Looking for an "IN" into the sailing world.

[dfelsent]

Originally Posted by 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!"

I’m 3000 miles away from the Tacoma area. But... you need to nurture relationships and learn by seeing how more experienced sailors carry on. For me (and I do drink) “bring the beer” is antithetical to learning.
Be open to a new experience. The entire way of being when at sea is fundamentally different from that ashore. Small space. Utter interdependency. Zero or negative privacy of any kind at all.
It’s not a secret society. It is one that recognizes that shipmates cannot be avoided or ignored. And so if you are not a likely pleasant shipmate you will not be invited.
Please notice I did not say experienced. I sail pleasant.
Just saying.

[AKA-None]

No one told the op about the in crowd. I can’t say the name but there is an in crowd at a website who’s name is called SA the first word is sailing. Take your exact first post and they will give you guidance. Add the key phrase, there is no better boat than a pogo. Those folks will ensure you get exactly what you need.

[Ruso]

"My name is Lee. I'm here looking to get into the sailing world to meet like minded people, change my life path and generally be around sailboats."
Just go to nearby marina and talk to sailors there. Yes... some of them ******** - but they are ******** which worth their salt. You would be surprised how with much with right attitude you can get from them. So far, Lee.. you one of "wanabe" with no single step accomplished and expecting special treatment...
Do something first..

[Hardhead]

I'd bet the majority of good sailors 1st learned the ropes by buying or borrowing a small boat - and just getting out there with a life jacket on.

IMHO there is a lot to be said for that, and then after you get the basics down - take more advanced classes as you wish. The biggest assurance and confidence comes from actually understanding what is going on.

Being captain of a small sailboat gets you that pretty quick and sure. Mistakes are easy to learn from.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Hardhead

I'd bet the majority of good sailors 1st learned the ropes by buying or borrowing a small boat - and just getting out there with a life jacket on.

IMHO there is a lot to be said for that, and then after you get the basics down - take more advanced classes as you wish. The biggest assurance and confidence comes from actually understanding what is going on.

Two comments:

#1 - Efficiency. I learned to windsurf by buying a rig then floundering around on it all summer. I got there, no regrets. Later I became formally qualified to teach beginners to windsurf, and I found that rank beginners, in two lessons, were at about the point that it took me several weekends to reach alone.

#2 - Confidence. My wife as a beginner was enthusiastic but a bit apprehensive when we first got our boat. It became apparent early on that I was not the best teacher for my wife. So she took and passed CYA Basic Cruising on her own, and gained a whole lot of confidence.

It's entirely possible to learn sailing by yourself, and I am a devotee of go cheap, go now... but lessons are faster. You don't need to make every mistake yourself to become competent. For some, the frustration of self-instruction could put them right off.

I've also seen how quickly kids pick it up and advance at summer sailing schools and camps.

[Whosails]

Learning how to sail and learning the details of boat ownership, repair and maintain, takes experience and study. Not only on the water but much book learning. Try the “around the cans” weekly races volunteering as crew at your local yacht club for starters. Good luck to you.

[jrau18]

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.

As somebody who has daysailed my own boats since I was 23, sailed on other people's boats since I was in my early teens, and lived aboard/cruised a portion of time during that, I have to say you've already gotten some helpful responses. Some of them were done in a joking/sarcastic manner, but that doesnt mean it was poor advice.

"How to get into sailing" is something beaten to death if you do a search function on these boards.. There are lots of avenues, you can choose one or more in combination, no one way is "the best", I'll list the most common here again just so they're all in one place, directly in response to you:

- take sailing lessons from a local sailing school. You'll meet other interested sailors, some of who will even own boats. If you're a friendly person, you'll make connections. In the SF bay area, this ranges from a low of $50 per month for unlimited classes (non certifications) to thousands for asa/us sailing certification classes.

- wander the docks offering to help people on their boat repairs

- meetup.com

- local sailing magazine "crew wanted" and "boats wanted" ads

- sign up as racing crew



In all of these, the most important thing is to be open and honest about your experience, so the person taking you along on their boat knows. When going out on the water with other people for a day sail, its common for people to bring some food to share.

If you're an easy going person with reasonable availability, it is generally pretty easy to expand your network and have as much sailing opportunities as you want.

Also, since you're interested in owning someday on a budget, definitely learn as many repair techniques as you can by helping people with their repairs. Most owners would welcome a hand here and there and you'll learn a lot, both about how to do repairs as well as the typical things to look for before they become and issue. Getting an idea of the surprisingly high maintenance demands and costs will be very helpful when you start boat shopping.

[surf_km55]

Originally Posted by pyr8gfx

........get it yet?.....

That attitude needs to evaporate. There's not a skipper here who'd want that on board.

Everyone else who has been so kind to this guy.....STOP, it's not working.

[Whisper Cappy]

Hello Lee,

Please know that if you could get out sailing 2 days a week for the next year you probably would probably be more experienced than 70% of sailboat owners in any marina. However, that is only 1/2 the answer. Day sailing is just that day sailing. Basically, a good day sailor may not be a good cruising sailor, especially single-handed. Owning your own boat along with cruising full time is a whole different story.
Example:
1- remote engine maintenance and repairs. This will be probably done by you so being a capable diesel engine mechanic is very important and takes time and classes for learning.
2- Anchoring...??? this will take practice and knowledge. So many different anchors investigate and bottoms to learn how to successfully set an anchor.
Just 2 examples...many more.
Anyway the point is to learn, sail, practice, buy the right boat for you, practice, practice, then when comfortable plan your journey, practice some more, then head out on the seas.

A lot of us are very excited for you! Good Luck and Calm Seas!

[jrau18]

Originally Posted by surf_km55

That attitude needs to evaporate. There's not a skipper here who'd want that on board.

Everyone else who has been so kind to this guy.....STOP, it's not working.

Agreed. If his posts are representative of him in person, he would never be invited onto my boat. But this is the internet, some people are a lot more polite in person.

But you're right, he seems to have double and tripled down on his attitude of "you're a bunch of jerks for not giving me the answer I was expecting." The replies he has gotten might be useful to somebody else reading this thread, though.

[surf_km55]

I did an 880 mile passage with people who ate too much, drank too much, and didn't know how to ration fuel & water either. Then 3 days before arrival the fridge malfunctioned & all of our meat & fresh fish went bad.

Looking back, no amount of nice would've made that passage better. Getting off that boat made everything instantly better, much like my exit from this thread now.

[Hardhead]

Originally Posted by jrau18

Agreed. If his posts are representative of him in person, he would never be invited onto my boat. But this is the internet, some people are a lot more polite in person.

But you're right, he seems to have double and tripled down on his attitude of "you're a bunch of jerks for not giving me the answer I was expecting." The replies he has gotten might be useful to somebody else reading this thread, though.

I agree. The OP has shown himself to be a first-class jerk in his responses, and if he reads this - he should take it to heart. If he does, I think life will get easier for him, and make a lot more sense to him. Good luck OP.

[secrabtree]

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.

Many years ago I used to race against Jim Cate. Listen to him - especially about "chill out". He is both experienced and very smart - AND a good sailer. I only saw one comment that was in any way "smart ass". One suggestion that I haven't seen on this thread is that you should carry a sixpak or two when you ask for a ride. You'd be surprized how that may lubricate the request. Now for a pet peeve of mine. Do NOT ask if the skipper "NEEDS" crew. I sailed for years mostly singlehanded, including from San Francisco to Hawaii, and, substantially more difficult, in San Francisco Bay with a plethora of other vessels, from LARGE commercial vessels to high speed ferries to newbees on first boats they had just purchased. VERY SELDOM do I NEED crew. Sometimes I want crew. But more often I relish the opportunity to introduce people to the great sailing life. I raced, I cruised, I gunkholed, I yacht club hopped. It was "social sailing", all of it. Even singlehanded to Hawaii. If you wanted a pleasant afternoon you were "my man" (or lady as appropriate).
Another pet peeve - You say "I'm not interested in racing." One can learn more about sailing, especially in his own boat, in one season of racing that in a decade of cruising. I never realized how true that statement was until coming accross "old salts" in Mexico that had decades of cruising, but no racing. Want to improve your skills at close quarters manuevering, especially ith other boats around? Race start lines and mark roundings. How to get your boat to go in the direction that isn't the easiest, like beat off a lee shore? The different legs of the race course are seldom the easiest direction to go. And, while you're learning those things you are also trying to make the boat perform well.
You've read the rant of this 84 year old retired sailor that is a couple years into "land cruising" in a 33 foot travel trailer (purchased with the proceeds of the sale of his last sailboat).

[Redreuben]

Simple.
Go racing, visit your local clubs and put your name down on crew wanted lists, sail anything anytime to get seatime and learn.
Sailing around in circles in competition may not be your thing but it is the most intensive instruction available and it’s usually free. Most boats can’t be sailed without crew so put your hand up and get amongst it.
As an example here in Perth on the Swan even in Winter there is a frostbite series, in sailing season you can find a ride on twilights 3 out of five weeknights, racing Saturday and Sunday and Wednesday afternoon races.
If there are numerous clubs in your area it won’t be that different.
Have fun
RR
Fremantle
WA

[secrabtree]

One reason for why you see how quickly kids pick up sailing is the obvious - kids learn quickly. Less obvious is that kids are learning on "one person" boats, usually sailing prams like the OK dinghy or the El Toro. There is no "I made the boat go faster", but when it went slower "it's my wife's (broher's, partners') fault." Another benefit of learning on a small boat - it's quicker between the caue and effect. Even on a small keel boat, like a J24, the lag between cause and effect is too great. You do something that seems to have no effect. You try something else and the boat seems to go faster. Your mind says that what you did last was good. Truth be told, it was probably what you did that seemed had no effect and what you did later either had no effect or, probably, had ill effect that you won't notice for a second or 10 or more. In a small one person boat the response is quick.