Never sailed, but thinkIcan.

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mciron9

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Feb 18, 2018
16
trojan f34 toronto yacht club
My last boat was a wood hull 34' Trojan, which was very costly to maintain and cruise.
So, thinking sailboat fuel may be a good alternative. My wife ( the Commodore ) is adamant that she won't get on a sailboat with me, unless I "get educated" about sailing.Her father sailed, so she was crew.
Okay, I'm in my seventies, thinking about a 25/26 footer, trailerable and trailer launching boat. I trailered and launched my Trojan single handedly, not an issue.
Now, as for sail power, under good conditions, (assuming engine back-up) would it be reasonable to learn by doing?
I realize that the characteristics of sail are different than powerboating, and I live near Lake Ontario, in Canada, north of Burlington (Toronto GTA). Lots of depth, no shoals, and plenty of places to make shore. Owned many power boats, and am capable of repairing most mechanical things. Any comments would be of interest, yea or (expected) nae's Regards maciron9
 
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dlochner

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Jan 11, 2014
11,418
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Learning to sail is pretty easy and quick. Learning to sail well and competently takes much longer, we're all still learning.

Somewhere in the western Lake Ontario area there must be a learn to sail program. A few days spent in classes will quickly move you from learning to sail to learning to sail well.

A trailerable sailboat in the mid 20' range is a good choice, in terms of size. However, launching and rigging the boat each time you want to sail will soon become an onerous task. Even with a boat this size leaving it the water will get you out on the water faster and more often if it is on a mooring or even better at a dock.

The big advantage to trailerable sailboats comes in the winter, it is much cheaper to store the boat on a trailer than in a marina boat yard. And if you decide to spend time sailing in different waters, such as Georgian Bay or the Thousand Islands, it is much quicker to get there at 60 mph on the highway than by sailing.

Yes, even at your age you can learn to sail and enjoy it! Good Luck.
 
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Justin_NSA

Justin_NSA

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Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
I would recommend classes. Begin with good habits and learn the rules of the road.
 
JRT

JRT

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Feb 14, 2017
2,048
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
I think you really should find a learn to sail program / instructor to start with. I learned from friends, thought I was good to go my first season and learned NOPE. Took a learned to sail course with club instructor with daughter this spring and we just finished our first sailboat race in second place! We still have a ton to learn and made a lot of errors during the race but we managed to always have positive control of our boat no matter what was going on.
 
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rgranger

rgranger

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Jan 19, 2010
12,370
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
You already got good advice on how to learn to sail. Here are a few thoughts on what to sail...

Are you day sailing, over night camping or weekending? Boats that you might want to investigate and are trailerable in each category

Day Sailing....
  1. O'Day 19
  2. Hunter 19
  3. Flying Scott
Over night camping
  1. Compac yachts http://www.com-pacyachts.com/
  2. Montgomery 17
  3. Rhodes 22
  4. Catalina 22
  5. Macgregor 22
  6. O'day 23
  7. Hunter 23
  8. Hunter 216
Weekending
  1. Catalina 250
  2. Macgregor 25
  3. Macgregor 26S or 26D
  4. Hunter 26 or 260
Other will chime in with their favorites.

Happy Hunting....
 
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M

mciron9

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Feb 18, 2018
16
trojan f34 toronto yacht club
Hello,and thanks for the feedback.
My short list of boats is a Chrysler 26, Pearson Ariel 26, Erickson 25, Bristol24,or AlbinVega. Other possibles include flicka 20, and Pacific Seacraft.. Comfort and interior room factored in. Regards, maciron9
 
M

mciron9

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Feb 18, 2018
16
trojan f34 toronto yacht club
Interesting comment about launching and rigging! So, being retired,read poor, I am hoping to avoid dock fees,and so forth.
Some have suggested that their boat can be launched and rigged (via gin pole), in 30 minutes.
I have had a number of sales inquiries so far, with cs22's and MacGregor 26's in abundance. T.hese were not in my immediate thoughts, but apparently plentiful. I'm daydreaming a little coastal cruising, and may need something "saltier".
 
Simon Sexton

Simon Sexton

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Nov 1, 2017
635
Catalina 25 Sea Star Base Galveston, TX
@mciron9 ,

If you go to the Sea Scouts website, they should have a download of the Sea Scout Manual (latest edition). It's got EVERYTHING!
 
Gunni

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Start with sailing lessons on a chartered boat. You get to assess what works for you and what does not, she sees that you are ready for the challenge. Those older little boats may be a hard sell.
 
capta

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,773
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
Sailing ain't rocket science. In fact, men have been doing it since that first guy on a log stood up and spread his Brooks Brothers sportcoat and let the wind propel him across the lake.
I would, however, advise you pick up a copy of Royce's Sailing Illustrated as a basic primer. It covers just about everything one needs to know to safely handle a small craft in a fun yet comprehensive format. From anchoring to boat nomenclature and even splicing, it's got most of what you'll need for getting started, yet is still a good reference book for the most experienced of us. No preachy tome here.
You and your bride can spend many hours learning all the right questions to ask should you take a class or two, or just use the book to get you started on your sailing adventures.
Have fun.
 
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jssailem

jssailem

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Oct 22, 2014
21,098
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
@mciron9 welcome to the posting side of this forum. It appears you have joined and been reading the inticements about sailing on the forum for a bit of time. Happy that you are considering making the switch. Many folk go the other way. Generally sailing is considered more difficult than motoring about.
That said, this will be a fun change for you.
Learning the basics can be done on a small inexpensive boat. I taught basic sailing using a pram called an El Toro. One sail, with the mast you popped into the seat. The weight of the mast/sail kept it in place. A dagger board was pushed down and you got into the 8ft like row boat. Sitting on the floor gave you a sense of stability and off you went.
Warm air and water was prefered as it was a wet boat but you learned the basics of using a sail to power a boat.

On the more sophisticated level the classes now are often taught on a boat a bit bigger, but the basics are identical. The Royce book (an excellent choice), or Sailing for Dummies both give you the basics of wind/sail propulsion.
Speeding your learning along will be the goal. Since budget has been stated the idea of joining a sailing club makes sense. You can crew and learn to sail the club boats. This will give you the references needed to help you in making the more personal decision of buying your own boat.

Best of luck to you. It is a great adventure you are starting on.
 
Bob J.

Bob J.

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Apr 14, 2009
773
Sabre 28 NH
Having a 34' Trojan once upon a time is a good thing. You have basic seamanship covered.

Take a Keel Boat 101 course. Then you know what all the "ropes" are for. Coming from the powerboat side of the equation, this worked for me.
 
Parsons

Parsons

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Jul 12, 2011
1,165
Leopard 40 Jupiter, Florida
mciron9 said:
HHMMMM, I did try Guitars for dummies. Still can't play.
Click to expand
And that's only six lines to keep track of -- I've got at least a dozen!

I warn you, sailing is addictive! Considering your experience, why not try to cozy up to some sailors at your local yacht club so see if you'd like it. I'm always looking for another person to go around the Bay with, especially if they'll bring something to drink as sailing is thirsty work.
 
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M

mciron9

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Feb 18, 2018
16
trojan f34 toronto yacht club
LOL. Long past Army Corp. pilot, ex airline pilot, I have the wanderlust gene. But not a lot of money for toys.
 
tjar

tjar

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Aug 8, 2011
166
Hunter Legend 35.5 Tacoma, WA
mciron9 said:
Some have suggested that their boat can be launched and rigged (via gin pole), in 30 minutes.
I have had a number of sales inquiries so far, with cs22's and MacGregor 26's in abundance.
Click to expand
We moved from a Macgregor 26D to our current boat. While the brochures and videos claim they can be rigged in 30 minutes, we found it was more likely to take 45-60 minutes. At 45 minutes, two of us were moving like a well synchronized team and usually sweating at the end. Allow yourself 1 hour for a more leisurely setup and take down.
Just moving around the top of the boat, on a wobbly trailer, with rigging and poles strewn around requires a lot of caution to make sure you don't fall overboard while still in the parking lot... but, that's another story...
 
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Gunni

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Airplanes go to wonderful places, charter companies have lots of boats there, and that is the most affordable way to get some great sailing. Oh, and the ladies love it.
 
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M

mciron9

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Feb 18, 2018
16
trojan f34 toronto yacht club
Did I mention that I am old, retired, and unable to outrun determined women, especially when they have been drinking? LOL.
 
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