Guidance on becoming the best sailor I can be

[Sailor Miguel]

Hello Time, a very appropriate name.
I’m 72 and have been single handing for more than 40 years. I’m not a competitive person like many so have spent ‘time’ learning about different boats and seamanship. I’ve gained the USCG 50T Masters licensee which has given me a higher degree of confidence.
I agree with many that racing can give only a certain amount of knowledge, but sailing larger boats that you may intend to buy would be ‘time’ better spent. I started with a 20’, then a 22’, a 27’, a 35’, and now a 42’, all single handed.
Focus completely on your decided goal, how to get there and spend ‘time’ on what to do.
Captain Michael
S/V Peregrine
San Francisco

[Over Budget]

I agree with thomm225. Esentially, practice, practice, practice. I started sailing at age 49 through a three season course at Mystic Seaport on Dyers. Great experience which got me hooked. I tried the race crew route on Lightnings and enjoyed it but didn’t feel I was learning to sail so I bought my own Lightning that I could trailer and sail almost anywhere. I also took lessons at J World. I learned enough to eventually buy and sail a Newport 28 which I sailed Long Island Sound and, now, in and around Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod. I just turned 75 and still sail the Newport.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Over Budget

I agree with thomm225. Esentially, practice, practice, practice. I started sailing at age 49 through a three season course at Mystic Seaport on Dyers. Great experience which got me hooked. I tried the race crew route on Lightnings and enjoyed it but didn’t feel I was learning to sail so I bought my own Lightning that I could trailer and sail almost anywhere. I also took lessons at J World. I learned enough to eventually buy and sail a Newport 28 which I sailed Long Island Sound and, now, in and around Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod. I just turned 75 and still sail the Newport.

I really like those Lightning Sailboats. it's almost the perfect boat to learn sailing on since it has a main, jib, and spinnaker.

I used to watch the Lightning racing fleet at Arkabutla Lake in Mississippi from my first Hobie 16.

Also it shows you don't necessarily need to leave on the coast and have a heavy monohull to learn sailing

[Over Budget]

I forgot to mention that my wife doesn’t like to sail at all, so all of my sailing is single-handed except for the occasional pleasure cruise with guests.

[Over Budget]

Originally Posted by thomm225

I really like those Lightning Sailboats. it's almost the perfect boat to learn sailing on since it has a main, jib, and spinnaker.

I used to watch the Lightning racing fleet at Arkabutla Lake in Mississippi from my first Hobie 16.

Also it shows you don't necessarily need to leave on the coast and have a heavy monohull to learn sailing

Agreed. I equipped the Lightning with hiking straps and tiller extension and had a blast. All single-handed. Learned quite a bit about sailing on that little boat.

[keyway]

Sailing at 60still learning sort of. Seems like you learn what you need. Think I might learn celestial navigation just for the heck of it. Make me think I’m salty

[Captain Max1]

I agree racing a small boat as a beginner at 61 may not be the best way to go assuming your goal is to basically cruise. If you could crew on a 30 footer, you’ll get better experience for what you need. Taking the basic courses out there would really help. Some places have lease programs once you’ve completed 101/102. I did that for a year and bought my first boat, 19 ‘ Mariner. Worked up from there.

[MorwrMeic]

Totally agree with Boatman & Belize - refine what you want to “do” and buy your 30 -32” boat AFTER getting a few trips on similar keelboats with professional skippers from a reputable sailing school - forget dinghy sailing racing , much easier to learn (make mistakes) on a 30+footer without getting wet or hurt ... all gain and no pain!!! Good luck & enjoy!

[skenn_ie]

Work your way up the ladder. Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper .... Yachtmaster Ocean if you want to. Some people just have so much experience and good intuition as to have good seamanship, but even then, doing a Yachtmaster course will still teach them some skills that could save their life. They may also have some skills that the Yachtmaster DOESN'T teach them too. Having spent my entire childhoot (to 19) on and around boart, I can definitely drive or sail a boat, am adaptable, resourceful, but I still lack sound seamanship, things like written checklists before setting out, hourly, and shutdown checklists are probable a good idea, as well as passage planning, emergency supplies (bungs, fuses, fuel filters etc).

[michaelkcowan]

At 61 years of age...I announced to my wife of about the same age tjat I was buying a 28 foot yacht...and she immediately said 'NO'...so I bought it...that was about 8 years ago...and this has been one of the best things we have done...currently we are saving up for a bigger boat...possibly a 36 footer...learning on your own yacht is brilliant...just get someone who can sail give you lessons...on your own boat

[Flagfish]

Look up Remus Meleshyus. If he can do it, anyone can.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Flagfish

Look up Remus Meleshyus. If he can do it, anyone can.

Is he still alive?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Time Theory

You folks have provided me with a text book full of valuable knowledge and I cannot thank you enough. I think there maybe hope for me yet to become a skilled Seaman / Sailor.

When the boom hit my head I was solo on an MC Scow. I accidentally jibed the boat to avoid a collision. One of the racers in the fleet wears a helmet. I think it would be wise to wear one especially on this type of boat.

This past Saturday I was scheduled to crew on a Flying Scot. Since there was no wind the race was cancelled. The Skipper and I still went out to practice. One thing we did was to raise the rutter out of the water and steer by using the sails only. It was interesting to do that. I wonder if that would work on a keel boat?

Thanks Again

Yes it will work on a keelboat but it's harder especially sailing single handed

I used to do it on beach cats sometimes to sail across the shallows and every time coming into the beach

Usually though if you are forced to steer with sails alone/rudderless on a keelboat it's usually due to a problem of some sort and many times occurs at the exact wrong time not when you decide it's a good time to try and sail rudderless.

When I broke my tiller in half a few weeks back on my Bristol 27, I sailed with the sails alone on a close reach for a mile or so (winds were about 18 knots) then got the motor running and motored the rest of the way in since I was at the mouth of my creek. Luckily my motor was an outboard

[skenn_ie]

Racing teaches you to sail efficiently, not necessarily safely. If you are cruising, you will want to sail comfortably and safely. Reading will often inform you about how other people have survived potentially fatal situations. "Sailing La Vagabonde" is an entertaining account of a young couple who took to the high seas with almost no sailing experience, but while they survived, mostly uninjured, I wouldn't recommend doing it that way.

[thomm225]

A good combination of racing and cruising I think is very beneficial.

The OP seems to be leaning a bit toward racing at the moment even mentioning how it appears cruising boats rarely leave their slips which is sort of the way it is many places. So I figured I'd fuel that with some posts and videos.

Racing can be fun and a good motivator to get a new sailor out on the water just try not to get too into it which when we are in our 60's is pretty easy to do

As far as dangerous situations, I've found that experiencing the toll lack of sleep, prolonged sailing, and bad anchorages can have is good experience every sailor should have because your reactions are different than when you are fresh

I have yet to have a prolonged sailing experience like when crossing an ocean but for now have to learn from my mistakes 10-15 miles offshore, enduring bad anchorages for a few days (when I first started cruising locally) or taking chances in strong wind when my gear isn't 100% and then relying on my judgement of how the wind and weather should react in the hours ahead from other experiences to get me in