Sail Training - Which is Better ?

[All-in]

I understand there are 2 basic schools on sail training ASA and I believe sailnet .does it matter which school I attend.I had picked out a school in texas that is ASA.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by All-in

I understand there are 2 basic schools on sail training ASA and I believe sailnet .does it matter which school I attend.I had picked out a school in texas that is ASA.

LOL... not really... all schools are the same...
Send you out thinking you know it all... which is impossible as you've been trained by someone who don't know it all himself...
Just get the ticket so you can REALLY start learning...

[All-in]

Thanks

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by boatman61

LOL... not really... all schools are the same...

That's not true at all man.

There are some instructors who go out of their way to ensure that students learn as much as they can, and there are other instructors who are power tripping d-bags.

To the original thread starter, I'd see if you can check any reviews online or get some personal recommendations. The school itself matters a bit, but your instructor matters the most. I had some ASA students out the other week on a basic keelboat class and we made sure that the one lady student who felt the least confident in docking practiced it at least a dozen times. Far beyond what is required by ASA, but it was important to me for her to get as much experience as she can and build confidence.

[rgscpat]

In the USA, the American Sailing Association (ASA) and United States Sailing (US Sailing, sail sport governing body in USA) certify sailing instructors. (The Red Cross got out of the business of training small-boat-sailing instructors some years ago. The Royal Yachting Association oversees training in the UK including the very thorough Yachtmaster curriculum.)

IMHO, the US Sailing process might be a bit more thorough, but the important thing is differences between schools and instructors, who may focus on different things, differ in the amount of helm time, have different equipment (boats), and different instructor personalities. And, of course, different sailing venues vary in their level of challenge and quality of sailing, and sailing opportunities vary seasonally.

Different instructors will have different specialties and certifications. Some may be certified for only small keelboat training, others for only small dinghy training, some for multihulls, and some for the whole gamut of boat types and experience levels.

Ideally, you would space out your training a bit and get plenty of practice time in between lessons, and get lessons from at least a couple of different instructors. Variety is the spice of life and it's far better to sail on different boats, in varying weather, with different skippers, that to do the same kind of sailing over and over again.

The best match between you and a school will depend hugely on your sailing interests/goals, abilities, and limitations.

Without that knowledge, instructors can't do a good job of teaching you -- because sailing is something you ultimately have to learn for yourself, even with the help of others.

If your goal is chartering, you will probably learn that charter companies vary in how picky they are; some are quite liberal and seem to take just about anyone with a pulse and a credit card, whereas others look more closely at whatever training you have had and your resume of sailing experience, yet will still want to get a on-scene feeling for your actual ability. This can also vary with just how ambitious your charter plans are.

[All-in]

I am actually looking at buying my own cat
And being a live a board. Once I have some skill will start looking at boats the fall

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

The school itself matters a bit, but your instructor matters the most.

DING! DING! DING! We have a winner!

[familycruisers]

Originally Posted by All-in

I am actually looking at buying my own cat
And being a live a board. Once I have some skill will start looking at boats the fall

Except for the basic seamanship knowledge, experience is the best teacher, but a harsh one. Lifes a Hell of an instructor. First you get the test, then comes the lesson.

[Wotname]

Which has the better book (manual) coz that what you will need to survive experience.

[capn_billl]

I went to a local sailing school, (ASA101), and was able to rent a sailboat and successfully sail it in a choppy bay the next weekend.

2 years later there are still things I would like to learn, like how to setup a spinnaker, trim sail to stop rolling, or other instabilities, tune a rig, rig for storm, or to correct weatherhelm, how to best adjust boomvang, and cunningham.

But I know enough to be dangerous, and get me from point a to point b, even if point b is directly upwind.