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11-01-2020, 09:05
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 2
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New sailor on sailboat, 0 experience
Hello and good day my name is Bonnie, I'm a new Sailor and have bought a 47 Vagabond Ketch sailboat, this is my very first sailboat I have zero experience as the title States, I am very interested in learning and I plan to either learn on my own or would love some help and pointers as I go along I'm currently in Hampton Virginia right off the end of Langley Air Force Base. Anyone who would like to give me some pointers teach me the nuances of sailing I'm not new to the Boating world I have owned the boat most of my life I grew up on a 32 ft Sabre craft cabin cruiser in the Puget Sound area I am originally from the Seattle area I was almost killed in a car accident in February of 2017 I decided I'd had enough of the governmental regulations and I bought a sailboat to take a prolonged vacation I plan to leave and sail down the coast to the Dominican Republic and Grenada those are my first destinations once I have a little more experience I plan to sail around the world back to Seattle. If you're interested in helping me learn I am interested in meeting you and learning please feel free to drop me a line either at my email or here on the site I look forward to hearing from anyone who would be interested in helping me thank you very much for your time have a great day
BonBon5969
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11-01-2020, 09:42
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Seattle = Home Base
Boat: Hanse 505 50'
Posts: 277
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Re: New sailor on sailboat, 0 experience
Not bad to ask for free help, but considering you already have a pretty large sailboat, and have plans to actually go sailing unlike many, I suggest you take some sailing classes, and quick. I would say your number one priority should be gaining sailing, navigation, weather, and maintenance experience. I appreciate that you already have motor boating experience within Puget Sound, but as someone who lives in Seattle, I can tell you that knowledge will only be moderately transferable to open ocean sailing. I assume you are eager to get going ASAP. If I was trying to just jump start myself into competence , I think the fastest possible way would be to paying for classes from an accredited Sailing school up to their “coastal cruising” level, navigation class, weather class, And then offering myself up as free crew for a few deliveries. Free volunteer instructors going out with you on your own boat may or may not be effective. Even if you get lucky and your volunteer is a good sailor, it doesn’t mean they are a good teacher, or follow a curriculum that would prepare you for all the eventualities.
Not at all trying to discourage you, I think what you want to do is doable, but many don’t at first appreciate the breath and depth of knowledge necessary to safely sail offshore. Some day sailing trips with a volunteer instructor in good weather will not get you there. If I were you I would move on all fronts, and think of gaining experience as my full-time job for a while.
Good luck!
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11-01-2020, 14:30
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Panama - heading north
Boat: 20m Gulet
Posts: 38
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Re: New sailor on sailboat, 0 experience
Oh, boy. Good that you asked the question.
Find yourself a sailing course in your area - pay the fees and take the crash course asap. https://asa.com/schools/virginia/
If you intend to remove the vessel from US waters without that info, then hire a captain and one mate to move it. And, maybe even after taking the coastal courses.
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11-01-2020, 16:13
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: 55 N 6 W
Posts: 40
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Re: New sailor on sailboat, 0 experience
Bonnie
I wish you the very best of luck with your adventures.
What was suggested by the first person to reply, is what you ought to do.
If you treat it without the proper respect, the ocean will kill you.
It's that simple.
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12-01-2020, 07:27
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: 55 N 6 W
Posts: 40
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Re: New sailor on sailboat, 0 experience
Quote:
Originally Posted by LittleWing77
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An excellent suggestion. However, it gets a bit repetitive in places, so don't feel that you need to read all of it. The OP (BlackOak) makes relatively few comments. I'd focus on these, as well as the more cogent answers he receives.
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12-01-2020, 12:46
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 86
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Re: New sailor on sailboat, 0 experience
With all the modern electronics available for boaters - they often overlook cameras. I have two mounted on my cat = one on mast and one aft of the pilothouse. Connected these to my recorders with 24 hr playback. Forward facing camera assures me that I'm seeing that floating log or container with enough time to avoid it.
__________________
Capt Mattie Jensen
(Abraham's daughter)
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12-01-2020, 13:34
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: 55 N 6 W
Posts: 40
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Re: New sailor on sailboat, 0 experience
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ghostrider421
With all the modern electronics available for boaters - they often overlook cameras. I have two mounted on my cat = one on mast and one aft of the pilothouse. Connected these to my recorders with 24 hr playback. Forward facing camera assures me that I'm seeing that floating log or container with enough time to avoid it.
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What camera(s) do you use Ghostrider? Do you use specialised optics for night sailing?
Cheers
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12-01-2020, 14:25
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Boat: Island Packet 349
Posts: 671
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Re: New sailor on sailboat, 0 experience
Quote:
Originally Posted by BonBon5969
If you're interested in helping me learn I am interested in meeting you and learning
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Meeting may not work since you are on the wrong coast, sorry...
My suggestion is, first learn how to handle your boat under power. Basically, become comfortable docking it. It may take several attempts to get there, and you may benefit from a local help, but should be feasible given the prior experience. The second step is to go out when the wind is below 10 knots and steady, and play with the sails. Just sail around at different points of sail and adjust sail trim (angle to the wind direction) continuously. Come back and read a book on sailing to understand what you did wrong. Repeat. After a couple of days (or weeks) you should be able to sail with reasonable confidence on your own around Chesapeake in a good weather. Then learn how to heave-to and continue with less comfortable weather. Then start learning anchoring techniques.
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12-01-2020, 15:02
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#10
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: aboard, cruising in Australia
Boat: Sayer 46' Solent rig sloop
Posts: 28,438
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Re: New sailor on sailboat, 0 experience
Hello, Bonnie, welcome aboard CF.
Always, keep a hand for yourself, and one for the boat.
Always, take in a reef when you first think of it, and if the boat still feels pressed, take in another. Get used to her heeling when on the wind, so you can tell the difference between normal heel angles and "pressed."
If you plan on skippering that big, heavy boat, take the very best sailing instruction you can afford. If it means an RYA series in England, that would possibly be the best you can find. You want to do it where the tides and seas are challenging, because you have never been to sea, and once you leave, you are on your own in an environment that is indifferent to you. You have to be on top of your game. It's hard to catch up once you're behind.
Ann
__________________
Who scorns the calm has forgotten the storm.
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13-01-2020, 14:49
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 86
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Re: New sailor on sailboat, 0 experience
Quote:
Originally Posted by UlstermanAbroad
What camera(s) do you use Ghostrider? Do you use specialised optics for night sailing?
Cheers
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I used to have Ocean Wave cameras. Now I have FLIR - better resolution https://www.flir.com/applications/marine/
__________________
Capt Mattie Jensen
(Abraham's daughter)
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14-01-2020, 03:24
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 86
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Re: New sailor on sailboat, 0 experience
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ghostrider421
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Correction: OceanView cameras
__________________
Capt Mattie Jensen
(Abraham's daughter)
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14-01-2020, 03:35
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Scotland
Boat: 42ft Moody Ketch
Posts: 643
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Re: New sailor on sailboat, 0 experience
He and good for you , get yourself online to RYA courses online they will greatly help in understanding the rules and navigation and sail handling, and then get hold of a professional in your area and take your boat out with them to show you the way, we all learn at different paces so it will depend how much confidence you have to then take her out , but everything is doable just a can do attitude, but a good start will help.
Never stop being open to learning and filter out the nae sayers and keep sailing
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16-01-2020, 06:37
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: 55 N 6 W
Posts: 40
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Re: New sailor on sailboat, 0 experience
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ghostrider421
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Thanks for the info. I haven't used FLIR since I was in the military.
Didn't realise there were good, reasonably priced civilian systems
available. Am a big fan of this tech.
OP, apologies for talking across your thread.
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22-05-2020, 15:05
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Port Clinton, Ohio, USA
Posts: 14
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Re: New sailor on sailboat, 0 experience
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ghostrider421
Correction: OceanView cameras
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@ Ghostrider421: I'm looking through the forum about the use of FLIR on a boat. For a new sailor, in the Great Lakes, with a plan to learn to sail in every condition possible...would this tech be a good purchase? I've been looking at the FLIR Scout III 640. We want something compact and mobile. We don't want something that has to wait to 'spin up' of where you have to use a joystick to 'find' your target.
Also sorry for talking over this thread...
GIB!!!
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