Sailing is easy apparently!

[ashanta]

"Nah, sailing's easy - you could learn in a couple of weeks or so. What is more difficult is all of the navigation, which is necessary for power as well as sail."

I hope the forumite who states this in the previous post by Spaz doesn't mind me raising this as a topic as I feel that there is a great deal of under estimation regarding sailing. Especially in more recent times we have seen an increase in the numbers of people entering the activity, possibly due to an element of our society becoming more affluent and retiring early.
I personally feel that I am meeting more and more people who have bought boats because it's something they would like to do now they can afford it. They have not learned to sail at earlier age because of a desire or passion to be afloat and they have a perception that it's easy. My experience recently is that many are poor at sailing and have a reluctance to listen to any advice. They often think that doing a shore based course will be sufficient and have very little experience of handling moderate to difficult conditions. I often look at some yachts and their owners and consider that a motor sailer would be more appropriate as they do not actually get the very best out their yacht and don't necessarally understand the effect of the wind on the sail and the centre of effort and resistance.
I am not saying these people should not venture out as such, it's good that people do so but to understand sailing and to be a good sailor is not as previously quoted; easy. I take pride that I have learned a skill over many many years and still keep on learning I dont thnk it is easy.

 

[Talbot]

agree

 

[pysmad]

Hi Peter, your words have been noted and heeded. Don't worry, we will not be venturing out anywhere, endangering other people or vessels, until we have had lots of training and practice. Even though "sailing is easy" apparently, I would not feel comfortable beginning such a huge challange without a massive amount of research, info., advice and practice. I think the person who used this phrase was maybe just trying to encourage us that this idea was a good one and we shouldn't give up (could be wrong)?
Regards, spaz (aka Myla)

 

[TiggerToo]

probably what you are getting at is that sailing is easier to learn than seamanship.

 

[HoratioHB]

Agree sailing is easy. Its everything else thats difficult - you've only got to see the number of threads here on one minor topic - anchoring to see that (Oh God I hope I don't start them off again!!).

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Koeketiene]

Easy there; venturing opinions like that. You'll be labeled a bigheaded snob in no time.

Agree completely by the way

 

[Salty John]

Well said. Couldn't agree more.

 

[orizaba]

i would agree to a point,i would say there is no better way to learn than by doing it,and there are a lot of new things to learn.its not possible to learn all in flotillas as every boat handles differently,you normally have less people on board,when you are cruising and you have to find out the best way to handle/sail your own boat,some people have boats that reverses like car. ours does not,some have a boat that will cover 200 miles in a day with not much, wind ours does not.
its a continual learnning curve to us,it would have been great to have lived near the sea and been able to sail from the age of 4 but we are not all that lucky.some of us came into sailing a bit later in life and doing the best we can,our sails may not be set pefectly but we get there in the end in one piece and with no damage.i am sure there will be those who disagree but with some knowledge,care,planning,luck and belief anything is possible,do not be put off by what some people say,believe in yourself, its a great life.and all is possible. vasco de garma rules ok

 

[ChrisE]

Re: Sailing is easy apparently of course it is

My experience is that there are awful sailors and there are good sailors and there doesn't seem to be much correlation with how much time they spent at sea, once it exceeds a year or so. Some learn as they go along others just don't.

I'd agree that the baisc techniques of sailng are not difficult and that combined with a fair degree of natural caution will get you a long way. I speak as one who, with no previous sailing experience, bought a boat and 2 years later took a year off and did a transat. I've now been sailing for another 10 years and I haven't had reason to change the opinion that I formed when I first started that there are some apply themsleves and get better and there are those, the majority in my experience, who learnt years ago and haven't moved on much since.

 

[Conachair]

Agree with both points of view. Might be a bit down to definitons here but I think a couple of weeks with good tuition would be enough to learn the basics and get you out on the water really learning how to sail.

[ QUOTE ]
but to understand sailing and to be a good sailor

[/ QUOTE ]
Now that. to my mind, is more of a lifetimes work. I find it interesting that attitude and physcology (sp?)are not mentioned more with regard to seamanship. I think a good sailor is constantly watching the boat, the weather, how the crew are coping etc and how it all interacts, a boat is not a place for arrogance or over confidence. This isn't necessarily something you can learn on a course. Not listening to advice is bad seamanship. It's up to you to decide if it's good or bad advice and to do that you need to listen. In fairness to the boats you see with badly set sails and having difficulty berthing, i would like to think they were just starting out and next week it would be better, if not then they aren't interested in learning and may they're berth be far from mine!
So sailing is (quite) easy, to be a sailor takes a lot longer and comes with a desire to learn and a lot of time on the water.
All purely my humble opinion of course.

 

[CodStewart]

Hahahhahahhahahahhahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahhaha.
jfdkaslfjaklfdjfdjafas

 

[roly_voya]

I think that the level of afluence and development of kit both share responsibility for some important changes. In 'the old days' before GPS, hight tech cloathing and boats with 'all the comforts of home' anything above a 26' boat was big and crossing the the channel a major adventure that would take people a few seasons to build up to. This meat people built experience slowly and by the time they had the opportunity to skipper a yach big enough to do any significant offshore passage the usually had the experience to go with it. Now it seams people get from first charter holliday to sailing 50miles offshore or doing 'Yachtmaster' in two or three seasons coccooned by all the gear. This can be great and lead to many satisfying adventures but it can also mean that the first time they face bad conditions or major problems they are along way from any backup and very short on the sort of experience that will bring them through comfortably and safely. The result at best can be a major and off-putting trama and at worst can endager life. Fortunatly the sea is scary enough to make most people pretty cautiouse, as is born out by the low accident stats. I always think of venturing to sea not so much as difficult or easy but always as very serious.

 

[Conachair]

How well put! i wonder how the stress levels would differ between a boat who's crew started sailing pre GPS and one post GPS if the system were to go down mid passage.

 

[Tollos]

That phrase must have been especially for me. April of 2008 I shall be a pensioner. My wife and I plans to change our lives completely. We want to learn to sail and set off to cruise the world. For about 45 years I have dreamed of traveling the world. The last 25 years my wife and I were very good armchair sailors. As a teacher in South Africa I could not afford a Yacht. No teacher in SA can. I remember when we were looking for our dream yacht many a salesman sent us away with those words. Some even adding to go to the toys department. I always wondered at the boatshows how does the salesman knows who can and who can not afford a yacht.
Well they sure missed out on us.
We are determent to fulfill this dream. We will sell and give up everything else to succeed. We have set goals which of buying the yacht of our dreams was the most difficult and also the most farfetched acourding to our kolleges and friends. Not to mention the sailspeople or boatbuilders.
That only made us more determend. We game up TOPS!
We purchased a 40' catamaran. To be customised to our personal preferances. We met a boutbuilder that was just as different in his attitude and as determent to reach his goals as we are. Most of all did he has the integrity to stand by his words and promisses that we so desperitely longed for. He took our order in 2005 knowing that we don,t have the money at that stage. Our word was good enough for him. His pride and joy was to build the best Yacht for us. We have no dowd that he will succeed in that and I am prepeared to bet our yacht on that. The world will take notice of this boatbuilder because Admiral Yachts is going to set the example. This only spurred us on to work harder at our goal. We could not dissapoint this man. I am today happy to say that we will be able to pay our yacht in full.

Now the next goal is to learn all these things that you are discussing on this forum.
So! That clears up this whole discussion. After reaching our first goal there can nothing be in our way to learn all of what you know and also the rest that you even did not heard of yet.
Offcause it wil take some time! But at least that we have! we will be on our yacht ready and prepared to learn.

Any suggestions as to where and how we should begin and how we should go about the whole proses?
Surrely their are millions of you experienced and well trained
Sailors and cruisers who can tip off these two beginners!

PS.. The easy way please!!!

We will be so grateful and much appreciative!

 

[CPD]

My penniesworth on this subject is by all means do the RYA courses, but IMHO do understand that there is absolutely no substitute whatsoever for being out there. Out there is where you really learn, not in the classroom. A couple of years ago I was on a mission to complete the whole RYA syllabus but not any more. I probably will eventually, but feel that the minimum mileage requirements for RYA courses etc should be at least quadrupled.

 

[Brierley]

[ QUOTE ]
"Nah, sailing's easy - you could learn in a couple of weeks or so. What is more difficult is all of the navigation, which is necessary for power as well as sail."

I hope the forumite who states this in the previous post by Spaz doesn't mind me raising this as a topic as I feel that there is a great deal of under estimation regarding sailing. Especially in more recent times we have seen an increase in the numbers of people entering the activity, possibly due to an element of our society becoming more affluent and retiring early.
I personally feel that I am meeting more and more people who have bought boats because it's something they would like to do now they can afford it. They have not learned to sail at earlier age because of a desire or passion to be afloat and they have a perception that it's easy. My experience recently is that many are poor at sailing and have a reluctance to listen to any advice. They often think that doing a shore based course will be sufficient and have very little experience of handling moderate to difficult conditions. I often look at some yachts and their owners and consider that a motor sailer would be more appropriate as they do not actually get the very best out their yacht and don't necessarally understand the effect of the wind on the sail and the centre of effort and resistance.
I am not saying these people should not venture out as such, it's good that people do so but to understand sailing and to be a good sailor is not as previously quoted; easy. I take pride that I have learned a skill over many many years and still keep on learning I dont thnk it is easy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bl**dy hell ! How to put off a complete beginner from ever starting! Whilst I totally agree that there is always something new to learn, it is this kind of snobbish attitude that puts people off asking questions and trying to learn better seamanship.

The basics of learning to sail ARE easy - far easier than learning to drive a car or ride a bike, for example. Yes, there are skills to be developed, as with any new activity, and maybe some people won't listen to advice but that's their loss, not yours.

Sailing is meant to be fun, not a catalogue of doom and gloom on how difficult it is to get the sails set perfectly or to anchor perfectly first time every time or to sail up to a mooring.....

I'm sure your skills have been developed over many years and you should be proud of your achievements. Please don't put beginners off from even starting on that path

 

[ashanta]

am not saying these people should not venture out as such, it's good that people do so but to understand sailing and to be a good sailor is not as previously quoted; easy. I take pride that I have learned a skill over many many years and still keep on learning I dont thnk it is easy.

This is the last paragraph of my post. Does it not say that people should venture out and that it's good to do so.
I also do not like people who make personal comments like you have saying that I am a snob. If you knew me You would know just how far you are of the mark.
The point is sailing is not "easy" as the subject has so many variables and aspects to it. Sailing on a gentle breeze is one thing. Handling moderate to difficult conditions is another. Seamanship and sailing are integral and IMHO there are more and more people going out to sea without the necessary experience.

 

[hairbox]

Yep agree with you totally ashanta.

 

[Brierley]

[ QUOTE ]
I also do not like people who make personal comments like you have saying that I am a snob. If you knew me You would know just how far you are of the mark.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are right, I don't know you. All I can go on is what you post on the forums and I find comments such as

[ QUOTE ]
I often look at some yachts and their owners and consider that a motor sailer would be more appropriate as they do not actually get the very best out their yacht and don't necessarally understand the effect of the wind on the sail and the centre of effort and resistance.

[/ QUOTE ]

very patronising and snobbish. Who are you to judge whether someone is getting the best from their boat, and why should you care anyway? Live and let live! I doubt very much whether you would appreciate someone coming up to you unsolicited and telling you that you could get more mpg out of your car if you just used your gears better / drove in a different manner / took the stuff off the roofrack and put it in the boot etc or even hey, why don't you drive a different car, you're obviously not making the best use of the one you've chosen.

And your whole post was quite a personal comment on the original poster who claimed Sailing is easy, so stones and glass houses come to mind..... Maybe you did write you hope they don't mind, but you've still made a personal judgement and posting based on their comment, which is what I did with yours.

 

[ashanta]

You can have your opinion but if you agree with the statement made that sailing is "easy" then I aim my comment at you also. You may say that I am snobbish and I'm not going to explain again what I have said clearly before. All I can percieve is that you are arrogant by dismissing my comments without qualification.
If you want use cars and drivers as comparisions I could go on all night with examples but don't try to argue with me over something that that is clearly evident in marinas, harbours and along our coast line every week. Ask the coast guard or the RNLI for their opinion!