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how hard is it to learn to sail a boat?
I am thinking about buying a sail boat and sailing around the carribean. How hard is it and how long does it take to catch on to the whole concept? How do you go about docking at unfamiliar ports and what is tha process of docking at foreign ports?
I've got a "how I learned to sail" story; you can see it here...
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Al.dRS9F2IJi0bUMSDQBc2rty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20080416012338AAn821K&show=7#profile-info-cvwn4zL9aa
I guess it depends on your particular learning style. If you can learn how to do something by reading the manual, then I recommend "Sailing for Dummies"; I taught myself to sail using this book.
There are many videos available (I've gotten many of them via Netflix), some are better than others, and, in many cases, MUCH better than others.
However, nothing will beat being trained by a certified sailing instructor. If you are planning to sail the Carribean, you are typically looking at a larger (fixed-keel) boat, and taking some formal classes would not only be prudent, it should be required. After all, you wouldn't put a beginner driver behind the wheel and send them out onto the road without at least SOME training...
I learned how to sail on a 10 foot dinghy on a private lake, and became pretty accomplished with regards to the mechanics/process of sailing. But that is just the beginning; in order to sail bigger boats out on the ocean, there is another level of knowledge necessary to not only be successful, but just to keep yourself alive (like rules of the road, navigation, docking, anchoring, storm tactics, etc).
Most areas have clubs or schools where you can get certified training; the two certification groups that I know of are US Sailing and ASA. If you are planning to shell out some bucks for a sailboat and intend to be out on the ocean for days at a time, the classes are cheap, considering the knowledge you will gain.
Even though I was a pretty good dinghy sailor, the club where I took my classes wouldn't let me sail their boats unless I took at least the Basic Keelboat class (4 day class, half classroom, half on the water). It bugged me at first, but in hindsight I'm glad they did it.
I have several ASA certifications (Basic Keelboat, Basic Coastal Cruising, Coastal Navigation); I would recommend these as a bare minimum to do anything more than daysailing. You should seriously consider Bareboat Chartering (even if you own your own boat), and Advanced Coastal Cruising. My club offers package deals on more advanced training; shop around, but make sure your instructors are certified to teach the particular class.
I've taught a number of people to sail (including my children), but I would (and do) encourage them and anyone to take a formal class if they want to be certified. The guys who taught my classes have forgotten more about sailing than I have learned to date.
{edit}
Thanx Ed. It is my experience (and I have been told the same by others) that if you learn on a small boat (like a dinghy or Hobie cat), the larger boats are much easier to sail. When I was learning to sail on the Sprite, my buddy told me that it would be the hardest boat I'd ever sail. When I finally took the keelboat class, the instructor asked if anyone had ever sailed before. When it was my turn, I told my "learning to sail" story; he stopped me and announced that dinghy sailors were the best sailors, especially if they sailed on a lake, because everything happens faster (sometimes MUCH faster) on a dinghy, and lake sailing is especially challenging due to significant wind shifts. I taught my brother to sail on a keelboat out of Boston harbor. After a summer of sailing on the ocean, he almost quit sailing when we went back to the lake.
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What is the best way to sell an antique sail boat that is in need of restoration and repair work?
I recently inherited this boat -- 1937, 35 feet, with sails and a restored motor. Unfortunately, the motor is the only restored item. The rest of the boat is need of structural work in order to make her sea-worthy once again. She was once (and can become again) a beautiful vessel. I am not knowledgable about sail boats, so I would like the future owner to be someone who will give her the care and attention she needs. I am sure that she will be an ideal investment for someone, who is willing to do (or fund) the repair work. Once the work has been completed, she will surely be worth a considerable amount of money, given her age. I sell lots of items on ebay, but somehow think that is not the best venue for this kind of transaction.
Buy a copy of Woodenboat magazine - place an ad there. Check out acbs.org - the Antique and Classic Boat Society. Run a free ad on Craigslist.org. Lots of options - ebay gets lots of exposure, but plan to run the ad extra long - 10 days or more would be my recomendation. Be realistic on the reserve or starting bid. It's likely the boat purchase will be a fraction of the money spent in order to make it seaworthy again.
