Advice for new sailor?

[Guest]

Hi all,

I hope this is the correct place to post this, apologies if it isn't.

I'm completely new to sailing, looking to do my Day Skipper Theory and Practical this year in preparation for buying my own boat in the next couple of years or so.

Q: What is the best way to build up experience? Can't afford to take too much time off work, so is there demand for weekend crewing etc?

Hope you can help...

Ade

 

[Guest]

If you are based close to the water then pop into a local club and chat to the members.

The view that sailors are aloof is not correct. I'm sure that you will find someone willing to help.

Good luck

Wayne

 

[Guest]

Talk to a local club or if you are on the coast find out about the local clubs from their websites. Weekends are most popular sailing days during Winter and crew are often needed. Evenings during the Summer.

 

[Guest]

thanks for your replies, unfortunately I don't live near the coast, (just north of London), perhaps I'll take a trip down to the coast this weekend - where would be the best bets from here? Brighton area or across to the Essex coast?

Cheers

 

[lewis2]

Hi,
I need a crew some weekends and six weeks in the summer or part of this year.
although the boat (Bavaria 34') is out of the water at present, drop me a line if your interested John
PS Harwich in Essex area

 

[AndrewB]

I quite agree with the advice about approaching a local club. There is invariably a chronic shortage of crew in the racing fleets, not to mention potential yacht members, so you should be welcomed. If you find racing a bit daunting (it needs decent kit for one thing), many clubs will make efforts to find a berth on a cruising yacht for a potential new member.

Better than leaving a message on a notice board is to go in on a Friday evening (usually the busiest for yacht clubs) and ask the bar steward to introduce you to a committee member - you'll soon get passed onto the right person.

One word of advice - if you do get an offer, take it, stick to it, and turn up right on time. Going sailing takes more organisation than you might think; setting up crew, planning the tides, gear, provisions etc. I am often approached by newbies who would like to come - but at some vaguely nebulous time in the future. Or worse, they accept but cry off at the last minute, not realising how inconvenient that then becomes. Either way - I don't call back.

There are other routes. Posting here from May onwards giving your area and availability stands a fair chance of getting an offer. There are crewing bureaus available - though I have no idea whether they work for newcomers. Finally, a more expensive way to get started is with a sailing school doing the basic RYA 'Competent Crew' course. See the RYA site at www.rya.org.uk for details and lists of approved schools.

 

[tcm]

Re: whereabouts

By far the biggest sailing area in the uk is the solent - the bit of sea between the uk and Isle of Wight. Good wind, butthe sea is sheltered so generally flatter than more open areas of coast such as at Brighton - and more places to visit. There are of course sailboats on essex coast and brighton, but far far more of all types in that solent area. Perhaps subscribe/borrow boat magazines a bit too?

 

[Jeremy_W]

Essex is a better bet

The River Blckwater accommodates a variety of clubs - some grand, some a lot more modest. If you dislike one Essex club the next one isn't too far away. If you draw a blank at Brighton Marina YC it's a long hike to Chichester.

BTW, remember Day Skipper from scratch is at least a 10-day course if you have no prior experience.

 

[Guest]

Re: Essex is a better bet

hi,

thx for the reply, might take a trip up to essex this weekend and see what's happening up there. i'm hoping to do the courses over several weekends (hopefully 4 long weekends). then get as much experience somehow as possible

cheers

ade

 

[rogerroger]

charter?

Most charter companies will charter you a boat with Day Skipper (depending on where they are of course).

It might seem daunting but DS should get you to a level where YOU are able to be in charge of a boat by day in familiar waters. If you did DS in the Solent in 5 days it will become reasonably familiar.



Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk

 

[mikesharp]

You may want to try a boat based rather than location based sailing club. My club for example, www.marabusailingclub.co.uk owns and sails two pre-war wooden boats which were part of the windfall fleet that the British forces took from Keele in the German Baltic and sailed until the 70s. We base the boats on the South Coast with Spring sailing out of Brighton, cruising during the Summer months and Autumn in the Solent. If you are interested email back to me and I will provide more info.

 

[Guest]

Hi Ade

I'm a bit confused because you say you are 'completely new to sailing' but I'm not sure whether this means you're a real sailing novice - somehow your post does not read like one from someone who's done no sailing at all, since you seem to be mapping out quite an ambitious programme for yourself. You've got to prove to yourself that you really do enjoy it enough to take on the big commitment of boat ownership (there's a post elsewhere on the board which defines this as standing under a cold shower fully clothed tearing up £50 notes)

Anyway, hope the following is helpful, it kind of assumes you really haven't done much sailing. I learned to sail (or at least started to learn) by hiring a yacht on the Norfolk Broads for a week, motoring off in it, finding a quiet bit of water then just getting on with it.

I had a few nasty shocks, including falling in the water and nearly snapping the mast off, but you can't do yourself or the boat much harm up there, that is why they let beginners take the yachts out. Nothing half a bottle of decent Scotch whisky drunk back at the mooring won't sort out, anyway. I got bitten by a bug I've never been able to shake off and am now just contemplating the purchase of my first boat (a 50-year-old Broads yacht).

The boatyard I would recommend if you want to try this is called the Norfolk Broads Yacht Company, website www.nbyco.co.uk, based at Horning (about three hours' drive from London). Hire one of the Lady class. They are very good with sailing novices and show you the ropes repeatedly until you are happy enough to handle the boat on your own.

Another Broads possibility (if I don't mention this, I'm sure someone else will) there's a yard called Hunters - www.huntersyard.co.uk - which will take you out for a 2-hour sail for £30 (called "the Hunter's experience") on a 70-year-old yacht with no engine (!) which you get to sail. Magic.

Another suggestion is dinghy sailing down at Salcombe in Devon where you can do residential courses in relatively salty water (ie an estuary). There's nothing like a very small boat and a wetsuit to bring you to an urgent understanding of the principles of sailing. What you learn in a dinghy you can apply in a yacht...

You sound if you want to get out to sea as soon as possible, but don't underestimate inland waters like The Broads if you need to learn the basics but without all the pressures that being at sea brings. You still get a really lively sail, but in an environment where you have a lot more room to make mistakes without taking huge and horrible risks with your life. Once you learn to handle a boat really well, so it starts to become instinctive, then is the time to add in all the extras you need to be a salt-water sailer. But boat handling comes first, in my most humble opinion.

Hope this helps.

 

[Guest]

Tollesbury in Essex is a fairly safe spot to start, not a lot of traffic and very sheltered out in the Blackwater. The people there are very pleasant and helpful.

Another area to take a look at is the Medway in Kent. This is surprisingly quick to get to from North London, and it is a very popular and historic sailing area although a bit industrial as you approach the Thames Estuary. Gillingham Marina is worth a look or try Medway Yacht Club (www.medwayyachtclub.com) if you would like to take a look at racing (great regatta in Summer).

 

[Guest]

Right at the beginning of the thread I suggested that the view that sailing is an elitist pastime was wrong. I think that all the responses to Ade's post has just proved me right.

Well done to all. The more we all try to break down this barrier the better.

Good luck in your endeavours Ade.

Wayne

 

[Guest]

Great responses...

I agree completely with Wayne, the responses (including those who sent me private messages) have been great and given me some very useful tips/advice. I look forward to meeting some of you on our respective travels hopefully.

Rgds

Ade

 

[romany123]

Re: Great responses...

Ade
Bloody long thread you have created...lol but it just goes to show what a nice bunch of people we are.....--)....Best of luck mate
Ps I sail the east coast its a great place ro start.
Dave


Dave

 

[Twister_Ken]

Why buy a Boat?

I spent 30 years sailing as a member of the Other Peoples Yachts Club, which has some far more illustrious members than I.

You can get an awful lot of free* sailing just by being friendly, fit and willing, turning up on time and tackling jobs like a quick scrub around the cockpit without being asked first. Nobody even expects much competence in your early years.

* Not actually free because you need clothing and transport, and to know when to buy your round or stand the skipper a meal.

 

[Jeremy_W]

Re: Great responses...

But a lot of this stuff has been posted a number of times. Perhaps there's potential for a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page where all this general info could be gathered?

 

[romany123]

Re: Great responses...

I aggree, but it would be difficult to address all new sailors questions as they are so varied, anyway it seems that everybody loves chatting and passing on helpfull advice to newbies wish we had BBs when I started sailing....come to that wish they had computers.
But I do aggree that a general FAQ could be set up giving out fundimental information such as rules of the road,local clubs,nautical terms and so on even links to other web sites. Trouble is when its advice on buying boats they want....every one of us has their own opinion on whats best, it all comes down to what you want it for and yes the question will be asked again and .....we will all put pen to paper
IMHO
Dave

Dave

 

[romany123]

Re: Great responses...

sorry replied to the wrong thread...but it still holds true to this thread.....Not the buying a new boat bit...........cross threaded....grrrr
Dave

Dave