duncan
Active member
not quiet so fortunate (?) but was always facinated by water, fishing, building and using canoes, building and using a mirror, sticking seagull on siad mirror hull to fish, building yacht from bare hull and deck then watching the other guy sail off to the Virgin Islands ( /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif) after we'd done Burnham and Ostend a couple of times to shakedown .........
then, many years later, I bought a dory package and went boating with the family ..........
subsequently
the worst training I had was a day skipper theory evening class thing - way to much theory for theories sake, far to focused on chart based navigation and exact tidal calculations
the best training I ever had (and still get) was expanding my horizons in company of more experienced (either generally or specific locality/trip) skippers. This included Solitaire (again!) and BrendanS (I had a faster boat then!) in Pathfinder PBC, a whole week trailaway in Plymouth with MBM, but is now more commonly with familar faces on here!
I am probably echoing others above when I conclude that taking (properly) experienced people out with your your own boat in your intended cruising grounds is the best way to learn. If they are a professional so much the better as 'teaching' is more than simply knowledge - all points to an ideal of doing a proper DS course over a couple of days or a week on your own 'new' boat when you get it - ideally including S(H)WMBO at their own pace.
Probably the only investment in your boating life guaranteed to give a return!
then, many years later, I bought a dory package and went boating with the family ..........
subsequently
the worst training I had was a day skipper theory evening class thing - way to much theory for theories sake, far to focused on chart based navigation and exact tidal calculations
the best training I ever had (and still get) was expanding my horizons in company of more experienced (either generally or specific locality/trip) skippers. This included Solitaire (again!) and BrendanS (I had a faster boat then!) in Pathfinder PBC, a whole week trailaway in Plymouth with MBM, but is now more commonly with familar faces on here!
I am probably echoing others above when I conclude that taking (properly) experienced people out with your your own boat in your intended cruising grounds is the best way to learn. If they are a professional so much the better as 'teaching' is more than simply knowledge - all points to an ideal of doing a proper DS course over a couple of days or a week on your own 'new' boat when you get it - ideally including S(H)WMBO at their own pace.
Probably the only investment in your boating life guaranteed to give a return!
