What was your first boat?

My first boat is the one I still have: a Sunfish. I've been camping with it several times, been in huge waves (3-10' on my last week-long trip around Isle Royale), and it seems to be more capable than I ever imagined. I've met several sailors who say that was their first boat as well. If just made me wonder how many started with a sunfish. Here's my channel link if anyone is interested in the Sunfish videos, including the 150 mile Isle Royale trip.
 
A little beat up Snark with the KOOL logo. We had a beach house and dad owned a tobacco store. It was the most fun little boat I really wish I could find one new.
 
Well, I never really changed my brother's name on the title, but the first boat I owned was an old beat-up Laser with serious mast step problems... had to repair the mast step before I could take her out, so I went ahead and pulled a complete overhaul, including fresh LP primer & paint and hardware upgrades. New lines too, the old ones were worn and looked like hell... by the time I was done, the boat looked like a million dollars. Thus began a long love affair with Laser #2069, a sweet boat with good karma which saw me through a sh!tload of nautical adventures... :cool:

I should add that I began my nautical career aboard a Lido 14, which is a fine craft and quite handy... I also worked my way through the Capri 14s and Rebel 16s at the club, oddly enough I didn't really get into Lasers until I fixed up #2069. To this day, I don't know why, except perhaps that I wanted to take passengers out with me whenever possible, and the Lido 14 was better suited to multiple passengers. Same for the old school Capri 14 and Rebel 16. However, by the time I started sailing my Laser, I had outgrown my dependent's I.D. card and could no longer use the boats at the club, so Laser sailing it was... :rolleyes:

If anyone were to ask me today, I would characterize myself as a diehard Laser man, but it just as easily could've been an old Sunfish that needed repair. My brother bought that Laser from a high school friend, and once the mast step was totally thrashed, he told me, "Fix her and you can have her"---but I never changed the name on the certificate, I just paid the annual registration fees. Much as I like the Laser for its overall usefulness, I'll always have a special place in my heart for the Lido 14, just because a few friends & I had so many adventures aboard that craft. A fine boat, the Lido 14... :D

To those who stumble across an old boat in need of restoration, regardless of class, go ahead and bring that boat back to life so you can get out on the water... that to me is the most important thing, though it's nice to have performance too. But sometimes we don't choose the boat, she chooses us... and don't write off a boat just because she looks ugly or she doesn't belong to your favorite class, a good sailor can master ANY craft and still have a blast. Moi, I had to deal with some ugliness when I first rescued her, but I lucked out with the Laser and I've never regretted a moment aboard her... well, not too many moments, LOL. ;)
 
My First boat was a Chesapeake 32, otherwise known as a Rhodes 32 "Nomad". Built in Denmark in '61, she was a real classic, and a beauty! This pic was from the ad when I sold her. :(
Nomad.PNG
 

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