Started this thread for past or present Navy people who are passionate about sailing.
I hope you have some fun here. Cheers Cisco (ex ERA2).
Select to expand quotecisco said...
I joined up in June 1966 as an apprentice at Nirimba.
My first encounter with sailing was 6 weeks later on my first leave. We were given the option of going to Snapper Island off Balmain to have a weekend of sailing from the Naval Cadet's base TS Sydney.
On the Saturday we were put into groups of 3 or 4 to sail their Corsairs. Most of the time was spent argueing who was skipper and how to sail the thing as none of us really had a clue what we were doing.
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I started sailing at about 12 getting crewing spots on Lightweight and heavy weight sharpies in SA. First sailing in pussers time was when I was posted to Leeuwin for 12 months, 1969/70 as the boatwork and seamanship instructor. Most of the boatwork was whalers, I had a motor cutter and steamed alongside the recruits as they rowed the whalers. I did get the occasional sail in the whalers too. Weekends I used to sail the bosun dinghies to various Perth clubs for club racing. Leeuwin never got the corsairs till after I posted out.
During my leave breaks in this period I built a moth and raced it at Nowra when I first got posted to Albatross. Only sailed it for 12 months before moving on to OK dinghies and the Finns for the next 37 years. During that period I also owned a Status 19 and an Endeavour 24, built and sailed a Farr 3.7 but always kept the OKs and Finns. Bought the Lexcen quarter tonner a few years ago when I started thinking about retirement. The idea being to step up to something for local cruising. I raced the Finn at the Masters Games in Canberra and the next one at Adelaide and ran into a lot of people I knew from the seventies and ex service men I knew. Lot of these people had retired at 50! and spent their time sailing the masters circuit etc.
I would really like an SS34 but they are generally out of my price range although some do appear cheaper occasionally. Was at a reunion a couple of years ago and a bloke I used to fly with bought one from Pittwater for $34,000, right place at the right time.
I came upon this thread by accident, and the words and terms all flooded back into my head! I went to Quakers Acres (Nirimba) in 65, finished up CPO Systems, sailed at the Island, but really started at 10 years of age. Sent time on Melbourne among other ships, dodging trackers and A4's, crashed into the Evans, Now I windsurf basically cause I can"t really afford what I'd like, skippered for other people though, all the fun , none of the cost! Living in Melb, offspring in Perth, always pick up new gear there when visiting. When I retire, when I retire..... then I'll be looking for something fast, comfortable and mobile, hey I've already got the wife! MOBIS RULE!
hey cisco
ex pusser myself and have a love for sailing. Served for 9 years from 81 to 90, had a ball. Best ship for me was Stuart, good people and based in Perth at the time. Now i sail a Nacra which is also a good buzz.
