Educate Me Please.

[sailorboy1]

read some basic books like the ASA training books

learn some knots

[Teeto]

Get some. Stugeron seasickness pills. They are the best and can even be taken after you start feeling a bit queasy.

[rrowan1]

Take a beginning sailing class if you have time before you go.

[nigel1]

You seem to have a positive attitude to start with, enthusiasm can make up for inexperience. Being willing and enthusiastic will put you on the right side of the skipper.
With the right attitude you can look forward to learning alot about sailing and the boat. Wrong attitude will probably have you put ashore at the first opportunity.
As a commercial skipper, inexperienced hands I can deal with, those unwilling to learn dont last long. Just get stuck in and you'll do fine.
For books, check with the skipper as to whats onboard, but a good read for the mechanical and electrical systems is
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boatowners-M.../dp/0713672269

And, sea sickness will normally pass after a couple of days (hopefully)

[nigel1]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Keep a weather eye out for the Mail Buoy. It is where you will receive mail while underway.

My Dad was Mate on a passenger ship called the Andes, one day while checking the Walker Towed Log, he was asked by one of the punters what it was. He told the young lady it was a towed telephone cable going all the way back to the Pier Head at Liverpool.
Sparky was a bit upset by punters asking to make phone calls over the next few days

[atoll]

also good to know,
generally yachts on ocean passages don't drop the anchor and stop for the night.............been asked this one a few times by novice crew................

[Cavalier]

Originally Posted by atoll

also good to know,
generally yachts on ocean passages don't drop the anchor and stop for the night.............been asked this one a few times by novice crew................

Generally, the only boats which drop anchor on ocean passages find their on-watch crew wishing dearly that they'd remembered to secure the anchor before they set off!

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Cavalier

Generally, the only boats which drop anchor on ocean passages find their on-watch crew wishing dearly that they'd remembered to secure the anchor before they set off!

+1

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Jeffhiggs16

Im a young guy who may have the opertunity to go on a long sailing trip. Basically I will have about two months to learn as much as possible about long distance sailing (possibly transatlantic), expenses, desiel engines, 12v marine /solar, navigation basics, and anything else. What books should I read. What are the most do and most don't rules of safety? I have very little experience so even the most basic know-how will be the biggest help thanks. Constructive and nonconstructive comments both welcome.

Lets start with constructive: You have made one post and have been back on CF, presumably to read replies so how about posting either some more information or at least a thank you to all those who have taken time to offer good (and free) advice. Then take that attitude on board, i.e remember to thank others for what they do for you and teach you. It makes a difference!

If I sound like you Mum, well so be it and that brings me to the perhaps not so constructive advice - be nice to yer Mum.

[Jeffhiggs16]

Thank you so much everyone. Sorry for not thanking everyone sooner, I read the forum on my Ipod but can not post using it. Small boat 35', narrow and deep, built in the 70's I believe (will provide details later). It will only be my uncle and myself, he had been planning to go single-handed. I plan to meet up with him this weekend for easter dinner and get as many details as possible about as much as i can. Trip details: A shakedown trip to montreal and back from scarborough, lake ontario. This should give me/us a pretty good idea of how things could go on a longer trip. Voyage: Back out the St. Lawrence, all the way this time, hopefully tour the Canadian east coast. He had mentioned going right across final destination Holland, but decided against this and said something about islands mid-atlantic (suggestions), The plan is to get ourselves to the Caribbean, I know we will be avoiding the US east coast but other than this I know very little. From what I understand we still need to decide on and set up solar. The montreal trip is to buy and install wind vein steering. Now as for myself im 23 years old and work as a carpenter, I would like to say I have good common sense and a quick learner. I've been reading Slocum's book, a few others and should be recieving "the 12v bible shortly" I should be able to raise about $2000-3000 to support myself during. Will this be enough for the duration?
Celestial Sailor what sort of stamps will be needed for said "Mail Buoy"? At my first job I was asked to go get the log stretcher from the back shed, so I went and took a nap. I came back and said I looked endlessly and couldn't find what they had described, they laughed like I was a fool but I didn't mind at all.

[Daddys_Dream]

I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of the details after your talk with your uncle. I always told my kids to keep your eyes open and ask all the questions you can.

[Ex-Calif]

The 2-3000 budget depends on what uour uncle will be supplying. If you have to provision your own food (split costs) it depends hw long the trip is. Shouldnt cost any more on water as it does on shore to eat.

What you do at the destination could blow the spending curve...

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Jeffhiggs16

Im a young guy who may have the opertunity to go on a long sailing trip. Basically I will have about two months to learn as much as possible about long distance sailing (possibly transatlantic), expenses, desiel engines, 12v marine /solar, navigation basics, and anything else. What books should I read. What are the most do and most don't rules of safety? I have very little experience so even the most basic know-how will be the biggest help thanks. Constructive and nonconstructive comments both welcome.

I know this is going to sound silly but once I had taken a short sailing course I found "Sailing for Dummies" to be TREMENDOUSLY helpful. It doesn't get into diesel but it explains basic sailing concepts (including things that can go wrong) extremely well. I found once in an emergency that what I had read in that book translated to real life very well and helped me deal, successfully and well, with what could have been a very bad situation.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by LeaseOnLife

1. Keep the water out of the boat
2. Keep the people in the boat
3. Don't run into hard things

it's a quote, I don't know the author.

To that I would add two pieces of advice I was given:

Regarding navigation:

Do not sail where birds wade.

Regarding docking:

Go slow and aim for something cheap!

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Bash

If you have two months to learn "as much as possible about long distance sailing," then for goodness sake you haven't got enough time to learn about economics, diesel maintenance (or the spelling thereof), 12v systems or navigation. YOU MUST FIRST LEARN TO SAIL.

Sailing is about sails. Sails are about wind. Start there.

I agree. Leave the diesel engine to the skipper. Learn what you can about sailing, because that's where you really can help and feel useful. But the more you learn in theory (from books) the more quickly you will pick up the real life experience.