Scary Putting This in Writing

[svGenesis]

Originally Posted by clbegis

Thanks for all the great feedback. I actually think we are on the same page.

I am taking a local sailing class the first 2 weekends of September. I hope to meet some great people and possibly someone with a sailboat. I already know many people on my lake, Lake Lewisville, and hope to be able to sail with them for this year and as mentioned, buy something small next year and just learn to sail on my local lake.

I am really hoping to combine real life sailing, mistakes and learning with classes. For me ... absolutely recognize everyone is different, I think the classes will give me an idea, outline if you will, what I need to learn, then go experience. My idea is to intermix the classes with real life experience. Use both as learning tools.

This is just an outline and I really look forward to posting my progress there.

Thanks again!!!!!

I'm pretty much in the same state of mind as you. (about a year or two ahead sailing wise though) I would suggest going to galveston/clear lake for your ASA courses, they are VERY accomodating, much cheaper, and you will learn to navigate in the Houston ship channel (real experience of everything you will need) and offshore. BTW i bought a little Dolphin 13.5, great learning tool and a lot of fun!

Johnny

[Aaron42]

I second (or 4th or 5th) what everyone has said about getting out there and sailing now. There are a few lakes around the Dallas area great for sailing. Lake sailing forces you to tack and gybe often (lest you run around) and if the weather is anything like it is up the road here in Oklahoma City you'll learn a lot about changing wind conditions. I'll often start out with a reefed main and storm jib, end up with the full main and a 150 genoa up and back down again in the span of a 3 hour sail.

Two things you don't get are heavy seas and the feel for being several miles from land. Even a broken boat will sail down wind and on a lake the wind will always take you to land. The same is pretty much true on the ocean, but that land could be quite some distance away.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Sounds like you've thought about this a lot. Seems like a decent plan.

The one suggestion I have is to learn to SAIL now. By that I mean get a dinghy, Laser for preference, and start sailing it 3 hours every other weekend. The ASA courses are great but the sailing part can get lost in the details of managing a large boat. The sailing part is a basic safety skill and is worth developing before all the other skills.

From having taught sailing on dinghies and medium sized keelboats I can say the folks that started in dinghies learned more and didn't tend to become overwhelmed by the process when they moved up to keelboats.

If you can find an adult class locally or a local yacht club that has such classes either would be a good start.


A house is but a boat so poorly built and so firmly run aground you would never try to refloat it.

I definitely second this.

Be ready, because once you put your dreams to paper big things start to happen in short order! Keep us posted!

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

I have a monohull bias. I personally would not choose any cat to take to Nova Scotia, partly because of all the area from which to lose warmth, but also deep concerns about the seaworthiness of catamarans. This is not the place to start a mono vs. cat debate, and you're welcome to your preferences.

Ann

I'm exhausted just from reading the course list, That's probably more courses than I've taken in an entire lifetime. Being a suck it and see sort of bloke I just built a boat, sailed it about locally for a few years then took off for the wild blue yonder. I think somewhere in there I did coastal and celestial nav courses then I went out and bought a satnav and never used any of it.

Nova Scotia in the summer, Caribbean in the winter sound a bit like Tasmania in the summer, north Queensland in the winter, could work well.

[moctrams]

Over 30 years ago, I read a book "Sail Power", took a Coast Guard course and bought a well used Cal 29 and "just went sailing. What I have learned since has been with experience, including water sailing">blue water sailing on several different types of sailboats. Every person has their own way of learning.

[tmtownsley]

Clbegis,

There are plenty of lakes and clubs to sail with in the Dallas area. I live in McKinney, TX and have a Catalina 36 on Lake Texoma. The Texoma Sailing Club holds regattas throughout the year. We are having a long distance regatta on September 3rd (12.5, 25, and 50 mile course). There are also regattas scheduled on October 1, 15, and 29th. And our last one of the year on November 5th.

I also know that Rush Creek Yacht Club and Bay View Yacht Club on Lake Ray Hubbard have a very active sailing club. You can drive by the lake and see them holding Wednesday night races almost year round. They are much more "competitive" than the ones we have up at Texoma.

Look either of the clubs up and come on out and have some fun. Feel free to send me a message if you'd like more information or would just like to come up to Texoma and go sailing with us.

Travis

[Kenomac]

We simply purchased a Hunter 450, turned the key in the ignition and then I pulled away from the dock alone. No training no coaching.

Dump the ridiculous over-planning, buy a boat and just go do it.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

We simply purchased a Hunter 450, turned the key in the ignition and then I pulled away from the dock alone. No training no coaching.

Dump the ridiculous over-planning, buy a boat and just go do it.

I think maybe something between his plan, and your experience is probably more safe, but in truth I have yet to take a class myself, I'm sure I'd be a better sailor if I did though.
His plan seems to me to be what is sold now, and will make someone a boat load of money, not him though. It reminds me of the way the Scuba industry has gone, a cert card for everything now, even using a Camera and all kinds of reasons to have a class and collect money.
This is the silliest example, but you do pay money and I guess get a cert card to add to your card collection
Welcome

[Dockhead]

Finally someone who doesn't underestimate the amount of knowledge required. Usually these plans read like "Monday -- Learn to Sail; Tuesday -- Buy a Boat; Wednesday -- Set Sail for Antarctica."

My main comment is that training is excellent, but it will only get you to 10% of what you really need to know. Very much like law school and law practice -- what you lean in law school is at most 10% of the way to having enough knowledge to do a good job, even if it's a crucially important 10%. So you should find room in your plan for as much actual sailing as you can get in. Crew on other people's boats (join Crewseekers and use the crew opportunities section of this Forum), be honest about your skill level, and find people (they are out there) who need company and someone to help on watches and do various grunt work, and are willing to share their knowledge with you.

If you help someone out with maintenance jobs in exchange for instruction, you will profit doubly -- as you will also get to know what it's like to take care of a boat. We call cruising "boat repair in exotic places", and repair and technical maintenance is a huge part of the work load, maybe the largest single item of work you do.

Also, you don't NEED to delay acquiring the boat that far, if you are financially able to acquire it sooner. In any case, you will want to have at least a year of experience with the boat on short-range trips before you cut the dock lines and go out into the wild. That's for reasons of knowing the boat and all the systems well, but even more for reasons of having it well shaken down and the main technical issues resolved.

Good luck. This Forum is a great wealth of knowledge -- read the conversations on here and don't be shy to ask questions.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

We simply purchased a Hunter 450, turned the key in the ignition and then I pulled away from the dock alone. No training no coaching.

Dump the ridiculous over-planning, buy a boat and just go do it.

That's another way to do it

Not all of us are as talented as Ken, however, so I would not endorse this plan as a universal recommendation.

Also I think Ken already knew how to sail.

[yvonne13]

I love the depth in which you've laid this all out...that said, its also a good idea to just close your eyes, take that leap of faith and pray...and get out there!
Who would have thought I was going to be living on my boat, cruising the NW three months ago?
yes, i do have some experience on water..commercial fishing, but boating is an amazing experience..Just get out and do it, you dont want to task yourself out of it, ya know?!
Enjoy!

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

That's another way to do it

Not all of us are as talented as Ken, however, so I would not endorse this plan as a universal recommendation.

Also I think Ken already knew how to sail.

My only formal training was earning the sailing merit badge from the Boy Scouts of America back in 1971. Consult your local B.S.of A.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by clbegis

Hi.

While I have been a long time boat owner, runabout/wakeboard, I am new to sailing. My goal is to cruise the world.

You have been given some great advice.

My 2c would be, before you do all of this, offer yourself as crew on a cruising boat for a reasonable length trip. Not to learn. Although you will learn a great deal. The primary purpose is to see if you enjoy the lifestyle.

Sailing a small boat long distances is not what most people imagine.

Don't get me wrong, I love it, but some people think they will love it and find out late it is not what they expect.

You don't necessarily need any experience to do this. Some skippers actually prefer inexperienced crew.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

My only formal training was earning the sailing merit badge from the Boy Scouts of America back in 1971. Consult your local B.S.of A.

Which means you already knew how to sail

There's no better way than fooling around in a sailing dinghy in childhood.

To the OP: the advice to do some lake sailing in dinghies is great. You will learn a ton and have a ton of fun. I'll second the comment above that experience dinghy sailing is enormously valuable. Dinghies respond instantly to control inputs, and you learn much faster. Did I mention that it's FUN?

Sent from my D6633 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

You have been given some great advice.

My 2c would be, before you do all of this, offer yourself as crew on a cruising boat for a reasonable length trip. Not to learn. Although you will learn a great deal. The primary purpose is to see if you enjoy the lifestyle.

Sailing a small boat long distances is not what most people imagine.

Don't get me wrong, I love it, but some people think they will love it and find out late it is not what they expect.

You don't necessarily need any experience to do this. Some skippers actually prefer inexperienced crew.

Absolutely!