hi to all

[martinworswick]

hi,
my name is martin worswick as you may guess from my user name,
i'm an english man living in new zealand.

i'm interested in this site as ,one day, i would like to take off around the world on my own yacht. this however is likely to be many moons away as the mortgage and the fact my sailing experience is somewhat limited (hobie cats, whitsunday sailing etc) but i would like to learn to sail competantly, build on that experience, and sometime in the future set out on my dream.

anyways, to get me started on the road to competancy i was thinking of buying a trailer sailer something like this-http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=184515824-
and after fixing up joining the local sailing club and getting a few lessons.( the reason for a trailerable boat is that i live inland but have several large lakes right on my doorstep)
maybe with a bit more experience i could take it to some of n.z's coastal cruising spots and get some sea experience and keep building on it from there.

does this sound like a reasonable way of getting started or are there any other ways i may have not considered?

thanks
martin

[dacust]

I've been in boating for years, however I'm not a sailor. But I'll say a few basic things to get started.

Yes, that sounds like a reasonable way to get started. You'll learn a lot by starting with a project boat. It'll be more work than you think, but you'll really know your boat inside and out. One thing you'll probably learn, is that as nice as wood boats are, when you go bigger, you probably don't want one. But if you REALLY like working on boats or have REALLY deep pockets, there's nothing like the ride and sounds you get from a big planked boat (I had a 36' stinkpot that was awesome, but way too expensive to maintain).

So, that leads to the next point. Starting small is another good idea. So many people start too big and then decide it's too much for them. Here, if you decide it's not for you, you haven't sold the house, right?

$800 seems high for a starting bid, but if the trailer is good, maybe not too bad. They say "some soft spots". That can turn into a total rebuild. I couldn't see going much higher than $800. You MUST go see it first. And take an experienced person with you if you can scare one up.

I'd say you have the right ideas. Hopefully some people in this forum from your area can give you some ideas on the market there and say if that particular boat sounds like a good idea.

Since I don't have room for a project boat, I'm planning to join a sailing club at some point. So, I'll be starting out without a sailboat. That's another option for you. But I still think your approach is probably better.

You can combine the two ideas if your sailing club has it's own boats or if someone there offers lessons on their own boat. Join the club while your still working on yours. You may get lots of good advice that way. Maybe even some free help!

Regardless, hang out in here. I have learned tons about sailing just by reading. I now probably know about 10% of what I need to know. And that's a step up.

-dan

[Allan S]

Welcome and congratulations on your plan. My wife and I also started small and are learning all we can with this project boat and we love every second of it. It is like a drug with us and we can hardly wait for my 55th birthday when I quit work completely and we just sail sail sail. Good luck to you...Allan

[Hud3]

Hi, Martin. Glad to have you on the Forum!

The only thing I can to the advice that dacust gave you is "Ditto". You'll learn a lot about sailing on a smaller boat that will hold you in good stead when you move up to a larger one. Be sure to get some week-long charters in once your skills are advanced enough.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Martin,
Welcome aboard! I totally agree with your plan. I started small after taking some lessons and never regretted. In my case it was my monetary situation that dictated starting small on a boat that needed a little TLC but it turned out to be the very best way.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[martinworswick]

thanks for the replies,
i'm trying to arrange for someone a bit more knowledgeable than myself to view the boat with me,
on the water soon....hopefully

[swagman]

G'Day Martin,
Your plan sounds 100% perfect to me. I actually envy your exploration and journey to get to your goal - so good luck and keep us all posted.
JOHN

[dacust]

Originally Posted by martinworswick

thanks for the replies,
i'm trying to arrange for someone a bit more knowledgeable than myself to view the boat with me,
on the water soon....hopefully

Great!

Keep us up to date on your progress. Start a thread in here somewhere. It's always fun to watch someone start from scratch and discover a new world along the way. Oh, and we are highly entertained by pictures, so post lots of them.

-dan