New to this boating lark.

[taz]

Hi All

I am a newbie to the forum and indeed sailing. I have been reading various articles/threads on this site for a few days and finally plucked up the courage to venture into unknown territory.

I have very little experience where boats are concerned except for several crossings to Europe by ferry and one outing on a friends yacht in Spain(five hours) which basically gave me the yachting bug.

My aim is to sail to the Costa Del Sol in relative safety for both myself and the yacht. As far as experience is concerned I have nil in both sailing and navigation, though I do know that if I followed a ferry from Dover to France and turned right, keeping land to my left, I would eventually get to Gibraltar and the gateway to the Med How hard can it be?

I live in Manchester so any info regarding decent sailing clubs or tuition would be gratefully recieved, along with any other advice from the experienced community on here.

Thanks in advance.

 

[taz]

PS..spent the weekend reading lots of threads on here.....very interesting indeed.

 

[alexrunic]

i think you need to get your self on a sailing course / experience weekend to get an idea of what is involved. Sailing is fairly simple and easy to learn, but is far more involved than your post makes out. A trip like that is a serious undertaking for anyone never mind a complete novice.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Agree with Alex..... but don't be put off.... its very doable... as is proved by many people every year, including quite a few that are pretty new to the sport!

 

[fergie_mac66]

some reading for you !

http://members.multimania.co.uk/marybonney/PDFs/Shrimpy.pdf

its been meantioned on here loads of times but if you have not seen it its a book(true ) about shane acton who couldnt sail setting of and sailing round the world

 

[Twister_Ken]

It's also (almost) possible to get there by going through the French canals and then keeping the Med coast on your right.

 

[prv]

shane acton who couldnt sail setting of and sailing round the world

From what I remember, he was doing celestial navigation from the start and was apparently so familiar with it as to find it barely worth mentioning (in fact, didn't he earn a few quid teaching someone else before he even set off?). So he wasn't starting from a position of complete ignorance (not meaning to call the OP ignorant!)

Pete

 

[taz]

Thanks for the replies.

I understand that it is not an easy undertaking and that I need tuition in both sailing and navigation. I would never take on such a challenge unless I felt comfortable(ish) in my ability. Please don`t think I am underestimating the task. My comment "Follow the ferry and turn right etc" and "How hard can it be?" had a hint of sarcasm aimed at my inexperience and my goal.

As for the French canal route I`d much prefer coastal hugging France, Northern Spain, Portugal and Spain once again. Also the thought of all those locks scares me.lol.

 

[Baggy]

You will have to cross ..... BISCAY.... gulp... !!!!

Dont want to put you off .... I get hot sweats just thinking of the word...

just teasing.... .. a bit..

 

[aitchem]

I would say, you need to experience the worst of sailing as well as the jolly side.
I learnt to sail with a Gibraltar based school, very nice days, and some storm force days.
One of the pupils vowed never to set foot on deck again after crossing the straights to Morocco in a storm.
You could waste a lot of money, to find out you wanted to get off when the going gets tough. (you can't)

Howard

 

[KINGFISHER 9]

Consider taking up golf.

 

[taz]

I would say, you need to experience the worst of sailing as well as the jolly side.
I learnt to sail with a Gibraltar based school, very nice days, and some storm force days.
One of the pupils vowed never to set foot on deck again after crossing the straights to Morocco in a storm.
You could waste a lot of money, to find out you wanted to get off when the going gets tough. (you can't)

Howard

I can understand this as I`ve done the Morocco crossing in bad weather(ferry) It was so rough it damaged the boat and we had to wait for 12 hours before entering the port. There were lots of very ill people around.

I have always had an attraction to water whether sitting by a river/lake for a week at a time fishing, or sat watching the world go by on the coast....just love being close to water and now that my children are grown up and marriage restraints gone I`ve decided to live my dream.

 

[taz]

Consider taking up golf.

And why would I want to do that?

 

[nickd]

Hi Taz and welcome
I would suggest that you get yourself on a day skipper course, this will provide you with all mof the basic skills. The course is two parts: theory and practical, The theory can normally be done locally to where you are on land either in about 6 full days or a 26 week course of about 3 hours a week, the practical is normally about 4 days I think. Check out the RYA web site for day skipper.
In this country anyone can go to sea (in a lot of the mediteranean you need qualifications) but it is a good basis teaching you tides navigation etc and can be a lot of fun to do.
I would also be inclined to find your nearest dinghy club and learn to sail a dinghy, if you are intending to get a sailing yacht then the ability to sail a dinghy really helps with wind knowledge
Cheers
Good luck

 

[taz]

Hi Taz and welcome
I would suggest that you get yourself on a day skipper course, this will provide you with all mof the basic skills. The course is two parts: theory and practical, The theory can normally be done locally to where you are on land either in about 6 full days or a 26 week course of about 3 hours a week, the practical is normally about 4 days I think. Check out the RYA web site for day skipper.
In this country anyone can go to sea (in a lot of the mediteranean you need qualifications) but it is a good basis teaching you tides navigation etc and can be a lot of fun to do.
I would also be inclined to find your nearest dinghy club and learn to sail a dinghy, if you are intending to get a sailing yacht then the ability to sail a dinghy really helps with wind knowledge
Cheers
Good luck

I will be looking for a club local to me sooner rather than later. Your advice seems "on the money" thanks.

I see you`re from Barmouth, in my earlier post I mentioned my love of the sea........it all started in Barmouth where we took family holidays when I was very young. At the bottom of the caravan site we used there was a railway and then a rocky shoreline with an old slipway, I used to sit for hours with my Dad just watching the waves crash over the rocks. Also used to watch the dolphins jump in the bay not a million miles off shore. If I remember right there was an old level crossing in the town and a big old masted boat on the estuary a few miles in from Barmouth. I always knew we were close when I saw that. Happy days.

 

[ianat182]

new to this boating lark......

Welcome to the forum TAZ.
There have been several threads for starter sailor on these fora and with some exceptions will suggest a sailing experience in a dinghy, and joining a sailing club . The two main reasons, expense and experience.

This route will help you with understanding and reading he natural effects of wind and waves, tidal currents and basic steering /helmsmanship. Though you may be very keen to sail a yacht or dinghy you may just not be a natural helmsman or indeed like the experience,and this is only the start.
Sailing a two-handed dinghy will give you the basics first as crew dealing with the jib and spinnaker and then moving on to helm the dinghy, tacking/gybing and holding a course, reading the wind fluctuations and sail trim for the conditions.
At this point you will only have expended a minimum of cash or shared purchase of the dinghy and gained the basics of a competent crew/helmsman skill.
The Day Skipper course(Theory) will take you through yachting practices of Navigation exercises, mooring techniques and yachting gear like compasse, VHF and safety procedures including Collision regulations. This followed by the VHF/DSC radio course and sailing on someone else's yacht regularly will build upon the knowledge.

Purchase of your own yacht is a serious expense and undert; opinions as to which starter boat you should get will elicit dozens of personal favourites from the forum members.
Your ultimate aim should be to gain enough knowledge to discuss the merits of a CQR versus a Rocna ,or Blue ensign etiquette,or exceed the F10 experience of the others!!

There will be others along soon to confirm /deny all of this!!

ianat182

 

[aquaplane]

Trying to pitch this somewhere between
1) A 30' £60+K boat is a starter boat and,
2) start in a dingy and work up.

A reasonable (but 30 yrs old) 17 to 20 foot trail sailer will be good to learn in as they sail like a dingy but have berths for 2 or more if you are friendly, and cost 1 to 5K, which you will probably recover as you move up the yachting ladder. And they are a bit nearer a cruising yat than a dingy as you will have a motor to play with too.

If you want a 30 footer to learn in, get one. But they don't stop so easy as a dingy and the dings which you will pick up as you learn will soon wear the newness off the boat and cause heart ache.

A bit of training and some experience is a good start, I wouldn't think about going foreign untill you have had a go for a couple of years.

 

[oceanpilgrim]

get a boat,get out there and have fun,dont think abought it to long or you will be to old to do it,start with a older fiberglass boat,take it to bits put it back together learn the boat inside and out,
live the dream

 

[oGaryo]

I have always had an attraction to water whether sitting by a river/lake for a week at a time fishing, or sat watching the world go by on the coast....just love being close to water and now that my children are grown up and marriage restraints gone I`ve decided to live my dream.

sounds like you're on the road I've trodden the last couple of years hanging up the fishing rods (carp in my instance - see profile piccies) and spending time boating instead... a good decision if I may say so, still the escape that angling provided but by far, more interesting

 

[taz]

sounds like you're on the road I've trodden the last couple of years hanging up the fishing rods (carp in my instance - see profile piccies) and spending time boating instead... a good decision if I may say so, still the escape that angling provided but by far, more interesting

Carp it was/is for me too.