In need of help

[dendebru]

I have reccently become very interested in sailing and I want to start somewhere, but I have no experience and no training. But I I do work well under pressure and am a very hard worker and I would like to know where I can get started. If it helps to know I live in the great lakes area, someone please help me ! Thankyou

[James S]

Welcome to the forum dendebru.
I would consider going down to the local marina and walk the docks striking up conversations with anyone you can. See if you can make some friends and get on some boats.
May have some members here that will offer you some trips.
Good luck.

[TheOffice]

Look for a meetup group in your area. Take some lessons. Check the bulletin boards at loacal marinas and yacht clubs. Have fun.

[capn_billl]

I was once in a simular situation. I took a weekend sailing class, and bought an old Laser, (like a sunfish), for $500.00. After a few weekends on the water I knew enough to be dangerous.

I just moved up to a trailer sailer, and I'm still dangerous, but I have a good idea where to go from here. And every weekend the mast and sails go up easier, and easier.

The tacks, and gybes go smoother, and I get better at steering, and setting and balancing the sails to get where I want to go.

IN a couple of years I'm going to move up to a 30-40ft cruiser, ( I still don't know the exact boat, but I'm narrowing down the list, and writing down must haves).


If you want to go down the same road, so far it is working out good for me. I have decades of experience of large power boats, but sailing a small craft takes a completly different mindset.

I would recommend the same, get a small sailboat, and sail the heck out of it. In a couple of years you will have answered your own questions.

I sold the Laser several years lator for the same price I paid for it, and except for a few small repairs, (less than 20 bucks), I essentially sailed it for free.

At that price you won't have a heart attack, if you bang a dock, or run aground. Also in a big mistake, you just climb out, and drag the boat back to safety, can be easily singlehanded, if fact it is kinda mandatory.

AND the boat punishes your mistakes intantly, so you either learn fast, or get to sail around with mud stains on the top 3ft of your mainsail. Either way it's all good. Welcome to CF.

[fmsquidly]

Originally Posted by dendebru

I have reccently become very interested in sailing and I want to start somewhere, but I have no experience and no training. But I I do work well under pressure and am a very hard worker and I would like to know where I can get started. If it helps to know I live in the great lakes area, someone please help me ! Thankyou

Like you, I too, am in the very same situation. I'm new to this, but I have always been active in or on the ocean. Sailing has been a life long dream and I never got a chance to peruse it with either of my two marriages and children. Now that I am single and children have flew the coop, I am ready to embark on this quest. I too, was given the same advise to go hang dockside and be known around the marina/harbor to get my foot on deck. Any deck. But I felt weird as I am female and it looked more like I was looking for "sailors". My idea is find work on a boat that is heading south (west Pacific) and disembark somewhere in Mexico or south America. And land a harbor/Marina job or on a vessel. Ultimately, find my lifelong soulmate skipper and retire there as well. My itch is to do this within the year or two. Although I am finding experience on a few boats just day sailing, I don't really have the experience to be a full fledge crew member on a vessel that is going to be paying out the pieces of eight. But I'm am scouring the websites looking and hoping to find that one boat headed towards my destination and goal.