Learning to Sail on Your Own Boat

[Ex-Calif]

No thread is complete without counterpoint...

I know you want opinion limited to learning on your own boat but this is the internent and you get more than you pay for.

First, it's your money and if you find an instructor and want to do this, go for it...

Here are the counterpoints...

- you are 3 hours from the boat. I suggest you find a co-op or club on the Chessie and drive up every weekend and go sailing to see if you want to be a road warrior
- you dont state the boat size. I would not recommend learning on a 40+ foot boat. I am not hard over on starting in dinghy's but 22-25 foot keelboats will teach you a lot
- consider a stay aboard Asa101-104 course. Friends did this. Husband and wife. A real confidence booster and a great holiday
- i put in anout 1 hour of maintenance for every 4-5 hours of sailing. Factor this into your plans

The boat needs to be integrated into your lifestyle or it will not get used much. I know folks that drive to the boat every Friday and drive straight to work every Monday. Even if they just sleep on the dock.

Bottom line is that I think you need basic instruction on a smaller keelboat. You need to make sure you will use the boat. You need to find the captain ron who will invest the time to teach you the boat skils on your boat. Finaly dont underestimate the significant other. Handling a 40 foot boat alone can be troublesome. If the so is not into it as much as you there could be storm clouds on the horizon.

Conservatively I say join a co-op or club and see if you keep up the enthusiasm for one season. A friend joined a club 3 hours away, went 3 weekends and faded away after that.

Good luck...

[monstads]

We just bought a 23 foot boat, and when a half off Groupon deal on basic keel boats (ASA 101) came up, we decided it would be worth doing it.

Because of logistics when trying to set up times and locations, I proposed using OUR boat for the classes, which they agreed to. So in 2 weeks time I can let you know how that worked out for us.

What I do know, is that my wife is much more at ease now that we're signed up for lessons, and although I hadn't planned on doing any originally , I must admit that I am as well.

[markpierce]

As a teenager, read books on how to sail. First started sailing my Dad's 28.5-foot sloop, and just did/learned it. Not a big deal. Just keep in protected/calm waters at first, and stay attentive.

[goboatingnow]

How you pick a 40 footer to buy with limited sailing experience is a bit beyond me. But hey.

So my reccomendations in chronological order

I would definitely start at the ASA level and do some of the Certs. They are good introductory ones, good syllabus etc . It really doesn't matter if they are on your boat or others. I did several over 5 days in st. Petes and is was very good., many many years ago now. There's no need to learn on very small boats to sail larger ones well. It's a viewpoint that's all

Avoid the old salt approach. Unless you have the experience to discern whats good and bad it's not a good beginners approach. Paid own boat tuition is Ok, but expensive.

Then I'd suggest crewing for other similar sized boats and doing a few longer trips. This lets you experience perhaps being out of your comfort zone, but in the company of others more experienced. The thing to avoid with your own boat is giving yourself a bad fright ( when on your own) that's causes you to question what you're at. Try to crew as much as you can, getting increasingly more important roles as you progress and seek out circumstances ( weather, distance, awkward winds, routes) that push you a little each time, help do a few out of season deliveries etc. You'll, also get to experience different boats which will add to your store of knowledge and allow you to compare different solutions. ( and sailors )

Others things, you might club race her, get together a crew and race her. This allows you to get more comfortable ith pushing the boat. or if you don't want to risk the boat, crew on a club racer. ( of similar size or maybe a bit smaller)

It's important that both of you build experience. That's removes the fear factor greatly.

By the way , despite a previous poster. The way to learn about your boat, is to go sailing , not spend months "understanding" every pipe and wire. It's a boat not a trailer. I know people that could fix everything on board, but were afraid to leave the marina or anything other then a millpond day.

So, if you feel you must buy, go for it, but how you evaluate want you want , without understanding the pros and cons is beyond me. It would be either foolish or incredibly lucky to regard this as your first and last boat. It will be the last one solely because you chucked the whole idea if you get really into it , it will be very unlikely your last.

Dave

[bchaps]

Hello Jill & Brian...My wife and I did exactly what you are contemplating. We sailed for 45 minutes on my son's 31 footer and said "this could be fun!". Within three months we closed on a beautiful 40' cruising boat. I KNEW NOTHING about sailing! I can't count how many Old Salts told me "ya gotta' start with a 27', then in a couple years move up to a 33', then blah, blah, blah". We had an ASA captiain come to our boat on January 2, 2010 and took ASA 101, 103, and 104. By April, we were making little jaunts onto the Neuse river, dropping anchor and having lunch. We both were smiling from ear to ear and saying "we're doing it!". By June we were doing overnights in little rivers 20 miles away. What a rush! December 2010 we headed to the Keys and were gone for seven months. It's now been 2 1/2 years since purchasing Charbonneau and we're prepping her for a six month Bahama run this fall.

My advice to you...

1. If both of you really want to become sailors..then do it despite all contrary advice. We have an agreement if one partner says "that's enough", then the party is over.

2. Read everything you can find and both of you get instruction from a competent instructor. (Our ASA Captain was phenomenal and we still maintain contact.

3. Give your partner tremendous freedom to handle their area of boat expertise. (trying to not be sexist)

4. Take baby steps (Watch "What about Bob"), and prepare to be consumed learning an entirely new way of life. (by the way, our boat was seven hours away and we spent nearly weekend on the boat!)

5. As a liveaboard, even on weekends, you will meet a lot of great people willing to help you in anyway possible.

6. Be prepared to spend a lot more money than you initially anticipate. Everything that qualifies as "Marine" is double the price. You can drop $25 to 50k real fast on electronics, solar, new rigging, dingy, outboard, and on and on. But hey, are you going to bury your money with you when the time comes? Recently, my brother-in-law was fuming because my sister wanted him to purchase Nursing home insurance...he said "I want to die on my boat while at sea, not in a Nursing home!...to which I say AMEN!

7. Have fun.

Bill

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Cotemar

ASA cert gives you education.
It's does nothing for insurance
Not needed for chartering either.

Actually my insurance (Boat US) does lower insurance for people who have gone to the trouble to learn what they're doing and can prove it. ASA is one thing they recognize.

[DumnMad]

QUOTE=bchaps;934512]Hello Jill & Brian...My wife and I did exactly what you are contemplating. We sailed for 45 minutes on my son's 31 footer and said "this could be fun!". Within three months we closed on a beautiful 40' cruising boat. I KNEW NOTHING about sailing! I can't count how many Old Salts told me "ya gotta' start with a 27', then in a couple years move up to a 33', then blah, blah, blah". We had an ASA captiain come to our boat on January 2, 2010 and took ASA 101, 103, and 104. By April, we were making little jaunts onto the Neuse river, dropping anchor and having lunch. We both were smiling from ear to ear and saying "we're doing it!". By June we were doing overnights in little rivers 20 miles away. What a rush! December 2010 we headed to the Keys and were gone for seven months. It's now been 2 1/2 years since purchasing Charbonneau and we're prepping her for a six month Bahama run this fall.
Bill

Exactly our plan! We are 71 and if we plan on all the schooling we may never make it. For us there's more fun and more to be learnt whilst doing it than just talking about it. Reaching our age usually means catching a little some common sense that the youthful round the world sailors have not had time to learn.
Nick

[dandrews]

Originally Posted by DumnMad

QUOTE=bchaps;934512]
Exactly our plan! We are 71 and if we plan on all the schooling we may never make it. For us there's more fun and more to be learnt whilst doing it than just talking about it. Reaching our age usually means catching a little some common sense that the youthful round the world sailors have not had time to learn.
Nick

Hear hear!! Exact situation for me. 69 yrs and just getting started. Am taking some classes on piloting and navigation but I have always learned best by just doing.

Don

[jrambo316]

Originally Posted by Jill_Brian

New to the forum. Hello! However, have been lurking for 3 years. learning everything i can and reading all the posts about almost everything. So i hope you will understand my anxiety in asking the following question. please read the rest of the post before slamming me--it won't help me or you.

What is the best way to learn to sail AFTER you buy your own boat? Private lessons only? start with ASA classes then private lessons? Do you really need ASA if your sailing your own boat and not ever going to charter etc? just find a really good sailor to teach you how to sail on your own boat?

Here is the deal. We are in a position to buy the boat of our future NOW. market is good and we are financially able to. We live 3 hours from chesapeake Bay and our long term plans are to, within 5 years sell house, retire to boat and sail at first islands and coasts. maybe or maybe not across the big blue.

We have very limited sailing experience, but don't really see trading up several times when we can buy a boat that will do, upgrade her, maintain her, over the next 5 years while we sail on weekends and at least one entire month each summer getting experience in all kinds of conditions, etc.

I know, we are doing this backward. but we have thought about this for a number of years. we know what we want to do. we moved to NYC like this, and it worked. we bought full complement of scuba gear before first class, we think about things and KNOW OURSELVES and what we want.

we understand the financial cost of boat ownership--i know what the slip will cost and what all the upgrades will cost. i am very handy and can do plumbing, electricity and all kinds of things. i can do some myself, some with instruction, and some will hire an expert. So please, unless someone really has a better plan to get us in the water sailing for about 45 days a year for the next 5 years and then retiring early, we are only looking for advice on the Learning to sail on your own boat question.

Thanks for all your advice in the past and the future
J and B

We are doing some private charters where we can learn casually on vacation. At some point we will likely do ASA cert somewhere cool for one of those week long liveaboards. Then, we are just going to get a boat and sail a bunch starting with small goals and building up.

One thing that would cause me to hesitate with instruction on my boat is that ultimately it is my boat and I would want to be in control of it's fate. So would need to be no confusion on that.

Don't bother with boats you do not want. Get the one you love if you can.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by DumnMad

Exactly our plan! We are 71 and if we plan on all the schooling we may never make it. For us there's more fun and more to be learnt whilst doing it than just talking about it. Reaching our age usually means catching a little some common sense that the youthful round the world sailors have not had time to learn.
Nick

The point about taking some courses is to accelerate your own learning curve - any bits of paper at the end simply being a bonus(?). But each to their own - for me learning stuff on my own (including the hard way!) is part of the fun. But on boats I did start at 2 foot tall.......which only means that my list of unknowns is longer than someone new to the game (and me is more likely to drown through knowing stupidity than doing the same unknowingly).

[atoll]

Originally Posted by deckofficer

D_O_J is right, for the "old salt" you could wind up with atoll or Capt. Ron, who might be one of the same. lol

nothing wrong with learning at the feet of a master,
i currently have many protege's who now own their own yachts,
others who have gone on to become masters in their own right in the proffesional yachting world.

so next time you see a yacht coming in under sail to anchor,and hear the shout"Drop the Fugger!" it's probably one of mine.......................

[Jill_Brian]

i love that movie and would like to be capn ron someday. we have it in our collection. although i would not want to be taught by him. in the end of course the family manages to learn and do quite well...well after a few hours in cuba

[jm21]

Hm. a lot of sailboaters in their 60's are looking to become power boaters...something maybe to bear in mind...it gets hard to manage a larger sailboat as you get older...I'm sure you don't want to hear that but something to really think about.

[bobconnie]

I know We are Old Fashion ! But I started at six but my Paps was a fisherman !! I still think the only way to learn it is to do it !!The courses can sure help, and if you can get a ASA Instructor to come to your boat to do the classes how much better could you do !! Believe me it's not an air plane your learning to fly it's a boat, Im sure that any healthy adult can learn enough to be safe in a year or so !! I started out in power boats, learned to sail from a old timer myself, had a 3 weeks of help, and my brother and I took off for Haywayee !! Got there in 21 days in a folkboat !!I don't suggest doing something stupid like i did, but im just saying you CAN learn on your own with a little common sense, and a little help ! Have fun we always do !!

[deckofficer]

Originally Posted by atoll

nothing wrong with learning at the feet of a master,
i currently have many protege's who now own their own yachts,
others who have gone on to become masters in their own right in the proffesional yachting world.

so next time you see a yacht coming in under sail to anchor,and hear the shout"Drop the Fugger!" it's probably one of mine.......................

atoll, you know me, nothing negative was meant by learning from an old salt like you. Hell, if Laura Dekker had learned from you, she wouldn't have been hassled by her government for her desire to solo circumnavigate at the age of 13, instead, they would have shone her the door as they wiped their conservative brows saying "Be gone young lady, disciple of atoll, and stop flashing us a BA." You would have taught her well in the dealings of uptight government officials, right?