sailing on windermere

[Skylark]

The OP has his answer so let's hope some good, own boat tuition delivers the result and another satisfied customer can confidently sail into the sunset towards an idylic sheltered anchorage of Windamere.

My watersport activites began under water. After 20 odd years, I thought it may be interesting to learn about boats with lots of bits of string. For me, a dinghy course made perfect sense. It was a very progressive way to learn sailing theory and boat behaviour, the 5 essentials. Dinghys are incredibly responsive and you can immediately "feel" changes to sail trim, boat trim, balance and so on.

Big boats behave in similar ways but it's harder, not impossible, to feel their response to change. All boats sail more efficiently when the laws of physics are correctly applied.

Whether that matters or indeed is relevant to any individual is personal choice. There's room for us all.

I'm a cruiser, not a racer. There are some regular posters on these forums who are successful racers. I read their posts with great interest because they usually office advice to get more out of a boat. I derive pleasure from my leisure activity always endeavouring to become a better sailor. I've a long, long way to go!

 

[Sandgrounder]

In principle I believe the dinghy route to be preferable, for the reasons cited earlier, having learned this way myself and accepting the advantages of lerning to master a lively and reactive boat.
However in this instance the OP clearly wants to learn to sail the boat he already has on Windermere so dinghy training would not really be appropriate.

 

[lovezoo]

There is a simple solution that I am amazed no one has put forward. The op should sell his cumbersome yacht and buy a dinghy to learn to sail on - something nice and comfy like a Topper should do him fine.

Then when he has been put off sailing for life after having been immersed in freezing water a few times, he can buy a proper boat, with a big engine and no string.

 

[ValleyForge]

Don't forget we have the OP in what sounds like a very big boat on a little lake - the finer points of sailing will be a bit esoteric as he'll always be tacking & circling to a) avoid the rocks b) avoid the myriad put putts demonstrating random brownian motion and c) avoid all the other big craft in similar straits.

 

[Lakesailor]

d) Try and find what happened to the wind
e) Try to recover from the last squall.

 

[Lakesailor]

I see a 30ft ish BenJenBav with a blue hull out on the lake at the moment with all sails being aired.
I wonder if it's our OP? Haven't heard any more from him.

Not a breath of wind though

 

[Searush]

There is a simple solution that I am amazed no one has put forward. The op should sell his cumbersome yacht and buy a dinghy to learn to sail on - something nice and comfy like a Topper should do him fine.

Then when he has been put off sailing for life after having been immersed in freezing water a few times, he can buy a proper boat, with a big engine and no string.

If I didn't think you were trolling, I might think you didn't understand the slightest thing about sailing from a post like that.