DaySailer.org Forum

Well, having owned my daysailer 2 for 6 weeks, she finally got wet. Took her out today on a small lake off the intracoastal in Hollywood, Florida. Launch was easy, and sailing was delightful. Winds were perfect for a first time sail, about 10 knots. Got her healed over to 20 degrees, but she liked it better at 15 degrees. Perfect day, great sailing. Some things need tweaking, but all in all she lived up to her reputation. Fast, fun, stable, and easy to sail. Fair winds!

on you first sail. Sounds as if you had perfect weather and winds. There are times that I lust for 10 mph winds. I have a 1966 DS I, and in Oklahoma we usually have 10-20 winds and many times gusty. The DS is a good ship and you will enjoy it very much. Now I say we usually have 10-20 mph winds, but when the opportunity for me to sail comes around, it is either feast or famine as far as winds. ( must have offended the wind gods at some time in my life) Last weekend was good, infact great with 15 mph, and that is unusual, but the weekend before the weather wizards were forcasting 10-15 and I was extactic about the prospects of fantastic sailing to come. But once I finally got "Dancing Girls II" on the water and out to the middle of the lake, the winds ceased. The lake got glassy and all the sailboats on the lake were at a stand still. HMMMMMM...I thought, where is the 10-15 winds. Then I breeze came up (very little) and I started making a little headway and an odd thing happened. I was basically wing on wing heading westward, a sailboat about 100 yards north of me was running eastward, and other boats were just sitting. Needless to say the winds had become very light and variable. For about a hour I was making headway to the dock, and I decided to end the day of sailing. Finally made the dock and started to take the boat out of the lake. Got into my dry slip and then......you guessed it, as I was driving out of the dry slip the winds resumed from the north (which is the direction before the winds ceased) and they were about the 10-15 mph speeds. What a bummer, but it was nice to at least get onto the water, even if the wind gods did not cooperate for me. Oh well, better luck for me next time.

Take care and enjoy the DS !!!!

Fair winds

Gary

1966, DS I
"Dancing Girls II", #3235

One of the advantages of coastal sailing . Almost always a breeze, and pretty consistent. I too did a wing on wing downwind and was suprised by the continued feeling of motion on the DS2. On my previous boats (cruisers), sailing downwind was dull as dishwater. Even jibing was uneventful. So far so good. She's a keeper. Fair winds.