Howdy

[aspiringsailor]

Well I suppose I should start with a breif bio. I am currently in the Air Force, about to deploy next month as a matter of fact. I grew up in Georgia for the most part on a small farm. I plan on retiring from the military, best option for a for sure income. As for my boating experience i have mostly been on and owned power boats, the largest boat i have operated is was a 26' sea ray ski boat with a small cuddy cabin. Ever since i can remember i have wanted to live on and own a sailboat. its always been a fantasy for me and i have always been drawn to the water. I have quite a looooong ways to go still before i can retire from the AF but when i do i plan to sell all my land based assets and buy a formidable boat that i would be able to singlehand. My goal is to be able to buy a boat outright an simply live off the few thousand a month from the retirement check. So far my plans entail taking the asa courses and then renting a boat when i can to gain experience. I have very lacking knowledge, and that is where i am hoping this forum can help. I will go ahead and apologize if i randomly drop in on a thread and go huh, whats that? lol. well this is getting too long so i reckon ill leave it at that for now.

[Ocean Girl]

Welcome and thank you for your service! I was an Air Force brat and grew up in Hawaii and about ten other states!
Please keep us in the loop, have fun with the asa classes, we will be praying for your safety!
Erika

[knothead]

Aspire,
You're on the right track. Being willing to seek training and hanging out on sites like this is a pretty good way start sailing.

And thank you for your service on my behalf.

[Ex-Calif]

Welcome aboard aspiring sailor. Feel free to drop in anywhere at anytime.

Thanks for serving! Where's your deployment?

[swagman]

G'Day and welcome also.
Good to have you on board and good luck in filling the aspirations!
Cheers
JOHN

[aspiringsailor]

The only thing i can ever really say when people say thanks for my service is just to say thank you for recognizing that, not a lot of people care nowadays. Mostly to me its just a job. Im not really supposed to say where i am going but its in the middle east. anyways. i figure i might as well learn all that i can now. i still have a considerable amount of time left but i have already made up my mind, and you would have to know me really, but once i decide to do something, thats what i am going to do no ifs ands or buts about it. im really far away from purchasing a boat but cant help to browse the classifieds...lol. from what i have read i think that a valiant would be good for what i want to do?? any comments? i have heard that they are not quite as spacious inside as others, but that they are pretty bullet proof, which is what i want. i am quite sure as i get into things a little more and learn that i might decide that thats not really what i want, but so far i have heard great things.

[thoamii]

Hi, hows it going? I can highly recommend an ASA course. I took one four years ago and bought my teachers Aquarius 23 after. The next day I went out single-handed and sailed around our bay all day.... and every day the wind would beat the current. Tell your teacher that you want to singlehand it and she/he should help you learn things like docking and rising sail alone. After a season of this I went and took the next four courses which I would also recommend. Once done you can charter a boat, and most importantly navigate a coast! Fancy gadgets are cool, self-sufficiency is AWESOME!

I tend to do things on my own and found that by taking the classes I was able to gather much more knowledge in a very short amount of time. Then you can go set on a dock, preferably somewhere tropical with cheep beer like say Isla Mujeres or the bay islands in Honduras, and crew : )

All the best
Zach

[Ocean Girl]

Valiants are beautiful! I have no complaints about down below, can't see why they say its not as spacious? Took care of a Valliant when I owned a yacht service (cleaned, varnished, and general maintenance). The owner single handed her all over the Texas coast and he always had praises for the boat. Have fun looking and learning.
Cheers,
erika

[aspiringsailor]

purchased some literature today. surprisingly none of the local bookstores sell any sailing books, other than sailing for dummies. Well, i decided to buy the sailing for dummies to read while i wait for the others that i ordered from amazon. I ordered the Voyagers Handbook, by Beth Leonard, Self Sufficient Salior by Larry Pardey, and Seaworthy Offshore Sailboat : Guide to Essential Features, Handling and Gear by John Vigor. I figured that this might be a good set to start with. I still chuckle at buying a "for dummies" book.

[thoamii]

Hi mate,

check out Singlehanded Sailing by Richard Henderson

[Ashoreschool]

Welcome to the forum. I have been reading it for quite a while before offically "Joining". Seems like nearly every Google query linked to this forum. There is a lot of information here, but it may be helpful to check out www.ashoreschool.com 's Free eLearning website. Brushing up your vocabulary in the Lesson section, could make it easier to understand what you read. Good luck in your goals.

[s/v Moondancer]

If you get to Miami the Coconut Grove Sailing Club will get you sailing and I can probably find a boat for you to sleep on for free. Call Nick the sailing director, he started the program.

http://cgsc.org/military-outreach
Phil

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and Welcome aboard!
Lots of ex-military and retirees here doing what you dream of. Thanks for your service. Sometimes its just a job until you start dodging bullets. I recommend the book "Start Sailing Right!" as a basic no thrills how to sail book. I've never read Sailing for Dummies but others here on the forum have recommended it.
MWR sailing facilities are dotted around the globe and you might find one at a good duty station somewhere. Andrews? Hickam? I even found one at NAS Memphis, TN once.
Good to have you here. Check out the sites and book mentioned at the end of my signature line.
regards,

[aspiringsailor]

Thanks, ill look into that book. so far i have finished the sailing for dummies, not what i expected, but learned a lot. read voyagers handbook already. im currently reading john vigors other book, seaworthy offshore sailboat. and i have self sufficient sailor. I plan to take that one with me when i leave, its pretty small. Ill look into the other book once i get over there if its a possibility. I leave on the 16, be back sometime next year.

[Rockin_Rick]

I recommend you read Nigel Calders Books. He has a cruising guide (similar to Beth Lenards) and a book on Mechanical and Electrical systems. He still writes for many of the magazines so his info is always up to date. Also use Seafaring.com for their monthly magazine - it's free over the internet and has lots of good information. His TV show can be streamed free also, very well done.

The comment abouth the Valiant is the same for any canoe stern sailboat. While they are very sea kindly in the rough stuff the back ends of these designs do not allow for much if any aft cabin space. Valiant, Baba, Pacific Seacraft all have steller reputations for Blue Water performance and quality construction but they suffer in the space department due to the canoe stern design. For a single hander or a couple they are almost ideal for a larger crew there are issues. All of them are expensive because they are rare and very well built.

If you continue to look around where ever you are stationed I'm sure you can find a local sailing club that will offer classes and even let you charter from their fleet. Your USAF mates can pool together for a day sail or weekend if your area allows it. Most Clubs offer ASA classes and will certify you to bare boat sail after some experience. The middle east of full of great cruising grounds, Greece, Turkey and Croatia are famous for great charter trips.

I want to add my two cents also thanking you for your service to our country.

Rick
S/V Footprints
Long Beach, CA