Sailing Experence

[Guest]

I hope to sell up and sail off in about 5 years but i have a question to ask you all.

I have a fair bit of sailing experience but i know it's not enough to face an ocean or a storm. What's the best way of prepairing or gaining experience...?

I guess what i would like is a saling course designed with this in mind...heavy weather sailing..life afloat for a long time....pratical things...any ideas..??

 

[rogerroger]

you could try a yacht delivery across the pond - try http://www.reliance-yachts.com they're usually looking for crew.

Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk

 

[andrewhopkins]

3 options

Come to mind...

1. Challenge Business (BT people) offer a "heavy weather" sailing course where they take you out to fastnet rock and you can run through storm sails, etc

2. BOSS also do a similar thing I think

3. Wait till a low comes across the channel and go out with an instructor (pay per day) to test storm sails, anchors, etc

 

[Guest]

Re: BOSS

I know someone who has done the mega-sailing option with BOSS, something like 12 weeks and an oceanmaster at the end of it. You wd certainkly learn something.

However, IMHO, liveaboards are much more cagey than people with jobs, so can afford to sail where the wind takes them, stay rather than thrash back and so on. Also, don't spose one wd necessarily set off on world cruise by setting course straight at Rio, then Cape, then Oz and so on. Much more likely for first pootle acroos channel, then eventually with med all in short hops, and if feel like it hang around at Canries for rally across to caribee? Charles reed did a good posting bout this lot, abnd of course loads of books.

Oh and there's a world-crusing boat for sale with fuill listing of all the kit it's has on board, quite a good reference really. Take a look at http://www.shantooti.co.uk/

 

[Guest]

To Mike: if you have to ask these questions, then one wonders if you understand what you want to take on.
For a start tell us exactly what is this 'five year sailing experience', then we can comment on your possibilities.

 

[Guest]

I think by the very fact that i am asking this sort of question shows that i do have an understanding and respect for what i wish to do.

I want to the next 5-10 years gaining more experience in the things that will actually count.
Like just about anybody else i can sail around the solent and spend a weekend doing the normal stuff.
I have a 26ft boat and have often been to Cherbourg and the Channel islands. I have single handed to Cherbourg. I have sailed over 7000 in my five years of sailing.
I do have a enough experience to do the type of sailing that i do and to do it safely.

But i am fully aware that how i sail at present and the skilss that i currently have are nothing compared to what i will need.

How am i supposed to learn if i don't ask for help and advice.

Oh and i am also at yachtmaster level...not that it counts for much these days.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Racing

Mike,

The only time I've deliberately sailed in high winds is when racing. Many owners/skippers are not put off starting races when the forecast is dodgy. Just make sure if you decide to go racing, you do it with an experienced skipper in a well found boat. Similarly, if you can get yourself aboard a boat that is campaigning for the Fastnet, you'll rack up a fair few miles of channel racing as well, getting qualified.

I wouldn't worry too much about getting experience of being well offshore - almost everyone I know that has done ocean crossing reckons it's a doddle compared with coastal cruising. What would be more important is getting to know your own boat and its systems, so that you can fix/bodge anything when you're in places where you can't just call the AA.

 

[AndrewB]

Is it experience or self-confidence you need?

7000 miles, a Yachtmaster ticket and numerous cross-channel trips is more experience than many who have set out.

If heavy weather is your principal concern, it is difficult to put together the experience. F9+ is not that common, and you could do several ocean passages, and attend many courses, before encountering it. By all means put out in 'sixes and sevens' around the coast to get a feel for what strong weather might be like - but I'd be suprised if you don't already know that much already.

Moreover, a severe gale in the open ocean is a quite different experience (and probably less dangerous) than one in the Channel. With weather forecasts these days, no coastal passage need risk being caught out.

Life has risks, and at some points you have to take the decision to take on a challenge which is not fully within your control. Was it Robert Louis Stephenson who said of heavy-weather sailing that it is a common experience of many men that having been tested by danger, in the event found themselves to be braver than they had expected?

So, do you take your own yacht? Alternatively, like a great many who want the experience but not the responsibility, you can always crew for others.

 

[Guest]

Re: What boat?

I hear that lots set off to find tech/reliability problems (and crew problms but let's exclude that...) with The New Boat. So get the (intended) boat sooner rather than later?

Also, (re confidence) all around the channel etc is "far flung worrisome sea" - for others from elsewhere.

 

[Grehan]

Deckmaster

The more one knows, the more one asks questions of everyone about everything. And one doesn't care if the questions are obvious or simplistic. Our boat has a notice: "If in doubt, ask. If you don't understand the answer, then just keep on asking"
Aged professionals say "I'm still learning"

The less one knows, the more one pretends one knows everything.
Cowboy tradesmen say "no problem, mate"

Well done, Mike.

 

[Jeremy_W]

Congratulations

The best advice I have ever heard was "he who asks is a fool for a moment. He who doesn't ask is a fool forever". It came from a watchleader on an old Whitbread maxi. I'm only a crew, but I guess the next step for you is crossing Biscay.
Short hops; Brest - La Corunna; or Plymouth - Bayona... the choice is yours. Rally Portugal is good for a laugh even if you turn round at Bayona because your holidays are running out. You'll meet and be able to compare ideas with other prospective long distance sailors who are a few years further down the path to turning their dreams into reality.

Best wishes.
jeremysailing@hotmail.com

 

[Guest]

Which boat

Well my current boat isn't right for what i want to do (Invicta) so i guess my netx question is which boat.
I have already spoken to many people about this who have done it themselves and have several ideas about which type.

Any ideas out there..???

 

[Stemar]

Re: Which boat

A couple of web sites you might find helpful:
http://www.sailnet.com/collections/articles/index.cfm?tfr=popf
http://www.geocities.com/bill_dietrich/ChoosingBoatModels.html

I suspect there will be as many different answers to this as there are sailors who cruise long distances - or dream of it! Burdened with children and the need to earn a crust, all I can do is dream ... for now, but watch this space!

 

[Guest]

Re: did u look at ....

http://www.shantooti.co.uk/

Steel, which seems the very thing, nice and tough.

 

[Guest]

As a cadet, Merchant Navy ...... I was always reminded that :

a> If I think I should ask a superior - it was already past the point of wondering and I should ask no matter how stupid the question.
b> No matter what you do, no matter what you see, you will never know all the answers.

Those 2 above have not failed me and I still believe in them. I respect a person who asks - it shows they realise limitations, I do not respect the smart-aleks who think they know it all !