Sailing

[Happy]

[quote=Colin Marriott;959111]Here ya go
RYA - www.rya.org.uk - Home

ColinM

Colin
Thanks for the info, just been onto the RYA site very informative, blimey there's lots to know about taking your vessel abroad!!
Russ

[nomis]

Have a look at the Hove Lagoon web-site, Brighton. I recently did the RYA competent crew course for the same reasons as you. I found it really helpful. Day one was flat calm, ideal diving conditions, could see the anchor drop about 12m, bu88er!!

[Happy]

[quote=Richard Mason;959143]Initially - definitely dinghy sailing - way cheaper than hiring a big yacht and you can tack, go about, gybe, trim sails etc lots and lots very quickly, so you concentrate your learning into a shorter time and more cheaply.

You can learn the bigger picture seamanshop later on, once you've got basic manouevres squared away. A bit like learning basic clutch control, changing gear, sterring & braking on a big carpark somewhere, before venturing onto the busy open road.

Points noted......thanks.
What about doing the RYA courses, Competent Crew, Day skipper etc,
Should these be done aswell as the Dinghy sailing or after?
Sorry to ask so many questions but I need to know as much info as I can, This will be a very big decision in my life if I take it on.!!!
Russ

[ray]

Hi.

A lot of people have these dreams (Pipe dreams?), but the reality is if you haven't sailed extensively, you are climbing a very big mountain.

You just cant buy a GPS and disappear into the horizon, there will be times when you are hundreds of miles away from any were maybe thousands!, this isn't a good time to find out you don't no what you are doing especially if you have any family and friends with you.

You should learn Astro navigation and routing charts, so you sail the right currents and do not sail in any tropical or Atlantic storm seasons.

You will have to get single sideband radio qualifications for long distance traffic, learn navigation and be able to use sailing directions far any ports you will be visiting, let alone any mooring costs in those nice foreign harbours, you will not be able to park up in a secluded cove or beach all the time.

From a personal point when in my late twenty's I had the dream along with erindoors, if you do not have full support forget it or you will end up sailing alone!.
I went to night school to learn welding to build a steel 43 ft Roberts Mauritius motor sailer that I had bought the plans for, I went to night school to learn navigation for about 7 years, going through all the qualifications finally achieving Yacht Master Ocean shore based, not wasted as I ended up teaching navigation, and the knowledge has stood me in good staid all my life.

But I fell at the first hurdle when I went into it more deeply, I realised I couldn't afford it.

When you get into it the amount of dosh that is involved its astronomical.

My advise to you from my personal experience is, buy a motor home and drive round, its another way to see the world, and you will see far more than in a boat.

My brother in law is a Chief Petty Officer in the navy, when I ask him where he has been and what has he seen, he comes straight back ! "I saw the Sea".

I hope I am not raining on your parade, But if you have the legs for it good luck.

[Naomi S]

[quote=Happy;959178]

Originally Posted by Richard Mason

Initially - definitely dinghy sailing - way cheaper than hiring a big yacht and you can tack, go about, gybe, trim sails etc lots and lots very quickly, so you concentrate your learning into a shorter time and more cheaply.

You can learn the bigger picture seamanshop later on, once you've got basic manouevres squared away. A bit like learning basic clutch control, changing gear, sterring & braking on a big carpark somewhere, before venturing onto the busy open road.

Points noted......thanks.
What about doing the RYA courses, Competent Crew, Day skipper etc,
Should these be done aswell as the Dinghy sailing or after?
Sorry to ask so many questions but I need to know as much info as I can, This will be a very big decision in my life if I take it on.!!!
Russ

I got into sailing by doing a weekend of a compentent crew course and luckily for me i worked at a leisure club in cowes, iow where members were very useful contacts for getting rides. Never did finish the comp crew i learnt everything i know now from crewing and racing in the solent. You just need to learn enough to be useful and then get a ride.

It's all about the big boats and offshore for me. If you want to be really good and competitive and dont mind getting capsized alot do the dinghy thing - join a local club and crew for someone or get your own. I quite like the big boats though cos they generally have handy lead on the bottom to stop them from going upsidedown.

Regatta's like cork and cowes are a good laugh - more about getting trashed and having fun than sailing but i have to say i enjoyed the journey over to cork more than the event. Phosporessence, dolphins, being in the middle of the ocean where all you can see is sea is awesome.

[Adrian Kelland]

Originally Posted by Naomi S

Phosporessence, dolphins, being in the middle of the ocean where all you can see is sea is awesome.

I found the night sky to be equally awesome - so many more stars and shooting stars every night.

[Naomi S]

Originally Posted by Adrian Kelland

I found the night sky to be equally awesome - so many more stars and shooting stars every night.

Lol that reminds of on the way home from cork (double handed on a J105) when we had run out of food (living on mars bars and pot noodles) hadnt slept much for a good while and i thought i could see an orange main in the distance on the horizon i was so confused when it rose up into the sky. I think it must have been the moon. It was very beautiful. Sleep deprevation is a wonderful thing!

[Adrian Kelland]

Originally Posted by Naomi S

Lol that reminds of on the way home from cork (double handed on a J105) when we had run out of food (living on mars bars and pot noodles) hadnt slept much for a good while and i thought i could see an orange main in the distance on the horizon i was so confused when it rose up into the sky. I think it must have been the moon. It was very beautiful. Sleep deprevation is a wonderful thing!

Oh dear Lunch at sea

[Happy]

Originally Posted by ray

Hi.

A lot of people have these dreams (Pipe dreams?), but the reality is if you haven't sailed extensively, you are climbing a very big mountain.

You just cant buy a GPS and disappear into the horizon, there will be times when you are hundreds of miles away from any were maybe thousands!, this isn't a good time to find out you don't no what you are doing especially if you have any family and friends with you.

You should learn Astro navigation and routing charts, so you sail the right currents and do not sail in any tropical or Atlantic storm seasons.

You will have to get single sideband radio qualifications for long distance traffic, learn navigation and be able to use sailing directions far any ports you will be visiting, let alone any mooring costs in those nice foreign harbours, you will not be able to park up in a secluded cove or beach all the time.

From a personal point when in my late twenty's I had the dream along with erindoors, if you do not have full support forget it or you will end up sailing alone!.
I went to night school to learn welding to build a steel 43 ft Roberts Mauritius motor sailer that I had bought the plans for, I went to night school to learn navigation for about 7 years, going through all the qualifications finally achieving Yacht Master Ocean shore based, not wasted as I ended up teaching navigation, and the knowledge has stood me in good staid all my life.

But I fell at the first hurdle when I went into it more deeply, I realised I couldn't afford it.

When you get into it the amount of dosh that is involved its astronomical.

My advise to you from my personal experience is, buy a motor home and drive round, its another way to see the world, and you will see far more than in a boat.

My brother in law is a Chief Petty Officer in the navy, when I ask him where he has been and what has he seen, he comes straight back ! "I saw the Sea".

I hope I am not raining on your parade, But if you have the legs for it good luck.

Ray
This is exactly the type of reply I wanted, straight forward no punches pulled.
Thanks for your experience and knowledge.
Russ

[Adrian Kelland]

Originally Posted by Happy

Ray
This is exactly the type of reply I wanted, straight forward no punches pulled.
Thanks for your experience and knowledge.
Russ

On a similar point to Ray's, I was speaking to someone a few months back about sailing. He had gone and done all the RYA courses and done practical stuff and a few w/e sailing. He then went to the London boat show with his wife.

"You're not expecting me to get on one of these things are you?"


Anyone else to consider?

Adrian