Just an introduction...

RockyMt

New Member
Just wanted to introduce myself, new to the forum, and new to sailing. I just purchased a Catalina 14.2K (v2) fixed keel. I had asked around my marina, and was told it would be a good boat to learn the basics and have some fun. I have ZERO sailing experience, but have owned several power boats, and currently have a 26 ft Bayliner cabin cruiser docked at our local marina. My wife and I live in northern California on the San Francisco Bay Delta. The boat is a little rough around the edges, but structurally sound, and complete. Just wanted to say "hi!" and look forward to accelerating my learning curve by reading up, and getting wet...

Cheers,
Rocky
 
Welcome Rocky! You picked a great boat that will be great fun and teach you a lot. You live in the perfect spot for sailing!
 
I got my basic keelboat certification at OCSC in Berkeley Marina. Wasn't much wind that week, which i am told is uncommon. I live near LA now, but come up there pretty often. Looks like a great area for sailing.
 
Just wanted to introduce myself, new to the forum, and new to sailing. I just purchased a Catalina 14.2K (v2) fixed keel. I had asked around my marina, and was told it would be a good boat to learn the basics and have some fun. I have ZERO sailing experience, but have owned several power boats, and currently have a 26 ft Bayliner cabin cruiser docked at our local marina. My wife and I live in northern California on the San Francisco Bay Delta. The boat is a little rough around the edges, but structurally sound, and complete. Just wanted to say "hi!" and look forward to accelerating my learning curve by reading up, and getting wet...

Cheers,
Rocky
Howdy I just completed my first full season with swing keel Capri and can give you a few observations. First that there's a world of difference between mine and your fixed keel version, and it's a trade-off. If you're a single hander and do a fair amount of trailering you're best off with my boat. It's far easier to launch/retrieve alone and even to store on your property. Low trailer profile reduces raised eyebrows from neighbors and with a pull dolly (bought mine at Cabela's) it's possible to drag it around if you're at least average in strength. I'm 64 and have no problem. Your version is about 200 lbs heavier and about 2 feet taller on the trailer so I think that demands precision when retrieving, definately a 2 man operation. If mine's off center it's easy to pick up the rear end and scoot it over. But it's surely a tender boat under gusty conditions. My remedies to that were having a set of reef points installed in main (look into this), weigh 200 lbs, and also fortunately had 5 seasons under my belt with a Catalina 22 on Lake Michigan! With experiance you will develop an instinctive feel for dealing with those conditions and should do just fine. Being a new sailor I think you are best off with your fixed keel, that should be a hard boat to knock down. Wishing you fair winds, keep us posted as you progress!
 
Learning to sail on the coast is a distinct advantage IMO, as the first, middle, last, things to really learn, is how to get a feel for the wind, and only then, what to do with what you're feeling. The thing about a lake, is that the wind is all over the place, and the only thing that's consistent, is the general inconsistency of the force and direction. On the ocean, for the most part, the wind doesn't swirl near as much, and while generally stronger, is less prone to gust/die/gust/die/ect.... So you picked a fine spot to begin your adventure. That's really what it is, adventure in it's purest form. You're learning a skill that literally opened up the world to our ancestors, and depening where you start counting from, has remained fundamentally unchanged for 3-10 thousand years... and will remainunchanged for as long as there is wind and something to float on. Cool, huh? Aquaman is right about the fixed keel, should be a bit more stable and work well for you. I also have a swing, but that's best for me and my home port. I would absolutely not get worked up about it being tippy, and I wouldn't ruin the lines of her with one of those foam eggs. They looked silly on 3-year olds learning to swim in the 60s, don't do that to your beautiful new/old craft. I have some inflatable fabric tubes for insurance, but have never tipped, not once. Pay attention to the wind, and keep the main in your hand. Again, DON'T CLEAT THE MAIN. One hand on the tiller, one hand on the main sheet, a smile and/or knowing grin on the face. That's all you need. So that it's no big deal if you do tip, stow your phone & keys in a ziplock and put that in something tied to the boat, put anything else that matters in something tied to the boat, and discuss with your 1st mate in advance the importance of sitting and moving where you tell them to and what you'll do if you do tip. Have the discussion before you shove off. There are even some very good and short videos on YouTube about righting a small boat you could watch together for 5 minutes. As with most things in life, freaking out in the moment makes them much much worse, and a little pre-planning goes a long way. The only other thing you need, are two 1/4" x 6" strips of plastic grocery bag. Tie one to each spar about head high from gloor of the cockpit. They are the best tell-tales made, and will really help learn the wind. Happy sailing, and post a photo!
Fredo
 
Thanks for all the encouragement! Well as they say, "life is what happens when you're making other plans...." We (my wife and I) intended to stay in our current home for a long time, but, a home on a private island on the Sacramento river (only a few miles away) came up for sale, and with front AND rear docks it was a no brainer. So now we are in the process of packing and moving (arrrgh!) My question is, our "rear" dock is only like 1 foot of water at low tide, the bottom is silty soft mud, will it damage the fixed keel or hull to allow it to lay on it's side during those times? If so we can use the "deep" dock. Thanks in advance for sharing your experience with a rookie!
Cheers!,
Rocky
 
Fixed keel, soft mud, any issues?
I would think that keel is securely fastened and the boat would not be harmed if it lays in the mud. And here's the # for Catalina tech support 916-843-1971. I would run your question through them, they're very helpful! Also, i assume you have some noticeable currents there, wondering how you would deal with that? Could you get sent downstream to a place that you didn't want to end up at?
 
KIMG0812.jpeg
 
Just doing a trial test of photo transfers, here's a shot of my Mod 1 leaving it's home port of Des Plaines, Il.
 
Thanks for the feedback, Yankee-Dood-It! (it was the name of my fathers B24 in WW2) is safe and sound at the new home. In response to the river current issue, it's only about 2 or 3 knots in front on the main dock' 1/2 that in the rear (the boat stays in the water 24-7) My biggest issue now is keeping the river otters from moving in as they have a den nearby!
Cheers,
Rocky
 
Fixed keel, soft mud, any issues?
I have a 16.5 keel. No issues with mud, it either cuts thru or stops. Rocks is another thing as they scratch the bottom paint. Just stick to deeper water (3+) and anchor off the shore. A Danforth HT 5# with 6' of chain works great.
 

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