Looking for an "IN" into the sailing world.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Ldjfilm

I sure hope Jim is right about this forum. I’ll keep tuning and see if I can find the right people for my serious cruising questions.
Thanks for the feedback Jim.

You are welcome, of course!

I've been following CF for quite some years now and have tried to offer my experience as a long term cruiser when it was applicable IMO. That's the sort of thing most of the respondents do. There are some whose knowledge is less than they think, and their advice is questionable. There are those who seem to take pleasure in putting down others, and I don't like that any more than you do. But overall,we get WAY more comments on how helpful and friendly the forum is than the "this forum sucks" variety.

When you post a question you don't get to choose who will answer it, and sometimes the jerk contingent gets there first. But a little patience and perhaps some clarification of the question will almost always get serious responses. This does not mean that it will be the sort of answer you hoped for, but they at least are offered sincerely.

In extreme cases, you can always pose a question to a specific person via a personal message. Then you do get to choose who answers, but you loose the additional knowledge that other posters might offer.

At any rate, there are lots of us out here who want to help...

Jim

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by Ldjfilm

Lee I posted for the first time the other day and got a stupid sexist no good response. I too am very disappointed by this forum. Sounds like it a a bunch of wanna be Experts who are trolling here.
I hope we both have better luck.

Hi, i used to be surprised about some of the attitudes on here BUT you get to workout whos worth listening to and whos not. Theres some very knowledgable people here that provide great info. Ive learnt quite abit over the years. Stick around,tufffen up a little , its a good resource.

[Teknishn]

pyr8gfx, Welcome to CF!
You've already received some good suggestions from a few of the people here on the forum. There is a HUGE knowledge base here. Keep perusing the forum and you will quickly learn those that are keen to help with solid advice and answers. Weed through the negative comments and carry on smartly.

I'm a full time liveaboard on a small sailboat and am always on the go...single handling from Norfolk, Va. to New Orleans, La. this year. Been doing this for just over 2 years now (which still makes me a newbie) after taking a 20+ year hiatus from sailboats.

Get in with your local race crowd...go sailing. Take an ASA course...go sailing. Offer someone in a boatyard services in exchange for...sailing. Post a notice on marina's bulletin board offering to crew in exchange for a service that you can offer...and go sailing. Talk to boat owners (we love to talk about our boats) and learn bits here and there.

Concerning work skills, as I've moved from place to place I have found a little work here and there on other people's boats which gives me the opportunity to meet people, keep up on my technical skills, learn new things and pass on some of my own knowledge (which is hopefully useful ).

I posted this a while back about getting started on my boat: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ow-197237.html .

Again, Welcome to CF! Hope to see you on the water!

[Hardhead]

You are always going to get a few jerky sounding responses on any internet forum. It's a fact, and you just have to let it roll off. It is WAY too easy to misinterpret posts, and read the worst intentions into them.

In reality, 95% of the time, the comments are just poorly phrased, and made off the cuff. The best way to handle it is to flat out ignore it, and instead focus on what is helpful. Being thin skinned on any internet forum is a guaranteed way to spoil the whole thread. I'm about 3000 miles away, but I'd be happy to take you out, and I bet at least 50% of the people here would, if you were nearby, and seemed easy going. Good luck, and you have great credentials - you want to learn, and don't mind chipping in on the venture.

[Fore and Aft]

Pyr8gfx judging by the way you fly of the handle after only a few posts I am imagining you belting someone over the head with a winch handle the first time you go sailing! Some person having a tantrum over nothing is not anyone’s idea of a good crew.
Ldjfilm plenty of wannabe experts with thousands of sailing miles under their belts here and plenty of people working in the marine industry replying as well.
Ld & Py this forum is not McDonalds, your not going to get instant gratification and a smile with it. It takes time to foster relationships and find a mentor/opportunity.
I think you both need to eat a tablespoon of cement and harden up.
Cheers

[JC Reefer]

1) You can join your local sailing club. Some clubs have crew wanted postings.

2) If you really want to deep dive into the world of sailing then you need to get onto the water. Check out forums-> commerce -> crew wanted. Publish a post stating that your looking for sailing experience.

You’ll likely find that for every post you send, people will voice there opinions and freely correct you, regardless of their knowledge or your post. No need to be sucked under the bridge by the trolls.

I have been known to troll others but it’s more that I have a bad sense of humor.

[emoji1417]

Good luck.

[Hardhead]

Originally Posted by JC Reefer

I have been known to troll others but it’s more that I have a bad sense of humor.

[emoji1417]

Good luck.

That right there is the most correct explanation for the vast majority of comments taken the wrong way - on this forum and everywhere else.

Non-verbal communication and voice intonation is completely lacking on forum posts, and people who would be fast friends at the dock - get all offended based on a few off the cuff words in a post. It's a rare thing that someone does not think their post will be taken with a grain of salt and a little sense of morbid humor.

Sometimes it's not read with a little sense of humor, and that's understandable - but the intentions are usually never actually malicious, just something is lost in the translation as it's later read by a basic stranger - who does not know the personality of the writer. Just assume everyone has a really bad sense of humor and you will have a great sense of humor.

[TrentePieds]

Well, Lee - That was quite a welcoming :-)!

But hang in here. A great many of us on this forum have sailed for a great many years, and a great many of us have been, or are, professional sailing instructors and delivery skippers. Some of us have been, or are, avid sailing club members, and some of us have started sailing clubs. Characteristic of all those activities is that they involve - in some cases as a bounden duty - assessing newcomers' "fitness" to "join the crew", either as actual working crew members aboard ship or as students in classes both shore-bound and afloat. And in some cases a newcomer's fitness to join the club. Be not surprised, therefore, if for some, who have a half century of doing that behind them, the assessing of "newbs" has become habitual :-)

But know also that on a forum such as this with many, many thousands of members of every kind of personality and of a vast range of life experiences, there must necessarily be some that are but clanging cymbals. It is YOUR privilege to determine who they are, and to show - progressively by YOUR deportment on the forum - that you know, or are learning, how to respond to such people, should they come under your command by the time YOU know enuff to be a ship's master.

So having that little matter out of the way, let me tell you that as a resident of Puyallup you will have NO difficulty in "inserting" yourself into the sailing world. The Seattle area TEEMS with sailing clubs, and your best first step, bar none, is to join a sailing club that offers ADULT sailing classes. Do that, and your "networking" in the sailing community will soon bear fruit. Do not bite off more than you can chew! Crewing in the informal "beer can races" that most clubs organize every week, and which are there specifically for the benefit of "newbs", will teach you the basics. Cruising men will observe you in those races, and in the bar afterwards, and thereby reach conclusions about your "fitness". Should you pass muster in those circumstances, your contacts in the sailing world will grow apace.

Now, in case you have questions of a specific TECHNICAL nature, sing out, and we will be here to help you :-)

All the best

TrentePieds




.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by pyr8gfx

I was really hoping that I would get more helpful responses than these. So far I'm very disappointed with this forum. I was led to believe that cruisers are warm, friendly, welcoming and generous people. Apparently, I have yet to meet them.

...

I came here with an honest and sincere attitude and asking for help. If you don't have anything truly helpful to offer except a stupid inheritance suggestion or some other wise ass remark - keep it to yourself because I don't need it.

Well, as you know, but others do not, you responded offline to my suggestion for a sailing school that it was "too expensive", which is why you were asking for an "in". Which is why I subsequently responded the way I did.

Seriously, if you are trying to go from zero to sailing as quickly as possible, lessons have two great benefits: a fast-track to knowledge and experience, AND instantly hooking you up with the sailing community. Isn't that what you want?

As TrentePieds has said:

The Seattle area TEEMS with sailing clubs, and your best first step, bar none, is to join a sailing club that offers ADULT sailing classes. Do that, and your "networking" in the sailing community will soon bear fruit.

On my side... when you've spent literally a lifetime of acquiring skills, experience, and a sailing network, and you offer your single best suggestion to someone who wants to be singlehanding their own boat inside of a year... and they say that lessons are too expensive...

Also, i did use a winky and a thumbs-up, the closest online indication I can make that I was joking. I'm sorry if that wasn't apparent.

In summary, you get into sailing... by sailing (could be alone, with others, or in a class). You get into the sailing community... by joining some part of the sailing community.

[Spot]

I have been thinking about joining a local sailing club. So I went to their spring dinner and met some of the members. I was offered to go along on the committee boat for a couple races. So far water levels are high in the rivers so racing is on hold.

Last night (Friday) the club had a 'moonlight cruise', a sail out into the river and back again to see the night skyline and then back to the marina for snacks and conversation.

Earlier in the week I called one of the club members I met at the spring kick-off meeting, who referred me to the member hosting the event. I called that member and he said he'd try to get me a seat on one of the boats as his was full. I did not hear back for two days. I called again day of event, got in touch with the guy. Forecast was for storms but the call to cancel would not be made until 7pm. I was coming from two and 1/2 hours away due to another event, and drove through patchy rain the last 3/4 hour of the trip.

I arrived at the marina about 6:40pm with a rain jacket and PFD. Due to a couple cancellations I got a seat on his boat with two other 'newbies'. It rained hard for a few minutes right before casting off. The rest of night was gorgeous, orange and gray sky sky with the moon rising, and a half dozen boats sailing with some distant lightning and man-made fireworks for effect. Skipper had us taking turns on the jib sheets and the helm as well as pre-sail and post-sail chores. At the after party, it came in handy that I just returned from camping as they needed matches for the bonfire and a LED lantern for the refreshment table.

Make some calls. Take a risk and show up at the dock. Be ready to go...you may be pleasantly surprised!

[Fore and Aft]

PY if you are having trouble getting an “in”why not buy a very cheap sailing dinghy of Craigslist and teach yourself? Trust me it’s not that hard and if you are going to be single handing in a year you have a steep learning curve ahead.
It also gets you on the waterfront scene and who knows who you might meet.
My boy sails Lasers and it seems every time I am at the yacht club watching him someone asks me to go crewing. It’s got to the point I now turn up ready to sail and fully expect to observe my boy sailing from someone else’s boat.
As for sailing lessons being to expensive you might want to read some threads about marina, maintenance and insurance costs. Be prepared to throw your rattle out of the pram again!
Cheers

[pyr8gfx]

I appreciate all of your well meant responses but they fall short of the only question that I require be answered...


"If there is anyone in the Tacoma area that will teach me the ropes?"


Over the last 20 years and all the research I've done don't you think that I would have already looked into the obvious suggestions that you offer? Been there, tried that, researched it! That is why I have posted here on this forum, as a last resort to reach out.


Good lord you all act as if it is the Freemasons or some other secrete society that I am trying to join and I have to either be the graceful social butterfly or offer up my unborn child or both just to get in. Well, I'm no butterfly and I'm not having any kids.


Apparently, none of you are familiar with the Tacoma area clubs and marinas. They are not really setup where I can just hang out and randomly ask people if they need crew.


So, enough with the obvious pad answers and suggestions. Been there, done that...that is why I am looking for an "IN"...get it yet?


Tacoma area, willing to teach. That's it.
The only response required, "Meet me at the marina at this time and bring beer!"

[Don C L]

Well I was all geared up to suggest you walk around Gig Harbor, as I did many years ago looking at some classics and chatting with the folks there, who were very friendly and probably would have offered to take me for a sail had I asked. I was also going to suggest starting by buying a good little boat and just getting out there to learn, for practice, and to meet the like-minded folks you seek. And then I read your last post. And, so since I can't really come up with something nice to say, I'll leave it at that.

[Stu Jackson]

Thank you, Don, for putting it so well.

[JC Reefer]

Offshore passage opportunities is a business that connects yachts with eager crews