I sailed for the first time in 1970 in Narragansett Bay. While spending my summer with a cousin at an island cottage, a friend lent me her 13 foot daysailer. I fumbled around in the bay for an hour or so, with no idea what I was doing. I somehow made it back to shore, and loved every minute of it. I bought my first boat, a 13 foot O'Day Chipmunk, in 1980. I sailed her for abut five years. In which time I had to make a few repairs like the time that I ripped the rudder off on a gusty lake near home. Shortly thereafter, I tried to cross Narragansett Bay, back to my cousins cottage, with 8 foot swells.
It took me hours just to get out of the harbour and into the open bay. My family had taken the ferry across before me and was watching my progress. All they could see from the island was my colorful sail appear and disappear as I followed the waves. I was in the hiking strap, hanging over the side to counter-balance the boat when the boat began to settle back to level. At the same time the mast went the opposite direction (not a good thing!). It had bent the aluminum mast 90 degrees at the hull. I rolled up the sails, pulled the center board up, and used it (because my paddles had been washed over board along with lots of other items) and paddled back to shore. There was a row of mansions along the shore and one owner was on his dock watching me with binoculars. I asked him permision to pull up onto his beach. He let me and told me I could could leave the boat there while I got my truck to pick it up the boat. His only comment was "I was rooting for ya', Your a crazy bastard, but I was rooting for ya!"
To finish the story, as my family worried why my sail never came back up, I picked up my boat. Parked the truck and found a fishing trawler going out. I paid them ten bucks to drop me off at the island on thier way. It was then that I determined (amazing stroke of deduction that it was) I need a bigger boat. It's 1997 now and I've finally done it! Her name is "Dad's Dream". Simply enough, eh? She's a 25 foot Catalina. The kids and I love it! Spend most weekends on it, still sailing Narragansett Bay, only just a tad safer now!