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Old 03-08-2016, 19:33   #16
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Re: How to get sailing experience while saving up for a boat?

What everybody else said:

1. Crew on race boats
2. Meetup.com (I sometimes host meetups)
3. Go down to the docks and ask around - be willing to help on maintenance projects too - you'll need that experience as much as sailing experience.

Heck, if you were in SoCal, I'd invite you down to the boat to look at the engine that no longer functions..... (Waitin on parts)
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Old 04-08-2016, 15:55   #17
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Re: How to get sailing experience while saving up for a boat?

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Originally Posted by Geek_Guy View Post
The point is that you can get sailing experience by crewing. But you aren't likely to be aware of the many other issues, maintenance, system issues that are very important for spending time on a sailboat. Many people are surprised that they will run into issues with the plumbing systems, or electrical systems, carpentry and more. Those of us with an older boat spends many hours on all of these. The skills you develop will be critical if your forever boat develops a problem. You'll have dealt with how to trace an electrical circuit, or replace a plumbing part.

Most people don't have one forever boat anyway. It's often a good thought that doesn't really happen in reality.
You have a good point. Day sailing, or even weekend excursions don't lend themselves as much to learning the systems of a cruising boat. And maybe it's a question for a different thread but I'd very much like to learn as much as I can about things other than setting & trimming sails too. I've even considered buying an cheap/old/small/nonfunctional diesel boat engine from a scrap yard and fixing it up as a learning exercise. Or maybe practicing some fiberglass work on scrapwood. The question with things like that is how much of the learning transfers to life on a boat.
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Old 04-08-2016, 15:59   #18
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Re: How to get sailing experience while saving up for a boat?

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Originally Posted by jeepbluetj View Post
What everybody else said:

1. Crew on race boats
2. Meetup.com (I sometimes host meetups)
3. Go down to the docks and ask around - be willing to help on maintenance projects too - you'll need that experience as much as sailing experience.

Heck, if you were in SoCal, I'd invite you down to the boat to look at the engine that no longer functions..... (Waitin on parts)
Both you and 30yearslater mentioned meetup.com. I'll have to give it a shot.

My girlfriend, Jessica's, parents live in Orange County. If I'm in the area anytime in the foreseeable future I might take you up on meeting up!
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Old 04-08-2016, 16:08   #19
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Re: How to get sailing experience while saving up for a boat?

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Originally Posted by TurninTurtle View Post
Location...

He can daysail almost every day in the lakes surrounding Austin.

...

Getting to blue water being closer to 4 hr each way (not 3 without worrying about the flashing blue lights)
Yeah, I think you're right with regard to location. Lakes are going to be our best bet unless we want to make a long weekend of it and drive down to the Kemah & Galveston area.
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Old 05-08-2016, 11:52   #20
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Re: How to get sailing experience while saving up for a boat?

Here in Las Vegas, you can take a class from the yacht club for $75, then find someone who wants help paying their slip fees in trade for use of the boat and instruction. "Tip in" on a modest boat runs around $100 to $125 a month, plus you provide beer and snacks when you go out.
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Old 05-08-2016, 14:35   #21
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Re: How to get sailing experience while saving up for a boat?

Yes, you can certainly learn a lot as crew (depending on the skipper), but there's no better teacher than your own vessel. Get a small trailer sailor as has been suggested, but get it big enough so you can spend a weekend on it from time to time, which will further help you learn how to provision, anchor, recharge batteries, install nav lights, deal with each other in tight quarters, etc.
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