Tracy’s first sail in the 2.4 meter

Tracy sailing her 2.4mR (Photo by Bill Blevins)

I took my first sail in one of our new 2.4 meter sailboats.

As soon as Bill cut me loose from the dock, I went into panic mode. My hands were busy adjusting the sails but I had no control of the boat and was doing circles between the docks.

Bill yelled, “Go over there (pointing out in the middle of Canandaigua Lake) and we will meet you (in our Skeeter “chase boat”)”.

I said, “I would if I could figure out how!”

Bill finally yelled to me, “use your feet, use the rudder” and then it hit me that I wasn’t steering the boat at all! Once I remembered that the right pedal moved the boat right, I started to calm down a little. I figured out how to move in the direction I wanted.

Bill and our new CYC friends ran over to the chase boat but had a little trouble getting it started. But at least by now I could maneuver myself over to them and ask what was going on.

They finally got the chase boat started and I made a few laps and rounded a couple of marks and by that point was ready to end my trial run.

It was only a few minutes of sailing but it seemed much longer to me and I was tired! I tied up to the Skeeter and they pulled me back to the dock.

I’ll get better and more confident in the boat in my ability to sail it after a few trips out.