Sailing School

[albanysailer]

Anyone have any experience with Croton Sailing school?

They seem to be about the nearest ASA school to me, seem reasonably priced with a nice curriculum. I'm a beginner looking to build some skills and confidence.

Has anyone ever gone to school? Did you find it helpful? What do you think of the ASA certification system?

Thanks, Bill

[algonquin]

I personally never had any formal sailing courses. I started with a book called Advanced Sailing by Tony Gibbs. To the book I added a 30 foot Luger Voyager sail boat that I had to assemble and took my book knowledge and sail boat to Barnagate Bay NJ. Set the main and never looked back. Sailing procedures can be taught in person or by book. The skills only come with experience and will come quickly as you challenge your self. Each boat comes with unique handling characteristics. I have had two large sailboats and now my DS1. The DS is unlike any boat I have sailed and will quickly instruct you on what you should and should not do with it.

You can spend some time “dry” sailing so that you learn how to set your boat up and get familiar with rigging and unrigging. Read up. Then go sailing. The rest will fall into place.

The course will have some value but I don’t feel you require it. Brad

[calden]

Bill:

After sailing for a couple of years I took an ASA basic keelboat course. I found it very helpful in that it reinforced and refined what I had taught myself intuitively. It was also helpful to be on a bigger (larger than my DS) boat and control it in very different waters than I was accustomed to sailing in. Definitely worthwhile. My learning style fits perfectly with intense reading and written testing supplemented by structured experiential learning.

Now I'm set to take the long-weekend course and I'll be very confident in chartering a 30' boat for a week. Anchoring, tides, emergency situations, man overboards, woman overboards, pets overboard, in-laws overboard - I'll be able to handle it all!

Carlos

[adam aunins]

I also started sailing by the seat of my pants back in highschool, in a small pond. Many years later when the bug bit me again I took a class offered by the red cross. The best thing I got out of it was to help learn a lot of the "nautical " terms used to name everthing, and everything you do on a boat. Come to think of it, that's been the hardest thing to pick up about sailing. Who would have thought that there can be over seven parts to a sail!

The way I look at schools or classes is not so much what I'll learn (still important) but would I pay that to get to be out on the water for the time the class offers.

[algonquin]

Now I'm set to take the long-weekend course and I'll be very confident in chartering a 30' boat for a week. Anchoring, tides, emergency situations, man overboards, woman overboards, pets overboard, in-laws overboard - I'll be able to handle it all!
Carlos

You crack me up !! Sounds like an adventurous week. especialy the in-laws overboard

[calden]

Yeah, I didn't really meant that. My father-in-law is a good guy, but I don't think he'd ever want to go sailing.

However during the sailing course I did do we practiced a lot of MOB drills, each person several times, and I found that really instructive. Sure, I always knew kinda how to turn around but it was great to have a formulaic approach. Now I need to get out there and practice it some more.

I can't wait for the weather to change so I can GET SAILING! It snowed today - what is UP with this??


Carlos

[albanysailer]

Thanks for all the replies! I would really like to take the course to build confidence, but I guess that will come with experience.

I took a brief lesson in Jamaica on a hobie cat, which is what got me hooked on sailing in the first place. So I bought the daysailer last fall and got it out once. It was fun and terrifying at the same time. Everytime it started to heel a little bit I thought for sure we were going to capsize.

I should mention I have read a couple of books on the subject too.

Hopefully weather will finally break and we can get out a lot more this spring!

-Bill

[Bob Hunkins]

I could tell you several sad stories about people who have just bought a sail boat, have never sailed, or have only been on a boat once or twice before.

They buy the boat in the spring because that's when the bug hits. They take the boat out on the first chance they get, which invariably will be a day where the dog is being blown off the chain. They launch the boat, do things like leave the drain plug out, and misrig the boat.
They've decided it will be great to have the whole family out on the maiden voyage, so they take their wife, the young kids, the big picnic cooler. They managed to get off the dock, and capcise almost immediately when the first big gust hits. Everyone gets wet, The kids get scared, the wife gets mad, the cooler gets lost, and after the rescue the boat gets sold or neglected.

To avoid this, I would certainly recommend some sort of training in the art of sailing. Even if it's just a friend who knows how to sail, try to get them to go out with you a few times until you get the feel for it.
If you don't have a local sailing friend, I'd find a school that has an instructor that can teach you how to handle your size of boat, and won't try to sell you a bigger or different one.

Beware the temptation to go sailing by yourself (i.e. with no other boats) for the first time in the spring no matter what the weather and boat conditions are. That temptation is very strong. If the wind is blowing hard, consider if it's really worth going out, especially if the boat has not been checked over thoroughly.

When a boat comes out of winter storage there can be things that need to be repaired before it's a good idea to sail it. The urge to sail can be so strong that the urge overrules good judgement. I know one guy who had a shroud break many years ago on a breezy spring day because he figured the one strand that had broken would not be a problem. He was towed back to the dock, and didn't sail for a few weeks while he fixed the boat. If he had fixed it before hand, he probably would have only missed a few days.

I'm not trying to discourage anyone, I just hate to see people turned off to sailing because they jumped in without looking.

Spring fever... Gotta love it!

[calden]

...which invariably will be a day where the dog is being blown off the chain. ......They managed to get off the dock, and capcise almost immediately when the first big gust hits. Everyone gets wet, The kids get scared, the wife gets mad, the cooler gets lost, and after the rescue the boat gets sold or neglected.

Bob, but what happened to the dog? Did they get him back?


Carlos

[albanysailer]

Carlos-I think the dog had already blown away by the time they got in the boat.

Again, thanks for all the great advice guys!

[Bob Hunkins]

...which invariably will be a day where the dog is being blown off the chain. ......They managed to get off the dock, and capcise almost immediately when the first big gust hits. Everyone gets wet, The kids get scared, the wife gets mad, the cooler gets lost, and after the rescue the boat gets sold or neglected.

Bob, but what happened to the dog? Did they get him back?


Carlos

The dog is used to it. He comes home when the winds calm down.

[jpclowes]

Another Suggestion: often local sailing and yacht clubs will have sailing classes for both children and adults. Usually these are inexpensive because they are hoping that you will join at the completion of the class. My own club has a very good program, and actually the adult class is taught by some of the best sailors at the club.

Our club has2 sessions of adult classes, 2 nights a week for, I think, 5 weeks each. I have heard lots of good comments about them. They also have a more advanced class that teaches basic racing skills, that starts after the second basic session.

Check around. Most lakes that are big enough to have some kind of sailing club. Often they don't market themselves well, so you might have to do some looking. Most people wouldn't realize that there are 5 sailing clubs here in the middle of Ohio, a hundred miles from Lake Erie.

[albanysailer]

As a follow up, my wife and I are scheduled to take lessons on May 17-18th on Lake George at Yankee Boating center, just doing our part to stimulate the economy.

We decided on that school because it is cheaper, though it does not offer the ASA certification. But should be a good primer to build confidence and get us comfortable in our Daysailer. They teach on a Hunter 216.

I'll post afterwards and let everyone know how it went!

[algonquin]

As a follow up, my wife and I are scheduled to take lessons on May 17-18th on Lake George at Yankee Boating center, just doing our part to stimulate the economy.

We decided on that school because it is cheaper, though it does not offer the ASA certification. But should be a good primer to build confidence and get us comfortable in our Daysailer. They teach on a Hunter 216.

I'll post afterwards and let everyone know how it went!

Hey !! Sounds like a good time as well as a learning experience.

Its great that your wife is going too. You will both learn the ropes and later when she is the Captain you will make a crew. Kinda like when I taught my wife to run the 1/4 mile drags in our 1969 Dodge Coronet. Now I never get to drive.

Enjoy ! Looking forward to your report. Take a few pics. Brad

[albanysailer]

I thought the husband got to be the captain, but the wife is the admiral