Thought of the day: clocks and watches

[Basil]

Couldn't help but notice the two sailing paintings.
I used to race sailboats all over the country.
Sometimes I miss it but I don't miss the pain.
What's your sailing story?

When I was a site commander in Greece, we had our own little 16ft two sail boat (and a small speed boat). A couple of us taught ourselves to sail around the harbor (but someone who really knows how to sail would have been laughing out loud at us). We did manage to learn to steer and generally go to where we were trying to go but we would never have won any races. It was great fun nonetheless!

 

[equiprx]

When I was a site commander in Greece, we had our own little 16ft two sail boat (and a small speed boat). A couple of us taught ourselves to sail around the harbor (but someone who really knows how to sail would have been laughing out loud at us). We did manage to learn to steer and generally go to where we were trying to go but we would never have won any races. It was great fun nonetheless!

During the first few months, sailing our 11 foot board boat, my wife and i spent most of the time capsized and embarrassed.
I was so determined to keep from getting tipped over, I decided the best way was to get on a racing boat.
My impression of racing was it was a stupid way to do something as 'relaxing' as sailing was supposed to be.
I got hooked up with a real jerk owner that nearly killed my resolve.
After that I met some very talented racers that were able to mentor me.
Raced every kind of boat for the next thirty years and collected a wall full of trophies, had to have both knees and both wrists repaired.

 

[Basil]

During the first few months, sailing our 11 foot board boat, my wife and i spent most of the time capsized and embarrassed.
I was so determined to keep from getting tipped over, I decided the best way was to get on a racing boat.
My impression of racing was it was a stupid way to do something as 'relaxing' as sailing was supposed to be.
I got hooked up with a real jerk owner that nearly killed my resolve.
After that I met some very talented racers that were able to mentor me.
Raced every kind of boat for the next thirty years and collected a wall full of trophies, had to have both knees and both wrists repaired.

From what little experience I have sailing, I know it would be a tremendously fun past time. To get this thread back on topic - what kind of watch did you wear, if any, while sailing?

 

[waltesefalcon]

I'm sitting in my classroom about a mile north of USAO, formerly the Oklahoma College for Women as I write this. Back in the early 50s my grandmother was a student there and it was there that she met my grandad who was stationed at the naval air station in Norman at the time. She said that if the girls wanted to go out on Saturday nights that they had to sign up to go on dates with servicemen. It turns out that my granddad was one of those dates.

 

[Bayless]

Been racing sailboats since '72 until about 5 years ago. I just finally got too hard on an old phart. Started with my own Santana 22 and got a pretty good local reputation. Was able to race other peoples for them most of the time since. Lot of helm time in J-24, Hobie 33, J-80, Ericson 36 and Soling. Mostly raced in OK, TX, MO, AR and KS although a couple of trips to SFO. Mostly lakes except for SFO Bay and Galveston Bay and one "casual race" to Vera Cruz Mexico. Still have the Santana.

 

[DrEntropy]

Learned on Lake Erie as a pre-teen, in an O'Day Sprite. On to Lightning class later. Haven't been on a rag boat since 1970 but for a Tampa Bay "cruise night" back in 1993 or so. Miss it!

 

[YakkoWarner]

I only did a couple of races (on other people's boats) - was somewhat stressful. It certainly challenges your skills, but I much prefer to just cruise around than be constantly watching the stopwatch and sail trim to find that last 1/8th knot. Pushing the boat that close to (and sometimes past) the breaking point gets expensive - I couldn't afford it. A little less sail up, taking less agressive tacks and a having a couple cold ones is more my speed...

 

[equiprx]

From what little experience I have sailing, I know it would be a tremendously fun past time. To get this thread back on topic - what kind of watch did you wear, if any, while sailing?

Usually some form of cheap Casio sport watch.
When I started racing a reliable countdown timer was essential.

 

[equiprx]

Learned on Lake Erie as a pre-teen, in an O'Day Sprite. On to Lightning class later. Haven't been on a rag boat since 1970 but for a Tampa Bay "cruise night" back in 1993 or so. Miss it!

My racing career started out crewing on Lightnings.
It was my first real boat, even though it wasn't light enough to be competitive.
When I got it out on the water, the speed was frightening, so I decided to get some coaching.
I knew that if I ever capsized it, all would be lost, and I would probably drown since I can't swim.
The Sparkman Stevens DNA was what drew me to them even before I knew about them as designers.
Fortunately, I found great skippers that were able to show me how to harness the power.
Everywhere I went, on both coasts, I found racing boats, of all types, that always needed crew.
Most weeks, I would do beer can races on Wednesday nights, another boat on Saturday and another on Sunday.
I did quite a bit of ocean racing, until it became too dangerous and lost some friends.

 

[Trevor Triumph]

When the Pinal County Courthouse in Florence, Arizona was built, there wasn't enough money for an actual clock. A clock face was painted in place of a real clock face. I think the painted time is 11:45. It too, is correct twice a day. I don't know of any plans to compete the clock.

 

[John Turney]

Maybe it's just as well that they didn't paint the time as 5:00.

 

[DrEntropy]

Maybe it's just as well that they didn't paint the time as 5:00.

Just now from "St. Somewhere":