When taught you to sail?

[Terra-Loon]

I learned the very basics on a hobbi cat on holiday in mexico about 15 years ago. Then I bought my yacht about 12 years later and set off on my own, picking things up on the way. The engine broke down on the first trip on my way up the Dart toward Darthaven. Had to use the radio for the first time to get them to send out a rescue rib.

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

Visited and then joined the Midland Sailing Club, 1/2 mile form central Birmingham, in 1953. Gradually taken out crewing in Merlins and Fireflies. Learnt all about where the wind comes from. When helmsmen/women were satisfied you had grasped this essential, they let you helm between races to get the idea. Eventually they would lend you their boat for Crews' Races or when they were away. A far far better mentoring than the Level 1 and 2 courses, which in my view are a waste of time! When you consider how many hundreds of thousands of people who have done these courses and how few relatively have taken up the sport something is seriously wrong with the structure of Level 1 and 2 but no one seems to have asked this obvious question and radically revised the Course. By the way I think all the other courses, especially safety boat and yachtmaster are fine.

 

[banger]

Peter Heaton. Friend and myself hired a gaff rigged boat on the Norfolk Broads, neither of us had sailed before so I bought a copy of his book called Sailing, off we went and have been doing it ever since.

 

[seumask]

Nairobi Dam Sailing club aged 8, the water was "Brown" and you didn't go swimming! However I can vividly remember the thrill of helming a Laser for the first time and whizzing off at the first puff of wind.

 

[Keen_Ed]

Visited and then joined the Midland Sailing Club, 1/2 mile form central Birmingham, in 1953. Gradually taken out crewing in Merlins and Fireflies. Learnt all about where the wind comes from. When helmsmen/women were satisfied you had grasped this essential, they let you helm between races to get the idea. Eventually they would lend you their boat for Crews' Races or when they were away. A far far better mentoring than the Level 1 and 2 courses, which in my view are a waste of time! When you consider how many hundreds of thousands of people who have done these courses and how few relatively have taken up the sport something is seriously wrong with the structure of Level 1 and 2 but no one seems to have asked this obvious question and radically revised the Course. By the way I think all the other courses, especially safety boat and yachtmaster are fine.

Is it a problem with Level 1 & level 2, or is it that the courses give you enough skills to go and learn, but that people don't have the opportunities?

 

[Keen_Ed]

1st taken on sailing holiday at age 3. Started in (Dad built) oppy at 8. Then weekends and at school from then on.

 

[Romeo]

Still Learning.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Peter Heaton. Friend and myself hired a gaff rigged boat on the Norfolk Broads, neither of us had sailed before so I bought a copy of his book called Sailing, off we went and have been doing it ever since.

Peter Heaton's books ('Sailing' and 'Cruising') are great, and sadly forgotten nowadays.

A far far better mentoring than the Level 1 and 2 courses, which in my view are a waste of time! When you consider how many hundreds of thousands of people who have done these courses and how few relatively have taken up the sport something is seriously wrong with the structure of Level 1 and 2 but no one seems to have asked this obvious question and radically revised the Course.

That's a little harsh, I think. In lots of hobbies people like to do a bit, get to a certain level, get a certificate and then move on, pleased that they have achieved something but not hooked for life. I used to glide, and it's very common in gliding clubs for people to do their first solo(s), get the certificate and then never appear at the gliding club again.

 

[pagoda]

Bought a boat when I was 54, having never sailed or boated. Stuck the sails up and thought "I can do this".

Kicking myself for not doing it 40 years earlier.

Similar thoughts about the time lag... though Windsurfing taught me about wind over sea 25 years before I got a yacht (Sailing dinghies in between, and still sailed..)

Graeme

 

[Blueboatman]

My dad built a dinghy and, according to my mum, I wus conceived in it , innit, on a mudbank when the tide was out.
Start 'em young eh?
I am not sure I wholly believe the story but its a good ' un eh?

Thence I was on wooden boats from year one.
Then expressed an interest in rerigging an old dinghy for sail. And read a proper book on How to Dinghy sail, and off I went, sans lifejacket, naughty
Then at school where I wus rubbish a sailing club was formed and, possibly from exasperation/brilliant insight I was made responsible for it. IIRC the RYA did not exist as we know it now but the idea of proper tuition was rolling out. I was teaching from age 16 and can say I have never frightened, intimidated nor shouted at anyone on a boat since.. Whether I have actually shown anyone anything remotely useful though...?
At 23 I bought my first, (40foot!) boat.
At 21 I crossed Biscay for the first time as navigator and acting skipper, in early November, which was interesting ..
Been getting it wrong and right ever since ...

 

[woozy-UK]

i enjoyed howards way when i was very young. though i mainly just remember the intro. the yachts seemed huge back then. i then started sailing dinghys at my local lake. then raced them. then i broke my arm. then took up mountain biking. then broke my arm again. then got fat as was just playing computer games and not getting out. wanted to sail again, and dinghys were in my vision. phone local yacht club, visited them. 3 years later im on my second yacht and have 0 dinghys now

 

[Bru]

like so many others, Ransome planned the seed and then it was school sailing every Wednesday afternoon for five years plus odd bits of crewing. I wish I could remember the name of the teacher that taught us the basics

Then a 30 year gap mostly spent playing with long narrow things throughout which I dreamed of sailing off into the wide blue yonder on a boat with a stick and flappy things

got the boat with the stick and what have you three years ago, the wild blue yonder is still a dream!

 

[maxi77]

I got the first taster at the Moray Sea School in miniature Fyfies, but got my proper instruction at BRNC Dartmouth in RNSA 14s, Montague Whalers and 32 foot cutters.

 

[Fittster]

Visited and then joined the Midland Sailing Club, 1/2 mile form central Birmingham, in 1953. Gradually taken out crewing in Merlins and Fireflies. Learnt all about where the wind comes from. When helmsmen/women were satisfied you had grasped this essential, they let you helm between races to get the idea. Eventually they would lend you their boat for Crews' Races or when they were away. A far far better mentoring than the Level 1 and 2 courses, which in my view are a waste of time! When you consider how many hundreds of thousands of people who have done these courses and how few relatively have taken up the sport something is seriously wrong with the structure of Level 1 and 2 but no one seems to have asked this obvious question and radically revised the Course. By the way I think all the other courses, especially safety boat and yachtmaster are fine.

I learnt at a very, very similar place and am not sure the course are the problem. You get a nice introduction, do the courses then all there's left to do at the reservoir is take part in the races. As you've only just started to learn you get horribly in the way of the competitive regulars which isn't fun.

What you want is to be left to your own devices to actually get to grips with what the courses contain but that's not a option as the club won't let you out unless there's a safety boat out (which only happens on days when they are racing).

What people need is a place where the can put what the learnt into practice without the pressure of a race (and if they drown because there wasn't a safety boat about so be it). Once people have a bit of confidence in what's covered in the two course they are more likely to take part in racing.

 

[mrming]

My mum and dad are both sailors and I was lucky enough to spend each summer from age 8 until I finished school doing dinghy training, and eventually qualifying as a dinghy instructor. I also got to race on their half tonner and various other small yachts owned by family friends. Now I'm teaching my partner and friends to sail and I realise again how lucky I had it!

My Dad also gave me the Swallows and Amazons series to read. Our first son was born on Sunday and I'm hoping to set him loose in an Oppie as soon as he's ready. In the meantime this summer he'll have the dubious pleasure of going cruising with his mum and dad in our small trailer sailer, though we are responsible enough to leave him with his granny for the racing!

 

[[70521]]

We restored a Redwing dingy in the Sea Scouts and I learned on that, got onto a cruser as soon as I could as getting wet and cold is no fun.

 

[Dave-Shafa]

I was 14 and my parents sent me from Glasgow on train and ferry, >alone< to SYHA Tighnabruaich.
Possibly to get rid of me, permanently.
I sailed in Loch Long's and was allowed to helm once.
I have helmed several times since then.

Quote"I got the first taster at the Moray Sea School in miniature Fyfies, "
Me too and on the "Prince Louis"

 

[Lakesailor]

Probably at 14, possibly 15.
A schoolfriend's father had a Humber One Design (18ft clinker half-deck dinghy) on the Humber. Went out with him a few times. Then he bought a Rivers class gaffer and we went out on that a bit (from Brough Haven by this time). He was a "no-engine" fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants sailor. His great friend was Henry Irving who was the same mould, but more extreme. http://www.safety-marine.co.uk/book...vens-of-the-washandhumber-by-henry-irving.htm and other books.
My schoolfriend e-mailed me to say his father died on New Year's Day. He was 92. He was a brewer and I had a bottle of Old Thumper, which was one of his beers. So I had that in memory.

 

[Sandgrounder]

T was afloat in dinghies from before I could walk.
First in a GP 14 helmed by my Father then in a Heron. I didn't like any of this because it always seemed to start with me up to my neck in cold seawater holding the boat head to wind while he fitted the rudder, then being hauled aboard and freezing cold for a couple of hours

At 7 he bought me a Bobbin (a pretty 9Ft GRP Boat) and I was off; being in control and choosing where to go and what to do was fantastic.

All aided by liberal doses of Ransome and Peter Heaton

 

[NormanS]

All aided by liberal doses of Ransome and Peter Heaton

These two authors must have been a fantastic influence on young sailors in the post-war decades. I still have my well worn copies of Sailing, and Cruising, by Peter Heaton. They were the technical bibles. Ransome fired your imagination for adventures.