Need advice: living in a landlocked country, want to try sailing before committing

[intikee]

Hi,


We'd like to try sailing and see if it's for us before committing further. The problem is that we live in a landlocked country.


There is a large lake next to us, the Bodensee, but we moved to the country a few years ago (shortly before the pandemic!) and don't speak the language too well.


In short, we're having trouble meeting someone who owns a sail boat and who'd be keen to take us for a sail so we can figure out if we like it, or if our future is land-based.


I know this is a long shot, would anyone have any advice on how to try out sailing without committing thousands on a sailing course abroad?

[psk125]

It is getting late in the season to post a sign on a yacht club bulletin board, but it might work. A better route might be to ask around at work to find out if there are any sailors there, and discuss it over an after-work drink.

[JPA Cate]

intikee,

Interesting problem, but here's something to consider. Your written English is fine; and most Swiss people speak some English. Most Europeans speak more than one language, perhaps you could converse with them in French, Italian, or whatever other language you have that will work, even though imperfect, or with written English.

Usually, the cheapest way to get on someone else's boat is as volunteer race crew, so for the next season, that's something you could consider. Perhaps Lake Bodensee has enough sailboats for racing.... It is a classic joke among sailors that if there are 2 boats headed in the same direction, there is a race. At least, an impromptu one.

Anyhow, you're in a good place to take up skiing, and that's fun, too.

Ann

[Overdue]

Hi Intikee,

Maybe first try watching several videos at Youtube (check titles such as "beginning sailing", "daysailing", etc).

I just did a Google search "lake Bodensee, sailboat charter" and found several leads you might consider, including a sailing school. They might offer half-day cruises, where they allow you to participate in running the boat. That should be a decent introduction for you, and then decide if you want to enroll in the school. Most sailing schools have boats available for students to use when learning.

Good luck.

[TrentePieds]

Welcome Intikee :-)

You certainly don't need to "go foreign" to learn to sail! Bodensee - Lake Constance to those of us who operate mainly in English - is a large lake, much larger than you really need to learn to sail!

I gather you are in the Thurgau so whip around the bottom of the lake to Wasserburg on the other side and you will find a sailing school there. Google "Segelschule Wasserburg".

Understand, please, that "sailing" is not one, single thing! Distinguish first between racing and cruising. Simple boat handling I could teach you in a weekend. There is nothing to it :-)! Sailing with finesse and getting the last ounce (gramme :-)?) of performance out of a given boat is what racing teaches you. And Segelschule Wasserburg will teach you racing :-)!

Cruising is a whole different breed of cat, and in the early stages of learning to cruise you are NOT really concerned with your boat's performance. What you ARE concerned with is learning to live and be comfortable in an excruciatingly small space. Those of us who hang out on CF have learned to do that, and we love it. Else we wouldn't be here! But most people hate it. They may try it, only to discover that it is not for them.

Segelschule Wasserburg is bound to have access to cruising boats in the 26 to 36 foot range and to offer "cruise and learn" vacations that will give you a taste of cruising without your having to commit vast funds to it. Remember that a 26 foot boat has a speed of maybe 10Km per hour, so it'll take you all summer and then some to explore the Bodensee.

So contact your local sailing schools and yacht clubs. There are many of them!

Bonne chance/viel Glück :-)!

TrentePieds

[intikee]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Welcome Intikee :-)
Understand, please, that "sailing" is not one, single thing! Distinguish first between racing and cruising. Simple boat handling I could teach you in a weekend. There is nothing to it :-)! Sailing with finesse and getting the last ounce (gramme :-)?) of performance out of a given boat is what racing teaches you.

We live in SG, so Bodensee is easily reachable by train or bicycle.


However, we're not interested in racing at all. We don't mind going slow and enjoying rather than get every single bit of performance out of the boat If trying it out means joining a race boat crew, that's fine but our ultimate goal would be cruising.



I had a look at Segelschule Wasserburg but it seems they only have small sailboats (optimists I think they're called?) that don't look like it can fit more than one person. And their online booking says there is nothing available. I suppose they shut down for the cold season.


What we're considering is whether to move on a sailboat in a couple of years and sail away. But since we have never lived on a boat and don't know how to sail, we'd like to find out if we like it first...


I've found a few yacht clubs on the Swiss side, all in German of course. I'll try to contact them and see what comes out of it. If that doesn't work out, I'll be stumped.

[Lu_Be]

Hi intikee
I live in Zurich.
My Chiquita (8m Sailboat, sleeps 4, no toilet or galley) is in the water year round. I'm sailing year round and in most conditions. When there is no wind, I'll just motor out, have a drink and enjoy the time on the water.
It's not that big of a boat (although ppl. live on this type of boat and even crossed the atlantic in one).

The lake of Zurich shouldn't be to far from you. Maybe a 1-1.5h drive. I'm happy to take you out on the water some time if you're interested.

[Sailer_Med]

Maybe, and I'm just suggesting this based on some experience, sailing just isn't for you. By way of analogy...

When I lived in southern Illinois, I thought skiing would be pretty cool. It was a 13 hour drive to Colorado ski country, or a commute by air anyplace worth going. I decided that since I didn't have already a ski addiction I'd just pass and go on with my life. Eventually I moved to Southern California and tried out snowboarding and decided that even given close physical proximity to slopes it was just too much overhead.

Maybe someday you'll move closer to water and discover a new love. Or maybe not. There is a time and place for everything.

[ChrisJHC]

This site will give you a good start:

https://www.lindau.de/en/experience-...isure/sailing/

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Lu_Be

Hi intikee
I live in Zurich.
My Chiquita (8m Sailboat, sleeps 4, no toilet or galley) is in the water year round. I'm sailing year round and in most conditions. When there is no wind, I'll just motor out, have a drink and enjoy the time on the water.
It's not that big of a boat (although ppl. live on this type of boat and even crossed the atlantic in one).

The lake of Zurich shouldn't be to far from you. Maybe a 1-1.5h drive. I'm happy to take you out on the water some time if you're interested.

What a sweet and generous offer. Thank you Lu_Be, for your offer. Good on ya, mate, from Tasmania, Australia, a half a world away!

[Lu_Be]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

What a sweet and generous offer. Thank you Lu_Be, for your offer. Good on ya, mate, from Tasmania, Australia, a half a world away!

Since we have much more beautiful mountains then big lakes, let alone an ocean (very unfortunat, would make this country perfect ;-)), sailing is not as popular as it should be. Also because moorings are very rare and hard to get. On some lakes the waiting time for a sailboat-mooring is up to 20 years.
Most sailors and clubs use smaller boats or regatta boats. Only lake constance has a fair amount of vessels in the 30-35 foot range because of its size.

I love my country and the people but am aware of our cultural awkwardnes when it comes down to being open to strangers. Especially for expats it can be hard to find social contacts and friends.
By no means I‘m trying to say that he doesn‘t have any! [emoji28]
I travelled a lot and met many amazing people all around the globe. So why not try to solve 2 problems at once?! Helping someone to find a new community and possibly make a new friend while also tring to get new people on the water under sail?!

I hope you can enjoy a daysail in AUS today. I‘ll go out as well, but it‘s 15*C with a 80% chance of rain… Well, problably the weather is another downside of Switzerland [emoji23]

[Yellowtulip]

Originally Posted by intikee

We live in SG, so Bodensee is easily reachable by train or bicycle.


However, we're not interested in racing at all. We don't mind going slow and enjoying rather than get every single bit of performance out of the boat If trying it out means joining a race boat crew, that's fine but our ultimate goal would be cruising.



I had a look at Segelschule Wasserburg but it seems they only have small sailboats (optimists I think they're called?) that don't look like it can fit more than one person. And their online booking says there is nothing available. I suppose they shut down for the cold season.


What we're considering is whether to move on a sailboat in a couple of years and sail away. But since we have never lived on a boat and don't know how to sail, we'd like to find out if we like it first...


I've found a few yacht clubs on the Swiss side, all in German of course. I'll try to contact them and see what comes out of it. If that doesn't work out, I'll be stumped.

You didn’t look very closely. Google Segelschule Wasserburg and use the ‘translate this page’ function. They have all sorts of courses. Ideal for you would be the ‘Day out with a skipper’ in a 29-foot boat.

[denverd0n]

I learned how to sail in the lakes around Omaha, Nebraska. Look it up on a map. About as far from an ocean as you can get in North America.

[intikee]

Originally Posted by Lu_Be

Hi intikee
I live in Zurich.
My Chiquita (8m Sailboat, sleeps 4, no toilet or galley) is in the water year round. I'm sailing year round and in most conditions. When there is no wind, I'll just motor out, have a drink and enjoy the time on the water.
It's not that big of a boat (although ppl. live on this type of boat and even crossed the atlantic in one).

The lake of Zurich shouldn't be to far from you. Maybe a 1-1.5h drive. I'm happy to take you out on the water some time if you're interested.

That's great, thank you! I'm sending you a private message.