How much training do you need to be a live aboard?

[scottfree1]

Live Aboard Cruising Courses

The Offshore Sailing School British Virgin Islands
The Moorings on Wickhams Cay, Tortola
https://www.offshoresailing.com/our-locations/
Live Aboard Cruising Courses on Monohull and Catamaran Sailing Yachts and Power Catamarans At The Moorings base in Tortola, Offshore Sailing School provides US Sailing certification courses on Moorings 39′ to 48′ catamarans and monohulls, and power catamarans in this fantastic cruising destination. Enroll in a Live Aboard Cruising course today to earn US Sailing Basic and Bareboat Cruising certification on a fabulous Moorings yacht, or US Powerboat Certification on a big power cat..

[drcat]

A suggestion. Since you have sailed before but are probably a bit rusty and wondering if you remember some basics, marine rules and have not kept up with technology(VHF, Plotters, AIS) - buy and read 3 books for $80 if you don't already have them. Chapman's Piloting for $35, Nigel Calder's Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual ($20) and his Marine Diesel Engine manual ($25) as many boats have diesels. They'll refresh your memory, help you learn new things at your own pace, give you some confidence and you'll need them for reference in the future anyway.
Good luck and future fair winds.

[LargeMarge]

How much training do I need to live-aboard?

I think my live-aboard training can depend on location.

For example, south of South Africa can get breezy at times. Sea of Cortez can get breezy at times. The Inside Passage, Seattle to Alaska, is usually placid, although there are those pesky predictions of off-shore earthquakes and the resultant tsunami(s).

The amount of training I think I need varies with my level of comfort. For example, one of my hobbies is walking around RV parks seeking vehicles with the hood up and somebody tinkering with the innerds. I am constantly amazed at the amount of information I don't know:
"Say, you look like you are working on your rig. I'd sure like to know more about this new-fangled technology..."

I think the advice to jump on a boat and go-for-it might be applicable to some folks some times. YouTube and classroom instructions work to a point; hands-on to develop automatic muscle-memory works better for me.

Thanks for asking!

[Old Salty Bill]

I'm in the same position as you. I plan to find some local expertise so I can reacquire my lost skills on my 'new' boat. I've a Voyager 44 and will be single handed so looking forward to the challenge. I'm in St Lucia and we're the same age so train here?

[ssteakley]

You just need to learn how to keep the watet on the outside whether sailing or at the dock, You will sleep much better. All the rest is like building anything, one screw at a time.

[SuW]

Originally Posted by boatman61

No.. He's just showing how desperate charter firms are to hire out their boats.. some will even accept the joke online ICC.
Standards and safety count for nothing where cash is king.. things go bad, thats what insurance companies are for...

That is true. Around here (1000 Islands/Lake Ontario) companies rent out boats of many kinds, from kayaks to 50 foot houseboats. All they ask is a driver's license to make sure you don't steal the thing.

We've seen a number of houseboats relying on the kindness of strangers when "unexpected" bad weather shows up! Mind you, those things only run aground in water up to your knees so what could possibly go wrong?

[AJ-SeaChange]

Hi SaxonCross, your forum name leads me to believe you're UK based, so if you feel the need for a refresher course then the RYA have heaps, but you probably only need to do Day Skipper to wake up your dormant knowledge.


Just over a year ago my husband and I became liveaboards. Neither of us had ever set foot on a yacht prior to learning to sail in Gibraltar, then buying a Jeanneau SO 45.1 in Spain and sailing her (with some friends) across the Med to Turkey where we are currently spending the winter. You may find our blogs and/or videos about our experience helpful. To find them just type @sailingabsea into Google. All of our stuff will be top of the results. Would love to hear what your final decision is when you finally move aboard, so please post an update in this thread.



Happy sailing, Aannsha & Barry

[jkindredpdx]

Welcome, SaxonCross.
IMO Living aboard is much like living in a Caravan/RV and sailing is the easiest thing to (re)learn. More difficult in no particular order. Head use and maintenance, adjusting to a tiny refrigerator, learning not to bump your head on the companionway hatch, reducing clothing to about 2 carry-on bags worth of space, docking without hitting the deck box or your neighbor, steering in reverse... Me, I bought an older, well maintained, 35 foot boat, by a maker with a good reputation.