Lightning Sailboat

Unfortunately this is not my pic, but we definitely looked like this a couple times! ( Minus the swim back to the boat )

I met a fellow while kayaking a couple weekends ago who also shares my passion for sailing. Turns out that though the kayaking trip took me far from home he happened to have a sailboat moored quite close to where I live. He owns a Lightning sailboat. The Lightning is a 19′ sloop rigged boat classified as a sailing dinghy. Lightnings are fairly popular with 15,000 of them built starting in 1938. There is even an International Lightning Class Association for those interested in racing.

I have been keeping an eye out for two additional types of sailboats, a car toppable that I can easily carry with me everywhere, and a easy trailerable sailboat that holds a good amount of people and I can tow around to events with friends. In the Lightening I have found the latter. It is now going to be a quest of mine to obtain one of these fine sailing vessels.

It was a great day to sail. Started a little chilly, but it burned off and became quite warm. The winds steadily increased throughout the day until the boat rail was almost constantly buried ( in the water ). I handed the tiller to the owner, who being more ambitious and confident with his boat than myself, proceeded to tip us way over. There were a couple times when water was over the gunwales and very close to coming into the cockpit, the sails even kissed the water a couple times. My new pal handled the boat like a dream and we fairly screamed across the water. I only served to slow him down in maneuvering. All in all it was a great day, good new friend, good wind, good waves, good boat. Thanks Bob!