Sailing for dummies and kids

[Mary Flower]

Originally Posted by rgscpat

"Shut up, that's not what I asked for!" Sigh.

I had an ex-wife like that. Emphasis on the "ex" part.

[samsiam]

Off for 5 days sailing tomorrow.

[Lonestaralaskan]

Curious to hear how it goes, and I noticed no one really addressed your questions about medical issues. That's a concern for me, too, but mostly because I've been stuck in the US system for so long. Thinking healthcare abroad might be a whole different deal, but I still don't know if I'm ready to let go of my American health insurance policy, which is one of the chief benefits of my current employment. Yikes!

Anyhow, look forward to hearing about your sail.

[FightinGravity]

Originally Posted by samsiam

Hi, I'm new.

Can I ask some seriously naive, inexperienced and most likely dumb to a lot of you...questions here ?

Please feel free to move this thread if there is a better location for such innocence.

I am thinking about a life of sailing, but I have no experience.

I am 50, have kids, retired at 40 odd and looking to move on to another adventure...maybe.

It is a mind boggling challenge.

Anyway, I have lots and lots of questions, just wondering if I can ask them here, if not, please let me know where.

Cheers.

START SMALL! You can find a small singlehander like a Sunfish anywhere near water for under $1000. Take a lesson and then make a bunch of mistakes close to shore on your own. Once you have the knack of staying upright, enter a few local races and start making friends THEN work your way up to crew on larger boats.

[zeehag]

i was taught from age 7 yrs on a 36 ft gaff rigged sloop in hudson river by a kings point graduate, tallships and steamships real captain who has many rtw experiences under his belt. former usnavy tallships sailor, as well... awesome man and excellent sailor. we were most fortunate. . was the most funnest experience of living---sailing with uncle.....we stayed dry, had a ball and sailed a stable boat under stable circumstances--the best learning for anyone. we went thru different drills every year-- we had line squalls, we had calm, we had all kinds of fun .. night sails, foggy sails, all kinds. good learning time. best way to learn, i think.

if your ultimate goal is racing, learn on small boats. if you do not wish to freak out the kids or mom--teach and learn in large. is no big deal to learn on a larger sailboat--20 ft and up. is dry, not a swimming program, but a sailing one, which DOES make a difference. not all folks are out for the swim of learning on dinghies.
sailing does not HAVE to be wet, is not submersion therapy.

[FightinGravity]

When I was a sailing instructor, I found it more difficult to teach adults to start out sailing on any vessel with a headsail. Way better progress if they worked up from a small one-design. If given a task, such as trimming a jib, they have no problem but adult brains aren't meant to immediately take in every moving part, concept and new language - it just takes them longer to move up to the helm. They stop focusing on the wind and start over analyzing. They also freak out faster

Kids are the complete opposite. They rarely have any built up notions on sailing - it is all new to them. They also have never driven a car and don't expect to be able to brake!

There are also plenty of nice daysailers out there that are stable enough to prevent a swim!

[samsiam]

5 days around komodo national park, had a great time.

Most important aspect of this trip was to convince wife, she said ok as soon as we stepped aboard.

[samsiam]

Can anyone spread some light on a few items ?

Radar....what is the usual distance radar covers that you find to be the minimum.....someone was suggesting a system that had 15nm coverage and I thought that to be rather a small area and narrow window of notice for bad weather closing in and having to do something about it.

Internet.....what is available out there for a family operation to gain internet usage in remote areas for homeschooling....practical and inexpensive hopefully.

Medical Emergencies in remote areas.....how do you deal and plan for that ?


As for medical insurance as mentioned above, I have very good insurance for SEA coverage area, just wondering what you do once you step out of those areas and more importantly how is sailing looked upon as one of those risky sports that nobody wants to insure, or charge unreasonable fees for it.


Thanks

[skipmac]

Hi Samsiam,

May be able to shed a little light.

Originally Posted by samsiam

Radar....what is the usual distance radar covers that you find to be the minimum.....someone was suggesting a system that had 15nm coverage and I thought that to be rather a small area and narrow window of notice for bad weather closing in and having to do something about it.

First, am not radar expert but from my experience 15 nm range is adequate. You understand that radar will not detect weather per se but will show you areas of rain, which may or may not include strong winds. If you detect a thunderstorm or squall line at 10-15 nm even with a fast moving storm wouldn't you get 30 mins - 1 hour minimum to drop sails and batten down? If you are trying to track anything more serious like a typhoon then there are no radars on a small boat that will give you enough range and warning to get out of the way.


Internet.....what is available out there for a family operation to gain internet usage in remote areas for homeschooling....practical and inexpensive hopefully.

Internet is a very common question and covered in very great detail in several discussions on the forum. If you want detail a quick search will get you more than you want but a short summary.

1. Wifi. You can get long range wifi systems but long range may get you a mile or so. Some report 5 miles or more but still you have to be close to a land based wifi and have access.

2. Cell phone, 3G or 4G. May have wider coverage but still have to be close to cell phone systems that also have a data plan.

3. Radio. Using a short wave radio (like a Ham or marine SSB type) you can get long range coverage but speed is very slow compared to wifi or cell. Only practical for email and limited file transfer.

4. Satellite. Long range, pretty much global. Speeds from medium to fast but costs from expensive to extremely expensive.


Medical Emergencies in remote areas.....how do you deal and plan for that ?

First aid training for the captain and crew, carry a good medical kit. Have insurance to cover medical evacuation.


As for medical insurance as mentioned above, I have very good insurance for SEA coverage area, just wondering what you do once you step out of those areas and more importantly how is sailing looked upon as one of those risky sports that nobody wants to insure, or charge unreasonable fees for it.

In the US we can get reasonably priced evacuation insurance from DAN (Divers Alert Network) but outside the US there are other options. Again a common question with many previous, detailed discussions on this forum that give specific companies and plans. For medical insurance in general coverage for sailors were not expensive, at least compared to costs for insurance in the US.


Thanks

[samsiam]

Thanks.

Yes some internet, one version in particular I had been looking at was $16k for the equipemnt, although available on a very good lease option over I think 3 or 4 years and pay $1 at the end to own it, or upgrade.....but the killer is the service provider.....250mb a month $250, 500mb $500 etc....would not take long to download 500mb of rubbish.

Nice to know there are reasonable insurance option out there.

I have a first aid cert, as does the wife, but mine is a relic. I intend to do a emergency first response course I heard about in Singapore, not first aid, but not medic level, something in between and much more involved/intense.....what I was more looking for was what do you do when someone is sick so far from anywhere ?....guess there is not much you can do apart from what you are prepared for yourself.

[SV Sea Monkey]

Originally Posted by samsiam

I have a first aid cert, as does the wife, but mine is a relic. I intend to do a emergency first response course I heard about in Singapore, not first aid, but not medic level, something in between and much more involved/intense.....what I was more looking for was what do you do when someone is sick so far from anywhere ?....guess there is not much you can do apart from what you are prepared for yourself.

Samsiam,

If available in your area, try to find a first aid course specifically designed for wilderness environments. This will cover longer-term care than simply "stop the bleeding and call an ambulance". It should also cover more illnesses and how to stock a first aid kit for your intended adventures. If you have trouble finding one, check outdoor adventure supply stores or clubs--I'm not sure what's available in Thailand.

I took a Wilderness EMT course years ago before heading out to cruise the South Pacific. This gave me the confidence not only to stock and use a comprehensive first aid kit, but also to improvise when needed. Confidence is important, but practice is key. It wasn't until several years later that I actually used those skills regularly on a search and rescue team--and quickly realized that I was far from expert. If you get a chance, spend some volunteer hours in a hospital emergency room or riding along in an ambulance to get a feel for assessing real injuries and determining how critical they are. In a lot of cases the injuries that look bad are not the most critical. As for illnesses, make sure to pay attention to everyone on board. You will know what's normal or unusual for you and your family. If something appears wrong, take action early--kind of like reefing early. Prevention and early recognition can make the difference between an enjoyable, incident-free cruise and an evacuation.

[samsiam]

Originally Posted by SV Sea Monkey

Samsiam,

If available in your area, try to find a first aid course specifically designed for wilderness environments. This will cover longer-term care than simply "stop the bleeding and call an ambulance". It should also cover more illnesses and how to stock a first aid kit for your intended adventures. If you have trouble finding one, check outdoor adventure supply stores or clubs--I'm not sure what's available in Thailand.

I took a Wilderness EMT course years ago before heading out to cruise the South Pacific. This gave me the confidence not only to stock and use a comprehensive first aid kit, but also to improvise when needed. Confidence is important, but practice is key. It wasn't until several years later that I actually used those skills regularly on a search and rescue team--and quickly realized that I was far from expert. If you get a chance, spend some volunteer hours in a hospital emergency room or riding along in an ambulance to get a feel for assessing real injuries and determining how critical they are. In a lot of cases the injuries that look bad are not the most critical. As for illnesses, make sure to pay attention to everyone on board. You will know what's normal or unusual for you and your family. If something appears wrong, take action early--kind of like reefing early. Prevention and early recognition can make the difference between an enjoyable, incident-free cruise and an evacuation.

Thanks good advice and pretty sure thats not available in Thailand to the extent I would want to do, so hence my mention of Singapore, but would aslo travel somewhere else close to do it as quite an important skill to have in such a situation....not just yourself and immediate family or crew, but sure the situation will arise where someone else needs attention.

[downunder]

Re : Radar - samsiam

For many of us old-timers before GPS and plotters were available radar was the way we plotted position on our paper charts coastal cruising.

I would recommend the max range you could afford for your vessel.

Here is one with up to 48 mile range

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-t...prod13490.html

[samsiam]

Originally Posted by downunder

Re : Radar - samsiam

For many of us old-timers before GPS and plotters were available radar was the way we plotted position on our paper charts coastal cruising.

I would recommend the max range you could afford for your vessel.

Here is one with up to 48 mile range

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-t...prod13490.html

I used to fly before gps...I remember when one was placed into my machine, I never used it and IFR for me meant I follow roads.

[JPA Cate]

Samsiam,

Other things we use radar for:
*tracking ships' courses
*keeping measured distance off land
*"seeing" what's out there in the fog
*spotting entrances to atolls at night (wouldn't enter till after 10:00 a.m., anyway, but for the sake of positioning the boat)
*squall tracking

List is not in terms of importance, just as it occurred to me.

One time, a friend of ours was in a remote area, struck his shin on something on the boat, and the wound became septic. He and his wife managed to sail the boat to an anchorage where there were some other friends, some of whom helped him get to land and an eventual hospital. Another couple helped the wife sail the boat to the town where the hospital was. There was a visiting Australian doctor on another boat who visited our friend every day in the hospital and oversaw his treatment; he eventually got better, did not require medivacking, and is now cruising in Mexico in season. The point is that we really don't know what's going to happen to us, so I think your anticipated level of medical preparedness may be adequate insurance for your family; but it's one of that there are fiery opinions about. And people forget that insurance companies, while they may help you, isn't there for that purpose; their purpose is to make money for the stockholders.

Another note, IMO, living on a boat, you can do adequate malaria prophylaxis without taking druge. Save the drugs for treatment.

Ann