Getting some basic feel and experience

[alansmith]

Several additional comments... I took a wonderful sailing class at Orange Coast college out of Newport Beach ,CA. So, call around to some of the city colleges on the coast and see who has a sailing program.

Scopolamine patches... placed behind the ear help tremendously with mal de mar. A lot of seasickness is based on deep fears. You wretched your brains out on the ocean one time and now you fear it so much that you get sick in your bathtub... joking ��. Overtime I rarely get sick.

There are three axis a boat’s plane moves through. Pitch, roll, and yaw. It is the roll and yaw that mess me up in a decent seaway. I have a trimaran. It doesn’t get much roll and yaw is greatly reduced. A monohull when sailing downwind or broadreaching has a lot of roll and yaw. That is what really can get you chumming. So, try different types of sailing boats to see if cats, tris, or monos affect you the least.

[alansmith]

Several additional comments... I took a wonderful sailing class at Orange Coast college out of Newport Beach ,CA. So, call around to some of the city colleges on the coast and see who has a sailing program.

Scopolamine patches... placed behind the ear help tremendously with mal de mar. A lot of seasickness is based on deep fears. You wretched your brains out on the ocean one time and now you fear it so much that you get sick in your bathtub... joking ��. Overtime I rarely get sick.

There are three axis a boat’s plane moves through. Pitch, roll, and yaw. It is the roll and yaw that mess me up in a decent seaway. I have a trimaran. It doesn’t get much roll and yaw is greatly reduced. A monohull when sailing downwind or broadreaching has a lot of roll and yaw. That is what really can get you chumming. So, try different types of sailing boats to see if cats, tris, or monos affect you the least.

[fireant]

Thank you for all your advice. Planning to look into sailing club. I had no idea they got a newbe try out available.
There is a lot of info in there thread to keep me busy for a while.
I were also offered to go sailing with a member on here for a try.
Going to get something for my seasickness before hand just to be safe.
We are looking at a few boats under 30ft. We wont pull the trigger untill we are sure its something we want to pursue. It will be something not expensive so later we can sell if we decide to go sailing full time.

Alex

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by fireant

Thank you for all your advice. Planning to look into sailing club. I had no idea they got a newbe try out available.
There is a lot of info in there thread to keep me busy for a while.
I were also offered to go sailing with a member on here for a try.
Going to get something for my seasickness before hand just to be safe.
We are looking at a few boats under 30ft. We wont pull the trigger untill we are sure its something we want to pursue. It will be something not expensive so later we can sell if we decide to go sailing full time.

Alex

Good luck!

[mlydon]

Most clubs do Wednesday night racing (could be another night), and the racers are usually eagerly looking for crew. Find a local club and ask. While experienced crew are preferred, there’s usually a shortage, and so long as you aren’t dead weight or ask a zillion questions during the race, you’ll be welcome. A great way to get sailing for a few hours at a time.

Matt

Pro tip: bring a large quantity of really good finger food, and you’ll be welcomed back

[Cpt Pat]

Originally Posted by alansmith

Several additional comments... I took a wonderful sailing class at Orange Coast college out of Newport Beach ,CA. So, call around to some of the city colleges on the coast and see who has a sailing program.

Scopolamine patches... placed behind the ear help tremendously with mal de mar. A lot of seasickness is based on deep fears. You wretched your brains out on the ocean one time and now you fear it so much that you get sick in your bathtub... joking ��. Overtime I rarely get sick.

There are three axis a boat’s plane moves through. Pitch, roll, and yaw. It is the roll and yaw that mess me up in a decent seaway. I have a trimaran. It doesn’t get much roll and yaw is greatly reduced. A monohull when sailing downwind or broadreaching has a lot of roll and yaw. That is what really can get you chumming. So, try different types of sailing boats to see if cats, tris, or monos affect you the least.

There are also the motions of sway (sideways motion), surge (acceleration/deceleration), and heave (up and down). All "six degrees of motion." In my boat, sway is the predominate motion.

> A lot of seasickness is based on deep fears.

So true. I highly recommend the book: "Psychology of Sailing: The Sea's Effects on Mind and Body" (https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Sa.../dp/0877429634). The author explains how much of seasickness is based on fear of seasickness. The chapters on optical illusions will be very helpful, and... if you go on a long cruise - you'll understand you aren't losing your mind if you hear "voices from the sea." Sixty percent of single-handers admit to having had such hallucinations (and the rest are liars). It even happened to Joshua Slocum (though I haven't yet had a specter offer to helm my boat).

Before sailing: I look in the mirror and say: "I never get seasick," and "I'm a klutz. Always wear and clip in that harness."

[mglonnro]

Originally Posted by Cpt Pat

The chapters on optical illusions will be very helpful, and... if you go on a long cruise - you'll understand you aren't losing your mind if you hear "voices from the sea." Sixty percent of single-handers admit to having had such hallucinations (and the rest are liars). It even happened to Joshua Slocum (though I haven't yet had a specter offer to helm my boat).

Yes! I've had audible hallucinations as well, a few times. First I thought it was because of the scopolamine patches, but later (without patches) I understood it was mostly due to sleep deprivation

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by Don C L

I'll take ya! Come on out with me! Bring your overalls though, you may need to scrape paint! OK just kidding. I'll PM you. My boat is out at Channel Islands.

You jest, but “sailing” involves equal time in maintenance. Dreamers see the pretty photos and exciting videos. Somehow the scraping, plumbing, and wrenching gets overlooked.

Every month there is some scary post about the horrors encountered while sailing, or what people are afraid of. In fall we busted the shaft 12 miles out of port, then waffling between zero wind and 25 knot, tore the Genoa. We weren’t afraid of sinking, or being becalmed or being blown on the lee shore, we were afraid of the time and money to fix that days damages!

[Don C L]

Yeah it's true, I think boat ownership, if you are in the middle class and don't have a lot of disposable income, requires a good set of DIY skills, some kind of shop or garage space, time and energy... and friends to help you out!

[nortonscove]

Where I'm located it's always possible to get on a boat by offering to help crew the can races. Sadly that's on the other side of a continent and in a different country. I've taken dozens of people out just because and it something I enjoy sharing with the uninitiated. Good luck in your search as it will be worth the effort.

[fireant]

Both of us took the offer from Don to go on his boat and try it out.
yesterday Don put the red carpet for the two of us. I don't know how he done it but he made sure the weather was just right the sea was as good as it gets the wind was just so.
If any of you have bad weather just give Don a call he will fix it.
I didnt get sea sick just a little queasy when we changed direction. All I did before was make very strong ginger tea the night before and the morning of.
That was a lot of fun and even for the few hours we were out Don showed us things about sailing. But he done most of the work and let us enjoy the ride.
Now the real problem is my girl she fell in love with sailing. steering most of the way out and back. feeling totally perfect, with a huge smile the all time. I blame it on Don for setting up the weather.
She took the hook, line, sinker and the fishing pole. She wants a boat and go sailing.
If we didnt insist to go back she would have taken us all the way to Hawaii and keeped on going. Lack of food and water had us going back.
I got to thank Don for getting us on the water.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Alex.

Generally, cruising is a longer-distance endeavour; and we are a cruisers forum (hence the name )

Check around local marinas, for daysailing, or racing, crew opportunities.

[DHLyman]

Lots of coastal delivery options here on the east coast. Short one and two day deliveries, then when your ready a 5 day offshore voyage to Bermuda, and back. Or a 2 week delivery from Newport to Bermuda to the Caribbean in the fall. Go t www.SailOPO.com. They are the offshore crew network, but they also have skippers and owners looking for crew to help them move a boat down, or up, the coast.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by fireant

I got to thank Don for getting us on the water.

It was really my pleasure meeting you both and getting out! Looks to me like you two are naturals! And any reason to get out on the water will get me out there! Next time we'll stay out longer and go farther... but not Hawaii yet.. I have to make it back for work on Mondays. And I wish I could say I had so much power over the weather!
For other folks like you, now that you have a feel for it, my recommendation is ASA classes, then bareboat chartering out to the local islands for practice and fun, then boat hunting, (though I know the temptation is to do it the other way around!) A small boat of your own to practice in now too is a really good idea IMO.
I have zero experience in cruising catamarans, so maybe you should charter one of those and invite me along!

[gilgrc]

Very good post and good information. I live in So Cal and base on this information I’m starting to look for a sailing school