Need advice in my newfound desire to become a sailor

[Fizzbot]

I am 36 and I want to become a sailor. I am located in Florida and want to be good enough to sail to the Carribean in a 42'. What avenue can I go to become a sailor having no previous experience and can it be done at my age?

[ManassasPaul]

I guess you are never too old, but I'm 27 and just starting out.

One of the better things to start with is a Coast Guard Aux course. I took the Boating Skills and Seamanship course, it's mostly for powerboaters but it covers all of the rules of the road.

And read as much as you can, hang out on boards like this one, find other boat owners, and maybe take one of the weekend sailing courses and then charter a boat for a day/weekend. But remember when Joshua Slocum set out to sail around the world he was at the tender age of 56.

Most importantly I would recommend getting out on the water as much as possible while you are studying, so as to get a better grip on all the stuff you are reading.

I've been stuffing my head with sailing material for about two or three years and I am wishing I had spend more of that time on the water doing what I had been reading, but I definitely will be hanging out with several friends I have who are longtime sailors.
Hope that helped

[marc ducharme]

Hi I just started sailing a year ago, and I am 52, so never to late to start. I would recommend lots of reading, and private sailing lessons or join a club in your area if there is one. NO FEAR just do it.
I started out by reading books, and I took two days of courses with a professional, then I went out on my own on my new . needless to say i wasnt going far the first few trips. and once i ran into another boat and scratched mine, i feel a lot better.
In my first season I have sailed about 125 miles on wind alone. Now i need to learn how to sail. Just do it ,you wont regret it.

[jmdefino]

I tell the story that at age 49 my wife bought me a book on sailing. It was something I always wanted to do. I read it and picked up several more books. For my 50th, she bought me a Hobie Cat 16. We sailed it a few times and she said "I'm ready to go somewhere now". So I looked around and bought a Mac26S. We both took a sailing course at the local sail club. We sailed on a number of local lakes that year. By the next year we had purchased a Mac26X and were sailing in many more areas including a run to the Dry Tortugas with the Conch Cruisers. If you look at my siteyou'll see a number of our adventures.
I have also taken a number of other courses. I highly recommend the courses given by your local U.S. Power Squadron. I've taken their Safe Boating, Chart Smart, Weather, Sail/Advanced Sail and Seamanship courses. I'll be starting their Piloting course soon.
Of course nothing beats time on the water.
Did the sailing bug bite us? Well, we have our home in the Poconos up for sale. We've purchased a home in Oriental N.C. on the Neuse with our boat now in a slip a short walk from the house.

[jim nolan]

I bought my first boat, a mac 21 in 1997. I was 65 years old. I had been on maybe, 4 or 5 rowboats in my entire life, when I was a kid. I use to drive by Cauyga lake in upstate ny, on my way to Rochester from north east pa., 3 or 4 times a year. I saw the sailboats, and though someday, I would be out there. Well, it took about 40 years. I found a fifty year old sailing book, and read it carefully. No lessons, No coast Guard, No crew. I went out on the lake eight times before I had the nerve to raise the jib. Four or more times, before I raised the main. I now have a 99 26x and am having the time of my life. So if you have the chance, go for it. I wasted a lot of time, but, hull, I did'nt have the time or money back then anyway. Jim Nolan

[BBraun]

Great thread. I am jealous that you are in Florida -- some of the best waters in the entire Americas as far as I know.

Take one of those ASA or USSailing courses through keel boats and then join a club for a year. You can sail 22-25 footers right away and they'll let you take bigger ones out soon. As far as buying a boat that seems to be a never ending problem finding just what you want and is only surpased by selling one!

As far as learning, it's one of those "the more you know the more you realize how much you need to learn" thingys. So just do it seems to fit right in there as the counter-thought that actually gets you doing what you want -- sailing.

[Frank C]

Hey there Fizz, welcome aboard!

Kinda curious here ... how'd you choose the name?
And what made you post your question on a Macgregor board?

[Moe]

Frank, this is an old thread BBraun resurrected. Fizzbot may still be lurking but he hasn't posted since this one.

[Mark Prouty]

The best boats to start with are the Older Macs. In my opinion, they are the best, most affordable, trailer sailing boats available. You'll have to research which one is the best for your purposes. I was on a cruise with several of them last summer and they performed very well. There is not much room below but there is enough for a start.

The investment in an older 26 is considerably less than a Mac 26X or 26M. You can buy one of these older Macs and learn on them. Take a few overnighters; spend a week on a few coastal cruises. Getting into sailing for the first time is a bit of a risk, minimize it by buying a less expensive boat initially. If you find you don't like sailing, you would not have as much invested. You could then sell your older 26 for as much or more than what you bought it for.

ps

Frank, this is an old thread BBraun resurrected. Fizzbot may still be lurking but he hasn't posted since this one.

I hope I'm not wasting my time.

[Frank C]

missed that - thanks Moe.

If not apparent, I was a little suspicious that the comparison to a 42-footer
was just the mildest of chain-yanking. Still am, too.