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Old 05-01-2009, 21:24   #16
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There are only 5 different opinions on this so I'll even it up.

First of all welcome aboard. Opportunities to sail are many. Our club takes new members out all the time. Just Sunday I showed up and had no crew. I was about to go out alone but decided to approach and roundup anyone who wanted a ride. I got 3 people and away we went.

Club racing is the easiest thing to get going on. I won't say who will learn more faster. Racers are always looking for crew and if you are eager to help and don't bitch and moan, you will generally get invited back and possibly put on as permanent crew.

Do that for 6 months or a year and you will start to hear about cruisers. There are few one dimensional sailors. Cruising add a ton of new skills to your experience bag and because you already know your way around a boat and have "survived" racing skipper you will find cruising boats very relaxing.

There is not a lot of time to teach on a race boat. There are practices and you are expected to learn your job but the point of spending all that money on a boat is to win and sometimes tensions can get high. If you are competitive you will love it.

Good luck and have fun.
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Old 05-01-2009, 21:38   #17
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. I won't say who will learn more faster. .
OK, I will say it: you will learn faster racing than cruising.

We just did 160nms without a tack.

A 15 mile Saturday afternoon harbour race you might tack 30 to 50 times, set the spinnaker 2 or 3 times and get drunk at the club once (hopefully after the race).

Come cruising with me and you will get no tacks, no kite, 1 severe nagging from Nicolle and you'll be drunk all day....

Much better to over-press some other persons boat that when you make a mistake and rip their spionnaker you can say: "Ooops! Hope you can get another one by next Saturday".

This is all great training because when you ghet your own boat you wont be afraid of it - either setting the Parachute Anchor in 30 knots, nor rippiing $5k sails.

After yoiu have learned with the harbour type club racing see if you can get onto some off shore racing boats.



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Old 05-01-2009, 23:00   #18
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OK, I will say it: you will learn faster racing than cruising.
Very true. Especially if you are on a team where you can move about the boat a bit.

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Come cruising with me and you will get no tacks, no kite, 1 severe nagging from Nicolle and you'll be drunk all day....
I'm in!

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After yoiu have learned with the harbour type club racing see if you can get onto some off shore racing boats.



Mark
The alternate path is work like hell for 20-30 years and buy yourself a cruising boat.

Although it can be done very few people do it differently.
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Old 05-01-2009, 23:20   #19
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Up here in the Chesterpeak we have Singles On Sailboats....they are somewhat older group.....Check in with the racing groups...keep your eyes open...there is also Womanship........
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Old 05-01-2009, 23:48   #20
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Well my wife said you could sail with me, as long as we are properly chaperoned.

Are you still in Gainesville? I am waiting for spring to close on my new (to me) boat and will probably be bringing it from Long Island Sound to Jacksonville or near by.

Go Gators.
My wife that doesn't sail much with me says the same thing.
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Old 05-01-2009, 23:55   #21
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Once inexpensive way to meet people and learn the rules of the road (and many other things), is take classes through a local United States Power Squadron. I've taken classes from them for several years, and my knowledge base as improved greatly.
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Old 06-01-2009, 03:54   #22
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What ever path you decide on, make sure that if you do take classes that they are ASA, or US Sailing accredited.

This in the long run will lower the cost on any charter in the future and lower the cost of your insurance once you own a boat.

J-World is right now offering courses in sunny Key West, Just down the road and Key West race week is about to happen. Premier-Racing has a crew board listed on their site, that is if you are looking to race or maybe help on a program, also check into this sites crew board.

And I should note to those who say "don't get on a boat with a single male". I agree if they look like an axe murderer, but most of the times it's someone who simply needs help in moving their bosses boat, If my wife never stepped on a boat, I would not be married. There are 25,000 boating jobs listed worldwide and only 15,000 people, Please do not scare people from learning, encourage them.
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Old 06-01-2009, 07:28   #23
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Once you get to Fort Lauderdale send me a message and I can point you to a very good friend who runs a sailing school off and on...he may be able to hook you up with some sailing friends/weekends.
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Old 06-01-2009, 14:16   #24
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Aloha and Welcome aboard!
You've found the forum of many varied and some accurate opinions. My club offers sailing classes, lessons and invites folks out for sails on every other weekend. Single or not you are welcome. Club membership is $30 annually for full time students. $50 if you aren't a student. Unfortunately we are located in Hawaii.
There might be clubs in FL that offer the same good deals.
Kind regards,
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Old 06-01-2009, 16:21   #25
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You've gotten great advice for how to get starting sailing (the first part of your post title) but not much about the second part (looking for adventure). It's hard for us old guys - well mostly "old" and mostly "guys" to even imagine your happy situation.

If you really want adventure with sailing and can get free, sign on as crew to a Caribbean charter boat this winter - like "right now". As in - get on a plane. Every year these boats lose crew during the Christmas holiday. Someone doesn't work out or falls in love or something. These boats are booked with charterers until the end of April.

So, if you want adventure, hop a plane to Antigua or Tortola and walk around the docks asking. In Antigua there's a great party every Sunday afternoon on top of Shirley Heights that would get you into the network.

No single guy worries. You're looking to join a professional crew on a sailboat that would make your dad drool. The work isn't glamorous but you'll earn some money and get some experience. I bet your dad would even pick up the plane ticket.

If it doesn't work, it was just a plane flight to a few really good parties.

Carl
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Old 06-01-2009, 18:25   #26
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What sort of boat does your dad have?
Too much of one to let you use with a couple of others?
Mean dad?
Where is the boat? Not in Gainsville I hope.
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Old 06-01-2009, 19:01   #27
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If you want to learn boats. Sorry Im old yank. Read up find out what a table of offsets is. Maybe bend a batten and then read some more. Get a laser or sunfish. sail and read some more. Read some more crew some day races. read some more. Build a boat work in a sail loft. Maybe write Sam Davies to see how she learned the experience the adventure of sailing. then read some more.If You are just a girl looking for adventure and experience. Go to a print shop and get a shirt made thet says just that. Sit on a dock and I assure that you will find what you asked for but wont see what you you sought.
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Old 06-01-2009, 19:17   #28
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My opinion may be different from others on this forum. I say ready, fire, aim, in that order. Try to get some crewing on a low key club racing boat before taking any lessons. You will develop sailing ability quicker that way than any other. Once you have started doing that, then look into classes and any other variety of experience that you think will develop seamanship skills, for type of sailing that you want to do.

Also, when you start, try to find the sort of boats to crew on, that you want to sail on. If you want adventure cruising on a keeler, try to crew on keeler first up, rather than getting onto a sailing dinghy or small multi-hull.
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Old 06-01-2009, 20:00   #29
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If you want to learn boats. Sorry Im old yank. Read up find out what a table of offsets is. Maybe bend a batten and then read some more. Get a laser or sunfish. sail and read some more. Read some more crew some day races. read some more. Build a boat work in a sail loft. Maybe write Sam Davies to see how she learned the experience the adventure of sailing. then read some more.If You are just a girl looking for adventure and experience. Go to a print shop and get a shirt made thet says just that. Sit on a dock and I assure that you will find what you asked for but wont see what you you sought.

Sabray...She dosent want to build a boat just learn to sail one...
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Old 06-01-2009, 21:06   #30
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Please avoid getting on a boat with a single male. I don't care who it is or who you are, it just isn't worth the risk.
The Risk..?

What risk?, virginity in danger?
Grounding on a reef?
Sinking due to single male at the helm?

Don't listen to the above religous right-wing perverts, come and sail with me instead, safe and sound you will be sweet young thing, lets sail at night into the sunrise...

Send a picture first: bigdagus@yahoo.com
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