The day I learned to sail

[stan_deezy]

So my SHT that I'd like to confess to happened years ago but the memory still haunts me <br /><br />I was about 11 or 12 yrs old and my dad, who was ex Royal Navy 25yr man decided that I should learn to sail. I wasn't that keen, even in those days I prefered spark plugs to wind <br /><br />He buys an old Mirror sailing dinghy and takes me to a lake. A very popular lake. A very busy lake <br />After an hour of teaching me the ropes (literally) he decides that I am now ready for sailing solo. I'm not too keen. At the time I'd just seen the movie Jaws on its release at the cinema and even though it was a freshwater lake my young mind was not convinced that there wasn't "something" out there waiting to devour me.<br /><br />Anyway I get the wee dinghy underway and everything is going okay until I turn and head back for shore and I capsize <br /><br />I panicked BIG STYLE forgot all the teaching about how to right the boat and how to get back on board. In my mind the only thing I could think of was that somewhere behind in the water there might be a shark......even though we're on a lake <br /><br />I was screaming at my dad to help. He was standing on the shore surrounded by tourists and sightseers and even at the distance I could see he was angry, real angry.<br /><br />Then he shouted those fateful words that still haunt me...............<br /><br /><br />"STAND UP" <br /><br />I was in three feet of water, splashing about like a loon! Never been so embarrassed in my life that I can recall and never lived it down in the family either

 

[AK_Chappy]

Re: The day I learned to sail

I feel your pain Stan.<br /><br />When I was about 7 or 8 I almost drowned. Didn't know how to swim, got in the deep end. My friend thought I was just goofing around crawling on the bottom. Ever since, until I was about 21, couldn't stand water hitting my face. I couldn't even stand in the shower and stick my face in the water spray, without nearly hyperventilating.<br />Anyway,<br />High School graduation party, at a friend's house on the lake. I was standing on the dock and someone pushed me in. I instinctively curled up in a ball and started to hyperventilate. Those things don't go to well together when you are in the water! Another friend had to jump in, grab me and tell me to...........<br /><br />"STAND UP!!"<br /><br />The water was between 3-4 feet deep. So, like I said, I feel your pain.<br /><br />AK Chappy

 

[Barbee Q]

Re: The day I learned to sail

I wanted to try sail boating really bad it looks like so much fun.. But I was at the lake about 7 years ago when I saw this guy sailing a small 16'er.. Everyone heard this guy yelling," I think broke my nose", he was also doing alot colorful cusing. Words I never knew existed.. He was just about 60 feet from shore. Apperantly he forgot to duck or something and he got nailed hard.. It even gave him a swollen eye.. I think I will just pass on that thought of sailing.. Boats with motors are much funner..

 

[Realgun]

Re: The day I learned to sail

In my mind the only thing I could think of was that somewhere behind in the water there might be a shark......even though we're on a lake.

Hmm somebody actually put a shark in Elephant butte Lake the summer Jaws came out. Good thing it was not a bull shark as it might still be alive! Oh and most shark attacks are in less than 3 feet of water.<br /><br />But you might want to "run" outa the 3 feet of water.