Newcomer question - how to begin?

[JPA Cate]

Your wife preferring that you do most of the driving, so to speak, is okay; but she really needs to know enough to get you to a port safely, if you were incapacitated; and in my opinion, i think she needs to figure out how she would get you aboard if you get knocked overboard, or fall. With life being what it is, sometimes the engine won't work when she would prefer to rely on it; therefore, she needs to know how to sail the boat, effectively, as well as drive it with the engine on. She needs to know some first aid skills, and how to use the radio properly, and how to activate the EPIRB, too.

And yes, you and she will need to learn how to deal with boat motion, and it can be a long search to find what works for one. There are threads here on the subject. Use the CF Custom Google Search on the Search menu drop down.

Yes, the plan is good as far as it goes; and most important is that you both start accumulating sea miles and boat maintenance hours. The more you learn before you take off, the easier the transition will be.

Finally, I have to agree with Sage, above, that women's sailing classes, often taught by women, are best, most often. It removes much of the intrinsic sexism in coed classes, with which too many women have had to deal for too long. Plus, there's the added advantage of multiple teaching perspectives.

Good luck.

Ann