Sailing advice?

[Usarka]

Anyone into sailing? I'm thinking of options of ditching the rat race for a while and considering either buying a boat and head to yonder lands solo or crewing on similar.

No hands on experience but have been a passenger including 1 week liveaboard sailing around the galapagos (6 berths, 9 pax) and haven't been in my life apart from alcohol despite trying (flying etc).

Can kite surf though, and have a reasonable weather/navigational understanding.

Anyone got advice on where to start?

Cheers in advance.

[Bender]

Penny Whiting sailing course. Good way to get a handle on the basics. Then volunteer to crew for the racing boys to learn more about boat handling, systems, ect.

From there you can either bludge a ride overseas or sit coastguard yachtmaster courses which are very good.

[Big Dave]

considering either buying a boat
Anyone got advice on where to start?

Stand under the shower and tear up $100 notes.

[Usarka]

Stand under the shower and tear up $100 notes.

As someone wise once said to me, the best way to ruin a boat is to put it in the water.

Penny Whiting sailing course. Good way to get a handle on the basics. Then volunteer to crew for the racing boys to learn more about boat handling, systems, ect.

From their website the coures only go until March.....

Do people sail over winter?

[scissorhands]

Richmond yacht club does a great breakfast @ 7pm wens? I think.... Or, just go up to the bar after wens? nite races.

Or, if round the buoys and lots of piss aint your scene, a lot of boats will be leaving for Tonga and the world, in the next 2 months

[SMOKEU]

Get a bit of experience first before going out to sea, or you might get that dreaded sinking feeling.

[Bender]

There is a lot of information on www.crew.org.nz including crew wanted classifieds. Its an OK website but not brilliant and it may be of some help to get into it. People most definitely sail during the winter. There is nothing quite like dragging your feet down the marina heading towards the yacht, when it's blowing 25 (freezing) knots, pissing with rain, and you're hungover wishing you were still in bed. That's sailing...

[PirateJafa]

I'd also recommend Penny Whiting's courses. I've never done one of hers myself, but I've met her a number of times over the years, and she is a switched-on person from a water-mad family (her brother designed the yacht I've clocked up by far the most hours on the water).

But don't go crewing on the "big boys" in the local harbour races, unless you want to just there pulling or loosening a single sheet for an entire day, or just playing rail-bunny for hours on end.

Find a skipper who will let you do a bit of everything. ESPECIALLY night racing. It'll take you a good few weeks to learn night-time sailing and navigation as second nature, and the open sea at night, speaking from experience, can be a very unforgiving place for the unwary/inexperienced.

Bucklands Beach Yacht Club run Friday Rum Races from 2pm every week, plus the Blowout races (Wednesdays IIRC?), plus just about every club or major class has a Winter Series. Could be a good way to get your feet under the table prior to looking into a Coastal Classic or similar.

[FJRider]

Do people sail over winter?

Do people ride motorcycles over winter ... ?????

[Usarka]

Cheers guys - rechecked Penny's website and there are a couple more courses in Apr so will look into. Wasn't wanting to shell out $650, but fuck it might as well just do it......

But don't go crewing on the "big boys" in the local harbour races, unless you want to just there pulling or loosening a single sheet for an entire day, or just playing rail-bunny for hours on end.

Find a skipper who will let you do a bit of everything. ESPECIALLY night racing. It'll take you a good few weeks to learn night-time sailing and navigation as second nature, and the open sea at night, speaking from experience, can be a very unforgiving place for the unwary/inexperienced.

Was kind of my thinking - i take it a bit of "networking" is required within the yacht clubs/community....?

Do people ride motorcycles over winter ... ?????

sigh.....

[CookMySock]

What about getting a launchmasters ticket or similar?


Steve

[Maha]

If theres one thing in my lifes that missing, its the time that I spend alone, sailing on the cool and bright clear water.
There lots of those friendly people, they're showing me ways to go, and I never wanna loose thier inspiration.

[yachtie10]

There always skippers looking for keen crew for racing and cruising
get in touch with the yacht clubs in your area

there lots of social sailing thats not that serious and the weekend race to somewhere then back the next day can be great fun plus you will learn a lot

Thursday and Friday rum racing run out of Westhaven every week

make sure you do enough time be fore you buy (if you buy) as the idea can be better than the reality. Especially if you are on a budget.

great hobby on other peoples boats but can be expensive to have your own.

Coastguard run courses quite cheaply and I recommend you do some

[PirateJafa]

If you plan to sail out of NZ's waters to overseas, there are some other things to take into mind.

Your yacht needs to meet some fairly hefty safety requirements (and if you've bought a yacht without taking this into consideration, potentially pretty expensive to bring it up to standard), and (IIRC) if you want insurance, you need to have completed a seamanship course (fucked if I can remember which one off the top of my head though).

[blossomsowner]

sailing is a great way to be................one of my uncles spends six months in the pacific islands each year and six months around nz........

no need to do winter sailing at all if you plan it right