Best/Safest Way to Gain Experience

[croc9968]

I can't remember if you said, but are you pursuing this venture solo or with another inexperienced sailing partner?
If you are going solo, a must have bit of kit you will need is some sort of autopilot that will hold the boat on a course whilst you do all the other jobs required after leaving and in preparation for returning to harbour.

It has a WP5000 auto pilot....not used or calibrated it yet....in fact not even sure it works....?

 

[rotrax]

I was having a long conversation with my engine tuner who had some previous form as a sailing skipper, mostly in the Bristol Channel.

I told him it was to be my last season racing and that after a CC taster course in Menorca First mate was up for it also. After 45 years non stop motorbike racing it was clear a few rounds of Golf or a few games of Bowls would not fill the gap left by an adrenaline sport, but sailing might. I said that I was concerned about my lack of sailing experience. Not boating experience, plenty of that, but no sails involved.

He just said " If you can stick this JAP engine in your Hagon chassis and ride it fast around Teterow or Herxhiem, you will piss it. Sailing works or it does not, and you are cute enough to suss out which is which. Go for it! "

So we did.

And, with the help of two further training courses, we are where we are, sailing in the UK with a 12 metre motor sailer and doing an average of 2,000NM's each year, living aboard for up to 5 months.

Go for it - for First Mate and I hours on the water have been the most important.

Softly Softly Catchee Monkey- little and often, improving every time.

And dont beat yourself up when it goes tits up - we have all been there!

 

[croc9968]

I was having a long conversation with my engine tuner who had some previous form as a sailing skipper, mostly in the Bristol Channel.

I told him it was to be my last season racing and that after a CC taster course in Menorca First mate was up for it also. After 45 years non stop motorbike racing it was clear a few rounds of Golf or a few games of Bowls would not fill the gap left by an adrenaline sport, but sailing might. I said that I was concerned about my lack of sailing experience. Not boating experience, plenty of that, but no sails involved.

He just said " If you can stick this JAP engine in your Hagon chassis and ride it fast around Teterow or Herxhiem, you will piss it. Sailing works or it does not, and you are cute enough to suss out which is which. Go for it! "

So we did.

And, with the help of two further training courses, we are where we are, sailing in the UK with a 12 metre motor sailer and doing an average of 2,000NM's each year, living aboard for up to 5 months.

Go for it - for First Mate and I hours on the water have been the most important.

Softly Softly Catchee Monkey- little and often, improving every time.

And dont beat yourself up when it goes tits up - we have all been there!

Thank you, that's excellent advice

 

[[70521]]

I may have missed it, doesn’t the RYA require a minimum of 50 miles between points for the miles to count?

You might be thinking about the Yachtmaster qualifying passages. Off the top of my head it is five passages of greater than 60 nm.

 

[Sharky34]

You might be thinking about the Yachtmaster qualifying passages. Off the top of my head it is five passages of greater than 60 nm.

Including at night.