Newbie Sailor Wannabe

[BBWolf]

Hi,

My name is Wayne and I'm 36 years old.

I've never set foot in a boat with sails in my life.

I have no idea why this overwhelming urge to cruise the oceans has begun to obsess me but it has.

I'm now debt free and have 30k put away towards making this dream a reality.

This summer I will put to the water for the first time and learn from scratch about sailing.

The dream is to set sail in my own boat for destinations unknown 5 years hence.

[29cascadefixer]

Glad ya found yer way here.Have you decided on a suitable craft yet.The search is 1/2 the fun. Go for it.
John.

[BBWolf]

No idea really.

I figure it will take time to learn about boats and what sort of boat would be suitable.

Then from that it will probably be a matter of personal choice as to what I like to sail that is within my budget.

I spend a lot of time looking at online brokerage sites seeing what different boats are available in various price ranges.

The one I like the most so far are Wharram catamarans.

As it happens, I only started looking at multi-hulled boats after reading a thread on this site about what to do when one flips and I liked the look of them a lot.

As for this summer I still haven't decided whether to buy a simple sailing dinghy just to get a feel for sailing or to go that little bit further and buy a sub 20' trailer-sailer that you can sleep in overnight.

Even before that I plan to just hire a hobie-cat for a few weekends in order to feel the sensation of harnessing the wind to propel myself across the water.

[Jeff H]

Welcome to the wonderful world of sailing. I never cease to be amazed at how much joy I get from this sport even after sailing for over 40 years. (I started young). I do suggest that you will have and easier time developing sail skills in a small performance monohull. If you are athletic, dinghies are the best place to start to sail as you really have the most direct imput. Small, responsive fin keel/ spade rudder boats (23 to 26 or so feet) are also an excellent platform to learn to sail on. Nothing beats a combinations of getting out there and reading with a little helpful coaching thrown in along the way.

With regards to the Warram Cats, while they are certainly charismatic, having had some experience with these boats, I would suggest that once you have some experience with a number of different types of boats, you will probably outgrow your current interest in these ill mannered and poorly concieved oddities.

Respectfully,
Jeff

[BBWolf]

I wonder how many people end up buying and sailing a boat that closely resembles the type they saw and that first captured their imagination when they were young.

When I was in my mid-teens I was fishing with friends near a newly constructed marina near Outer Harbour (Adelaide Sth Aust) and spotted a 30' or so yacht making its way out to sea.

Around that age my interests were whatever my peer group was interested in.

Watching that boat however, was one of the first times I really took a private interest in something outside my peer group. I was totally overcome with envy and wishing that I belonged to that world.

I never mentioned anything at the time for fear of being scoffed at for having what my friends at the time would have considered a most peculiar interest.

But just reading through some of the posts I noticed that this initial tendency to keep the desire private seems to be a common phenomenan - the posts were in terms of giving up the land and taking to the sea once and for all - but the principle seems the same.

I have a gut feeling that the boat I will end up buying (after a modest investment in some learning crafts) will be very close to that which first captured my imagination all those years ago.

[delmarrey]

G'day, Mr. Wolf (assuming you're a male)

You've come to the right place. There is a lot to learn here about sailing and some not about sailing. But not as much as getting out there in all sorts of weather and getting your feet wet. I suggest getting yourself some lessons first with a reputable sailing teacher or yacht club. Then get a small vessel that can be put on a trailer. If you lose interest after a few times out haven't lost much. And you can sell it at your leasure. Otherwise, you can keep on sailing and learning. Some yacht clubs have a small fleet of rentable boats as well. At a yacht club you'll get to know some people with the larger vessels and maybe get a chance or two to get out on one.

Next, if you are married, what is your mate going to think about the whole situation. That seems to be the biggest deterrent of a sailors dreams. If not, it's all up to you.

Congrats on your decission. Sailors are a unique group of people that stand out from the crowd. Some good and some bad. It's easy to know the difference.
Sailing is a romance with the vessel and the sea. My mate and I joke about the other woman making demands and scraching her bottom. Or getting a loose screw and parting sheets.
Anyway, welcome aboard and keep studying those sites. And stay away from those fixer-uppers unless you are a craftsman with fiberglass and wood experiance.

Delmar............................................ ........_/)

[Stede]

Welcome to the fold BBWolf,

Sailing is a challenging, and rewarding sport.You can spend a life time sailing, and still not know everything there is to learn.I started out on a small Sunfish at a sports camp my uncle owned. I didn't have a clue as to what I was doing. I turned the boat over more than I sailed her. But with the few short sails I did get, I was hooked.I had to have my own boat. I bought a nineteen footer, took some lessons, and as they say,"the rest is history." I wanted to sail different areas of the world, so I prepared myself for it and have been able to accomplish some of it. That's the great thing about sailing, there's so many different ways to go; lake sailing,racing, cruising, coastal and long distance passagemaking, and the list goes on.It sounds like you have the right idea about starting out on some small boats.That will get you a good feel for the sport, with the minimum amount of money invested.I would encourage you to get some lessons before taking the admiral out.It's sometimes hard to overcome first impressions so you want to make sure the first one is a good one with her.Then you'll probably having a sailing companion for life. Good luck with your plans,and happy sailing

[BBWolf]

Hi Stede,

Thanks for the welcome.

I'm thinking buying that first boat is going to be a big big BIG hurdle.

Was reading today about the various types of construction and materials used and all have their pro's and con's. Even fibre glass which I originally thought was
as close ot perfect as it gets has issues.

Read something else about ballast and how in some boats people have it on the outside of hull. This apparently offers the added bonus of additional hull and keel protection amongst other things. (Sounds like a great feature on a novices boat)

I'm now also becoming aware of the fact that boats within the same class can be vastly different in terms of seaworthiness and general quality of build. Then theres the inventory and sails etc that can vary so much in quality and quantity.

Here's hoping boat surveyors aren't as shonky as building inpectors.

[Thos]

I just love that saying about buying a sailboat being the second happiest day in a person's life....