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gap

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Hello All
My name is Gordon and I am new to your forum. I have been reading your posts for a while and found how friendly and helpful you all are, so I was wondering if you could help me with some advice.
I have long fancied sailing but due to work, kids family etc. I have never been able to take it up. Now the kids are off hand I have a lot more time to spare I would like to try my hand at sailing.
My dilemma is, at 59 am I too old to learn how to sail? I have never really liked the idea of reservoir sailing in a dingy but would love to explore the Essex Rivers. I have watched Dylan Winters videos on youtube and found them a great inspiration.
My question is what would I need to start sailing, remembering I haven’t any experience at all. Do you require a licence to be on the river, do you need some kind of competence test to sail, do you need any kind of river tax, insurance etc. what are the procedures for mooring on rivers, is there a course for navigation? And is there somewhere that gives lessons?

Any advice you could give me would be most welcome.
Thank you

Gordon
 
Hi Gordon.

Lots of people start sailing at your age.... never too late!

I'd suggest a good starting point would be to enrol yourself on a competent crew course at one of the local sailing schools.... if you tell us where is closest/easiest locationwise, you'll get plenty of recommendations.... and perhaps back this up with an evening class at your local Adult Ed on a day skipper navigation course...

then just hang around here.... there is usually plenty of opportunity to hitch a ride!

Before you know it, you'll be hooked and breaking into your piggy bank!

There are (thank god) no formal 'licenses' needed, but your fellow boat users usually appreciate you having mastered the basics through the above training so that you don't ding their boats!

Insurance, theoretically isn't compulsory, but in reality 3rd party insurance is so inexpensive that it makes sense to have it as a minimum, and many of the larger harbours require it...some rivers such as the Crouch require a 'harbour tax' if you keep your boat there, but again, it isn't big sums of money...

And... welcome!
 
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Hello and welcome.

I didn't sail anything until I was 53 - age is irrelevant. I'm now 63, sail on the east coast (on my own at times), happy to go across the North Sea. Hooked and loving it:)

As Morgana says, if we know where you are I'm someone will take you out for a sail. Only yesterday I arranged a two trip with a forumite who has a motor boat on a river but wants to change to sailing on the east coast.

This is one of the last great freedoms in the UK, no regulation. Do a competent crew course if you can and/or sign up for a Dayskipper theory course which covers safety, navigation etc. There is little substitute for time on the water. As in life, we learn by our mistakes but try to limit mistakes to ones that aren't life threatening!

Get out there!
 
Gordon, welcome, and you've picked one of the best places in the country to go sailing in my opinion. As the others have said you're never to old and you can get afloat quickly with friends or with a boat of your own for surprisingly little money, so don't be put off with all this "luxury yacht" stuff the media like to portray.

Winters are great for taking night classes in sailing and navigation, go to the RYA website and look up training and you'll find places in your area who do the courses. many of the sailing schools are on the Essex/Suffolk rivers and can tie theory in with practical sailing as well.

Then do what the rest of us idle dreamers do - wander round boatyards and marinas, read the magazines, trawl the internet and take up Roger's kind offer of some actual sailing. In time you'll know enough to know what you like and what you want.

Welcome to the addiction!

Neil
 
Welcome, Gordon.

My partner (also called Gordon) had not set foot on a big boat till he was in his late 50's, and now, at 64, has just logged 10000 miles on his own boat! Admittedly, he had done a bit of dinghy sailing before that, but not a lot.

So, now we have established that you could do it, we need to make sure that you enjoy it when you actually try it! We can help with that, so you don't waste time and money if you then decide you don't want to carry on.

Where are you based? Are you free just at weekends, or other times? There's people on this forum who would take a complete novice out for a taster - in fact we all take out friends and family.

Ali
 
Don't BUY a PROJECT

Whatever you do don't buy something that needs TLC .. You will spend most of your time in the boatyard .. A plastic tupperware box is the place to be .. Reasonably low on maintenance and no painting etc .. Be prepared for hauling out charges for antifouling and other bits .. Sailing has to be one of the best pleasure pursuits on the planet and as such probably costs the most .. The bigger the boat .. The more it costs .. If you sit back there will be a 1000's of others along in a minute to add their bit ..

Gibraltar is great for learning .. Had a great 2 weeks down there .. No problems with the weather .. If it blows up there is a sheltered bay to play in .. You can also sail over the Straights and watch the Dolphin's ..

AS usual no connection with anyone in Gibraltar .. Just seems like a great place to learn to sail .. Try Allaboard ..

Lots of places to berth a boat .. Depends on how much you want to spend .. A 10m boat can cost £2000 - £3000 in a marina ..

No licence required ..

Anyway enjoy yourself .. and Welcome to the forum ..
 
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Hi Gordon,

Welcome. Never too old I say. My mum took up sailing at 55 and she's hooked now.

I've been a motorboat owner for the past 12 years or so and only bought my first sailing boat this autumn for under £2k and have had alot of fun.

I did the competent crew course a couple of years ago and it was one course that was well worth the money. Really did give me the basics to get started.

I'd certainly say get out as much as possible crewing for people so getting a good idea what it's all about and also what to look out for in the area. There's no substitute for experience and in my opinion, someone taking you for a sail will give you much better knowledge of an area than a book.

Once you get going, its alot more fun and alot less daunting than it first seems and remember everyone was a novice at some stage so don't feel like you're not up to scratch.

People on this forum are really friendly and helpfull too so you're in good company.

cheers,

Nick
 
Hello Gordon, and welcome. Great advice already given and I wouldn't have thought age to be too much of an issue. I am relatively new to sailing and just wish I had discovered it decades ago. Let us know where you are based etc.
 
Lots of good advice Gordon. I sometimes teach dinghy sailing at my sailing club, and yes the agility required can sometimes be difficult for older learners, but how about finding a centre where they teach the RYA Keelboat course? You would learn a lot more than doing competent crew (I am presuming you don't want to only crew for other people ). It would mean sailing in a small boat without all that fear of capsizing and sitting out to keep the boat flat etc, but really understanding how a boat sails. And yes, you're never too old !
 
Gordon,
like AliM, we have a boat at Bridgemarsh. If you wanted to come down and have a look and a chat for a few hours, I am sure we can arrange something. If we go sailing from there, probably so much the better.
Although we have quite a large boat, I come from 20 years of varied boat ownership from £30 quid upward.
I would have to admit to buying my first little cruiser at 29...... I am a bit older now.

You have picked the best cruising area. 27 pubs in one days easy sail from Burnham On Crouch!
 
gap said:
Hello All

Any advice you could give me would be most welcome.
Thank you

Gordon
Click to expand...

Don't try and get involved in scrambling around in a dinghy, unless you are very fit and agile. Best to try and get out for a day/short sail with someone to see if you like it. If you enrol on a dayskipper course at night school you will meet like-minded poeple. Not got a boat in the water otherwise I would offer you a trip. good luck.
Paul
 
If you don't have friends who can take you for a sail I would just dive in and join a sailing club. Apart from a few where you have to be proposed, most are crying out for new members and there will always be people who will be happy to take you out for the price of a drink. You're far too young to give up the idea of sailing a dinghy, and although you may not wish to own one, they provide experience of boat-handling which cannot be got from sailing larger craft, even just from messing about and not racing. A sailing course is fine for some of the basics, but nothing to the effect of regularly cocking things up on the water, which is what most of us do.
 
Wow I knew you were a friendly bunch but I am overwhelmed with your replies.
I don’t know were to start know.
Right first off I live near Epping Forest, so I am near most roads leading to the East Coast. I am not far from King George Sailing Club in Chingford which offers dingy courses a C1 first steps Introduction to sailing and a C2 Getting started beginner’s course. I am not sure this is what I need.
I am still looking for somewhere near that does the Navigation course.
I think I will get the courses you have advised me to take under my belt for the winter and then as you all seem to suggest I will spend some time near the water and see how things are done and go from there.
Does this sound ok?
Once again thanks for your encouragement and helpful advice.
Gordon
 
Gordon

If you are going to sail a cruiser then a dinghy course is not necessary - there are those who say that sailing a dinghy is benefical but as it's cold and wet then I say it's not:)

Looking at the RYA courses list there is nothing near Epping (no comment:p) - the nearest for Basic Navigation & Safety or Dayskipper theory is in Brentwood. You could see if a nearby adult education place is doing one as evening classes - I don't imagine the RYA list is 100%. Which course you do may depend on how much time you can spare. You can also do them by a distance learning course - there are quite a few of those. Ask for recommendations on Scuttlebutt.

Is your sailing time restricted to weekends?

Roger
 
One of the Azores Jester Challengers runs navigation and theory courses in Harlow. Send me a PM if this is of use to you and I'll forward you his details.

Paul
 
Hi Roger & Paul
Many thanks, I think it would be a cruiser, I didn't think a dinghy course would be much benefit.
I have been looking on the RYA website and am sure I can find a place although Brentwood isn’t that far from me. Now I know what I am looking for (thanks to you all) it will be much easier for me to find them.
The distance learning might even be an option.
At present it would be a weekend thing but that could change as I may retire next year.
Harlow is very near me so that sound good to me thanks (Pm on its way)
Gordon
 
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