Sailing confidence

[Allan]

Bobbibbins post just reminded me. Practice everything! I recently arrived at Cardiff barrage, took down my sails to get ready to go into the lock and found it was very busy, not a good place for me to be having only been through alone a couple of times! I turned away and hit the engine stop button, just like an engine failure. I then put up my sails and sailed around for a while. It taught me that with no motor and autopilot I have to release the lazyjacks to get the main up quickly. A good lesson and by the time I got back to the lock there were only three other boats, result.
Allan

 

[Alfie168]

[ QUOTE ]
having sunk all my money into a boat.
Allan

[/ QUOTE ]

I think 'sunk' was an unfortunate choice of word in the circumstances. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'd try and cadge a few rides as a crewmember on other yachts, then get a skipper to take your boat out with you crewing. Its as much about learning the waters and conditions, and gaining confidence little by little. Also get the best forecast you can before setting out and only sail in conditions you are fairly sure of.

Far more dangerous is false confidence

Tim

 

[planteater]

I can understand your concerns as my first two seasons of sailing were broadly similar. A cautious nature is a good thing in a small boat. I would suggest:-

a) charter a larger boat each summer. They are much less tippy but also less forgiving. Use your 17'er for cheap weekend fun and plan increasingly adventurous charter holidays.

b) If you are worried about the reliability of your outboard then simply bite the bullet and buy a new one with a 5 year warranty. Seek advice on the right power/shaft length and you should have no worries about being becalmed or stalled engines. It's a huge confidence boost.

 

[Topcat47]

It is often said that the smaller the boat, the greater the fun. A 17ft boat is well within your capabilities to handle on your own, takes very little preparation to get ready for "sea", and can sail very well in light winds. Two seasons isn't a lot of experience and the Vendee Globe isn't everyone's idea of fun, so don't beat yourself up about your nerves. If the conditions don't suit you today, try again tomorrow.

I sail mostly in the Solent and wind over tide (where the wind blows in the opposite direction to the tidal flow) can set up a really unpleasant chop which unbalances my 26footer. Out at sea, however, the pitch of the waves tends to be much longer and even in a small boat like yours you may find it more comfortable than closer inshore.

If the wind is too strong for your liking, shorten sail. I don't know what your boat is, or indeed what reefing system you have (if any) but I'm sure there is a way. No sailor ever capsized from having too little sail up.

Enjoy yourself and your boat at your own pace......only real plonkers would criticise you for being cautious.

 

[Allan]

I should read my posts more carefully! I'm normally just looking for spilling mestakes! I'm glad atelford has had some positive and helpfull sugestions on here, I feel there has been a lot of negativity on here recently, this thread has gone some way to improve on that thought.
Allan

 

[William_H]

Firstly if you are worried about engine failure and ending up on the rocks then you should remember your anchor is the safety device for this ocurence. It will hold the boat nose to wind (hopefully to the waves as well) while you sort out the motor or get help. If you are really nervous carry the anchor around to the cockpit but attached at the bow so you can quickly drop the anchor from the cockpit.
I might add that I have seen my old Johnson 6 with the water at least half way up the cowling in a wave and it never missed a beat. The water can't get in that easily. The air entrance for the engine is at the top of the cowling at the back.

I really think however that you should consider another place to sail. It is certainly nicer to learn in flatter sheltered waters.

You could certainly benefit by having an experienced person on your boat. If only to show you what it can do. Try to find someone who loves little boats. An owner of a 40 fter might not be very encouraging.

In the end sailing is a bit of a madness. Certainly not relaxing. I rate myself experienced only because the years have slipped by. I tell people that nothing can go wrong that hasn't already happened. (although I am sure that is not true) running aground, collisions, mast falling, down fire, I have tried them all often multiple times. You do recover and hopefully learn from disasters. In fact I describe sailing as crisis management.

So if you are not young enough (crazy enough) to be a sailor don't despair. There are far more sensible people who are not crazy enough to be sailors than there are those crazy enough to be sailors.

Certainly sailing is the way to go so try to get those sails up. My little boat is only slightly bigger than yours. I have had it for 26 years and have no desire for a bigger one. I don't usually carry the motor on board. Sails do quite nicely but then I sail in a large sheltered area. Good luck and keep trying olewill

 

[sighmoon]

The heeling bothers a lot of people; take heart that you're not alone. If you haven't stowed everything securely, you get a lot of clanging below which only adds to the sense of panic. Don't worry though - it's supposed to happen, and there is a ton or two of ballast hanging under the boat to make sure it doesn't go too far. The more it leans, the greater the lever arm of the ballast. If it gets too much, you can just let the mainsheet out.

I share your mistrust of engines. For me, the engine is only there when there's not enough wind to sail, or I'm parking.

Even if you rely on the engine alone, and it dies, and you can't get the sails up, you can always lob the anchor over the side.

For me, the trepidation before going to sea is always there. When out of sight of land and other boats, I start to worry I'll hit something and sink, or that the mast will come down, or that the keel will fall off, etc etc. I'm sure such events are very rare, but I normally tow a dinghy on the off chance.

A sailing dinghy might be better if you feel the consequences are more within your control. Don't forget, you're there to enjoy yourself.

"Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing -- absolute (sic) nothing -- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.
In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's the charm of it. Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not."