Just noticed this thread. Generally some good advice here.
Assuming you live near a large lake or ocean simply look for a sailing lessons advert. You want to start in a relaxed environment with small boats. A 20- 25" boat is best to learn on because you can feel the forces of the wind and water on the boat and gain an understanding of what sailing is,harnessing natural elements. They also respond to controls faster, means corrective action is faster. Learning to sail is an empirical undertaking. Ten hrs on the water will teach you more than 100 hrs of reading. Just simply put the time in progressing to larger boats. It's imperative to take the Coast Guard safety lessons/ general boating lessons and get those certs.
Find a local yacht club to join , you don't need a boat to join.
They will have " beer can " races every week, where the boats are classed according to size and all the local maniacs get out on the water and have a good time then go drink. There will be a sign up board for willing hands, if you're willing to hustle on the boat you'll always have a ride. This is great time in on the water and a good source of networking. Yacht clubs are generally reciprocal, if you belong to one that membership will get you into another in other parts of the world.
Don't even think of buying a boat as your experience level will dictate changes in what will be right for you.
Once you have experience go to the Caribbean and take a "bareboat" charter in a similar boat you have experience with. That means you just rent the boat with some friends, no captain or other personnel from the charter co. They generally provide food etc. After you do this a few times and have some level of confidence you can get into heavy weather classes, San Francisco has some that people come to from all over the world, the ocean gets rowdy up there.
It's a process, you never know it all, jump in and do it as time in is the biggest learning factor.
I've been ocean sailing and racing for 25 yrs, 8 boats. If it's for you there's nothing like it, the last bastion of freedom or at least the illusion of it. After my wife passed of cancer I had to get out of here, people were driving me crazy and I needed a big change. I sold the last boat we had together, a nautor swan 65:
http://www.swanyachtcharter.co.uk/kingslegend.html bought a wally 85 in Italy, called some experienced blue water buds and this was home for1.75 yrs.
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1990/Wally-Yachts--1692053/Greece
The crew changed all time of course, people can usually only get a couple weeks off from their respective realities.
I grabbed some vids for you, racing looks like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmgIdvNmUYo
Why you need to know what you're doing looks like these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvkWjQYzuCM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf7FddPO5QM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4oYkF3Ejuo&feature=related
Good luck with it.
Assuming you live near a large lake or ocean simply look for a sailing lessons advert. You want to start in a relaxed environment with small boats. A 20- 25" boat is best to learn on because you can feel the forces of the wind and water on the boat and gain an understanding of what sailing is,harnessing natural elements. They also respond to controls faster, means corrective action is faster. Learning to sail is an empirical undertaking. Ten hrs on the water will teach you more than 100 hrs of reading. Just simply put the time in progressing to larger boats. It's imperative to take the Coast Guard safety lessons/ general boating lessons and get those certs.
Find a local yacht club to join , you don't need a boat to join.
They will have " beer can " races every week, where the boats are classed according to size and all the local maniacs get out on the water and have a good time then go drink. There will be a sign up board for willing hands, if you're willing to hustle on the boat you'll always have a ride. This is great time in on the water and a good source of networking. Yacht clubs are generally reciprocal, if you belong to one that membership will get you into another in other parts of the world.
Don't even think of buying a boat as your experience level will dictate changes in what will be right for you.
Once you have experience go to the Caribbean and take a "bareboat" charter in a similar boat you have experience with. That means you just rent the boat with some friends, no captain or other personnel from the charter co. They generally provide food etc. After you do this a few times and have some level of confidence you can get into heavy weather classes, San Francisco has some that people come to from all over the world, the ocean gets rowdy up there.
It's a process, you never know it all, jump in and do it as time in is the biggest learning factor.
I've been ocean sailing and racing for 25 yrs, 8 boats. If it's for you there's nothing like it, the last bastion of freedom or at least the illusion of it. After my wife passed of cancer I had to get out of here, people were driving me crazy and I needed a big change. I sold the last boat we had together, a nautor swan 65:
http://www.swanyachtcharter.co.uk/kingslegend.html bought a wally 85 in Italy, called some experienced blue water buds and this was home for1.75 yrs.
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1990/Wally-Yachts--1692053/Greece
The crew changed all time of course, people can usually only get a couple weeks off from their respective realities.
I grabbed some vids for you, racing looks like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmgIdvNmUYo
Why you need to know what you're doing looks like these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvkWjQYzuCM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf7FddPO5QM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4oYkF3Ejuo&feature=related
Good luck with it.
