Is there anyone left in the world who sails? I saw a lot of posts about ships, sailboats, cruising yachts and the like, but none about actually going out and sailing for the sake of having fun!
I sail regularly throughout the year in small yachts and large and have sailed as a crew and helmsman since the age of 2.
Are there any people out there who want to learn? Do you think it's expensive to learn....?
I learned to sail at the age of 2! Free, my family all learned to sail at an early age. I had my own boat at age 14 and sailed in many national and international events from age 11 onwards.
I can get a good boat nowadays for anything from £50.00 upwards and that includes sails! Don't say it's an expensive sport, because it's one of the cheapest around. A lifejacket will cost you more!
Join a local sailing club as an associate, or just go along and ask if someone will let you crew for them. After a while ask if they'll let you have a go at helming, then continue your learning, join the club and get a boat. All clubs have boats for sale, many of them left to rot behind sheds as people get old and forget they have them until it's too late.
Pick on the oldies at the club, badger them for information about the local boats, you'll be amazed what you can get for free!
If you work on them well enough, they will be so happy that their boat has gone to a good home, they'll probably offer to throw in their old oilskins as well! (they'll be absolutely useless, but take them as a sign of good intent!)
Get your new found toy home, work on it until it's shiny and clean and painted and .....waterproof! (took me 2 years to fix mine up!)
If it has any leaks at all, again, go abck to your local club and ask if there is a club member who can repair old boats, there is usaually at least one..... be careful, there will also be a few who think they can repair them who will make the problem worse in the long run, generally, pick someone who looks like they sailed in the era your boat was built!
Get it in the water quick! Boats out of the water dry out and crack up. Wood especially likes to be kept wet-ish! Fibreglass dinghies keep out of the water when not in use, keelboats etc. will be in for the duration as hauling out costs money. (as does launching)
Again, don't be shy, sailing clubs love new members, they love to teach and train up new crew and have a great social life too. Shop around, if there are several clubs in your area you are spoilt! Choose the best one for the kind of sailing you want to do.
I'm spoilt for choice where I live there are 12 sailing clubs within 10 miles of me, so you can see why I grew up on the water! (I also get hayfever and sailing was an massive relief!)
Want to try it? Live in the UK? Try a local club. If not available go to the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) on their website and try a sailing course.
If you are in the Northwest UK come to sunny West Kirby and ask for directions to West Kirby Sailing Club. They are a full sail training and racing establishment with funding, rescue facilities etc. All you need. Great crowd of people and great place to learn, there's a lake and the sea to play on!
If you are not local, look up your national sailing association they WILL be delighted to help, it's an expensive way to learn, but you will get a certificate to say you have done some formal training.
I raced 150 foot long yachts at age 23 with no qualifications in sailing at all. Since then I have sailed in all the oceans of the world, again with no qualifications.
I wanted to race at Cowes a few years ago and was told I needed a piece of paper to back up my claims before I could charter a yacht, I didn't bother. I asked a friend who I knew had a piece of paper but who was very inexperienced at racing and sailing bigger yachts to come along. He jumped at the chance and learned a huge amount, we have sailed together frequently since.
We also won the race we were in for our class of yacht!!
So GO SAILING, meet a new crowd of people, just like you who enjoy an outdoor life and a great social one too!
All the best,
Captain Tim Riley
