How to learn sailing

Posted by PeculiarNed@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 17 comments

Feel free to add anything.

How to start sailing.

Every few days there is a post about people wanting to start sailing or getting into the sport. I decided to write this up with most of the things I can think of.

Please feel free to add points. Maybe we can turn this into something that can be referenced.

Ask yourself, what type of sailing, there are endless types but I will try to condense them down to major ones.

Major types of sailing:
- Dingi sailing. These are open boats you normally cannot sleep on, can be done on the ocean shore or on lakes and wide rivers.
- In-land yacht sailing(A yacht in this instance is anything with a cabin). Lakes or rivers.
- Ocean yacht sailing, for simplicity anything with a cabin, either on-shore or off-shore.
Have a friend with a sail boat that's wiling to take you. Bring beer/rum and do what you're told.
- Advantages:
  - Often free
  - Have a good time with a friend
  - if the friend likes to teach probably the best and cheapest method out there
- Disadvantages:
  - Depends heavily on the friend
Take a course, if in the USA: ASA-101, Europe: RYA ICC or the national equivalent.
- Advantages:
  - you'll have a piece of paper in hand
  - you'll concentrate on learning skills, terminology and concepts
  - it might be more hands on than a sail with a friend who doesn't want to teach and answer the mio. questions you'll have
- Disadvantages:
  - Cost
  - Can be quite a commitment depending on where you live
Go on a boat charter: In Europe at least there are plenty of charters that offer payed crew slots to join a boat for a week or so. This makes sense of you want to longer sails and learn what it's like to live on a boat.
- Advantages:
  - Learn about boat life
  - See cool places
  - Meet new people
  - Know if sailing/boat life might be for you
- Disadvantages:
  - Meet new people
  - Fun is heavily dependent on weather, crew and skipper
Join a sailing club:
- Advantages:
  - Get out sailing for cheap
  - You can learn a lot in the local regattas
  - Get many contacts
  - Meet new people
- Disadvantages:
  - Club mentality
  - can be difficult to integrate,esp. if you're introverted
Buy a boat:
- Advantages:
  - learn everything there is to know
  - You can teach yourself quite bit safely if you're conservative
- Disadvantages:
  - You have to learn everything there is to know esp. boat maintenance
  - Can be very daunting if you have no experience

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V10L3NT@reddit

A fundamental "type" of sailing is going to be the distinction between recreational sailing, and racing. Even before boat types and locations, this is going to completely change how you approach the sport, what you'll get out of it, and how you'll want to approach learning.

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PeculiarNed@reddit (OP)

That's true I guess... But are people who have never sailed in their life really thinking about that?

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Diagon98@reddit

You post came at a perfect time, lol. I've been eyeing a folbot sailing kayak and I'm more than likely going to go for it, but I was wondering about it. I saw mixed reviews about kayak sailing online, people saying it's awesome, but others saying to avoid at all cost. Now I'm unsure, lol

I can't do any boats that are too big, all I have is a civic. I want to enjoy the water more this year, and sailing seems to be a good way. I also want to be able to store things with me, instead of having nothing.

Is a kayak or canoe really that bad?

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V10L3NT@reddit

Easy to assume they could be. Maybe their exposure was through SailGP, or Olympics, or a transcendent news story around a major race (Vendee, Sydney Hobart, Fastnet, etc.) where racing is the core activity, and they're curious.

It's still worth including as a type, because the pathways to participation may be very different for one versus the other

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PeculiarNed@reddit (OP)

I know nothing about racing... If you could maybe a 2 or 3 bullet points I will include it.

mexamericanadian@reddit

Hey guys, I'm one of those newbies that, at the age of 46, have been bitten by the sailing bug! Long story short, I acquired a 1974 17' MFG Whip for $60 (bought it for the trailer, planned on flipping it for $150) and then plans changed and it sat in my backyard for several years til I started watching sailing videos on YouTube this last winter. I've always thought sailing looked like fun, and I love being out on the water, so I drug the thing into the shop this winter and have been reading and watching videos to learn as much as possible. It's a lot!! However, I love learning even when it gets somewhat confusing at times, but it's making more sense than it did a four months ago. All that to say, I appreciate ALL the information and thank you, seasoned veterans of the sea, for all the insight.

Infamous-Adeptness71@reddit

Learning to crew is easy. Learning to skipper a boat is not easy. It's very hard. Sailing culture is not terribly welcoming to someone who wants to develop into a skipper. Maybe that's a good thing; because you have to be very self motivated and persistent.

Fix_Aggressive@reddit

A lot of it depends on if you are a self learner or not. Have you taught yourself other skills via books, friends, YouTube, etc. If so, sailing is just another skill. Buy or rent a small boat, 18-23 ft. Take it out on a slight wind day and try it out after you have prepped yourself ( you know what Im talking about).
If you like it great. Some people don't like sailing period.

freakent@reddit

I admire your commitment but I guarantee there will be 2 new posts by the weekend from people who have no sailing experience and want to know how to get started. The real answer should be learn how to use search.

MissingGravitas@reddit

Or add a wiki to the sub that people can reference.

comfortablydumb2@reddit

I learned how to sail with the book “Sailing for Dummies” and a Snark!

pima-trev@reddit

A chasing bubbles fan perhaps?

We did the same thing, sailing for dummies and a hunter

That would be the buy our own boat option.

kdjfsk@reddit

I got into windsurfing as an alternative to dinghys. there some major differences, but a whole lot of overlap in the venn diagrams.

Gone2SeaOnACat@reddit

I would suggest you amend the "Buy a boat" to be "Buy a small boat (12-22')

The people I have personally seen fail went bought a larger boat 30+ typically, but one fella 58'. That larger boat mean larger risk, larger costs, more time spent not sailing, etc. Even getting the boat out of the slip becomes very hard for a newbie and the first negative event (ground, rig issues, scared by the inlet, etc) and they are done.

I've personally seen ~3 out of every 4 people who bought a sailboat, in the marina where I was located, quit. Small boats are smaller risks and smaller problems.

I would frankly advise for just buying a small sailboat on a nearby lake or bay rather than taking the whole gamut of ASA courses. Not that ASA is bad... we enjoyed our courses... but save the money until after you have done it a few seasons and are sure you are all in.

A boating safety course is a minimum requirement from my perspective and required in some of countries.

PotentialDefault@reddit

This suggestion falls slightly b/n "join a sailing club" and "have a friend", but I'd say show up for race nights. In some instances you don't need to be a member or no anybody, you just ask around, find out when they are, and put yourself out there.

It's obviously helpful to have taken a lesson if its a school/club organizing, but that's not always the case and it definitely isn't required.

(You'll like be told no several times before you get a yes, but if you stick with it, you'll get a yes. I just went on my first off shore trip using the same method. I also got started by hanging around the clubs and introducing myself to people, so after 4 years its really come full circle)

NinnyMuggins270@reddit

Nautic ed is a great place to start before you buy/rent. All theoretical knowledge is online, then you go to a school and train in the practical aspect.

It's an absolute ton of information from basic boat handling all the way up to chartering your first bareboat. You can also learn at your own pace. They've even started a vr racing series from what I hear.