Three really basic questions about sailing...

This isn't really a place where we talk much about that kind of sailing, so I don't know how much help you'll get here. Unfortunately I don't know where they do. Anyone?

There's a course you'll need to be proficient at here in the UK it's called Yacht master, they'll try to flog you the idea of doing it in various stages, and these days you need 'hours' at sea rather like flying before you get to go solo.

Essentially I'd approach it in two bits, 1st I'd learn to sail, that bit isn't that difficult if you have half a brain and reasonable motor skills and lots of us old guys taught ourselves as kids messing about in boats. You put up the sail, the wind blows and the boat sets off, the trick was finding out how to make it get back to where you started, by tacking upwind, sailing close to the wind and righting the thing if it fell over. So part one, learn to sail, probably quicker at a sailing school.

The 2nd bit is doing it in a bigger boat, they're called boats, the things we sail, ships are something different, usually commercial, passenger carrying or designed for war, sailing boats is what you'll concern yourself with and basically they get designated by how big they are and wether or not they have a big weight on the bottom to keep them upright and or berths on board you can sleep in which is your ultimate goal.


Navigation is the big hurdle, the Yachtmaster course deals with all the navigation stuff you'll need, and procedures, radio, gps, tides, charts, currents, tides, weather forecasts etc and how quick that is depends on your ability to take it all in. Having said that there are kids about these days that have these qualifications and last time i looked they were wetting themselves, 21 year olds, ocean going, personally I wouldn't let them navigate me across our local bay, but they tell me they've got it, been on a course and now they are qualified, so it doesn't take that long.

I found this link, it was a course a few of us were going to do but changed our minds It says fast track and you can probably get yourself up to speed, but like everything, these courses don't give you that much experience, but as long as your caribbean adventures stick to daytime line of site sorties you should be OK, I've done it, have no qualifications, but have age and experience and know the sea, and what it can chuck at you, so my advice, do it for a few years in the company of others who know it better than you, you'll soon find out why it's good advice.

Oh and the certificates? You don't actually need anything, it is a sad fact anyone can just buy a boat and set off in it, some countries like France make it a legal requirement for their citizens, but I guess if you just rock up in your own boat fro overseas, different rules apply.

Edited by iGRF - 07 Nov 16 at 8:02pm

I have done a lot of what you are interested in, I have cruised the Caribbean, starting from the UK and sailed in a range of boats from 2m to 60m. I do hold a certificate, the British Yachtmaster Ocean but that was more for my own satisfaction.