Sailing

[Roscoe]

Morning all!

I have a hankering to learn how to sail. Nothing big, just a dinghy.

Always loved the sea and lochs, messed about on kayaks and the like before. many years ago I used to go out on my ex father in laws yacht, quite enjoyed that.

There's a sailing club about 25 minutes away at Prestwick. See them a lot, out on their dinghies, when we're down there walking the dogs on the beach.

What's the pros and cons? I'm 56, fairly fit.

 

[Slick]

Pros are, its fun and there are loads of opportunities in Scotland to do it safely.

Cons are, its worse than cycling at soaking up the cash.

Enjoy though, just a pity you've obviously missed summer as that was last week.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I started sailing just by joining a local club and crewing with some boat owners

I didn;t really learn that much beyond the crewing bit to start
but then I went on a holiday where dinghies were available on the beach and tuition was included in the holiday. The company I used has gone WAY up market since but there are other available
but they still are not cheap

but it is a lovely way to learn to sail

otherwise - look at the local sailing clubs that sail dinghies - they often have tuition available on certain weeks - but it might be for mostlu kids
but can;t hurt to ask

if not try this link to the RYA
https://find.rya.org.uk/search-resu...rowserLocation=false&locationSearch=Prestwick

SOme clubs mainly sail any old boat - others concentrate on modern high tech things - check what the different clubs in your area generally sail
It is like bikes - if everyone use the latest hi-tech speed machines then the atmosphere will be different to a club where people are sailing 30 year old things that will get round a course
eventually


Oh - and choose one with a bar!!!!!

 

[Roscoe]

Thanks guys.

The club I'm considering is quite small, all dinghies and does lessons for adults. They also hire the dinghies out to members, so no having to buy one!

 

[oldwheels]

I sailed for years but “ just a dinghy” leads on to bigger things and it can get expensive. Even dinghys are not cheap nowadays but you can pick them up at a reasonable price. Age has nothing to do with it as long as you are fit.
I liked my Wayfarer. Go for it!

 

[Roscoe]

Oh, and this is jus a thought. I seem to be looking at lots of different new "hobbies" just now. Must be an age thing.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

If/when you feel that you want to buy a boat then look for one of the types that sail at the club
it is much better to sail against people in the same type of boat and the same people all the time

That way you develop a microclimate of what you can do - and even if you sail at the back of the fleet then you can have little victories by beating someone that normally finishes just ahead of you

Oh and - personal thing - I hate spinnakers that have to be chucked out in a manor requiring a sacrifice to the Gods of the wind and other black magic in order to work
give me a proper chute any time!!!!!

 

[steveindenmark]

It takes you away from home for hours on end. That is either a pro or con.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

It takes you away from home for hours on end. That is either a pro or con.

Plus boats have even more potential for needing fiddling with outside of actually using them
there are things like mast rake, shroud tension and all sorts of angles that need setting and might or might not make a difference

kinda like bikes in many ways except with lots more bits of string with strange names

 

[oldwheels]

If/when you feel that you want to buy a boat then look for one of the types that sail at the club
it is much better to sail against people in the same type of boat and the same people all the time

That way you develop a microclimate of what you can do - and even if you sail at the back of the fleet then you can have little victories by beating someone that normally finishes just ahead of you

Oh and - personal thing - I hate spinnakers that have to be chucked out in a manor requiring a sacrifice to the Gods of the wind and other black magic in order to work
give me a proper chute any time!!!!!

I hate spinnakers period. Never used the ones on my keelboats and certainly not on a dinghy in my home waters with the unpredictable gusts of wind we get in the Sound.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I hate spinnakers period. Never used the ones on my keelboats and certainly not on a dinghy in my home waters with the unpredictable gusts of wind we get in the Sound.

When I was sailing every week we always used them downwind
The boat was a Lark dinghy so had a decent shute for it in front of the fore stay - made it easier but not was easy as an asymetric one!

Needed them for racing as everyone else used them and the speed differential was huge downwind

we also needed it because I was sailing with another adult and we were somewhat heavier than the ideal for the boat!
also the boat was very old and heavy
This meant that was had more weight to lean out with and in strong winds we could gain on most other boats if we used the spinnaker when they couldn't
just meant it was a bit hairy at time!!!

people who are new to the sport or not even it might have noted that sailing is full of a strange new language
literally every bit of string, rope and wire has a different name for reasons that are sometimes shrouded in mystery

so not at all like cycling!!!

 

[oldwheels]

When I was sailing every week we always used them downwind
The boat was a Lark dinghy so had a decent shute for it in front of the fore stay - made it easier but not was easy as an asymetric one!

Needed them for racing as everyone else used them and the speed differential was huge downwind

we also needed it because I was sailing with another adult and we were somewhat heavier than the ideal for the boat!
also the boat was very old and heavy
This meant that was had more weight to lean out with and in strong winds we could gain on most other boats if we used the spinnaker when they couldn't
just meant it was a bit hairy at time!!!

people who are new to the sport or not even it might have noted that sailing is full of a strange new language
literally every bit of string, rope and wire has a different name for reasons that are sometimes shrouded in mystery

so not at all like cycling!!!

Only once did I think I had overdone things.
Six weeks after getting a kidney out I took a learner out in the Wayfarer on a nice settled day so had full main and big genny. She had the helm and I was just supposed to sit with the jib sheet.
We got hit by a sudden gust in the middle of the Sound and heeled right over but the learner held tight to the mainsheet while I was shouting frantically “ let go, LET GO” while looking down into the water starting to come over the gunwale. Fortunately her foot slipped and she fell into the boat and the sheet slipped from her hand.
Boat came upright but it was close and there was no way I could have righted her after a capsize far less get back aboard so I would have died before any assistance got to us.
Great sea boat the Wayfarer.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Only once did I think I had overdone things.
Six weeks after getting a kidney out I took a learner out in the Wayfarer on a nice settled day so had full main and big genny. She had the helm and I was just supposed to sit with the jib sheet.
We got hit by a sudden gust in the middle of the Sound and heeled right over but the learner held tight to the mainsheet while I was shouting frantically “ let go, LET GO” while looking down into the water starting to come over the gunwale. Fortunately her foot slipped and she fell into the boat and the sheet slipped from her hand.
Boat came upright but it was close and there was no way I could have righted her after a capsize far less get back aboard so I would have died before any assistance got to us.
Great sea boat the Wayfarer.

The company I used to go on holiday with used them a lot - rather detuned to some extent I believe

but they used them because they work well and are pretty easy to sail but can be sailed well and don;t easily capsize

I have sailed them in all sorts of weather in Greece and Turkey - once took 5 hours to sail out to a beach - in a small fleet with rescue boat

then after lunch the wind came up and the tow of us in our boat got back in under 50 minutes with me out ona trapeze - possibly not standard equipment! - and the other bloke (think he was called Pete and worked for Granada- on helm
he commented at one point that the boat itself was a bit of a waste as neither of us were actually in the thing
but we were moving damn fast on a single reach the whole way back

great holidays those!!!