New to the sport

[DanDD]

Hello from Burlington, ON


I am very new to sailing, but have been dreaming about it for a few years. I am completing my CanSail 1 course right now, and as suspected, I am hooked.



I just completed my PCOC and registered for a VHF Maritime radio course in a few weeks. Doing it now to get it out of the way.



Sailing has been described to me as the most expensive way to get somewhere for free. AND I still want to do it.


I see myself eventually buying a sailboat large enough to modestly accommodate my family for short trips around Lake Ontario. A lot of learning before we get there ...


Looking for any tips/suggestions/comments for a beginner. My ideal next course is Adult Keel At BSBC. After that??


Thanks for all your help ....

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Dan.

[tkeithlu]

Welcome, Dan.

Is it time for you to invest in a trainer so you and family members can start some sailing on your own? They need to buy into this new sport, too, an a 25' cabined day sailer sorta overnight boat, of which there are many, might let you spread your wings/sails outside course work.

[David M]

Finish your boat schooling and then charter a number of different boats to get a feel for what works and does not work for you and your family.

Do this before making the major financial commitment of buying a boat so you minimize the chances of making an expensive mistake.

Or instead of buying a boat, charter them. You will get more variety and don't have to worry about all the different expenses of owning a boat. You can also charter from different places, which would be more than taking one boat out of one particular marina. The outlay of capital is also less, typically.