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Anyone do any sailing? How and what to learn?

fuzzybabybunny

fuzzybabybunny

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I'm interested in learning how to sail. Ideally I want to eventually get a packable kayak, a couple outriggers, and go sailing on the thing and use it as a mini platform for single-person scuba / freediving.

How hard and how long does it take to learn how to sail a small boat? Is sailing a larger boat significantly different?

I recently got into paragliding and realized that the physics of sailing seems to be pretty much the same thing, only that the 'wing' is standing up vertically on a sailboat, but still producing thrust when faced into the wind.
 
The principles of a smaller boat are the same as a large, although the rig can be very different. Surfboards, kayaks and canoes are often essentially a lateen rig, whereas most larger yachts are marconi-rigged.

It's not difficult to learn the basics, although it takes time and experience to learn how to handle the boat in different conditions. I forget where you live but lots of coastal cities have sailing schools. Go out for a day and see how you like it.
 
Markbnj said:
The principles of a smaller boat are the same as a large, although the rig can be very different. Surfboards, kayaks and canoes are often essentially a lateen rig, whereas most larger yachts are marconi-rigged.

It's not difficult to learn the basics, although it takes time and experience to learn how to handle the boat in different conditions. I forget where you live but lots of coastal cities have sailing schools. Go out for a day and see how you like it.
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Interesting. When I was living in Auckland there were some schools that offered three day courses. Three days? Really? That fast? My paragliding course spanned over 30-some days. Should I be looked for longer courses? I don't want to waste money on a course that's more geared towards tourists or someone who doesn't plan on touching a sailboat after the course.
 
fuzzybabybunny said:
Interesting. When I was living in Auckland there were some schools that offered three day courses. Three days? Really? That fast? My paragliding course spanned over 30-some days. Should I be looked for longer courses? I don't want to waste money on a course that's more geared towards tourists or someone who doesn't plan on touching a sailboat after the course.
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You could learn the basics in three days, which is probably all they aim to teach. The rest takes a lifetime, I suspect in both sports.
 
Markbnj said:
You could learn the basics in three days, which is probably all they aim to teach. The rest takes a lifetime, I suspect in both sports.
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Is sailing one of those things where after you learn the basics you can just figure out the rest yourself and become competent by just sailing a lot on your own?
 
I know around here (South East CT/Western RI) they offer lessons all over the place. I never got into it, but I have a few friends who sail competitively.
 
If you slap an outboard on it, you won't have to rely on that pesky wind.
 
I've done a lot of hobie (small catamaran) and sunfish (small standard standard boat) sailing. Pretty simple but does take someone to show you around at first and how to handle a various issues. Things get hairy when the winds pick up and the surf gets rough, particularly if you're going out too far in a harbor or bay. It's a phenomenal time tho - I can only imagine how great it must be in a larger sailboat (and how scary it can get.)
 
fuzzybabybunny said:
Is sailing one of those things where after you learn the basics you can just figure out the rest yourself and become competent by just sailing a lot on your own?
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Depends entirely on your boat.

I have been sailing for as long as I can remember - started with my dad around age 7 or 8 just steering the Laser. From there I learned to solo a few years later on the Laser and have been putzing around Lake Huron on that for years. We just bought a 16 ft Hobie last summer and that thing is frigging phenomenal.

I cannot recommend enough getting a Laser for learning. You can have TONS of fun on that thing. It gets up to 8 knots easy if you know what you're doing. Pretty safe, easy to right when you flip it. Lots of upper body strength if you really work the sail hard too.

You must have a basic understanding of how sailboats work, which you will learn if you take lessons. Even just an hour or two on a boat with someone who knows what they're doing is enough. The major principles are the same between boats, but each boat has its own safety requirements and necessities. Safety is enormous on sailboats.
 
cbrunny said:
Depends entirely on your boat.

I have been sailing for as long as I can remember - started with my dad around age 7 or 8 just steering the Laser. From there I learned to solo a few years later on the Laser and have been putzing around Lake Huron on that for years. We just bought a 16 ft Hobie last summer and that thing is frigging phenomenal.

I cannot recommend enough getting a Laser for learning. You can have TONS of fun on that thing. It gets up to 8 knots easy if you know what you're doing. Pretty safe, easy to right when you flip it. Lots of upper body strength if you really work the sail hard too.

You must have a basic understanding of how sailboats work, which you will learn if you take lessons. Even just an hour or two on a boat with someone who knows what they're doing is enough. The major principles are the same between boats, but each boat has its own safety requirements and necessities. Safety is enormous on sailboats.
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:thumbsup: Sailing is one of those things that isn't difficult to learn the basics but things like reading the wind and weather, knowing the rules of boating and how to read charts/channel markers, anchoring, day/night time navigation and navigating in general can take much longer.

Small sailboats are extremely fun. I always enjoy sailing the smaller boats.
 
fuzzybabybunny said:
Is sailing one of those things where after you learn the basics you can just figure out the rest yourself and become competent by just sailing a lot on your own?
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What cbrunny said. With a small boat like a laser or star or a dinghy class you can just go out and play. Who cares if you capsize? You get on the centerboard, lever it back up and bail it out. So you can experiment and get a feel for how things work. If you bump into something no great harm done.

With a larger boat how to set and trim sail is only one aspect of safe navigation. Just maneuvering a larger boat takes a lot of practice, and a sail boat with its typically smaller engine, single prop, and rig sticking up into the wind poses a particular challenge. That's something you work your way up to.

Speaking of sailboats ...

tQA3CdV.png


Looking aft down the deck of Gazela Primiero, the largest sailing vessel I have personally helmed, but by no means the largest. And then I will just toss in for good measure the most beautiful sailing vessel in the world:

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Pic taken by me off the coast of Nova Scotia, 1985. Ten internets to the poster who identifies her.
 
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John Connor said:
Own one myself...named it after the beautiful female cheerleader specimen I seen in high school: Alison.
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Seriously? You named your boat after a cheerleader from high school that you've been fapping to for almost 20 years?

I think that just might be the single sorriest post that I've ever read on ATOT.
 
Markbnj said:
Pic taken by me off the coast of Nova Scotia, 1985. Ten internets to the poster who identifies her.
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Bluenose II

which i totally didn't get in 5 seconds from a google image search, of which the only real result is your personal website.
 
mnewsham said:
which i totally didn't get in 5 seconds from a google image search, of which the only real result is your personal website.
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I guess you get the internets then, despite your blatant cheating. Actually that's pretty amazingly accurate, since that pic was taken by me and scanned in and placed online only last summer.
 
OP, if you stop and settle somewhere for a while look into the local racing scene. I did that for a couple of summers. You can hang out and possibly crew on a boat, it is a great way to learn.
 
I took a sailing class at the U. We went out in small one-person boats. The U has a club too where alumni can continue.
 
I would say nautical navigation would be a must. Once you lose sight of land, do you know how to get where you are going?
 
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