun to chat online with another female sailor. I found out after I posted this that a couple of people I work with (men) are members of a sailing club down at the coast, and they keep encouraging us to get on the waiting list to sign up and get a slip in the marina. It does sound like fun, but it's a longer drive from where we have already rented a slip for the next year, so we'll wait and see how we like where we'll be first. I will hopefully meet some other women on the docks!

It's good to hear from some folks who enjoy sailing here. BTW, you mentioned Freedom. our 2nd choice boat of the ones we looked at was a gorgeous 1987 Freedom 30 Sloop. The woodwork inside was amazing, and the carbon-fiber stayless mast VERY impressive! Ultimately, though, the galley was TEENY, it needed more work, it had no refrigeration or AC power, and the price was higher, so we went with the Catalina, which was much more of a turnkey boat, since we don't live very close to where the boat will be (2.5 hours each way) so can't be there working on it all the time. But that Freedom was a real beaut.

Emily

[7rider]

Thanks Regina! I wouldn't want to join a women's sailing club, though, since this is an activity DH and I will be doing together. <snip> I will hopefully meet some other women on the docks!

Emily

Yes, of course, Emily. I was actually thinking listservs, socials, things of that nature. Sorry I wasn't more clear. I'd certainly want to sail with my DH, too, if/when we got a boat! I'm sure you'll meet others at the marina, too!

[Ninabike]

Hi Emily, I just noticed this post.

My DH and I have sailed for 35 years. In fact, it was in 1977, when we kept riding our bikes by a Catalina Yacht dealership, that we finally gave up cycling and got into sailing for good. The Catalina factory is located right here in So. California (Woodland Hills), very close to us and we have become very good friends with the main archetect, Gerry Douglas (his boat is just down the dock from us).

We have had 3 Catalina yachts. Our first was a Catalina 27; then a Catalina 38 (the old racing style with tumblehome sides; it is the Yankee 38 hull). We had that boat for 15 years, and then in 1995, we bought a Catalina 42, Mk II. Ours is Hull No. 2 of the Mk II. Both our Catalina 38 and Catalina 42 were the boats shown on the brochure. My DH and I are in both of those pictures. We are even on the website somewhere, but I never check that site so I'm not sure where.

The Catalina 30 is a very good boat and for years has been the mainstay of Catalina Yachts. The boats are built like cast iron, and they can stand up to anything. You can do most of the work on the boat yourself, which is a good idea, bacause once you start working on your boat, you will know how to fix anything no matter whatever or wherever things happen. After a while, you will collect all kinds of tools and spare parts. Never throw anything away. You will never know when you need just one little stainless steel through-bolt, or part of a cleat, or peice of plastic hose, etc. We have a "garage full" of "stuff" on our boat.

My DH and I have always rigged our boat so that either of us could single-hand the boat if necessary. We normally don't sail with other people and we don't race.

For many years, my DH and I sailed all the time, and we didn't ride our bikes. We even gave our bikes away. We have a mooring at Catalina Island (Isthmus Cove) and we keep our boat in Marina del Rey, California at the Catalina Yacht Anchorage. For the past 4 years or so, we have gotten back into cycling, so our sailing has suffered. But the boat is always there and it is like our second home.

If there is anything you need to know about sailing, or about Catalina yachts, just let me know. You can PM me, and I will give you my e-mail address. Sailing can become just as addicting as cycling so "be careful!!".

Happy sailing!!

[emily_in_nc]

Ninabike,

Thank you so much for your post. I look forward to discussing sailing with you further! I sent you a PM.

Emily