Nick,
Well, Aloha, E komo mai
We lived on
Kauai for 9 years as full time residents until about 1.5 years ago. We are avid sailors and joined the Nawiliwili Yacht club, but we no longer were
boat owners. We tried
crewing on some of the races, but that turned out not to be what we were looking for. That was just us.
However, I applaud you desiring to learn seaman ship, proper nomenclature, and sailing especially from skilled seaman / sailors.
Also, pick up some basic sailing
books and take a comprehensive course,,
ASA is a good plan, or a well respected sailing club or
school.
You can walk the docks, and meet people and ask them for some suggestions and they may be able to help you as to what what organizations to contact. Go with the most professional. Be warry of the warfrats, hanging at the marina bars. Really check out anyone who talks faster than his top siders can run.
For sure visit sailing schools there on
Oahu. and talk to them. Take all of that information and make an informed decision. Main thing is to start, and begin your quest.
Stop by a yacht club or two, and talk to them as well. Sailors are pretty great on helping out others. The yacht club may have instruction programs, or point you the right direction. For sure they will have a
racing program and
race skippers are often looking for crew.
Living
Kauai our sailing would have been very limited since we did not own a boat. The Nawiliwili YC had a few lazers, but we have a lot of sailing experience, as I was a sailing instructor,
charter skipper,
delivery skipper, and flotila leader on international cruises in the
south pacific and
caribbean.
We wanted larger cruising
boats.
From Kauai the
passage distances between islands, and the very limited
ports of call on Kauai, and the
winter months huge surf slamming into the north shore reduced our sailing to bareboating in
Australia,
Tahiti, the
Caribbean and
Ireland. We were on our own just the two of us.
In the early years, around 35 years ago, we did a lot of sailing out of
Newport Beach, Ca, coastal, and passages to our off shore channel islands, and also lots of fun day
sails. Then all that worked into international sailing vacations.
Originally I joined an excellent sailing club, and the instruction was superb and very demanding.
I read, studied, took the lessons, and tests, and check outs which included
docking 30 plus footers under sail,
single handed. I took my
learning of seamanship and all that surrounds sailing very seriously.
34 plus years later, I have a 500 ton master U.S.C.G.
License, ( 5th issue ) and I still learn new things. You will never stop
learning as there are so many more aspects to sailing, than just climbing on board and putting the
sails up.
With a good sailing club, other factors will come into effect as well, structured lessons, other peoples boats to use, no large layout of cash, and finding new friends to sail and associate with.
We have bonds with sailing friends that have lasted to this very day from long, long years back. The best was/ is, my soul mate Erica, who was one of my students 34 years ago. She is also an avid sailor, highly knowledgeable and capable, and the best thing that has ever come into my life, or will. Never know where how life's different choices and paths will take you.
E komo mai to sailing, and to
hawaii.
What a grand life style.
Denny
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