Having the lake for myself

Posted by Much-Hamster-2182@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 17 comments

First singlehanded sailing day with my first own sailing craft (Etap 22i). Couldn‘t be happier.

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Mad_Oats40@reddit

i wish, i gotta share my small reservoir with powerboats

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riverlifeshop@reddit

Whole lake to yourself. That's the best kind of day on the water.

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Much-Hamster-2182@reddit (OP)

Got it. Thanks for the polite head-ups! 😌

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MrRourkeYourHost@reddit

May you have many more peaceful days just like this one to come...and an occasional scary one.

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BetaPS@reddit

It looks great. You’ve got a really nice boat there. I like the black strap for holding onto the railing. What’s your experience with it? We have an Etap 23 and are thinking about adding one too.

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Much-Hamster-2182@reddit (OP)

Thank you! The railing band is original afaik (quite modern for a 30 year old boat). I like it, too.

No regrets so far. For me it‘s the perfect boat for the time being. I initially went for a 21i and also considered a 23 (hard to find here) when I was offered my new baby by someone I fully trust with water crafts. She is in great shape after a minor refit over the winter.

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peacepizza69@reddit

Dude, I can feel it. I had to sell mine a year prior, but this feeling, man. Enjoy it! Thanks for sharing. It's like a hug to the heart.

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Much-Hamster-2182@reddit (OP)

Thanks, friend. I hope you get back onto the water soon!

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ralphonsob@reddit

How easy is it to lift the keel on the Etap? We have access to a lakeside dock, but it's only about 1m deep.

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Much-Hamster-2182@reddit (OP)

I have to deal with shallow water in my marina, too. About 1,10 m. So I have to lift keel and rudder blade before docking.

It’s easy but it takes ages to lower or lift the keel. And you have to count (or estimate) the crank turns, because there ist no scale, sight glass or anything. The position of the crank (mast step) is not optimal. The mechanic needs regular maintenance, I was told. So there are some downsides. Anyway I prefer a ballast keel over a sword.

Tbh today on my second short trip I didn‘t bother to fully lower the keel and the boat still sailed greatly (light wind, 4-6 kn).

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Coloringlamp@reddit

That sea state is so amazing. I love lake and thermal winds. So flat and organized!

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Much-Hamster-2182@reddit (OP)

I love it too. We used to sail the Baltic sea a lot, which was great. But this is way more relaxing and still lots of fun. Unfortunatly I messed up the upload, when I chose „GIF“. The splashing sound of the hull running through the calm water is hypnotic.

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Huckleberry181@reddit

Looks like a beautiful day! ♥️. What lake is this?

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Much-Hamster-2182@reddit (OP)

One of many lakes that are actually widenings of the river Havel (Germany).