UK saling

[duckmanton]

I will, have to say before any of yous, l am a tosser. But please tell me why you people are so incompertant that you have all these sailing coursers when your old pers, believed the Earth was not flat and they went and did it. All YFC or what ever, dribble about things that don't matter. HOw about go out and do it, make minor mistakes, if like it seems, what, the mistakes will be major or worse and get on with it. It amazzes me some of the questions asked, worst still some of the answers that are given

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[M_Russell]

I know we seeded Australia with a bunch of convicts, but I thought even they spoke English?



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[Chris_Stannard]

Study the facts, in the days of sail kids went to sea early and were taught the ropes by a sea daddy, an older seaman who wsas given the task of teaching them how things were done. They also played in the rigging so they were sure fitted and able to go aloft in all weathers. Young trainee officers served a long apprenticeship learning how to navigate in addition to being abl to do all that the seamen could do. Process commonly took at least five years.

So the answer to your question is that they were educated in the sea, the process was just different to the one that would be designed today.

Not a lot of people get that kind of education in the sea thesee days, hence the need for courses to try to pass on some of the knowledge that was learned the hard way and is now often forgotten

<hr width=100% size=1>Chris Stannard

 

[mldpt]

Do you and yours adopt the same approach to driving a car or truck on the highway. If so its possible a good job there are so few of you per acre.
Mike

<hr width=100% size=1>www.sailingforfun.co.uk

 

[vyv_cox]

I expect you get in lots of fights?

Walking into forums (or bars) and telling everyone that not only are they incompetent but they also give lousy advice seems like a recipe for a good kicking.

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[MainlySteam]

I had always wondered how it was that the Southern Hemisphere managed to be at the bottom of the globe despite most of the land being in the Northern one. Your post has now made the reason plain, it appears that some of us Southern Hemispherites have alot of earth between our ears.

John

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[Oldhand]

But isn't the fact that not many people get there seamanship education at sea these days a problem? I would rather sail with someone with yaers of hands on experience than someone who has spent a week at a sailing school.

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[webcraft]

I would certainly rather sail with someone who had plenty of experience - but preferably someone who didn't think they were the old man of the sea, knew everything and were God's gift to yachting. I have sailed with one of these, and he was a menace.

We all have things to learn, from the sea, from each other and perhaps even from sailing schools . . . and the combination of learning delivered in a structured environment, backed up by lots of subsequent experience, cannot be beaten in my book.

Constantly carping on about experience being the only teacher and sailing schools and theory being a waste of time will only - IMHO - result in compulsory legislation as a result of hundreds of neophytes attempting to gain this experience in an unstructured way, with the inevitable accidents and bad publicity.

Not everyone taking up the sport can be guaranteed a salty old mentor like you, Oldhand . . . and why do you apparently think that sailing schools deliver their courses somewhere other than at sea? All RYA practical courses have to be delivered at sea and have certain minimum mileage / night sailing requirements etc.

- Nick

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[chas]

"the old man of the sea, knew everything and were God's gift to yachting"

This is almost a contradiction in terms. A proper "old man of the sea" would know that there is always something to learn.

Maybe the the real point is that a good sailing school can, and often does, equip the inexperienced to sail very well. They can set and trim sails, steer well and generally get a boat going in the right direction at a good speed. Where experience tells is in a sudden emergency or in reading the wind, tidal stream or weather and what any is likely to do. The danger, IMHO, is the inexperinced not knowing his/her limitations and getting into a situation beyond their capabilities. This also can happen to the so-called experinced!

I have been sailing for over 40 years now and have never done a course (perhaps I could now claim enough experience to benfit from one!). I enjoy talking to those who have recently completed courses as I learn a lot from them.
Sailing is like life. You are (or at least I am) always learning!

 

[webcraft]

Spot on, Chas

- N

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