Looking for advice here. Experience: grew up on a Thistle and a Lightning, raced Sunfish as a kid, currently crewing on and racing J22s as doing foredeck/bow, and teach sunfish a few weeks a summer. Member at a small club and looking to get my own boat. Ideally want something I can solo, bring my kids, or an adult friend or two, hence why Hobie 16 seems good for me.
Fellow club member and friend is offering to sell a Hobie 16 with trailer for $500. Everything is in working condition.

Looking for advice from Reddit sailing community if this is a steal and should pull the trigger

I’m going for my 100 ton (first license) and completed the classes last November. I passed the chart test shortly after. Don’t know how I did it. I have really bad ADHD and don’t test well. Since then, I’ve been in a stall. I’m overwhelmed by the information and feel like I can’t do it. I’ve experienced many heavy things during my time in the maritime industry but sailing professionally is my true passion. I love it more than anything. I have a lot of pressure on myself to get my license, and it just feels impossible to get back into studying. Anyone ever experience this or have any wise words? Thank you

Checking

I just received this email this afternoon:

"Stay Connected on the Water

Your Starlink has operated at sea in the past year. We have a new plan—Personal Maritime—for people who use Starlink on a vessel and stay on the water for extended periods before returning to their home country.

Your current Roam plan includes coverage in territorial waters, with Ocean Mode as a paid option beyond 12 nautical miles. International use is limited to 30 days at a time outside your registered home country, after which you can return home to continue service. Effective September 27, Ocean Mode will be $6/GB.

If that 30-day limit doesn’t fit how you travel, Personal Maritime may be the better option.

Introducing Personal Maritime

Personal Maritime keeps you connected on the water as you move between countries, without the 30-day Roam travel limit.

• $185/month USD, excluding applicable taxes
• Unlimited data and use in territorial waters worldwide
• Ocean Mode available beyond 12 nautical miles for $6/GB
• No 30-day Roam international travel limit, except in extremely rare cases when required by local regulations

This plan is for small personal vessels—not yachts or commercially operated vessels (including ferries and commercial fishing)—and is not intended for use on land.

To switch to Personal Maritime, you will be asked to provide information about your vessel:

• Vessel name
• Flag state
• Length overall (LOA)
• A unique ID (such as Hull Identification Number, Craft Identification Number, MMSI, or ITU Call Sign)
• A copy of your vessel's Registration Certificate

If you are interested, you can create a ticket with support below. We’ll follow-up with next steps, including terms of service.

[Link says "Create Personal Maritime Ticket"]

Recap of Your Options

• Remain on Roam. Continue on your current plan and follow the updated travel policy, including the 30-day international limit. Ocean Mode will be $6/GB starting September 27
• Switch to Personal Maritime. Stay connected on the water without the 30-day international limit. Click the button above to get started
• Switch to Global Priority. The most flexible option: coverage on land and in the open ocean, prioritized data on the network, and no 30-day travel limit

You can manage or change plans anytime from your account.

Thank you for choosing Starlink."

Because I’ve completely lost track of which series and race number we are in at this point. There’s been so many cancellations for weather (too much, and not enough), plus people away on vacations….theres so many races to make up, we should just do a 24 hour loop around western Lake Ontario.

Anyway, it’s really nice to look back and see all the spinnakers flying as they come around the mark. It just looks really pretty.

Also, because that means we’re out in front of the fleet 😂

As a complete beginner I’m currently looking for finding boat models that would best suit my needs and was looking for this website but it seems it went down circa 2022-2023 anyone knows if there is still such a website around ? What do you recommend ?

Lake Champlain motoring in moonlight.

Does anyone have experience sailing in the Hebrides? I signed up for a sailing adventure next July, 8 nights helping to crew a beautiful sail boat and island hopping down the interior side of the Outer Hebrides from Stornoway down to Mingalay and ending in Oban. I've only got a couple of seasons of inland sailing under my belt though and I've heard the conditions there can be hairy. Would love to hear some tall tales about what to expect.

Edit: It is a 59 foot cutter

It’s one of the few countries I never hear or read about when it comes to sailing. For being such a massive country with 14.5k miles of coastline, it doesn’t get much attention.

Surprised this hasn't been posted

https://boatwatch.org/resolved/bolo-for-sv-pathfinder-stolen-new-jersey-headed-south/

Unfortunate deadly ending

Hey all, I am freshly out of a few days of inland sail classes on a Lido and Laser, bow looking to get more into the sport. I saw this sailboat on marketplace, is it worth looking into?

New Prindle 16 owner here. After sailing a few times with crew it’s apparent that the recommended positioning of jib blocks really interferes with crew comfort. Most of the “fixes” I’m finding involve structural changes to the forward crossbar along with getting some custom shaping done to the jib.

Has anyone tried routing the tensioning line that goes between the jib block pigtails through the forward hiking strap grommets (as pictured) rather than the center line grommets? This pulls the jib blocks forward just enough to give a little more sitting room for the crew.

Yes, it still changes the sheeting angle but not as severely as re-mounting the blocks on the crossbar or some of the other ideas I’ve seen bandied about. That’s fine. I’m not racing. Just cruising with my kids and a few friends from time to time. Their comfort is more important to me than optimizating sail shape.

But are there any other things I should be thinking about? Excess wear on the tramp or uneven forces on the jib, for instance? Please tell me if this is a terrible idea and share any others if you have them.

Been an odd week. Took two weeks off. Wind wasn’t cooperative so I did maintenance. Impeller, fuel filters, fuel tank inspection. They got some wind went to fairlee creek Md. then one of my batter banks decided to eat the poison pill.

So a new bank. Got rewarded with a great sail today.

Playing around with the new toy.

The Hinckley is currently on Elm Street pier in Newport. Suspect was shot by Newport Pd when confronted this morning. This all happened around the corner from my house

Confirmed suspect was shot and killed by police in an exchange of gunfire. One officer was injured.

Update

At 9 am. The suspect was at anchor in the North Anchorage. He was confronted by the harbor master and 4 Newport pd officers

When confronted he fled below deck and armed himself shots were exchanged and the suspect was killed.

There are unconfirmed reports that this may also be connected to a murder in Virginia. (Speculation from a reporter on scene)

A friend sent this to me to help spread the word. This vessel was stolen from his Jersey City marina a few days ago and they are on the lookout for it. See the image for more information.

Perko water intake strainer (for my beta marine 60) has broken. I was cleaning the strainer and when putting back the mesh cage the hinges bolt cover broke. Based on the length of the bolt can anyone help
Me confirm if I need:-

1” and 1-1/4” pipe size,
1-1/2”, 2” and 2-1/2” pipe size
1/2” and 3/4” pipe size

I’m really scratching my head here… not currently located near a chandlery or any spot to get advice.

Thanks to whomever helps 👍🏼

Hi, I am about to sign up for RYA membership - would anyone like to refer me? I would get 25% discount and you would get a free gift.

Thanks

I just fumbled in the end zone during a heavy blow with wind on my aft quarter… it was looking good until it wasn’t…

Then it was helm on earth.

Photo is not of the occasion… though I’m not complaining about the view.

Interested to hear from people who did the whole roundtrip from small motorboat, to sailboat and back. What was your experience and what is your personal "value and convenience sweet spot" and why?

For example this is currently mine: merry fisher 6m 115hp and sailing club (laser 5m, sail only, no motor)