Room for one more?

[99CaptainZ]

Hello everybody! I’m moving from Colorado and buying a sailboat to live on and travel the East coast. And I’m poor. And I have no sailing experience. I realize this is the perfect recipe for disaster, but I’m not about to start being afraid of life and new adventures just yet. I was hoping that some of you might be willing to shed a little light on the classic rookie sailing mistakes, give me a few tips on what to do, what not to do, and how not to be “That Idiot”. It occurs to me that etiquette on the water may be the next most important thing after safety.

I’m not starting with NO knowledge of sailing – I’ve been reading books on how to sail and scouring the internet for knowledge. I taught myself to build computers and design websites, so I figure I can teach myself to sail – but I realize that with sailing, the consequences can be much more serious than with computers. The term “crash”, for instance, has a much more serious meaning. The “Blue Screen of Death” is potentially fatal! But I suspect that nearly anyone with the desire to learn can eventually sail (though not necessarily quickly or efficiently) with the right knowledge and experience.

I’ve been reading “The Complete Guide to Sailing” by A. H. Drummond, Jr. I am considering taking some sailing lessons. Is that the way to go? Please share your knowledge and experiences so that I can avoid the accidental jibe (resulting in the dead man’s float) and swamping my boat (I wouldn’t want my guitars to get wet).

Many thanks! I sense this is the right place to go for real sailing knowledge and I’m counting on you all to skool me in the ways of the water. Thanks again!

[99CaptainZ]

I've got my eye on a 1971 Columbia Mark II 26' cruiser in Virginia. Any thoughts on whether or not this is a wise investment? I don't want to be stuck with a problematic vessel. I'm good at wrenching and I know how to use most of the tools I own, but I don't want to have to work harder than necessary! Thoughts and advice will be deeply considered and much appreciated!

[ahnutts!]

If I was you, I'd look through a bunch of different boats and get a feel for the different designs, rigs, finishes, etc. Pics on yachtworld can be deceiving at times. There are only a few basic cabin layouts out there so you probably don't need to look at every type of boat ever made to decide what will work best for you.

Try to take a balanced approach, for some reason with sailboats some people seem to become obsessed with a single aspect or design feature of boats. One fellow once told me he couldn't go cruising cause he didn't have enough solar panels yet. He looked at me like I was crazy when I suggested he use his Honda generator to charge while he saves the money for his new panels. His boat hasn't left the dock in three years. You'll see threads on here talking about what boat is "the best at _______". Those threads are fun to read, but not very useful in the real world. Most of us have a long list of wants and a few needs, and we try to find a boat that fills our needs and a few of those wants.

Learning to sail is great, but the most important thing starting out is learning to control the boat around solid objects like docks and reefs. Unfortunately there's no parking brake on a boat and it can and will move in any direction. The water its floating in is always moving and you'll go with it.

Good luck

[denverd0n]

My suggestion would be that you move to a coastal area and start sailing. Lessons are a good idea. You can also check out yacht clubs and marinas, and can usually find someone who needs a "winch monkey" for the weekend races. This will get you out on the water and into different types of boats.

Starting out by buying a boat--when you know almost nothing about boats or sailing--is a really good recipe for wasting a lot of money on something that will not meet your needs.

Good luck.