Hi All, I'm looking for lessons on sailing, and trying to figure out what I should expect to pay. My background on sailing is little more then the admiration of boats at shows, and some brief reading on the internet. I've come across a nice 40' in my price range. The size is where I was looking as well. Eventually, some years down the line, I'd like to embark on transcontinental trips, but for now I'm trying to get my feet wet, so to speak. I'm familiar iwth terminilogy, and have rented fishing boats and power boats and such, and a friend of mine has a 40' sportfisher. While that was my origional intent, for ease, the thought of sailing appeals to me greatly. The range, and freedom of electrical/mechanical noise. So if anyone could provide suggestions on locations on the eastern coast, NJ/DE/MD preferably, and what I would expect to pay, and what it would encompass, I would appreicate it. Also, if they have boats, or if they'd expect to teach me on my boat, would be good to know as well. Cheers, Justin
I would suggest getting a small, say 20', day sailer and maybe hire someone to go out with you a few times to learn the basics. Then sail a lot. I learned to sail at 9yo on 8' prams at a summer camp. We also sailed on Rebels and lightnings. I went on to own an 11' Penguin, a Force Five, and a 14' Hobie Cat. I raced the Force Five at our local yacht club. I didn't do very well but I learned a lot about getting the most out of your boat. In fact if you really want to learn to sail I can think of no better way than to get hold of a Laser and find a local group racing them. I have crewed, as a guest, on a number of sailboats up to 60'. It's not as simple as turning a key and pushing a throttle. There's constant work involved hoisting and reefing and trimming the sails. Most cruising boats have an autopilot but most smaller or day sailer boats don't. I've been mostly on power boats since my 20s but I still love sailing.
The quickest and easiest way to get your feet wet (so to speak) is to find out which local yacht clubs have weekly regattas and simply email them asking if there's any need for crew. Chances are someone will need an extra pair of hands and will be willing to take anyone eager to learn the ropes. Most clubs that I know of also offer sailing lessons starting at the basic level and going up... from dinghies to keel-boats. The principles learned on the smallest boats will apply all the way up.
Unfortunately my time is limited, as is money, so buying another boat would be difficult. It seems that hiring someone to sail with me for the first few times would be my best bet. We don't have a local yacht club, and I work full time and raise 2 kids by myself, getting out is pretty difficult short of every other weekend when the ex has the kids.
Try this: http://www.annapolissailing.com/index.php Although I don't know these folks personally I've heard good things and you'll be hard pressed to learn more about sailing than you will in Annopolis, Md.
As a cruiser owner & racer (mainsail trimmer on an IRC fleet sailboat), I would suggest getting instruction on a Soling (21 ft) or a J-24 (they are very popular in the US). These are keelboats which have similar hydrodynamic properties to a 40 footer since they have heavier keels than a centerboard dinghy, which has little stability on its own. A laser is imho not a winter boat and very uncomfortable to learn on by yourself. During your courses, I would suggest a keelboat with which could progress onto its one-design racing in the same club. I took courses at the "Boston Sailing Center" in Boston Harbor during my college years. The Soling is my favorite keelboat among all, very stable and a bit over canvassed so you could sail in light weather as well. Olson 25 is another example. In addition to NYCAP's recommendation (Annapolis), I might suggest the following school: http://www.offshoresailing.com/ From the locations menu, choose New York- then New Jersey on the left. This above-mentioned company is known for its racing instruction in Florida, it might be worthwhile to check it out for New Jersey as well. If you would like to go for certification I would suggest the "US Sailing" one instead of "ASA", since US Sailing is the official body for organizing races (The American Sailing Federation). From my personal experience, racing involves many elements in addition to sailing so choose the team carefully so you could get along well. Some people swear like in a football game and get on your nerves. One design racing is very close, a handicapped fleet race might be more fun to start with. I believe some clubs have adopted the IRC rating in the U.S but others might follow the IMS. In terms of pricing, from what I could gather a private lesson might vary but a class instruction in basic or advanced sailing would cost around $800. This might include both theory and practice sessions spread over a number of weeks. A cruising course (3 days on the water) might cost around $1000. In summary, the Colgate School in New Jersey, the Manhattan Sailing School in New York (not close to you, but the one that comes to mind) might be good choices. Good luck and kind regards, vivariva
Hi, There are a number of Yacht Clubs not that far from K o P that you could maybe try to see if they have any sort of regular sailing things where you might get a berth. Here is a link to what Google found for me when I searched for local yacht clubs near your location. http://tinyurl.com/2dxh3xb
i'm not sure a racing environment is the right way to learn the basic of sailing for a number of reason including the "stress" of racing expecially if on a boat where the crew takes it a little too seriously! a more relaxed setting will be a better way to learn, most clubs have learn to sail programs in addition to the sailing schools. getting started on a smaller keep boat like a J24 is a good way to start, they're pretty simple boats and easy to handle.
I agree with you, the reason why I mentioned the racing part is to make it easier for Nasomi, should the decision to be a crew on a sailboat become a reality. A totally different boat takes time to adapt, the same one on which you have learned how to sail is much easier to join as a crew. It takes 3 to sail a J-24 in a race mode. Its best to start with a learn to sail course, I second that. Cheers, VR
Start in small boats I think it's best to start in small boats. Find a local sailing school that has lessons in Lasers or another one-person boat and learn the basics there. There's no better way to really get a feel for wind and waves and the boat than a small dinghy. I don't think crewing on a boat is a good way to learn because you're only going to get a very narrow range of experience, and you're unlikely to get to steer very much. Working up to a J/24 is a good idea, those are excellent all-round boats and you can learn a lot sailing them - trim, tuning, balance, etc.
New Sailor This is good advice, for several months spend some time on small boats. You are close to Annapolis MD, so I would highly recommend them. They will give you a good basic instruction that can be build upon as you get more experience. I owned a number of small catamaran rental operations early on and we introduced a LOT of first timers to the experience of sailing. Once they had the least bit of confidence in handling a boat with sails on it, then their enthusiasm flourished and they went on to bigger things.
