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Old 05-28-2007, 03:27 PM   #1
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Hello everyone!

I am fairly new here. I have never sailed in my life. I am currently landlocked and am unable to get any direct hands-on experience. I found and joined this forum for 2 main reasons: 1.) to learn as much as I can from experienced sailors, and 2.) the hope that someone here might be willing to give a guy like me a chance on their boat.

The focus of this post is number 1.). What can a person like me do in the meantime to learn as much as possible about sailing? Can any of you experienced sailors offer any advice or teach us any skills that we can learn academically that will help us if/when we finally get the chance to board a ship? Do you know any good websites for learning what we need to learn?

Perhaps it seems strange to try to learn in this manner, but for me it has been an effective method. I learned to snowboard in exactly this way. Before I went snowboarding for the first time, I studied up on it as much as possible, everything from technical details about snowboards and their properties, how to stand on the board, how to turn, how to do more advanced turns, etc. I got all of this into my head, and the first time I went snowboarding all I had to do was teach my body what my head already knew and learn what all of the things I had only read about actually felt. I was able to become fairly comfortable on a snowboard in a single day, and on the second day I was comfortable enough to ride some of the more advanced courses. Obviously snowboarding is not sailing.

However, I'd like to try to do a similar thing with sailing: learn as much as I can before hand so that when I actually do have the chance to get on a boat, I already have a good idea of what needs to be done, how it is done, etc. and only need to teach my body and hands how it actually feels to do these things, as well as how those things apply specifically to the boat I am on.

So, please post links to sites you think are effective in teaching what a complete newbie needs to know about sailing, or give your own advice in the thread, or both. I could of course Google these things, but I don't know enough about sailing to differentiate good advice from bad, which is why I am asking all of you experienced sailors. I am looking for any good information from basic to advanced:

- basic sailing theory

- sail and boat design

- tying knots (I found one site which seems to be good: Grog's Animated Knots. others are appreciated)

- useful sailing terminology and language (I have downloaded the free dictionary linked elsewhere on this site. Excellent!)

- daily life and activities on board a ship (everything from good cooking methods in the galley to what is expected on watch to things that should absolutely never be done on board a ship to...)

- tips and tricks that you have picked up that may not be commonly known

- tips and tricks that you have picked up that are so commonly known that no one ever talks about them

- anything else

Please help us landlocked newbies do as much as we can to become competent crew before we even set foot on a boat.

Any and all advice, be it in thread or links to good sites, is of course appreciated. As always, thanks for your time.

Happy sailing.
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Old 05-29-2007, 05:11 PM   #2
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Some books:

http://www.cruiser.co.za/books.asp

There are tons of info on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailing

Check the external links.

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/learning-sail-articles/

http://www.sailnet.com/collections/learnin.../basics/pie.htm

http://www.sailnet.com/collections/learnin...orientation.htm

http://www.smallcraftadvisor.com/content/seaworthiness/

http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/1220982tip.htm

and many more. try Google it.

Cheers
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Old 05-30-2007, 02:48 AM   #3
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The Best thing to do is get on the water, even if it is just a canoe with a sail and lee board.

In addition to the books, get one of the sailing games.

Don't get bogged down with the books without being on the water. Find some of the sailing/boating classes in your area. The local marine store will help. Get dressed for the water and pay your own way.

Just like driving a car, the really bad stuff rarely happens.
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Old 06-01-2007, 02:18 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mamoru View Post
I found and joined this forum for 2 main reasons: 1.) to learn as much as I can from experienced sailors, and 2.) the hope that someone here might be willing to give a guy like me a chance on their boat.

The focus of this post is number 1.). What can a person like me do in the meantime to learn as much as possible about sailing?
Hi Mamoru, There are some good sailing schools in Gibraltar, if that is feasible for you. With just a day skippers ticket you would probably have no difficulty in getting a ride across the pond in November/December when the cruiser head from the Med to the Caribbean.

Fair Winds
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Old 06-01-2007, 03:20 AM   #5
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I always tell people that are interested in sailing, that sailing is the easiest part of sailing.

I believe the most difficult part of sailing lies somewhere between diesel engine trouble shooting, pulling wire, manning an 8" grinder and knowing that a plunger does little to repair a clogged head.

and then comes the appreciation of a boat unit.



Start with learning to sail first and save the hard stuff for when you know you're hooked.
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Old 06-01-2007, 05:09 PM   #6
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See if you can find a sailing simulator close by. Expensive but worth it. Contact your local seamens institute or organization or even try the Ministry of Transport....
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Old 06-02-2007, 01:25 AM   #7
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Where did you study English?
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Old 06-02-2007, 08:14 PM   #8
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Thanks for the replies so far everyone. I'll get busy reading up on what I can. I do have a month off coming up in August, so I'll probably head up to the Mediterranean and check out some of the port towns in Northern Morocco and Southern Spain and see if I can find anyone to teach me during that time.

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Where did you study English?
I guess my profile doesn't make it clear, but I was born and raised in the United States. My English came from growing up on the east coast of the US, though I have been picking up more and more colloquial phrases from other kinds of English as I have been out of the US (I say "No worries" enough to rival any Australian, though with a decidedly American accent). Why? Is it that bad?
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Old 06-02-2007, 08:20 PM   #9
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Hi Mamoru, There are some good sailing schools in Gibraltar, if that is feasible for you. With just a day skippers ticket you would probably have no difficulty in getting a ride across the pond in November/December when the cruiser head from the Med to the Caribbean.
Oh, nice. I'll look into that. Any idea of the costs or do you have any recommendations for a particular school? I'll start googling around and see if that is a feasible option for the month of August.

Cheers.
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Old 06-02-2007, 09:08 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by mamoru View Post
Thanks for the replies so far everyone. I'll get busy reading up on what I can. I do have a month off coming up in August, so I'll probably head up to the Mediterranean and check out some of the port towns in Northern Morocco and Southern Spain and see if I can find anyone to teach me during that time.

I guess my profile doesn't make it clear, but I was born and raised in the United States. My English came from growing up on the east coast of the US, though I have been picking up more and more colloquial phrases from other kinds of English as I have been out of the US (I say "No worries" enough to rival any Australian, though with a decidedly American accent). Why? Is it that bad?
Actually it was good, and since I thought you were Moroccan I wanted to ask.
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Old 06-02-2007, 09:29 PM   #11
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Konnichiwa Mamoru,

Lesson#2....Oz 101.

"She'll be right, mate"...........Translation "No worries"

Ja mata.
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Old 06-03-2007, 09:12 AM   #12
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"She'll be right, mate"...........Translation "No worries"
heh. Yeah, but I could never get away with saying that. It just doesn't sound right with an American accent.

Just from working and hanging out with so many Aussies, Kiwis, and Brits in my time around the world, I've picked up quite a few bits of "international English " (for lack of a better phrase) that will probably make me sound a bit strange to other Americans if/when I return to the USA.

Auzzeeは€”“ž€š€š€”€š’べ€š’ま„ €Ÿ
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Old 06-03-2007, 09:12 PM   #13
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The idea of getting onto water--any water! is good. I started sailing in a canoe, it teaches you the basics. Else, when you're off for that month--take some sailing instruction somewhere--anywhere! Its best for it to be in small boats because the instructors will let you do your own thing. Then, when you're in a larger boat, it all makes sense, too. Good luck!
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Old 06-06-2007, 06:44 PM   #14
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@Mamoru

This may well be what you're looking for.

CD-ROM based sailing courses from beginner to skipper.

Good luck.
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