{"id":48683,"date":"2022-07-05T11:29:12","date_gmt":"2022-07-05T15:29:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/?page_id=48683"},"modified":"2023-05-05T11:33:00","modified_gmt":"2023-05-05T15:33:00","slug":"the-noob-files","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/the-noob-files\/","title":{"rendered":"The Noob Files"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The Noob Files<\/h1>

Writer and new sailor David Blake Fischer fumbles out the channel, backwinds his jib, and drags his fenders on his Cape Dory 25 in CW<\/em>\u2019s exclusive series for cruising newbies.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Noob\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Excited, inexperienced, and often afraid, David Blake Fischer is the quintessential noob cruiser. He hasn\u2019t crossed oceans. In fact, he\u2019s only really crossed Santa Monica Bay. But his lighthearted, often hilarious takes on his early sailing misadventures about his Cape Dory 25, Delilah<\/em>, are sure to entertain and inspire new sailors everywhere.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Check back each month for new content from David Blake Fischer<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Columns<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe Upshot of Imperfect, Unexciting, Totally \u201cMeh\u201d Sailing\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
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Good vibes only? Not so fast, my friends. Sailing, like life, is about embracing the full spectrum of emotions.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Tomorrow’s probably going to be an unremarkable day of sailing. Odds are, I won\u2019t have 15 knots on the beam. I probably won\u2019t see Willy do a flip over the harbor break wall, catch a double rainbow, or curate a sailing experience that\u2019ll wow friends. Yep, in all likelihood, tomorrow\u2019s conditions will be \u201cblah.\u201d The sailing will be \u201cbleh.\u201d I\u2019ll motor back inside the marina feeling \u201cmeh.\u201d And it\u2019s not only okay, it\u2019s often for the better.<\/p>\n\n

As I write this, we’re closing out four weeks of crap weather in Southern California. In any \u201cnormal\u201d place, rain and 55 degrees wouldn’t elicit sympathy. But this isn’t a normal place; this is Los Angeles. Out here, cloud cover is breaking news. Rain feels apocalyptic. When temps dip below 60, we put onWHAA earmuffs, listen to Joni Mitchell and shelter indoors.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tZen and the Art of Teak Toe Rail Maintenance\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
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Hone your skills, if you have any. Above all, though, just enjoy yourself.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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I was at the marina recently, prepping <\/span>Delilah<\/span><\/i>‘s sunburned, 50-year-old teak for varnish. It was Tuesday morning in Los Angeles and, for a few precious moments, I was showing all the signs of a competent, mechanically capable man who can do his own boat work.<\/span><\/p>

One foot on the dock, the other on the boat, I leaned, reached and began to remove a small section of old varnish from <\/span>Delilah<\/span><\/i>‘s toe rail. But, as the boat drifted on its dock lines, my reaching turned to stretching; stretching turned to an ever-widening, yoga-like stance; and, soon, I was doing my closest approximation of the splits. I fell on the boat. My heat gun fell in the drink. Birds scattered as a small, high-pitched scream came out of me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSleepless in Cat Harbor\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
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Noob cruiser David Blake Fischer sounds off on anchoring, low tides, full moons, and keeping your shirt on.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The trip is over. All is well. I almost slept.\u00a0<\/p>

After two nights at anchor on Catalina Island, I\u2019ve got a bunch of photos that make me look way cooler than I am in actual life.\u00a0<\/p>

The sail over to the island was a breeze. On a clear, So-Cal morning, my pal Thaddeus and I motored out Santa Monica Bay, close hauled across the San Pedro Channel, then boomeranged around the back of Catalina Island. At sundown we slipped into Cat Harbor, found a cozy spot in ten feet of water, and dropped the hook.\u00a0<\/p>

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Our \u201cnoob\u201d cruiser grapples with the question of whether to rename his boat. Hilarity ensues. <\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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A recent study found that 60 percent of couples fight over their boat name. Just kidding. I made that up. There was no study, and there were no documented fights, but, come on. Don\u2019t you think there would be? I mean, just look around:\u00a0Making Luff<\/em>,\u00a0Breaking Wind<\/em>,\u00a0Tina Tuna<\/em>\u00a0\u2026 These are actual boat names, chosen by actual people, splashed with paint onto the transoms of really unlucky boats. I sheet you knot: some people go out of their way to ruin a good boat with a bad name.<\/p>\n

Some boat names are nouns, others are puns, and many of us wonder why. Why name a boat\u00a0Bow Movement<\/em>? Why name a yacht\u00a0Mistress<\/em>? Am I\u00a0Feelin\u2019 Nauti<\/em>? Not really.<\/p>\n

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In the right light, an 11-mile cruise can feel like a Shackleton-worthy adventure.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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When I first got my boat, I imagined heading out to sea on all sorts of heroic adventures. In my dreams, I climb the mast barefoot, tie complicated knots, and sail off into orange sunsets. In my dreams, I\u2019m tall and handsome: a skilled sailor who\u2019s totally unafraid on the ocean.<\/p>\n

Then, there\u2019s me.<\/p>\n

After 18 months with\u00a0<\/span>Delilah<\/em>\u200a, my Cape Dory 25\u200a, \u200aI\u2019ve barely sailed beyond California\u2019s Santa Monica Bay. I can\u2019t tie perfect bowlines or take hunky, sunset selfies. And, in wind over 15 knots, my heartbeat feels like footsteps behind me.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Casual, boring, easy. That was our first father-son cruise in a nutshell, according to my son.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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They say baseball is in decline. Bowling too. I won\u2019t miss bowling, but I would miss\u00a0sailing<\/em>. So, I\u2019m doing my part to save the sport: taking my kids out on the water every chance I get, hoping they\u2019ll catch the bug and discover the magic of sailing for themselves.<\/p>

Last week, Ezra and I shoved\u00a0<\/strong>off from Marina Del Rey on our first ever father-and-son cruise to nearby Catalina Island. Every parent knows the weight that comes with managing the expectations of an excited kid. Will the trip live up to the hype? Will he love cruising? Hate it? Want a boat of his own? Swear off sailing and his weird, boat-obsessed dad all together?<\/p>

Read More \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Turns out, rushing around the cockpit hysterically doesn\u2019t make for better sailing.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Sailed solo into the dock the other day. Just crushed the thing. Cracked the dockbox and took a chunk of paint off\u00a0Delilah\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0bow. That\u2019s the great thing about singlehanded sailing: You don\u2019t need anyone\u2019s help to make mistakes.<\/p>

Days later, I had another award-winner. Was coming alongside the marina guest dock, tried to spill wind, messed up, panicked, and came in with so much stank I had to leap off the boat and lasso a cleat cowboy-style. Afterward, the sheriff came by.<\/p>

\u201cEverything good?\u201d he asked, raising an eyebrow. \u201cYou came in pretty hot.\u201d<\/p>

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTaming the Green-Eyed Monster\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
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Boat envy is real. The thing is, it can also be entirely surprising. <\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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“My dock mate has a Beneteau 235. So, naturally, I\u2019m jealous.<\/p>

Ash\u2019s boat is just 23 feet overall\u2014a foot shorter than mine\u2014but has an honest-to-God cruising interior. The table converts to a bed. The head transforms to a nav station. Looking around, I saw cubbies and shelves and a small galley. If I tilted my head, I could almost stand.<\/p>

So, yeah, I\u2019m pouty, \u2019cause I\u2019m over here on my Cape Dory 25, contorting on a settee with no seatback, using an empty shoe to hold my beer. I\u2019m not tall, but in this little cabin, I feel colossal. Add my wife and our two kiddos, and now we\u2019re playing\u00a0Tetris<\/em>\u00a0with our bodies. \u201cWhose leg is this?\u201d I ask in the darkness when we \u201csleep\u201d aboard.”<\/p>

Read More \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Noob Files Writer and new sailor David Blake Fischer fumbles out the channel, backwinds his jib, and drags his fenders on his Cape Dory 25 in CW\u2019s exclusive series for cruising newbies. Excited, inexperienced, and often afraid, David Blake Fischer is the quintessential noob cruiser. He hasn\u2019t crossed oceans. In fact, he\u2019s only really […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":48685,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_user","BS_guest_author_name":"","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"165","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Excited, inexperienced, and often afraid, David Blake Fischer is the quintessential noob cruiser. His lighthearted takes on his early sailing misadventures are sure to entertain and inspire new sailors everywhere.","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","arc_story_id":"","arc_website_url":"","custom_permalink":"","arc_subtype":"","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":0,"post_right_rail":false,"post_right_rail_ad_1":false,"post_right_rail_ad_2":false,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":false,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":false,"post_off_ramp":false,"post_taboola":false,"labels":true,"footnotes":"","ad_targeting":""},"categories":[165],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/48683"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/48683\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}