[70521]
Well-Known Member
+1
Career route to skippering my own yacht
- Thread starter Oceania
- Start date
thesaintlyone
Well-Known Member
You can buy a good boat to potter around in for a hell of a lot less than £10 grand try closer to £2 grand
My advise is do competent crew at least a week that way you'll know whether you like it and you'll get some basic knowledge if you do like it. look for a small boat 20-25ft for the said pottering and get out and sail it locally, building up your confidence whilst moving up the courses Day Skipper etc. These are not nessacary but useful for getting experience.
YouTube and Google everything you can and gain as much knowledge as possible
As far as the boat is concerned look for something that is generally solid and floats with a good engine and learn to fix the rest your dream will involve a lot of self sufficientcy and being able to fix stuff will make it much more affordable.
Check out the following for others doing the same low budget
Sailing Uma
Sail over the Horizon
Or Good watch but you'll need a bigger budget
Sailing Lavagabonde
SV Delos
alant
Well-Known Member
+1
Wonder if he's checked out whether gets sea sick.
Might be a priority, before buying any boat.
thesaintlyone
Well-Known Member
Doesn't everyone get seasick ????
alant
Well-Known Member
jac
Well-Known Member
Not been seasick once.
The only time I have felt dodgy was sailing as a twenty something one day after a rather heavy party with too much drink. The two may be related
thesaintlyone
Well-Known Member
You've been very lucky so far then hope it Holds
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
This boating malarcky isn't exactly rocket science, is it. Actually, some will have you believe it is.
My first boat was a twin engined, 10m motorboat. No training apart from the VHF course, but lots of reading. I took a cautious and common sense approach and never had any major problems.
I've now decided i'd like a sail boat, so i've purchased a 10m Westerly. Again, lots of reading (i can sail a desk very well now
) I use the same cautious approach, i've not rushed out in 30 knots of wind and hoisted all of the sails, but i've been out several times (mostly single handed) and have actually got the boat to blow along in the wind quite nicely.
All too often the advice is to learn in a dinghy etc, if we all followed that path we'd never actually get out on the water in the sort of boat we really want.
Just get on and do it.
My first boat was a twin engined, 10m motorboat. No training apart from the VHF course, but lots of reading. I took a cautious and common sense approach and never had any major problems.
I've now decided i'd like a sail boat, so i've purchased a 10m Westerly. Again, lots of reading (i can sail a desk very well now
) I use the same cautious approach, i've not rushed out in 30 knots of wind and hoisted all of the sails, but i've been out several times (mostly single handed) and have actually got the boat to blow along in the wind quite nicely. All too often the advice is to learn in a dinghy etc, if we all followed that path we'd never actually get out on the water in the sort of boat we really want.
Just get on and do it.
pragmatist
Well-Known Member
Lucky you then !
A word of caution about letting the boat blow along in the wind; that's the surest way of getting your head suddenly split open ! Try sailing upwind and tacking first, then read up and watch videos on how to change direction with the wind behind you (gybeing).This boating malarcky isn't exactly rocket science, is it. Actually, some will have you believe it is.
My first boat was a twin engined, 10m motorboat. No training apart from the VHF course, but lots of reading. I took a cautious and common sense approach and never had any major problems.
I've now decided i'd like a sail boat, so i've purchased a 10m Westerly. Again, lots of reading (i can sail a desk very well now
All too often the advice is to learn in a dinghy etc, if we all followed that path we'd never actually get out on the water in the sort of boat we really want.
Just get on and do it.
The best advice is to learn the basics in a dinghy first where the forces involved are not strong enough to cause brain damage or kill you.
pmagowan
Well-Known Member
Buy boat, go sailing. If not duffer won't drown!
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
I appreciate the accidental gybe comments, but i have actually been sailing upwind and tacking, perhaps my wording was too simplified. I have sailed downwind too, with a cruising chute.
Can't agree with the dinghy suggestion though, if that was somehow a requirement i'd never have bought the boat.
KellysEye
Well-Known Member
>I think that it's completely wrong to advise someone with no boating experience to go out and buy a boat. Surely it's better to do some sailing first, at least to see if the reality of sailing approaches the dream. If it does, then by all means, go for it.
If he didn't have a sailing dream he wouldn't have posted here, he is very explicitit what he wants to do.
If he didn't have a sailing dream he wouldn't have posted here, he is very explicitit what he wants to do.
alant
Well-Known Member
Nothing to do with luck, more to do with breeding. Just pity the poor beggars that suffer.
NormanS
Well-Known Member
Yes, obviously he has a dream. I was advocating some caution in case reality doesn't match the dream. Surely it's better to try sailing before going out and buying a boat.
davidpbo
Well-Known Member
Nobody ever mentions the course that we did which was an RYA Level 2 keel boat course. I suspect it is aimed at smaller boats than what we did it on, a 33ft Beneteau.
We did it on Windermere over a week with a guy who was excellent but has sadly died. It introduced us to basic boat handling under engine and sail, coming alongside, picking up a mooring. I had done no sailing before. A month later we bought a trailerable boat and decided to put her on Windermere to get some more experience. We still keep the boat on Windermere but have occasionally gone elsewhere such as the Clyde.
I would not have thought it impossible to similar somewhere else sticking the nose out from sheltered waters, building up experience and taking further courses as and when.
We did it on Windermere over a week with a guy who was excellent but has sadly died. It introduced us to basic boat handling under engine and sail, coming alongside, picking up a mooring. I had done no sailing before. A month later we bought a trailerable boat and decided to put her on Windermere to get some more experience. We still keep the boat on Windermere but have occasionally gone elsewhere such as the Clyde.
I would not have thought it impossible to similar somewhere else sticking the nose out from sheltered waters, building up experience and taking further courses as and when.
ex-Gladys
Well-Known Member
Pretty much covered on DS or YM practical courses.
davidpbo
Well-Known Member
Agree, I should have been clearer. My suggestion was intended as an alternative to Competent Crew which is often mentioned as a possible first step. It offered us the means of seeing whether we liked sailing and getting on the water quickly.
Keelboats, i.e. dayboats under 20', or so, are an excellent vehicle for learning the rudiments of sailing, without going down the dinghy route, with all its rubber suits and dunkings. They have sail-plans and sail control systems similar to bigger boats, but with lighter forces involved, and offer an opportunity to learn all the manoeuvres performed by them, but without a many of the anxieties.
Oceania
New Member
Dear all,
Thank you for your advice. I read all your kind and informed posts. Apologies for the late reply as I have been occupied with work and family.
I totally agree that it is a good idea for me to clock some hours on someone else's yacht as either a passenger or volunteer or student, before investing in my own boat to see if the reality matches the dream. If I like it, I will get an old, smaller boat (will post here for advice) and see how things go
I have been seasick once - on a ferry between the north/south islands of NZ during a stormy crossing. Never been seasick or motion sick otherwise, thankfully.
Thanks for all your advice and input again.
Thank you for your advice. I read all your kind and informed posts. Apologies for the late reply as I have been occupied with work and family.
I totally agree that it is a good idea for me to clock some hours on someone else's yacht as either a passenger or volunteer or student, before investing in my own boat to see if the reality matches the dream. If I like it, I will get an old, smaller boat (will post here for advice) and see how things go
I have been seasick once - on a ferry between the north/south islands of NZ during a stormy crossing. Never been seasick or motion sick otherwise, thankfully.
Thanks for all your advice and input again.