# New to Sailing



## newbie139 (Jun 2, 2013)

Greetings everyone I am new to sailing and to this board my first lesson is this tuesday,the end goal is a boat of our own once we have the skill to sail her.My wife and I are taking it slow, we like the "idea" of living a board our own boat
just not sure yet if it will be something we do, are plan is to complete a sailing course which will allow us to rent small boats at our local lake this year and take it from there.I plan on using the next 2-3 yrs to get some basic skills together any advice will be greatly appreciated.

thanks in advance 
David & Lexie


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Welcome to Sailnet D & L! Good luck. it's not rocket science to learn.. but they try to make it seem that way if you listen to "experts"


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## HardTAC (Apr 5, 2013)

Welcome! Have fun and enjoy! Take it slow and keep it fun! You learn over time what kind of sailing and what kind of boat will be right for you. The more you sail the more you'll know!


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## DonScribner (Jan 9, 2011)

Dave,

Jump in, both feet. We did. Look into buying a trailerable in the 23 foot range. Millions out there for around $6000 on a trailer, in decent condition. Then sail your socks off. Make mistakes that require new shorts, but learn from the mistakes. Spend as much time sailing as you can handle. With a trailerable, it's an affordable dream. Best of all, if the romance of sailing doesn't pan out for some reason, sell the boat for a reasonable price to some other lucky couple. If you love sailing, sell the boat and upgrade to your dream. At any rate, get on with it! Make it happen!

You can probably check out my previous posts for some of the more moronic blunders I've made. Truth is, we all make them, but not all are willing to share!

Don


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## CaribDream (Jan 29, 2013)

*Charter*

Have you ever chartered a boat before? Chartering with a crew will allow you to safely get a taste of living aboard to see if it's something you really like. My wife and I did this a few times before finally contracting with a school to obtain our ASA 101, 103, 104 (bareboat certification). We chose to use a live-aboard school in which we lived with 2 instructors, 1-on-1 instruction for a week, no other students. We spent 3 months prior to our school studying the ASA material. Just my own humble experience, but to us it was worth every penny. Now we can move on in gaining experience with confidence.


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## newbie139 (Jun 2, 2013)

Thanks for the welcome,we have never chartered or been sailing until yesterday we had our first class given by our YMCA under US sailing, it is just basic keel boat but it is a start
it is the only class offered where we live OKLA. so if anyone can recommend a good school
it would be much appreciated.
Thanks 
D&L


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## newbie139 (Jun 2, 2013)

I should say I'm very interested in the navigation course's,would hate to get lost in an ocean


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## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

Welcome aboard, and you have made a decision that'll change your life forever (in a good way).


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## MarkBarrett (May 31, 2013)

welcome to this community you are now on the most adventurous place and that would make you more and more enthusiastic and committed. enjoy


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## Lady Adoryan (May 10, 2013)

Welcome!


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## jimgo (Sep 12, 2011)

Welcome. I'll echo the earlier comment about jumping in with both feet. If you can't find good classes near you, a small boat (14-22') is a great option. The smaller boats (14-18') are very light weight and can be towed by many different types of vehicles (my Toyota Solara is technically rated to be able to tow my 15' Albacore). If you have the means to afford it, buying one and keeping it rigged at the lake/river/bay is a great option, but if not these smaller boats can be set up in 20-40 minutes, and tear-down takes about as long. The bigger small boats (18-22) are a bit heavier and harder to trailer, their set-up/tear down takes a bit longer, and they more frequently require 2 people (though there are ways of doing it solo). The beauty of a light boat is that it doesn't have a lot of inertia, which makes it easier to get it to stop by hand as you execute a controlled "crash" into the dock. The down side of a light boat is that they don't have a lot of inertia, so when you're out on the water, things happen faster. Gusts of wind that might barely register on a 25' might cause you to jump to action on a 14' to keep from excessive heeling. That being said, if you can master small boat sailing, you'll be well on your way toward learning how a big boat sails.

The biggest advantage, though, of owning your own boat is that YOU control when you get out, the conditions under which it happens, and most importantly, YOU get to do all the hands-on learning. As others have said, the basics of sailing isn't rocket science. Sure, as you get more advanced you start looking at the "shape" of the sails, how air flows over them, etc., how the hull design impacts your desired sailing performance, etc., but for now, buy a cheap boat and get on with it! If you hate it, sell/give away the boat. If you love it, you'll be starting a great adventure.


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## Teamstone (Jun 6, 2013)

Not looking to hijack the thread, but Jimbo can you PM me?

I just bought a Allmand 35 and see you have a 31. I just joined the board and can't send PMs yet.

Thanks


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## Windclimber (Jun 8, 2013)

Don't overlook the FREE instruction you can get on YouTube. Some of the sailing videos are not worth the time, but some are fantastic. Look for the videos by ppconsultant - very clear explanations!
Also, I tell people that learning to sail is like learning to drive a stick shift - it looks harder than it is, and when you're just beginning to learn you wonder how people can do it while they're having conversations, but if you just try, at first you have to focus on it and then before you know it, it'll be second nature, like tying your shoes. So, have fun, and enjoy the process!


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## Dauntless Brent (Jun 8, 2013)

Welcome. If you think that it's some thing that you want to do, just do it. I did the whole ASA school thing and I'm glad that I did. But at the same time I have learned a whole lot more by just doing it and learning from mistakes. Navigation is really easy. It shouldn't take more than a couple of days to get a good grasp on it. You can also start learning now, without the boat. Get Chart #1 (The book is called "Chart #1". I think that you can even download it for free) and the Annapolis Book of Seamanship. Those are 2 books that every sailor should own.


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