Sociable single handler?

ronsurf

ronsurf

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I'm a bit tentative about posting this....

Basically, I sail a Corribee. Usually single handed, usually at the weekends, and it can be a pretty lonely experience. I sail somewhere, stay for a bit then sail back, sometimes the next day if I have nothing else on. Generally I don't usually have a very sociable time. Sometimes it's nice having the time to yourself, but after 5 years of it, I'd like to at least share the horrors/pleasures of the sail.

I have friends, of course, but none of them are enthusiastic about sailing. Any sailors I do know sail 30'+ boats and think nothing of popping over to Guernsey for the day, which is not really a day trip in a Corribee. Also, don't get the impression I am unsocial, or unpleasant.

So my question is this: Can anyone recommend a way of increasing my social circle? Either finding crew members happy to spend hours in a very small boat, or similar sized boats to do similar trips with and have a chat and a beer after. I joined a local club, but I'm really not a club person and I rarely went.

Are there any sources to meet like minded people? Short of cards in phone boxes which might attract the wrong sort of person, really...

(I'm based in Plymouth, by the way. You'd have thought sailing would be really popular...)
 
Sounds like the recently instigated Scuttlebutt small-boat cruises would be ideal for you - mostly small boats (though a couple of bigguns come along as well), most of the small ones are single-handed, and the daily distances are well within the range of a Corribee.

Only trouble is, they're in and around the Solent :-(

Pete
 
Several things come to mind:

Try one of the crewing sites? Try adverts in the local sailing clubs (or try joining a local sailing club and putting some adverts on the club notice board?

Lovesail.com doesn't just do dating but caters for introducing crew in the widest sense or so I am told; I have no personal experience of the website!

When you do find someone who wants to go sailing, make sure they have a nice time! Make sure they feel involved and you don't treat them as a passenge. Its easy to do this if you are normally single handed... They will want to get off thinking that they have contributed and been trusted and they have enjoyed the whole experience.
 
Could be worth checking your local clubs.

I used to be a member of Weir Quay SC, and we used to organise all sorts of local club cruises in conjunction with Cargreen YC eg Calstock, Cotehele, Morwhellam, Charlestown, Cawsand, Jennycliff, Looe, Fowey, Dartmouth etc.

Lots of smaller cruisers further upriver from Plymouth.
 
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prv said:
Sounds like the recently instigated Scuttlebutt small-boat cruises would be ideal for you - mostly small boats (though a couple of bigguns come along as well), most of the small ones are single-handed, and the daily distances are well within the range of a Corribee.

Only trouble is, they're in and around the Solent :-(

Pete
Click to expand...

You could always use exactly this forum to self-instigate a meet-up of small-boat sailors based in or near Plymouth.

Suggest a manageable destination (Fowey, the Yealm, or Salcombe) and see who's interested.
 
Camelia said:
Do you play Punk music while sailing?
Click to expand...

Of course one does,things to watch out for:
It can mask engine problems.
It can cover the rising gale howling in the rigging.
Can flatten batteries.

Good in fog though!

I'm going to do that tomorrow,if you hear the Alabama 3 near Belgium,give me a wave! (I wont hear speech on the radio,just DSC alarms btw).

To the op,go and annoy the locals,they love it really.
Cheers Jerry
 
To the OP
Do you just want to meet people on boats at weekends? Everyone is rush rush rushing..

The longer term sailors may be less inward/family oriented as they have more time and are exploring..
At their own pace.. And everyone gets weatherbound somewheres.. Often you just need to open a conversation on weather, best chip shop, book swap, pub, fishing rock etc.. And play the odds. Some couples really don't want company or are wary of single people talking at them and not listening or offers g conversation that both can participate in..
In tandem with this observation, you will find that the further you go (away from weekend saili g centres) the friendlier and perhaps more curious ( not weird, curious in your adventures) people become...
A musical I struments is handy, ESP ashore. Most places have cottoned on to having nights of live pub music these days and if you can play to the crowd , this may be much appreciated, or at least get an open mike slot or jam session involvement and chat..
Other activities such as fishing or beach combing, painting, ornithology may set up a conversation.
And of course just rowing past and saying good mornin g with a smile will often send out the ' I'm not weird' vibe..or pushy...
Or you could get a animal. For crew or fr beach exercise.

I would anchor near the long term cruisers if I were you , they will prove interesting and knowledgable IME
( and I bought a Corribee for a one season sail, then started to have so much enjoyment from it that I kept it and sailed further and further...) The south coast uk was pretty dire..
Good luck.
Btw worth having a double bed infill ply panel, supports and extra mattress ( doubling as a daytime backrest, say) which will cover the sole area, you never know!
 
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I've got the ply infill and a leopardskin duvet, but I still can't tempt SWMBO aboard.

I'm trying to arrange rendezvous points with her in nearby destinations, so we can meet up for fish and chips at the end of a day's sailing and perhaps one of the children will come for the day then return by car...
 
ronsurf said:
I'm a bit tentative about posting this....

Basically, I sail a Corribee. Usually single handed, usually at the weekends, and it can be a pretty lonely experience. I sail somewhere, stay for a bit then sail back, sometimes the next day if I have nothing else on. Generally I don't usually have a very sociable time. Sometimes it's nice having the time to yourself, but after 5 years of it, I'd like to at least share the horrors/pleasures of the sail.

I have friends, of course, but none of them are enthusiastic about sailing. Any sailors I do know sail 30'+ boats and think nothing of popping over to Guernsey for the day, which is not really a day trip in a Corribee. Also, don't get the impression I am unsocial, or unpleasant.

So my question is this: Can anyone recommend a way of increasing my social circle? Either finding crew members happy to spend hours in a very small boat, or similar sized boats to do similar trips with and have a chat and a beer after. I joined a local club, but I'm really not a club person and I rarely went.

Are there any sources to meet like minded people? Short of cards in phone boxes which might attract the wrong sort of person, really...

(I'm based in Plymouth, by the way. You'd have thought sailing would be really popular...)
Click to expand...

plentyoffish.com - go in under the guise of wanting no strings adult fun, and then lure them in to crewing instead.

Was in the same boat myself - literally - it was pretty hard to get people out for a jolly, though I did do an overnighter with four onboard (in two berths!). Are you on facebook? I've found that a request for crew on there gets responses. Tough work getting people on a Corribee though.

How about sailing to a place with a pub, and going ashore. Always people to talk to in pubs. :)
 
ronsurf said:
I'm a bit tentative about posting this....

Basically, I sail a Corribee. Usually single handed, usually at the weekends, and it can be a pretty lonely experience. I sail somewhere, stay for a bit then sail back, sometimes the next day if I have nothing else on. Generally I don't usually have a very sociable time. Sometimes it's nice having the time to yourself, but after 5 years of it, I'd like to at least share the horrors/pleasures of the sail.

I have friends, of course, but none of them are enthusiastic about sailing. Any sailors I do know sail 30'+ boats and think nothing of popping over to Guernsey for the day, which is not really a day trip in a Corribee. Also, don't get the impression I am unsocial, or unpleasant.

So my question is this: Can anyone recommend a way of increasing my social circle? Either finding crew members happy to spend hours in a very small boat, or similar sized boats to do similar trips with and have a chat and a beer after. I joined a local club, but I'm really not a club person and I rarely went.

Are there any sources to meet like minded people? Short of cards in phone boxes which might attract the wrong sort of person, really...

(I'm based in Plymouth, by the way. You'd have thought sailing would be really popular...)
Click to expand...

Strangely one of the most popular racing series in Plymouth is the RNSA organised Single Handed Series, tends to be social before and after the race, just the sailing to do on your own. Of course it doesn't solve your crewing issues as everybody has their own boat.

Yoda
 
Well, thanks for all the replies. Some good ideas, some made me smile, some freaked me out (I may have a Ramones tape on board for certain moments, and I did play in a punk band for a while.. ..!).

I'm not keen on racing, not sure why. I think I prefer going somewhere and socialising rather than racing round something (Hands deep, Eddystone, Guernsey) and ending up back home.

I do have a ply infill that doubles up nicely as a table, and some nice yellow cushions for extra added comfort. Maybe I need to invest in some leopardskin? I'm kind of pleased to hear that other Corribee owners have similar experiences. Maybe the answer is a small dog and to post on here in the evenings...?

Where would I post an 'ad' here? In the 'wanted' section? I rarely look in the wanted section, so I can't imagine many others do. I mean, once you have a Corribee, what more could you want? (Except a bit more headroom).
D
 
Although you say you are not keen in racing, I think you might be pleasantly surprised by the RNSA single handed series. It's usually a passage race up or down the coast (to Salcombe for example) and although one or two might look serious, there are plenty of 'Corinthian' entries. The entrants usually meet up for dinner in a pub so its quite social. It's certainly not hard core round the cans stuff from what I have heard. Yoda is a regular entry so perhaps he can confirm or deny my impressions of it?
 
I'm sure there must be people out there like me who would happliy go sailing as crew no matter what size the boat. I guess finding them is the issue.
Afraid I wouldn't be any use to you as just too far west of south for me. I also dont have any experience except for racing dinghies and PBL2 but I' reliably informed thats probably enough to start with.
 
jerrytug said:
Of course one does,things to watch out for:
It can mask engine problems.
It can cover the rising gale howling in the rigging.
Can flatten batteries.

Good in fog though!

I'm going to do that tomorrow,if you hear the Alabama 3 near Belgium,give me a wave! (I wont hear speech on the radio,just DSC alarms btw).

To the op,go and annoy the locals,they love it really.
Cheers Jerry
Click to expand...
Love it Thanks Jerry :)
 
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