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We practiced rigging Kidago in the backyard all week, got the outboard =
serviced, and dealt with a last-minute sail slug emergency (whoever put =
them on before had not tested them and they would not fit up the slot in =
the mast), so we were ready to head out Saturday afternoon for our first =
time on the water with Kidago, our new (to us) P-19.
Our first mistake was trying to put in for the first time at a public =
boat ramp. It was extremely busy, and power boats of all sorts were all =
over us, even heckling and insulting us (being a sailboat). We fully =
rigged in the boat ready area of the parking lot, and at least that went =
smoothly! At launch time, the wind started kicking up and the incoming =
current was very strong through the Wapoo cut, the location of the boat =
landing. Of course when we tried to cast off and nudged another (power) =
boat, we got yelled at and snide comments were hurled our way. It was =
very disheartening to say the least, but we set out into the harbor =
anyway, determined to give it a go.
We could see whitecaps around the tip of the Battery as we motored under =
the James Island connector, and we began to beat up directly into the =
nose of the wind. The waves were steep and choppy, and although the =
boat was banging into them and water was squirting up through the =
centerboard slot, my 20 month old daughter seemed lulled by the motion =
and fell fast asleep in the V birth! I don't know what the wind speed =
was at the time, but it was really blowing, and the whitecaps were =
increasing. Power boats zipped all around us as the cold banging got to =
be too much and we turned around and headed back in, never unfurling a =
sail. Apparently the rest of the fleet got the same idea that we did at =
about the same time, because we were followed in by an entire flotilla.
Docking went more smoothly, and the van had no trouble getting the boat =
up and out of the water. We took the rig down in the parking lot, =
leaving the main on the boom and the jib on the roller furler for ease =
of setup next time. When all this was finished, my daughter finally =
woke up from her nap on the V birth, ready to go!
What did we learn? Well, we learned that we need to find a less crowded =
ramp in the Charleston area - any suggestions? I learned that my wife =
is a wonderful and very patient woman. I learned that my daughter is a =
natural born sailor, feeling confident enough amidst the chaos to take a =
nap! I also learned that we knew more than we thought we knew, =
especially when rigging the boat, putting on new sail slugs, and getting =
everything ready. =20
I think that sailing is largely a confidence thing, and I hope to build =
some up the next time out. Next time we will make sure to wait for =
better weather, and will look for a less crowded ramp. As a funny =
postscript, when we were taking down the rigging in the parking lot, one =
of our worst detractors at the launch ramp earlier was at the other end =
of the parking lot wrestling with his car - it seems that his car alarm =
kept going off over and over and over, and he could not get it to quit! =
I thought of a few choice comments, but instead held my tongue and took =
the high road (in other words, my wife wouldn't let me roll down the =
windows so he could hear me laughing as we trailered past!)
- Scott, Emily, And Anna Kate Foshee
P-19 Kidago, #380
Charleston, SC
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