Buying boat with no sailing experience. How feasible is my plan?

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Doge

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I have read all the thread and you are arguing about stuff that is unimportant to your goal. Which tends to make you look completely unprepared for what you are apparently planning. And, more worrying, don't want to listen.
People are arguing with everything I say though. When I say "I have enough experience to be on Windermere without a life jacket" how is telling me that I don't constructive at all? Should I take it on board from the expert when I know I'd be fine?

I was taking everything on board when it was constructive but after the "You call yourselves yachtsmen? He might crash into my boat!" post a lot of it just became about controlling the novice menace.
 

Doge

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Maybe a tad harsh. But I am concerned that you will at some stage endanger others with your over confidence and bravado.
I did say earlier in the thread that I'll mitigate the risks of sailing to riskier places (ie Patagonia) by following safety procedures while on board. Wearing a harness and not drinking unless in moorings. I read somewhere that most sailors who fall overboard do so with their flies down and that sounds about right. So it's not so much bravado. I don't think a life jacket would help me very much if I fell overboard really. If you talk to me about harnesses then that is about a serious danger. My rubber dinghy sinking on Windermere isn't that.
 

cherod

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This is all getting a little bit tedious , why dont you just stop baiting the know alls and get back to us in the spring when ( hopefully ) you can cash in your bitcoins and are looking for a boat .
 

laika

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This is all getting a little bit tedious , why dont you just stop baiting the know alls and get back to us in the spring when ( hopefully ) you can cash in your bitcoins and are looking for a boat .

Or as I suggested earlier, just post from Patagonia. The OP has clearly learned everything there is to know from YouTube, is immune to mal de mer and cold water shock...I'm not really sure what the point of posting was. Any boat will do, but there's probably a YouTube vid to explain what the best one is.

Just out of curiosity, what anchor will doge be taking?
 

Seastoke

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Or as I suggested earlier, just post from Patagonia. The OP has clearly learned everything there is to know from YouTube, is immune to mal de mer and cold water shock...I'm not really sure what the point of posting was. Any boat will do, but there's probably a YouTube vid to explain what the best one is.

Just out of curiosity, what anchor will doge be taking?
A Fluke
 

Doge

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Where are you DOG.
I'm taking Cherod's advice and probably won't be posting anymore until I get my boat. If people have serious safety tips or other advice I'm happy to respond to those. I've been researching harnesses and things like that. Right now I'm thinking I'll get the West Marine Ultimate Safety Harness. I figure on such a small boat it will be all the more important. All the jolts from crashing into all your boats could send me flying.. Given that falling overboard is one of the biggest dangers in sailing and nobody here has mentioned harnesses even once I'll take most of the "advice" here with a pinch of salt. It seems I get on better in more international hobbyist communities. Same with fishing. Barbless hooks, remove the trebles, fly only blah blah blah. Maybe expalins why so many of us sail off. Thanks for the book recommendations, wind vane tips and other constructive posts.
 
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john_morris_uk

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Wearing a harness and hooking on is a given. However, if you’re single handed (as you say you will be) how do you think you’re going to get yourself back on board? Boat on auto pilot/ wind vane and you end up getting towed alongside. Some single handed sailors don’t use harnesses.
I’ve done lots of rope work and obstacle climbing in the past and have had well above average upper body strength. (I won’t bore you with the detains) But I’ve no illusions about being able to climb back on board our boat from the water without assistance I’ll be interested to hear your thoughts on how you think your harness will save you.
 

Kelpie

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I never wear a harness. I do wear a lifejacket with a harness built in. Plus an MOB-1 tag. The lifejacket has a harness release system so that I can disconnect from the boat if I am being dragged under. If I was single handing I would add a PLB. It goes without saying that the LJ has a spray hood and a light. It's also worth considering a back-tow LJ.

I've heard of singlehanders tying a rope to their windvane and then trailing that astern, the idea being that if you go over the side you grab the rope and that disables the windvane, allowing the boat to round up in to the wind. Wouldn't want to rely on that method but it's probably good for peace of mind.

Another consideration is where you clip on to- of you can arrange a jackstay close to the centerline of the boat, and use a short tether, you might be able to prevent yourself going fully in the water.
 

Doge

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I was
Wearing a harness and hooking on is a given. However, if you’re single handed (as you say you will be) how do you think you’re going to get yourself back on board? Boat on auto pilot/ wind vane and you end up getting towed alongside. Some single handed sailors don’t use harnesses.
I’ve done lots of rope work and obstacle climbing in the past and have had well above average upper body strength. (I won’t bore you with the detains) But I’ve no illusions about being able to climb back on board our boat from the water without assistance I’ll be interested to hear your thoughts on how you think your harness will save you.
I was thinking I'd keep it short enough to at least keep my upper body out of the water. But it's something I'm reading about at the moment.
 

Doge

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I never wear a harness. I do wear a lifejacket with a harness built in. Plus an MOB-1 tag. The lifejacket has a harness release system so that I can disconnect from the boat if I am being dragged under. If I was single handing I would add a PLB. It goes without saying that the LJ has a spray hood and a light. It's also worth considering a back-tow LJ.

I've heard of singlehanders tying a rope to their windvane and then trailing that astern, the idea being that if you go over the side you grab the rope and that disables the windvane, allowing the boat to round up in to the wind. Wouldn't want to rely on that method but it's probably good for peace of mind.

Another consideration is where you clip on to- of you can arrange a jackstay close to the centerline of the boat, and use a short tether, you might be able to prevent yourself going fully in the water.
That's what I'm thinking at the moment. The windvane idea is interesting.
 

sarabande

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You could always set the tether short enough to keep your upper body out of the water, but you would not be able to stand upright and work the boat. Why do you need a harness which is separate from a PB ? Keep reading, or blathering on with your "more international hobbyist communities. " Try Sailing Anarchy. Please.

BTW, that harness from West Marine doesn't have a crutch strap. And is guaranteed to tow you face downwards.
 

john_morris_uk

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I never wear a harness. I do wear a lifejacket with a harness built in. Plus an MOB-1 tag. The lifejacket has a harness release system so that I can disconnect from the boat if I am being dragged under. If I was single handing I would add a PLB. It goes without saying that the LJ has a spray hood and a light. It's also worth considering a back-tow LJ.

I've heard of singlehanders tying a rope to their windvane and then trailing that astern, the idea being that if you go over the side you grab the rope and that disables the windvane, allowing the boat to round up in to the wind. Wouldn't want to rely on that method but it's probably good for peace of mind.

Another consideration is where you clip on to- of you can arrange a jackstay close to the centerline of the boat, and use a short tether, you might be able to prevent yourself going fully in the water.
Our life jackets have lights, PLB’s spray hoods, crotch straps and harnesses built in. They also have an auto AIS beacon that displays the MOB’s position on the chart plotter which I guess is the equivalent of your MOB1. (Not much use for single handed sailors).

The short tether is talked about by some people but the practical problems of achieving it on some boats are insurmountable or compromise other safety aspects.

I think that Doge (assuming he’s not a troll) has a lot to learn about safety and sailing and perhaps ought to realise that people who are offering what appear to be negative comments are actually trying to be helpful.
 

Doge

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You could always set the tether short enough to keep your upper body out of the water, but you would not be able to stand upright and work the boat. Why do you need a harness which is separate from a PB ? Keep reading, or blathering on with your "more international hobbyist communities. " Try Sailing Anarchy. Please.

BTW, that harness from West Marine doesn't have a crutch strap. And is guaranteed to tow you face downwards.
Well it performed well in the testing I looked at. Some people say to keep it short enough to stop you falling overboard at all. I figured that I'd be allowing myself a little more movement by just keeping my upper body out of the water.
 

Doge

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Our life jackets have lights, PLB’s spray hoods, crotch straps and harnesses built in. They also have an auto AIS beacon that displays the MOB’s position on the chart plotter which I guess is the equivalent of your MOB1. (Not much use for single handed sailors).

The short tether is talked about by some people but the practical problems of achieving it on some boats are insurmountable or compromise other safety aspects.

I think that Doge (assuming he’s not a troll) has a lot to learn about safety and sailing and perhaps ought to realise that people who are offering what appear to be negative comments are actually trying to be helpful.
Well maybe to a point. This does seem to be a particularly important issue that people doing what I intend to do should be thinking about.
 

jordanbasset

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Doge if you are really concerned for your safety, the single most important thing you can do is to get some sailing experience with others more experienced. That may be acting as crew (this forum is a great resource for that) or even a practical course.
Yes of course people can just do it without any preparation or experience, but your chances of survival and as importantly enjoying it will be enhanced with a little bit of effort on your part to get some time in on a boat
Having done that you will at least begin to have some idea of knowing what you don't know!
 
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