I've had WAY too long away from sailing, but finally got settled here in FL and got out on the water yesterday on my SC17. Light, flukey winds but it felt fantastic to be out there again - cobwebs officially blown away! I did nearly get deliberately run down by a guy in a powerboat - I guess FL drivers are just as horrible on the water as they are on the interstate! But I love the SC17 - this one has all the rigging upgraded to the ARC 17 so it was a blast - a whole different beast from the H16 I grew up with. I have some rigging changes I want to make but on the whole I think we can call my return to sailing a success

~Adrian.

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H16 back in the day
SC17 right now
Bradenton, FL
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Congrats Adrian!
ARC 17? Sahweet!
Great solo cat.
Where are you sailing?

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Sheet In!
Bob
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Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
AZ Multihull Fleet 42 member
(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA
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Sarasota Bay. We were three up in a force 2 gusting 3, and still it cranked along at a pretty good clip - I can't believe how well it goes upwind! I've very excited about soloing.

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H16 back in the day
SC17 right now
Bradenton, FL
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they are terrible here!
no license required, no skills, no brains
4th of july weekend, it was a pretty stormy Saturday... we had 4 separate storms come through and we were just about the only people on the water around 6pm (it was also crazy lowtides that weekend)
Some Yahoo had his kids on a tube behind his powerboat doing doughnuts in the channel completely blocking us and throwing waves at us (in 1 knot of wind). he finally stopped for a minuted when his line (and tubers) wrapped around a channel marker.

There were FWWC in the water all day pulling people over ... until end of day when this yahoo was being an asshat

they are your biggest threat - them and pwc pulling out in front of you

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I did nearly get deliberately run down by a guy in a powerboat - I guess FL drivers are just as horrible on the water as they are on the interstate!

Yeah, that is why I have been waiting patiently for people to leave the lake up here and go back home. I've had my Hobie for a couple of weeks now, actually brought her home July 3rd. I didn't think it would be a good idea to try out the boat that first week because of all the drunk idiots out there on Lake Martin around the 4th of July. I've waited all these years to get back sailing again that a few weeks will be okay. Better to be safe than sorry.

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Marty
1984 Hobie 16 Redline Yellow Nationals, "Yellow Fever"
Opelika, Al / Lake Martin
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MN3

they are terrible here!
no license required, no skills, no brains

My guy was in a 50 footer at full tilt, coming straight at me. I was watching him for a while because it was obvious we were on a direct collision course. I kept my course since he could have made the smallest adjustment to come across my stern but he just drove right at me. At the last minute he turned up a bit to come across my bows about 20 feet away - covering the tramp with his 4 foot wake. There's no way he didn't see me, and no way it wasn't deliberate. I really didn't have any choices since we were in very light wind - I just crossed my fingers and hoped he didn't want blood stains on his big fancy boat.

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H16 back in the day
SC17 right now
Bradenton, FL
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I've waited all these years to get back sailing again that a few weeks will be okay. Better to be safe than sorry.

Sounds smart to me

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, and no way it wasn't deliberate. I really didn't have any choices since we were in very light wind - I just crossed my fingers and hoped he didn't want blood stains on his big fancy boat.

Were you in a channel or open water?
Do you know the "rules of the road"?

MN3

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, and no way it wasn't deliberate. I really didn't have any choices since we were in very light wind - I just crossed my fingers and hoped he didn't want blood stains on his big fancy boat.

Were you in a channel or open water?
Do you know the "rules of the road"?

Just crossing out of the channel on his port side - he had to swing across the the port side of the channel to come at me. No problems at all from any other boats in the vicinity: just this one ass clown. Yes, I know the rules of the road as a sailor and a power boater (with an actual license). This guy didn't though.

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H16 back in the day
SC17 right now
Bradenton, FL
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MN3

Were you in a channel or open water?

I should mention that the "channel" there is over 500 yards across - only one side is actually marked so it's technically wider than that but in reality there's a good 500 yard passage in use - plenty of room to come one degree to starboard, and no other boats obstructing his way. Oh well - I shall chalk it up to the most important rule of all: it takes two boats to make a collision. I shall be staying well clear in future.

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H16 back in the day
SC17 right now
Bradenton, FL
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Yes, I know the rules of the road as a sailor and a power boater (with an actual license). This guy didn't though.

Cool - it's always good to know the rules, esp when in a restricted area like a channel

http://www.spinnaker-sail…/online-courses/lesson-3