New Member

[pat_florida]

Hello all,

I finally joined after being a lurker for a year or two...

I'm almost at a point to pull the trigger on buying my first boat, a catalina 27. I have no experience but the sea is my thing so I'm sure I'm gonna love.

I'm gonna learn by doing, first, learning how to motor out of the marina, then handling etc, to finally cross the gulfstream to the bahamas when I feel it. I'm in Miami.

That's what I envision for the first year. After that, we'll see, maybe the carribean, south america, the world...

Pat

[Unicorn Dreams]

Welcome Aboard Cruisers Forum Pat

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Pat.

[Sailingcouple]

Welcome and may all your dreams come true....

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Learn by doing is ok as long as you know the rules of the road and a good basic USCG Auxiliary course is cheap and will help you get started the right way. A basic sailing class is always helpful so you understand sail trim. "Start Sailing Right!" is a good book if you don't want to take the classes, but remember it is only basic.
kind regards,

[Hudson Force]

Welcome Pat, You're in an excellent location to easily increase your experiences with wonderful cruising. Nearby in Biscayne Bay; down to Boca Chita; the Keys; Offshore out Angelfish and back; the Gulfstream crossing....... It's good to be in a spot that allow so much gradation of experiences. Take care and joy, Aythya crew

[HopCar]

Welcome! There are a bunch of opportunities to learn to sail in Miami.
Castle Harbor in Matheson Hammock Marina is a terrific sailing school and when you graduate you can rent their boats. CastleHarborSplash

Another great organization in Miami for learning to sail is Shake-A-Leg in Coconut Grove. They started out to give handicapped folks the opportunity to sail but have expanded to embrace the whole community.
www.shakealegmiami.org/

The US Sailing Center is located in Miami. It offers Olympic Class sailing training: US Sailing Center Miami

There is also at least one great marine supply store in Miami!