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Does anyone have any sailing experience or know how I should approach getting into this hobby? Id figure I take a few courses first (is that worth it?) and see how it goes but I really dont know how to approach this whole thing.
Eventually, I want to be able to sail a 40footer down to California / Caribbean and just live onboard.
All these damn youtube videos of couples dropping their jobs and sailing around the world's got me hooooookkeeeed.
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__________________ Geriatric Motoring Crub Member #444
Go to a local sailing club, there'll be a course offered where you bomb around in a Laser or something similar to learn the basics.
Me personally, after doing that course I would buy myself a small boat (something you can spend a couple nights aboard) and start touring around; probably try and take an experienced person with me the first few times), making sure you have a good motor incase shit hits the fan. And start learning maps and charts.
I'm not a sailor in any way whatsoever but I have the same goal/dream as you.
Join sailing clubs locally, learn on small boats, and work your way up through clubs. The Canadian sailing associations are not recognized around the world. Even if you complete the courses some offer you can't charter boats anywhere else in the world. You will have to fly elsewhere in the world to complete your day skipper or yacht master courses. My wife just completed her day skipper through the RYA (can now charter her own 40-50ft boat) which gives her credit all over the world. Her parents have owned sailboats for years so she was able to learn, log really good hours etc. I'm planning to do competent crew in the next year or two as she will need me to help her when we are out with our flotilla. The Caribbean has such fast currents and huge waves, very fun. The Med is much more tame. West coast has very intense tides. Probably one of the coolest things in life is vacation on a sailboat. All the best at making it happen OP!
Great advice and thank you guys very much for the insight. So start small, join a club, and if I need official certification I'll have to go overseas to do it. If I end up running the outboard most of the time doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of a sailboat ?
Any idea how much all of this will cost ? How much is a relatively decent used starter sailboat ? Where do I moor it ? I heard people mooring down in point Roberts or Blaine because it's cheaper than Vancouver.
__________________ Geriatric Motoring Crub Member #444
You won’t need your own boat for a long time. Joining clubs get you the access to many types of boats. When I looked into the Kits club, it was really really reasonable.
A friend of mine was doing lessons with someone in Granville Island (not sure if they have their own club?). But the added benifit was he met lots of people with boats who always needed an extra hand. Fun experience with different boats, for free.
By joining clubs you will have access to the boats. You wouldn't buy a boat until down the road and have a solid sailing resume. As stated above, Jerico sailing club is very reasonable rates. Also, as you learn and sharpen your skills you'll be able to sail even in low wind weather. There is plenty of wind on the west coast to sail.
Wow this is perfect timing. I'm looking to do some sailing classes as well and charter some catamarans in the Caribbean this winter.
Sick of playing with cars as you just get vi'd and punished for it may as well just mod a catamaran.
Hit me up !
A colleague of mine got into sailing when he lived in Tsawwassen a handful of years ago. He ended up in Point Roberts one evening and went to the marina and spoke to the people there who were part of a sailing club. They were looking for newbies and crew to help their racing team, and he signed up and jumped on board with zero experience, and has gone sailing all over the Pacific NW ever since competing in local leagues and teams. He's now sailing with a privateer in West Van.
my wife and i just finished up our course with Simply Sailing a couple weeks ago.
I too have the lofty dream of selling everything, buying a boat and sailing the world so i had to start somewhere
i was thinking of buying a cheaper (sub $10K) boat here, but have realized that would be massive waste (moorage, upgrades, up keep, etc). a guy i work with has a 30' that he says i can take out (we went out last weekend), and i think the best idea would be to join a club and to offer helping on other peoples as mentioned above during races etc
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