# I'm a young explorer!



## Mademoiselle (Jan 29, 2012)

*My name is Gina. 
I have NO SAILING EXPERIENCE WHATSOEVER. 
But my dream is to sail across the atlantic ocean to explore Europe. 
And then maybe even cross into Asia. 
THIS IS MY DREAM. 
Tell me, is it possible to achieve? Of course it is! : D 
I'm looking to see if I can find out how to begin my adventure. ~*


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## zz4gta (Aug 15, 2007)

And what brought on this revelation?


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

It is doable and part of the fun journey is learning all the things you need to know to achieve your dreams. It is not easy and does not happen quickly, but it happens if you want it hard enough and work for it.


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## Mademoiselle (Jan 29, 2012)

Thanks for the support, killarney_sailor ! ^__^ 
I'm a hard working girl and I'd do whatever it'd take to accomplish this dream. 
I just don't have any idea where to start... 
Any suggestions? 

And @ zz4gta, 
I hope that isn't sarcasm, haha. 

If it WAS, you shouldn't underestimate ANYBODY who is following their dreams. People achieve what can be considered the impossible. I'll surprise you and anybody else who doubts me, I promise. ; )


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## JedNeck (Sep 22, 2011)

I doubt you. 

...now prove me wrong and I'll buy you a beer in a MASON JAR.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Head down to any nearby marina/yacht club, introduce yourself and get some experience crewing for others. This should be easy to do anywhere there's a casual racing program. And before you say "I'm not into racing" - it's the racers who need crew, and the learning curve is very steep if you're hard working, reliable and pay attention. Probably the biggest thing is to show up when you say you will, rain or shine.

You'll learn tons quickly, perhaps get to experience different boat types and be much more informed when the time comes to make your own leap/purchase.

Certainly you can achieve those dreams, but it's going to take time and it's going to cost some serious coin to do it right.

DO NOT answer a classified ad from someone needing a crew to head to the Azores right away... there's no place more confined than a small boat at sea, and nothing is more escape-proof if things go south.


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## WanderingStar (Nov 12, 2008)

Of course you can learn to sail and cruise. Before even volunteering as crew, read everything you can on the subject. The library will have (or get) basic sailing books. Ditto for cruising. Good luck, report back.


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

*Some thoughts*



Mademoiselle said:


> Thanks for the support, killarney_sailor ! ^__^
> I'm a hard working girl and I'd do whatever it'd take to accomplish this dream.
> I just don't have any idea where to start...
> Any suggestions?
> ...


Gina
Would help if we knew some basic things like how old you are, what your financial status is, what sort of trip to Europe you are looking for ( your own boat or crewing for someone else), that sort of thing.

Seems that you have two parallel challenges - learning how to sail and learning how to cruise. There are overlaps for sure but different skill sets. A good starting point would be to take an introductory sailing course. These should be available in the Detroit area - either on Lake St Clair or Erie. Do some internet research on this. Once you have a basic sailing course you should be able to get gigs crewing in local races on Wednesday evening or Saturdays. For a start, look for a non-serious racer, the serious people yell too much, even if you know what you are doing.

As for the learning to cruise part, read. One of the posters here PBeezer (hope I spelled that right) has made a collection of blogs from the folks who post on Sailnet. That would be a good start, along with books from the library.


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## DIEGODIBRIGIDA (Jan 29, 2012)

Hello,

we are looking for crew that needs mile buildings or gain experience for a trip from Rome (italy) to Black Sea (and return back) .

Departing time 15 Feb 2012.

Estimating time of the trip , 2/3 months

Share expenses are requiered (few).

Possibilities of onboard alongside the passage plan (Italy, Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria and Romania)

Minimun duration of berth : 1 week

2 skipper onboard

Jeanneau 42 ' - very safety and full equipped



If interested contact me 



diego


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## FilipeVela (Jan 21, 2011)

Hi Gina, of course is possible to achieve your dreams! about 6 years ago I went sailing in Greece and fell in love to it, at time I had no experience, no money just the will to sail, since then I am working my way to be able to become a full time cruise sailor, there are several ways to learn and get the skills, but you need to find the one that better suits your financial and time requirements, courses are really good but a lot to cover in short period and on the water experience is limited, on the ohter hand crewing is excelent for experience if you are flexiable and have time, also reading, for me at least, is quite essential. Good luck!


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## zz4gta (Aug 15, 2007)

Mademoiselle said:


> And @ zz4gta,
> I hope that isn't sarcasm, haha.
> 
> If it WAS, you shouldn't underestimate ANYBODY who is following their dreams. People achieve what can be considered the impossible. I'll surprise you and anybody else who doubts me, I promise. ; )


I like surprises.

Was just curious as to how someone went from the usual, house, marriage, family, to dropping everything and living on a boat with (I'm assuming) zero experience with it. Usually there's more to the story. So, I wanted to know what your story was.


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## jameswilson29 (Aug 15, 2009)

I thought a "Mademoiselle" was someone who managed a "cat house."


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## jameswilson29 (Aug 15, 2009)

Mademoiselle said:


> I'm a...working girl and I'd do whatever... ; )


Oh, now it all makes sense!


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

James
I agree with your 'Smart Aleck' self-description. Best not to give up the day job for a new career as a comedian.


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## jameswilson29 (Aug 15, 2009)

You know what they say, "practice makes perfect".


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## youmeandthed (Jan 19, 2012)

go for it. what you will need is: a boat, experience, time, good health, and some money. the rest is motivation and a dream, which you obviously have in spades. Don't be discouraged if the first 5 things aren't easy to come by.

oh and the most important thing is patience. i had/have a similar goal, but it took years of dreaming, and about 3 years of sacrifice and commitment to achieve those items in balance, just to leave the dock.

or you could do what the girl on "the world tour" blog did and find a boyfriend who had already spent 5 years preparing for the trip.

good luck.


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## kidwithsailboat (Feb 9, 2012)

Hi Im Dan I have a similar dream I'm 18 and am selling my first boat to do some traveling this summer then I plan on buying a boat and sailing the great lakes for a few years then heading across the pond. Feel free to message me any time to talk about sailing


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

There is a thread here for Recommended Reading. That's a good place to start. As someone else mentioned, I have a list of blogs at my website, on my links page. And if you're planning on fulfilling your dream by yourself, you should start learning about the mechanical side of things as well (or even if you're not doing it solo. The more you know, the better off you are.)

Whatever you do in life, preparation is always the key to a successful outcome.


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## MARC2012 (Mar 17, 2008)

jameswilson29 said:


> I thought a "Mademoiselle" was someone who managed a "cat house."


IU think that is a madam.marc


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