Zero Experience - Where do I start?
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Beginner questions
Forum Discription: Advice for those who are new to sailing
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7868
Printed Date: 10 May 25 at 10:12pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Zero Experience - Where do I start?
Posted By: Raidersan
Subject: Zero Experience - Where do I start?
Date Posted: 20 May 11 at 3:58pm
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Hi,
My dream has always been to one day get a biggish sailing
boat and escape for an extended period of time to travel the world. As I am
quickly getting into my midlife crisis peak, the time has cometh to do
something about it. Having no experience whatsoever in sailing or anybody in
the family of circle of friends with any kind of sailing background or
knowledge, I am struggling to find the best way forward to qualify to be able
to achieve my goal. I live in London, I had a look at sailing lessons on the
many reservoirs around, but then again i don’t want to waste my time if there
is quicker way to bigger boats. Should I read training material on my own,
should I look at ocean training as opposed to reservoirs? How long realistically should I expect to train and at what rythm before I can entertain the idea of sailing off safely on a boat big enough for a family of 5?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Regards
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Replies:
Posted By: Mister Nick
Date Posted: 20 May 11 at 4:41pm
I would do some courses at a sailing venue (it can be a reservoir or a coastal area) near you, get your RYA Level 1 and RYA Level 2. Once you've done that you should be reasonably competent. Ask around at the club to see if anyone is looking for crew and do a bit of sailing with anyone that will have you. Then you should go and do an RYA day skipper course (this time in coastal waters). I would bring along your partner or another sensible family member for the courses too, so you have someone else on the boat who is qualified. After that do some research into what boat would suit your family best (ask around at your club to see what everyone else is sailing and what people recommend) . See if you can try out a few boats first to see what they're like. Once you've got hold of a boat then you need to get either a mooring or a berth in a marina somewhere. Then find someone who can go out a few times with you guys and show you how to work together on the boat and make sure you're sailing safely and not doing anything silly. Then you should be ready to go.
Don't set off on a cross channel voyage straight away or try anything that you think is too much. Pass your skills onto your family and get them used to the boat and try and sail regularly close to home. With sailing, practice makes a lot of difference, the more you do the more comfortable you will feel and the better you're 'feel for it' will be. Another important factor is to introduce your family slowly. Don't take them out when you don't feel confident yourself because you might end up scaring and putting them off. I can still vividly remember clinging onto my uncles yacht in absolute terror waiting for it to pop back up after it broached, it put me off sailing for months.
Make sure everyone is well equipped for sailing aswell. Everyone on board should have a pair of waterproof salopettes and a jacket/smock in case it gets rough, and the boat should always be carrying life jackets and safety harness's for everyone on board. I'd make the kids wear safety harness and clip onto the boat until they are at least 10, and life jackets should really be a must for everyone the whole time (especially if it is windy, rough or if you are sailing offshore). A VHF radio is a very good investment too. You don't need to spend a huge amount on this gear but make sure it's good enough to do the job. Make sure you check the wind and weather forecast before you go sailing (Don't go out in anything more than a steady 15 knots without an experience person before you have a good idea of what you and your family can do). Windguru is very good for wind forecasts. Learn how to call the coastguard on the radio, how to send out a MAYDAY call, how to communicate with other people/vessels and also, proper radio etiquette.
In terms of the time it will take to get you to a good enough standard to sail somewhere a bit further away safely, it's really down to how much you guys sail together, how fast you learn and how fast you sort everything out. It's not going to be a particularly fast process but the end result will be worth it.
I hope I've helped, feel free to ask me anything else :) |
Posted By: Pierre
Date Posted: 20 May 11 at 4:44pm
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Blimey fella... we need to think about this one. In theory you could buy a damn great boat and start going round the world tomorrow. Unfortunately you may well die. So I would suggest you a) Get onto the RYA website and read up there. Become a member even. b) At least get a go in a sailing boat to see if you can cope with it. Perhaps book onto a couple of courses at the http://www.uksa.org/index.asp - UKSA on the Isle of Wight. c) Go to a sailing club and see if someone will give you a trial sail.
Good luck with it. Better to find out if the family like sailing, and whether they get seasick, sooner rather than later. ;-)
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Posted By: Foiling_Toff
Date Posted: 20 May 11 at 5:26pm
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Don't write off any experience you can gain from dinghy sailing. Just look at how successful the dinghy sailors are in keel boats. In my opinion, you could do far worse than getting a cheap laser and sailing on one of the lakes about London to get into a big.
If you can afford it, then it's probably worth looking into big boat courses. This could be along side the dinghy sailing. I shouldn't both with any reading until you've got a little time on the water, but after that it's probably worth getting onto a day skipper theory course.
It's probably worth noting that despite the title of the publication, there are a lot more dinghy sailors that post here. Will be interesting to see what others suggest.
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Posted By: winging it
Date Posted: 20 May 11 at 6:28pm
Essentailly you seem to be wanting to learn to sail a keelboat pretty quickly, and you're hoping that your family will enjoy the sport as much as you hope to. You could potentially spend a lot of money learning to do something you might, or your family might, find you don't enjoy. To become a capable yachtsman, who can undertake ocean voyages in safety, you need a lot of training, including navigation, understanding all the technology, seamanship, crewing etc, plus of course you need the knowledge that will enable you to choose a suitable seaworth boat.
A massive investment that could be wasted if you ultimately find it's not for you.
My suggestion would be to get a taste of what's to come by taking the family on a flotilla holiday, where you charter a boat and have a skipper aboard to teach you the basics and make sure you're safe. You can often combine this with getting your first qualification under your belt, plus you ALL find out if it's for you.
While you're waiting check out the RYA's Essentail Navogation and Seamanship Skills course, which can now be done online!
http://www.rya.org.uk/coursestraining/courses/navigation/Pages/Basicnav.aspx - http://www.rya.org.uk/coursestraining/courses/navigation/Pages/Basicnav.aspx
good luck and stay safe - RYA training is the best in the world, so make sure you get some!
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the same, but different...
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Posted By: JohnW
Date Posted: 20 May 11 at 8:29pm
Originally posted by winging it
My suggestion would be to get a taste of what's to come by taking the family on a flotilla holiday, where you charter a boat and have a skipper aboard to teach you the basics and make sure you're safe. You can often combine this with getting your first qualification under your belt, plus you ALL find out if it's for you.
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+1
Alternatively try a "Stay & Sail" Flotilla holiday - you spend the first week in resort learning to sail on a yacht with access to dinghies to practice after the course. Then a week on flotilla where you skipper your own yacht but have a lead crew around to assist where needed.
For example http://www.neilson.co.uk/Yacht-Stay-and-Sail.aspx - http://www.neilson.co.uk/Yacht-Stay-and-Sail.aspx
This will perhaps give you and yours a chance to taste the dream to see if it meets expectations.
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Posted By: Jon711
Date Posted: 20 May 11 at 9:02pm
I have to agree with Nessa (winging it), it is a good way to get a feel of sailing. However, if you decide you enjoyed the experience, then progress through the dinghy training, before seriously hitting the keelboat/offshore training. With dinghy experience you will learn more about the 'feel' of the boat. This will make you a safer sailor (And before other forum members have a go at me, I do realise that some very good sailors went straight into offshore keelboats, but far more went there through dinghies!).
Before you go for the flotilla holiday, I would suggest that you visit your local sailing club. You will often find someone who wil take you out for a taster, I sail at Broxbourne SC, if that is near where you live, I am sure a taster session could be arranged.
Jon
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Blaze 711
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Posted By: radixon
Date Posted: 20 May 11 at 9:17pm
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http://www.angliaseaventures.com - www.angliaseaventures.com are a great company to do shorebased and coastal courses with. Excellent facilities and good boats to learn on. Check out their site (and I appear on there when I did a course)
Advice above is a good starter.
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Posted By: blueboy
Date Posted: 21 May 11 at 6:11am
Originally posted by Raidersan
My dream has always been to one day get a biggish sailing
boat and escape for an extended period of time to travel the world. |
Then what you desire has nothing to do with the sport of sailboat racing, which is the subject of this forum. The well intentioned suggestions you start with dinghy sailing are highly appropriate if you wanted to race but it seems you do not. Yes there are direct training routes into yacht cruising, as opposed to dinghy sailing and there are numerous sailing schools providing such courses. Start off looking for a school providing the RYA "competent crew" course and take it from there. Top tip, do it somewhere scenic, which the Solent alas is not.
You should find out if you actually like cruising before investing so much emotion in the idea. It can be cold, wet, uncomfortable, sea-sick making and sometimes boring. The ability to get on with other people at very close quarters for long periods is a necessity. It can be idyllic but is by no means always so.
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Posted By: patj
Date Posted: 22 May 11 at 1:47pm
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Do start with dinghy sailing if that is all that is close to your home because every bit of time in any sailboat will teach you about reading the wind, trimming sails, sailing a course and just being used to handling a boat whether it's a sailing club Vision or something larger.
Better some sailing than none at all.
The beauty of club sailing is that safety boats and guidance are usually on hand when you get into trouble!
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Posted By: RS400atC
Date Posted: 22 May 11 at 2:57pm
I would phone a few of the hundreds of sailing schools with yachts, see what they can offer in terms of introductory courses.
Personally I would advocate doing a short course first, without your family, as it might be less pressure. Equally when I have sailed cruisers, knowing that my wife was competent to steer the thing, understand the sails and sort out rudimentary navigation was very important.
You may find the reality is not what you thought. You may love it. Best to make sure before spending lots of money or time. Some people only find out its not for them after they've downsized the house to buy the boat.
Ask lots of questions, read lots of books.
Talk to people. I did Yachtmaster theory at evening class as a starting point, having sailed dinghies as a child. Good way to meet people with similar ideas.
There are many facets to sailing, you may find your interests better served on the ybw.com forums.
Lots of people do buy largish boats without a dinghy sailing background and get on fine.
You don't need to be a competent dinghy racer to be competent at getting a yacht from port to port across oceans, there are whole different, but complementary, sets of skills.
The whole big-boat thing is expensive, money spent on learning is usually good value in the end.
Or you could move to the south coast, join a club, buy drinks for yacht owners and hope they invite you to the next foray to France in return for a bit of help with maintenance. That can work too!
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Posted By: Raidersan
Date Posted: 22 May 11 at 8:10pm
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Many many thanks to all for your extensive feedback, much appreciated. I will now digest this and come back for more for sure! THANKS again!!
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