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Old 01-11-2021, 11:03   #1
ZDM
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sailing lessons or self teach?

Hello all!
Iam new to this forum and sailing. I just bought a 1984 Catalina 25. I have never sailed but I'm very excited to learn. There is a sailing school in the same basin where my boat is slipped. I was wondering how worth it sailing lessons are or if the internet/ going out with friends of friends is a viable way to learn as well?
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Old 01-11-2021, 11:08   #2
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Re: sailing lessons or self teach?

Fastest route is to crew on a race boat.

After a lifetime of sailing I STILL learn when other experienced sailors come aboard.

Friend aboard, unless they know how to sail, are going to be more problem than useful.

Take a lesson, even one beginners lesson.
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Old 01-11-2021, 11:11   #3
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Re: sailing lessons or self teach?

Thanks good advice
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Old 01-11-2021, 11:15   #4
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pirate Re: sailing lessons or self teach?

See if you can hire an instructor for a day to take you through from departure to return.. you do what he says.
After that and solo it's the repetition builds speed and confidence.
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Old 01-11-2021, 12:12   #5
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Re: sailing lessons or self teach?

Hey, ZDM. to the forum.

Nice choice in boats! My Catalina 25 is also a 1984. I recommend adding your location and boat info to your profile.

If you have friends that know how to sail, and they can take you out and show you the basics, that could be good enough. I learned to sail as a kid, but took some ASA courses a few years ago so that I would have them on my resume for bareboat chartering. If you are brand new to sailing, I think a basic course could help a lot.

Best wishes with your new boat. If you have any questions about the boat itself, I may be able to point you in the right direction. Check out catalina-capri-25s.org if you haven't already.
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Old 01-11-2021, 12:39   #6
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Re: sailing lessons or self teach?

Since you already have a boat you don’t really need lessons to learn how to sail, you can just read some basics and watch a few YT videos and figure out how to sail.

Self-learning will not however teach you how to maximize your boat’s potential as your comfort zone will be quite small. Getting an experienced sailor on your boat will save you weeks and months compared to learning by yourself even though the excitement factor of doing things yourself will be different.

My advice would be to have an experienced sailor take you out a few times in different wind conditions, the other advice will be to start racing - either on your boat or on somebody else’s, nothing will make you a better sailor faster than racing. 😊
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Old 01-11-2021, 15:16   #7
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Re: sailing lessons or self teach?

One thing you'll learn from sailing with experienced sailors is to remain calm when things go southwards. This helped me a lot as I have the tendency to become hectic during stress.

On one delivery when the spinnaker got stuck on top of the mast and couldn't be doused, the skipper first let it collapse behind the genua and once the further damage was prevented, made a pot of tea to think about next steps. In the end I did have to climb into the mast to assist freeing the Spinnaker, when then needed some attention from the sailmaker. It's rare to learn such things on your own.
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Old 01-11-2021, 16:55   #8
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Re: sailing lessons or self teach?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joh.Ghurt View Post
... made a pot of tea
I recall Christian Williams saying something similar, and that stuck with me.
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Old 01-11-2021, 18:26   #9
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Re: sailing lessons or self teach?

We had an '81 for 13 years, great boat.


Also get to know these skippers, too :


https://catalina-capri-25s.org/forum...asp?FORUM_ID=3
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Old 01-11-2021, 19:33   #10
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Re: sailing lessons or self teach?

If you just pick your days to go out there and practice you might be surprised what you learn. I got an Oday 27 and we go out twice a month or so. Pick days when its not to windy. Its easier to stay in control of the boat. At first we learned real fast respect the wind, There is a lot of power/pressure on the sail.

Another thing we do is when we go out. We watch other sailboats, how they set up their sails. We had a boat come behind us and pass us. I watched his sails and matched the set up. You could feel the boat pick up speed. Now I practice adjusting the main sail. Its amazing how much 2-3in make a boat sail better.

It would be nice to get someone to show us how to handle the boat on the windy days. We started to go out at first with the wind forcast of no more then 5kn now we feel ok out at 9-11kn.

Last time we went out about 9-10kn wind we were moving at around 6.7-7kn. The lean of the boat under sail gets to me need to get used to it. But we felt great and really enjoyed our day out sailing

OH make sure to practice raising the sail and dropping it and reefing when at the slip.
Engine runs great and you can start it when you need it. I would say doing that before going out the first time on our own made a huge difference in comfort.

Those two things helped us a lot when we were out in the ocean and the wind picks up. Our jib got stuck and we couldnt get control of the boat. Started the engine gave it gas and made my own wind. got control of the boat and checked to see for any brown marks that I might need to wash.
That engine is a security blanket, drop sails start engine and you get control of the boat no matter what.
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Old 01-11-2021, 19:51   #11
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Re: sailing lessons or self teach?

I self taught, but as a kid on a sun fish in a small lake. Making it capsize in high wind was great fun. Best was “falling” in the water and sailing (controlling main sheet) from the water behind the boat, as unsuspecting companion on the boat was wide eyed.
Turttleing was tougher to right, as water depth was barely that of mast height. After wrestling the upright dagger board, and the hull, to one side (as a skinny <100 lb’er), I was rewarded with clumps of mucky mud falling from top of re-righted mast.

Two decades later, co-own 28’ Pearson triton on Lake Superior.

Now at 66, own Ben 323. Did take ASA classes a couple years earlier. But didn’t really learn anything new.
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Old 01-11-2021, 20:04   #12
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Re: sailing lessons or self teach?

Is the goal to learn fast and well, like a required job skill, or is learning part of the journey, with no fixed destination or schedule? How do you enjoy learning the most? One-on-one, group setting, or on your own. Yes, racing can be very educational, and many people hate it.


So the "best" way to learn is, perhaps, not so obvious.
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Old 01-11-2021, 21:12   #13
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Re: sailing lessons or self teach?

Can you learn on your own? Sure.

But learning via club/school/instructor will be faster and you will pickup less bad habits.

I did something similar - bought a boat, signed up for sailing classes, then hired the instructor to help me adjust to my boat. That did the trick.
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Old 01-11-2021, 21:15   #14
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Re: sailing lessons or self teach?

Take ASA lessons. Also, take Safety at Sea. You will get a thoughtful curated approach to how to sail. Practice on someone else’s boat, not yours. Supplement that base with experienced sailors on your boat, and on theirs.

You owe it to your boat, other people’s boats, yourself and your future crew.

You’re the captain!
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Old 01-11-2021, 21:22   #15
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Re: sailing lessons or self teach?

I would recommend that you take advantage of all your avenues to gaining sailing experience:

1. Take a sailing lesson or a few. These will be superficial.

2. Take you own boat out and gain experience be doing and experimenting. This may be frustrating.

3. Get on a racing crew. This will be the most cost effective and quickest way to get real solid exposure to sailors with real sailing skills. One year of racing will teach you more than you’ll ever learn by yourself or in lessons. (or by studying you-tube videos) even if you don't think you'll ever want to be a racer.
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