Long Winter

I heard yesterday that we have had over 100 days in Kansas City since it has been 70 degrees. I love snow, embrace winter, and like the changes in season......but I'm ready for warmer days. The biggest accomplishment this winter has been able to fit my Snipe, Bronco and Pathfinder in a two car garage. Its tight - but it beats scraping windows.

Homeownership + Sailing = less sailing

Unfortunately, homeownership and sailing don't seem to be jiving as well as I'd hoped. I bought a house this year that needed some TLC. It seems the house enjoys taking my attention away from the water. Its a demanding house, but it also has a lot to offer. Fortunately, I have a great garage spot in a tandem garage for the boat. No more feuding with Lenexa about where in my yard to store the Snipe. Hopefully, with some good wind and great weather lasting into the late summer and fall, I'll be able to get out more.

Of note - two weekends ago I found myself out at SMP enjoying some strong wind and gusty conditions. It was a blast!

Don't forget.....

I went to Clinton Lake this past weekend and sailed on Saturday. Great lake, wide open, lots of other sailboats. The only problem that day.........NO wind. When I say no wind, I didn't mean to say slight breeze or scattered winds. There was NO wind. Fortunately, I remembered to bring my trusty oar to paddle myself back to shore.

Almost....

Last week I encountered some of the strongest wind yet. I didn't turn myself over, but came close several times. It was a blast. I found this great video on youtube that brings across that feeling of "uh-oh, I think I'm about to get wet."

Boating Permits - Longview Lake

FYI: If you are interested in exploring some of the local lakes, make sure you are aware of the boating permit requirements. I went to Longview Lake last week and had a close call. Fortunately, I was able to move along before the park officer was able to get to me. I checked and Jackson County's annual boating permits are $42.00 for nonresidents. The expense puts a damper on exploring new lakes in the area.

Solo for the first time

For the first time, I went sailing by myself. I had some reservations, not knowing whether I could set up and handle the boat by myself. With setting the boat up, the two things that are difficult to do by myself are getting the mast up and getting the headstay fastened. With a little effort, there wasn't too much of a problem. One thing that was great about going out by myself was being able to concentrate on different aspects of the boat, needed modifications, and the great sunset. Wow, the weather was nice last night.

Local Snipes for Sale

Here are a couple of snipes for sale that have been posted on craigslist. The first looks like a very well put together boat, the second looks like a good deal. If anyone buys one locally, make sure to let me know!

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/boa/706656887.html



http://kansascity.craigslist.org/boa/743996092.html

Slow Summer

Unfortunately, I have not been able to get out as much as I hoped this summer. I am taking the bar exam at the end of July and have been dutifully studying instead of sailing - bummer. I can't wait for the hot windy days in August!

Its getting Warm Again!

Last Sunday - April 20th - I was able to get the boat out for the first time at Shawnee Mission Lake. Although I only had a limited amount of time, the weather was good and the wind was strong. I almost forgot how much fun sailing is. For those of you that may be wondering, the lake is filled again. The Marina is not complete, but the ramp and dock are in working order. If any fellow snipe owners come across this site, especially those in the Kansas City area, I'd like to get a group of fellow snipe owners together for a race this summer!

New Sailing Store in Merriam

I have not stopped by yet, but a new sailing gear store has opened in Merriam. They have a great website and I talked with owners at the Kansas City Sport Show earlier this winter. It sounds like they will have new and used boats as well as gear and supplies

Mid America Sailing and Kayak
9301 Johnson Drive
Merriam, Kansas 66203
(913) 384-8996

www.midamericasailing.com

Great Pictures: Fried Elliott

If you are interested in seeing some sailing action, Fried Elliott has taken some excellent photos at various races around the country. Great stuff!

http://www.friedbits.com/PhotoBits/Sailing/Snipe/index.php

Snipe Instruction

Offered by APS Limited, these DVD's might be helpful for those, like myself, that are new to sailing.

"In the Snipe Tuning DVD George Szabo of Quantum Sails takes you through, setting up, rigging, and tuning new Snipe. Includes set up, rigging and tuning a new Snipe. Also touches on boat handling including roll tacks and jibes. “This Goes Where” is perfect for the beginning Snipe sailor providing information on rigging, boat parts, and launching and maneuvering your boat around a dock."

At $20.00 a piece, not a steal, but worth looking at.

Youtube Vids

Here is one of many sailing vids on youtube. These guys are nuts:

Ebay Boat For Sale

This is one of the sharpest Snipes I have seen. Obviously, by looking at the organization of the rigging and modifications to the hull, the owner has spent A LOT of time working on it. I have found it helpful to look at pictures of other Snipes to get ideas on modifications to make to my own boat. I am interested to hear at what point upgrading an older hull via rigging, rope, sails and mast does not make sense.

Kansas City Sail Club Websites

Here are a listing of the different clubs around the Kansas City area. Six months ago I had no idea that there was this much interest in sailing in the Kansas City area.

The only store I found which carries sail gear was Boater's World (located off of Bannister Road in Kansas City Missouri). Unfortunately, they are in the process of liquidating their sale gear due to low sales. One of the sales persons told me that sailers are notoriously cheap and have gone online versus local stores. There appears to be a store that has opened in Lawrence though. I hope the store will have sufficient support from the local sail community! Here is the location and hours found on their website:

315A Industrial Lane
Lawrence, Kansas 66044
785-841-SAIL (7245)
Open Thursday - Friday, Noon to 8 p.m.
Saturday - Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

I added links to sail clubs (which have classifieds) and the lone store (kansas city sailing). If you have heard of any other groups, let me know and I will add them to the list.

Diagrams

Here are some helpful rigging diagrams I found via www.snipe.org and www.apsltd.com. I will post more rigging info as I come across it.

Where to put your boat?

This post is a consideration for every potential boat buyer out there; where do you store you boat? I intitially thought I could park my boat on the driveway without any fuss from neighbors or the city. After 3 or 4 threatening letters from the city, I realized the driveway would not work. Then, I parked it on my side yard (yeah, classy). In any case, another 3 or 4 letters came saying this would be unacceptable without some type of barrier protecting driver-bys from the unsightly scene of a sailboat. So, the next place to put the boat is in the backyard. I have already gotten feedback from my neighbor behind me in the form of a privacy fence. So, when you buy a boat, think about where you will put it!

197? Loftland Snipe

In early spring of 2007, I decided that I wanted to learn how to sail. I had only been sailing once and didn't know anything about boats. I knew that I wanted something that was small, easily set up, inexpensive, and fast. Kansas City isn't necessarily a sailing mecca and the used boat market is not abundant. I happened to find a 197? Loftland Snipe and bought it. The rigging was shot and it was rough. So, after a month of finding blocks, figuring out how the rigging goes together and scrubing, I have gotten it out on the water. Now, all I need to do is learn how to sail!

I will post as many pictures of the snipe, its riging, and anything I learn as to resources for snipes or information related to sailing here. I didn't find many helpful resources as a novice and hope t