Absolutely Beginner (need some advice please)

Get both of you on Competent Crew Course first to see if you really like it. Are you sure you love the sea in all her moods? She is a cruel lover at times.

With a child on board I would not consider anything less than 26ft. Bilge keeler for E coast or W, but deeper moorings and water mean long or fin keelers an option in S. Id go for bilge anyway myself as drying out alongside in single keeler is an art in itself - and you will want to go ashore when visiting. 2+1 in dinghy is a challenge (I have the teashirt, and it got muddy). You definitely wont want a tippy racing boat at this stage. Westerly Centaur perhaps, but may others possible.

Moorings are a significant expense. The Bristol Channel is where I properly learned yachting but not for the faint hearted and unsuited to quick sails except Swansea and beyond. Join a club on River Exe or Plymouth/ River Tamar. If you afford it try Portsmouth area.

Welcome to endless expense and continual concern, much like keeping a horse, but also some fine fine moments
 
Don’t write off the Bristol Channel. I learned to sea sail in a self built 17’ plywood Lysander, although I had plenty of experience of sailing dinghies on ponds.
You live in Bristol; Newport is close at hand and with no bridge toll, it’s cheap and easy to reach. For just over £200 a year, you can join a club, have a tidal mooring, yard space in winter, access to RYA theory courses, people to guide you in your new hobby and there are plenty of opportunities to crew to gain experience. Look at the Newport Uskmouth SC website.
 
As a slightly different thought, I have a 22ft bilge keel yacht in Ryde, I found that doing a Keelboat course, at a club which used small yachts and not dinghy's, was a better way than the Day Skipper course. It allows you to train on the same size that you are looking at, thereby getting the same feel and handling as what you want to buy. I have sailed on larger 45ft+ yachts, which were being used for training Competent crew and Day Skippers and noted that the handling of these is completely different.
Check the local sailing clubs for advice and also they may have a boat for sail, with the important mooring. Or you could look for a trailer sailor and keep it on-shore at a sailing club when not using it. Keeps fees down, but does mean you have to plan when you want to sail.
 
I managed to speak today with a yacht club and I have to say that they were very friendly. I explained what I want to do and I will join them even I don't have a boat. Once I am in the club then I can go a bit further and meet some of the members and basically take it from there. I am not in a rush at all, but this is all new for me and I don't want to commit to something which I will regret at a later stage. I know this is not a cheap hobby but unfortunately all of them cost money.
I am confident in myself to maintain the boat as I have strong DIY skills, I have the time to spend on a boat as I have my little own business which gives me the freedom to be there anytime I want.
At the moment the plan is: join the club, speak with other members, get the VHF licence, be part of the crew to some members where I can ask all the questions I have. But if I see a boat which I like it will be very hard not to buy it :)
 
Rust said:
I managed to speak today with a yacht club and I have to say that they were very friendly. I explained what I want to do and I will join them even I don't have a boat. Once I am in the club then I can go a bit further and meet some of the members and basically take it from there. I am not in a rush at all, but this is all new for me and I don't want to commit to something which I will regret at a later stage. I know this is not a cheap hobby but unfortunately all of them cost money.
I am confident in myself to maintain the boat as I have strong DIY skills, I have the time to spend on a boat as I have my little own business which gives me the freedom to be there anytime I want.
At the moment the plan is: join the club, speak with other members, get the VHF licence, be part of the crew to some members where I can ask all the questions I have. But if I see a boat which I like it will be very hard not to buy it :)
Click to expand...
Good sensible approach - I hope you enjoy your sailing and find a suitable boat when the time is right.
 
pij27 said:
As a slightly different thought, I have a 22ft bilge keel yacht in Ryde, I found that doing a Keelboat course, at a club which used small yachts and not dinghy's, was a better way than the Day Skipper course. It allows you to train on the same size that you are looking at, thereby getting the same feel and handling as what you want to buy. I have sailed on larger 45ft+ yachts, which were being used for training Competent crew and Day Skippers and noted that the handling of these is completely different.
Check the local sailing clubs for advice and also they may have a boat for sail, with the important mooring. Or you could look for a trailer sailor and keep it on-shore at a sailing club when not using it. Keeps fees down, but does mean you have to plan when you want to sail.
Click to expand...
+1. You will learn best from dinghy sailing, but a good alternative can be found on Keelboat courses, as the boats are highly manoeuverable and fun to sail. Also, on small boats around 20' or so, the loads are much lighter than on vessels of 35'+, and if things go wrong less damage will be done. For instance you will get much more experience of coming alongside al sorts of objects, fixed and floating than you are likely to in a large, expensive leviathan.
With the benefit of completion of a Theory course and attendance at a Keelboat course, (or three!) you should have enough knowledge and experience to pass a DS Assessment while also obviating any need to do CC.
 
Rust said:
I managed to speak today with a yacht club and I have to say that they were very friendly. I explained what I want to do and I will join them even I don't have a boat. Once I am in the club then I can go a bit further and meet some of the members and basically take it from there. I am not in a rush at all, but this is all new for me and I don't want to commit to something which I will regret at a later stage. I know this is not a cheap hobby but unfortunately all of them cost money.
I am confident in myself to maintain the boat as I have strong DIY skills, I have the time to spend on a boat as I have my little own business which gives me the freedom to be there anytime I want.
At the moment the plan is: join the club, speak with other members, get the VHF licence, be part of the crew to some members where I can ask all the questions I have. But if I see a boat which I like it will be very hard not to buy it :)
Click to expand...
I have found that being self-employed means that I have to work when I should be sailing:(
 
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