How did you learn to be such a safe and capable sailor?

[Bristolfashion]

I am wondering if old dogs are finding it hard to learn new tricks. Or more precisely if old dog finds it problematically disconcerting to be with an RYA instructor making him feel like none of his existing tricks add up to competence despite his years of successful sailing. Calls for another thread!

I'm a fan of both - practical experience and some taught stuff. When you learn from others, you can miss out on some stuff, pick up short cuts that may not always be relevant or get the odd bad habit. Some course work does fill in the gaps and give you an extra reference point. Whilst, like many, I use gizmos, I quite like to be able to go back to basics if required.

 

[laika]

For me the value of zero to hero was this: six months of concentrated exposure to instructors with experience and knowledge, books, constant testing, learning, reading, practicing and more importantly in six months I only had 4 weekends away from the sea. The rest of the time we were mostly sailing. This constant continual exposure to theory, practical and information is a good way to really embed things into one's head. [...]
However, I was well aware that the course was only a primer, did not mean I was safe or knowledgeable, and that the rest was up to me.

Inconceivable! We have repeated assurances from people on this forum that folks coming off these courses know nothing and think they know everything. Shame on you for suggesting it's actually an intense experience and most people take it as just a starting point for their learning journey.

I noticed the numbers and it looks like you did RYA then over 26fter? Its a smaller minority than I expected but I really want to know about this group the most. Why did you get that size boat? Surplus of cash? Image of yourself sailing swanky boat? Entertaining space? What you were used to after course? And how many pairs of underpants did you take with you the first time out without instructor and crew? It makes me think you don't suffer much from natural cowardice really

Because I bought a boat to sail to the South Pacific and I didn't fancy doing that with two of us in a 24-footer? I'm not sure I would have called a (when I bought it) 20 year old westerly "swanky": it was pretty much the at the cheap end of the spectrum for boats suitable for the task.

I think perhaps athomson may be assuming that "first boat" immediately follows completion of a course rather than being some years later with several thousand miles of delivery, charter or other commercial experience in between on far bigger boats

 

[Adios]

For all your learning a certain confidence in yourself

Other than giving self confidence to my kids I hope it might "make a man of them". As in something they have to be mature about, the first thing they have to take really seriously. Only if they are relying entirely on themselves though, without me there. If I'm not being greedy, I also hope it might force the siblings into team working rather than bickering and tripping each other up all the time. I'm probably dreaming about that one.

 

[johnalison]

Other than giving self confidence to my kids I hope it might "make a man of them". As in something they have to be mature about, the first thing they have to take really seriously. Only if they are relying entirely on themselves though, without me there. If I'm not being greedy, I also hope it might force the siblings into team working rather than bickering and tripping each other up all the time. I'm probably dreaming about that one.

Our children, temperamentally indistinguishable from Godzilla, were allotted a YW Cadet aet 11 & 9. For the first time in their lives they learned to cooperate and made a good team, though without the opportunity or motivation to race seriously.