Best/Safest Way to Gain Experience

croc9968

croc9968

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Hope everyone is well

No doubt a popular question but I would value the insight of the forum..... I have entered sailing in a rather unorthodox/topsy turvy way in that I passed my Day skipper Theory last year and this year I passed my CC in the Solent. I want to go on to my Day Skipper practical now but want to build miles before I do (obviously not at the moment). However......In February I bought my 30ft Maxi 100 and I guess my question is this....do I build miles by simply "sailing" my boat or do I leave it in the berth and attempt to build miles as crew on other boats? All of this after we are allowed to, of course....
 
building miles whatever that is will be better in your own boat and you as skipper,taking responsibility for the enterprise being on somebody’s boat will relive you of the essence of the job of being the skipper,so even small trips in and out of harbours or anchour ing will depend on your decisions,which is where you grow!
 
croc9968 said:
Hope everyone is well

No doubt a popular question but I would value the insight of the forum..... I have entered sailing in a rather unorthodox/topsy turvy way in that I passed my Day skipper Theory last year and this year I passed my CC in the Solent. I want to go on to my Day Skipper practical now but want to build miles before I do (obviously not at the moment). However......In February I bought my 30ft Maxi 100 and I guess my question is this....do I build miles by simply "sailing" my boat or do I leave it in the berth and attempt to build miles as crew on other boats? All of this after we are allowed to, of course....
Click to expand...
You could consider a bit of 'own boat tuition', get an instructor to come along for a couple of short outings and give you some tips on boat handling.
You could try getting someone experience to come along for a few evening sails in return for a beer or something.
Even someone with little experience is a pair of hands and a pair of eyes.

The main thing will be getting safely and calmly off the berth and back on again. A training session with the right instructor might be money well spent IMHO.
 
lw395 said:
You could consider a bit of 'own boat tuition', get an instructor to come along for a couple of short outings and give you some tips on boat handling.
You could try getting someone experience to come along for a few evening sails in return for a beer or something.
Even someone with little experience is a pair of hands and a pair of eyes.

The main thing will be getting safely and calmly off the berth and back on again. A training session with the right instructor might be money well spent IMHO.
Click to expand...

I was hoping that this suggestion would crop up and I agree......
 
croc9968 said:
Hope everyone is well

No doubt a popular question but I would value the insight of the forum..... I have entered sailing in a rather unorthodox/topsy turvy way in that I passed my Day skipper Theory last year and this year I passed my CC in the Solent. I want to go on to my Day Skipper practical now but want to build miles before I do (obviously not at the moment). However......In February I bought my 30ft Maxi 100 and I guess my question is this....do I build miles by simply "sailing" my boat or do I leave it in the berth and attempt to build miles as crew on other boats? All of this after we are allowed to, of course....
Click to expand...
Just drop the mooring & sail, enjoy the experience
 
The vast majority of your experience is going to be built on your own boat anyway and if you already have DS theory and CC I wouldn't bother with DS practical frankly. You could have gone straight to DS Practical and bypassed CC but you've already done it. Just pick your conditions, try not to bite off more than you can chew and bear in mind that it's easier to do a lot on your own than it is to have a complete novice as crew. And it will bite you on the arse occasionally but that happens to us all. Enjoy!:)
 
You might be able to find somebody with more experience who would offer to crew for you and pass on what they know in an informal way. The right person would offer help with your expenses some cooking and cleaning assistance with repairs. Crewseekers or the Forum or Facebook Sailing Buddies or a Yacht Club might be worth a try. I would like to help but I have my own boat, a wife and live near Morecambe Bay.
 
why not join your local sailing club, there's bound to be someone there desperate to sail a Maxi as coming alongside is much easier 2 up.
Nothing beats making your own decisions and not repeating the wrong ones.

Plank
 
croc9968 said:
I guess my question is this....do I build miles by simply "sailing" my boat or do I leave it in the berth and attempt to build miles as crew on other boats?
Click to expand...

'Miles' aren't important in themselves. It's the departing and returning to moorings/berths/anchorages, sailing and motoring in a range of different weathers/tides/locations, and coping with the inevitable things that go wrong that's important.

I think others have underestimated the value you might get from the Day Skipper Practical. The shore based theory is one thing, managing and being responsible for a yacht and crew is something else. I would expect you would learn a heck of a lot - what to do, what not to do, and the multiple different ways of doing things - from both the instructor and your fellow students, gain confidence and have a lot of fun while you're doing it (as I did when I did Coastal Skipper practical some years ago, even though I was already quite experienced in my own boat).

That said, finding an experienced crew/companion to join you on a few trips would also be good, if something rather different.

Have fun!
 
I suspect that the majority of us started our sailing journey in many different ways....apart from my CC course my sailing experience is zero...just leaving the marina (and returning) safely would be an achievement. I'm lucky in that the boat is moored in Seaham and I'm sure that armed with a six pack I could rope an old salt to help me.
 
lw395 said:
You could consider a bit of 'own boat tuition', get an instructor to come along for a couple of short outings and give you some tips on boat handling.
You could try getting someone experience to come along for a few evening sails in return for a beer or something.
Even someone with little experience is a pair of hands and a pair of eyes.

The main thing will be getting safely and calmly off the berth and back on again. A training session with the right instructor might be money well spent IMHO.
Click to expand...
Exactly what me and the Admiral did on our new to us larger boat, hired a skipper for 3 days and we spent one full day just docking her and manoeuvring in the marina and understanding how the boat reacts to slow throttle movements , she is a big beast at 12 tonnes so good to have the instructor at hand
Then we took her out sailing , the Instructor went over the boat and adjusted stuff showing us why etc. and helped understand more of the rigging,
We did all the steering and helped with sails and such,
It really gave us the confidence to take her out by ourselves , although there's another story right there :ROFLMAO:
First large heavy boat for us and money well spent , for all the little tips you get
 
LittleSister said:
'Miles' aren't important in themselves. It's the departing and returning to moorings/berths/anchorages, sailing and motoring in a range of different weathers/tides/locations, and coping with the inevitable things that go wrong that's important.

I think others have underestimated the value you might get from the Day Skipper Practical. The shore based theory is one thing, managing and being responsible for a yacht and crew is something else. I would expect you would learn a heck of a lot - what to do, what not to do, and the multiple different ways of doing things - from both the instructor and your fellow students, gain confidence and have a lot of fun while you're doing it (as I did when I did Coastal Skipper practical some years ago).

That said, finding an experienced crew/companion to join you on a few trips would also be good, if something rather different.

Have fun!
Click to expand...

I'm definitely going to complete my dayskipper for that very reason.....my CC course taught me lots and I was very lucky to have a great instructor
 
'Building miles' is simply a metaphor for 'building experience', and that is itself a metaphor for learning from what happens. It doesn't follow that 'more miles' necessarily means 'more stuff learned'.

You'll probably learn much more from 30 trips of 100 miles than one trip of 3000 miles, but that also depends on what you observe, what you query ( overtly or silently ), and how you internalise/absorb what's gone on.

You can learn a great deal from crewing/helping on others' boats, both from what was done well and what wasn't. Bring that knowledge/understanding back onto your own boat....

One helpful practice is to keep a small diary, in which you make brief notes after every trip on what went well, what didn't, and why. Keep this religiously.... and very private to you. Periodically, have a review. You'll be surprised just how much you'll have hoisted in from reflecting on what worked and what didn't.
 
croc9968 said:
I'm definitely going to complete my dayskipper for that very reason.....my CC course taught me lots and I was very lucky to have a great instructor
Click to expand...

I had a great instructor, too. But I also learnt a lot by sharing/comparing techniques and experiences with the other students (this was encouraged and facilitated by the instructor), and observing their respective strengths and weaknesses in both skills and attitudes helped me better appreciate my own.
 
zoidberg said:
'Building miles' is simply a metaphor for 'building experience', and that is itself a metaphor for learning from what happens. It doesn't follow that 'more miles' necessarily means 'more stuff learned'.

You'll probably learn much more from 30 trips of 100 miles than one trip of 3000 miles, but that also depends on what you observe, what you query ( overtly or silently ), and how you internalise/absorb what's gone on.

You can learn a great deal from crewing/helping on others' boats, both from what was done well and what wasn't. Bring that knowledge/understanding back onto your own boat....

One helpful practice is to keep a small diary, in which you make brief notes after every trip on what went well, what didn't, and why. Keep this religiously.... and very private to you. Periodically, have a review. You'll be surprised just how much you'll have hoisted in from reflecting on what worked and what didn't.
Click to expand...

Thank you, what a fantastic idea
 
LittleSister said:
I had a great instructor, too. But I also learnt a lot by sharing/comparing techniques and experiences with the other students (this was encouraged and facilitated by the instructor), and observing their respective strengths and weaknesses in both skills and attitudes helped me better appreciate my own.
Click to expand...

Certainly a great way to learn, especially if you have an experienced crew
 
croc9968 said:
No doubt a popular question but I would value the insight of the forum..... I have entered sailing in a rather unorthodox/topsy turvy way in that I passed my Day skipper Theory last year and this year I passed my CC in the Solent. I want to go on to my Day Skipper practical now but want to build miles before I do (obviously not at the moment). However......In February I bought my 30ft Maxi 100 and I guess my question is this....do I build miles by simply "sailing" my boat or do I leave it in the berth and attempt to build miles as crew on other boats? All of this after we are allowed to, of course....
Click to expand...
Do both. Sail with other people and sail your own boat.

I am incredibly fortunate to have a pal who is a Yachtmaster Instructor and he puts me through my paces a few times a year; rather keeps you on your toes!
 
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