Wanting to Learn About Sailing! (Transatlantic)

[Joshjmitchell1]

Hello captains and skippers alike,

I am landlocked. It has been a long few years of day to day working and living hand to mouth, and frankly I am exhausted. It is in this frustration that I hear the sea calling out to me. It speaks of wide open spaces and unfamiliar landscapes.

I want to go, but I am not sure how.

My desire is to learn how to sail or work aboard a ship. My dream is to take a transatlantic voyage but know I need a fair bit of sailing experience before anyone would let me on their yacht for this.

Having no sailing experience as of yet, do you have any good ideas on where to start, and how I can begin the track of wanting to take a transatlantic voyage?

All the best,
Joshua.

[redhead]

Hi Joshua - welcome. I'm sure you'll get tons of recommendations here, but the first thing that comes to mind is to get some kind of classroom instruction going on.

There are many "Sailing 101" classes available online, since you're landlocked. Once you get some of the preliminary skills under your belt, you may want to see if anyone on CF or other sites would be willing to take inexperienced crew and teach them a thing or two.

Generally, if you're personable (which you seem to be) and humble (which you seem to be) someone, somewhere will be willing to teach you the ropes - literally.

Good luck to you!

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Joshua.

[thomm225]

Another option is to buy a small boat now and learn on your own on a nearby lake or pond.

You learn a lot more this way and much faster.....

This sail positions chart will get you started:

https://knotalotsailing.wordpress.co...oints-of-sail/

[boatman61]

First of all I would suggest you buy the RYA Competent Crew course book, its not very thick and full of illustrated pages naming every topside bit of gear, sailing, navigation, lights etc in a basic and easy to understand way.. its all the knowledge one needs to function as competent crew and written to cover ages 8+..
I should imagine there's an ASA book of similar type..
After you've mastered what folk are talking about its time to get the experience..
no one wants to have to explain every request/command.

Its like seeing a gorgeous gateaux in the bakers then going home and trying to make one without a recipe.. total waste of space..