Log Date: Sat 11-Jun-2011
Boat Owner: DOSC
Boat: Laser Pico
Arrived at : 11:00 AM
Launch Point: DOSC Beach shore
Sailing Start: 11:00
Round corner: 12:20
Back on shore: 13:00
Lunch: 13:30
Back in car: 14:10
Cost: 30 AED for 2 hour boat rental
Deposit: 20 AED for the bung (returned when bung is returned)

Headed out to the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC) around 10ish, without an appointment. I wasn’t particularly hopeful that I’d be able to sail, but figured I’d stop by and check if I could take out a boat, before heading out to Computer Street for a little printer cartridge shopping.

Turns out it was painless, 30 AED for 2 hours up front, plus 20 AED cash deposit for the little bung stopper. I took out a Laser Pico– it’s easy to rig, and plus I RYA-certified on the Pico.

An instructor pointed a Pico for me to take out, then I grabbed a main sail, main sheet, dagger board, and rudder, and headed out boat in hand to the beach shore launching area. That’s when I realized that I didn’t even grab a boom. Whoops. In any case the cleat on the rudder was faulty so I headed back to the shack [what’s is called?] rudder in hand to get the necessary supplies. What I came back with:

• Buoyancy Aid
• Rudder
• Boom

So back at the boat it took me a bit to remember how to thread the main sail (looking at a couple of ladies coming and going on Pico’s may have helped a bit 🙂 ). Even the simple figure 8 stopper knot wasn’t so simple. But I got it all together and headed out. For some reason the dagger board just wouldn’t stay down. No big deal, kept one foot on the dagger board to keep it down. Swung down to the end of that island down-wind, then came straight back to shore upwind.

Impossible to get the boat on trailer off the wet sand, so had to get a young guy to help me haul it up. Once on the sidewalk, quick hose down and that was the end of that story.

All in all, a great first solo outing in the seas of Dubai.

For next time:

• Don’t forget the boom, stupid
• Don’t forget the buoyancy aid
• Zip up the buoyancy aid BEFORE setting off — a bit tricky to zip it up without veering off course unnecessarily
• Get the gloves on too, before heading out
• Get quicker on the figure-8 stopper knot

Next time? could be next weekend! Let’s try and reserve next time, huh?

Also–

I couldn’t remember if you sit further up  when at close haul, or if u sit further up when sailing downwind. Will need to look that up later.

Also–

I couldn’t remember if it was okay for the edge of the sail furthest from the mast to be shaking or not…I know the edge closest to the mast is suppose to be taut but don’t know about the other edge…I’ll need to look that up for next time.

Here are the weather reports from the day of sailing:

(insert images here)