I went to the fall boat show and visited the many sailing schools. I have plenty of sailing experience, but never in blue water. Looking to get further training on bigger water. Can anyone comment on the different schools and which ones can we consider? Happy New Year
- Status
hi just curious
I look and see where the courses are one week in length. I just finished another article by _______ on the s/v Watermelon (which has a FAQ area that answers 90% of the questions on this site) and she states, after 16 some odd years of sailing the oceans, that the hard part is sailing in shore. Out on the ocean is nothing, in her own quotes. So I wonder how much you would learn in a week at a school, that you would remember after two! For the money, it seems to me, if you are an experienced sailor, as you say, that you would be better off at the library.
I look and see where the courses are one week in length. I just finished another article by _______ on the s/v Watermelon (which has a FAQ area that answers 90% of the questions on this site) and she states, after 16 some odd years of sailing the oceans, that the hard part is sailing in shore. Out on the ocean is nothing, in her own quotes. So I wonder how much you would learn in a week at a school, that you would remember after two! For the money, it seems to me, if you are an experienced sailor, as you say, that you would be better off at the library.
Chapmans School of Seamanship
Ken. Your in a fantastic area right now with several great schools that offer offshore courses. I believe Colgate and Annapolis Sailing School are a few in your location that have been around for decades. If you want warmer water, try Chapman's School of Seamanship in Port Salerno, Florida (just north of West Palm Beach). Check out their website as they have a 6-7 day course to the islands that will give you plenty of bluewater experience and a nice location to boot. If you do a web search, their must be dozens of small outfits (Blackbeard School and Dunbar Sails for example on the Georgia coast) that offer 3 to 6 night offshore courses. The experience and personality of the instructor to me is everything. Regards Bob
Ken. Your in a fantastic area right now with several great schools that offer offshore courses. I believe Colgate and Annapolis Sailing School are a few in your location that have been around for decades. If you want warmer water, try Chapman's School of Seamanship in Port Salerno, Florida (just north of West Palm Beach). Check out their website as they have a 6-7 day course to the islands that will give you plenty of bluewater experience and a nice location to boot. If you do a web search, their must be dozens of small outfits (Blackbeard School and Dunbar Sails for example on the Georgia coast) that offer 3 to 6 night offshore courses. The experience and personality of the instructor to me is everything. Regards Bob
Remember when
you were first starting to sail. that first summer was filled with different experiences and conditions each day. I have friends that have sailed to Marathon Key for the past five years and they tell me that the most difficult sailing is right here on the bay. You could find a crew member with off shore experience and move your boat to Hampton, Va. and sail out of there for one summer. There are sheltered harbors on the Atlantic side of the Delmarva so you could run for shelter if you needed to. But a summer of sailing would be much more educational, because of the variety of conditions that will be encountered in the course of a season.
you were first starting to sail. that first summer was filled with different experiences and conditions each day. I have friends that have sailed to Marathon Key for the past five years and they tell me that the most difficult sailing is right here on the bay. You could find a crew member with off shore experience and move your boat to Hampton, Va. and sail out of there for one summer. There are sheltered harbors on the Atlantic side of the Delmarva so you could run for shelter if you needed to. But a summer of sailing would be much more educational, because of the variety of conditions that will be encountered in the course of a season.
Bluewater Sailing
I attended a week long course at Bluewater Sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale about 2 years ago. I learned a lot and it was a good refresher for the things I was already aware of. The experience has enhanced my ability to learn more from sailiing on my own. I think it was a good investment.
I attended a week long course at Bluewater Sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale about 2 years ago. I learned a lot and it was a good refresher for the things I was already aware of. The experience has enhanced my ability to learn more from sailiing on my own. I think it was a good investment.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
In 2001 I traveled from Newport RI to Bermuda aboard a 59' Swan -- part of a cruising rally coordinated by Offshore Passage Opportunities. Each fall this company moves a Swan charter fleet to the Caribean with a stopover in Bermuda. In the spring, they bring the boats back to the East Coast. For each trip they take on crew willing to pay a modest fee for an all inclusive offshore trip. I can say this was a chance to get a taste of bluewater sailing aboard yachts which are typically sailed by sailors that can afford the very best equipment. Anyone having been aboard a Swan knows this is true. I learned more about sailing from the "master seaman" captain on this trip than any other sailing experience I've ever had. I would suggest to anyone wishing to expand their sailing resume to include bluewater passages -- check out his website at www.sailopo.com.
In 2001 I traveled from Newport RI to Bermuda aboard a 59' Swan -- part of a cruising rally coordinated by Offshore Passage Opportunities. Each fall this company moves a Swan charter fleet to the Caribean with a stopover in Bermuda. In the spring, they bring the boats back to the East Coast. For each trip they take on crew willing to pay a modest fee for an all inclusive offshore trip. I can say this was a chance to get a taste of bluewater sailing aboard yachts which are typically sailed by sailors that can afford the very best equipment. Anyone having been aboard a Swan knows this is true. I learned more about sailing from the "master seaman" captain on this trip than any other sailing experience I've ever had. I would suggest to anyone wishing to expand their sailing resume to include bluewater passages -- check out his website at www.sailopo.com.
For serious off-shore training....
look at John and Amanda Neal. www.mahina.com It's the most 'go-there, do-that' course I've been able to find. I hope to take my wife and do it some day. Cheers, Bob s/v X SAIL R 8
look at John and Amanda Neal. www.mahina.com It's the most 'go-there, do-that' course I've been able to find. I hope to take my wife and do it some day. Cheers, Bob s/v X SAIL R 8
Good Idea
I have crewed on a couple of blue water trips. 1. from Seward Alaska, accross the Gulf to Bellingham. 12 days 2. from Victoria to Maui.22 days Not that is is a lot of blue water but it was an eye opener for me. My two cents worth is: The boat will sail the same whether close to land or not. Navigation is probably easier. One tack may get you most of the way there. The real challenge seems to be living aboard a bouncing boat for that many days. Meal prep and eating can be a real challenge. It helps if you have to help with supplying the groceries for the trip. It is not like buying the steaks and beer for a cruise around the islands where you drop anchor each night. Getting enough sleep can be an issue. Sleeping in a lee cloth presents a challenge at first. Taking your turn at the wheel when you are tired and then some. Medical emergencies can take on a different meaning. You may be the ships doctor. You will have to learn about life rafts and their use, Grab bags and Epirbs. West Marine hosts some safety at sea seminars that are a must and in some offshore races are mandatory for all crew. I like the idea that Chris of Whitehall Mi. had about joining a crew for charter boat deliveries. If you get to help plan for th e trip, that would be a good and inexpensive way to start. Fair winds Ken
I have crewed on a couple of blue water trips. 1. from Seward Alaska, accross the Gulf to Bellingham. 12 days 2. from Victoria to Maui.22 days Not that is is a lot of blue water but it was an eye opener for me. My two cents worth is: The boat will sail the same whether close to land or not. Navigation is probably easier. One tack may get you most of the way there. The real challenge seems to be living aboard a bouncing boat for that many days. Meal prep and eating can be a real challenge. It helps if you have to help with supplying the groceries for the trip. It is not like buying the steaks and beer for a cruise around the islands where you drop anchor each night. Getting enough sleep can be an issue. Sleeping in a lee cloth presents a challenge at first. Taking your turn at the wheel when you are tired and then some. Medical emergencies can take on a different meaning. You may be the ships doctor. You will have to learn about life rafts and their use, Grab bags and Epirbs. West Marine hosts some safety at sea seminars that are a must and in some offshore races are mandatory for all crew. I like the idea that Chris of Whitehall Mi. had about joining a crew for charter boat deliveries. If you get to help plan for th e trip, that would be a good and inexpensive way to start. Fair winds Ken
Advanced Schools
Club Nautique, San Francisco - they train 3X more US SAILING Coastal and Offshore graduates than all other sailing schools in the U.S. combined. Although I am in New York, I flew to their base in San Francisco to take their CPM (Coastal Passage Making)class, and can say it was fantastic. It requires five weekends to complete, one weekend a month (Friday 6pm thru Sunday 6pm). Just outside the Golden Gate Bridge it gets nasty, and makes an excellent training ground. Each class goes either north or south once outside the gate into the Pacific and returns to Alameda over two days and two nights. Sometimes it got very difficult ... I remember one of the times I went, we got a lesson in sleep deprevation when we failed to follow the watch schedule and get sleep when we should have ... each time we arrived at an anchorage, the instructor had the idea to simulate it being "full" and needing to move on to the next anchorage. We did this for 20 hours. Before the end of the 20 hours, he added man over board practice at night, outside the golden gate bridge, which we did paired with another class boat, both 42 foot cruisers. See the attached link for a description of what you need to know to pass the test. http://www.clubnautique.net/northern_cal/instruction/CPM.html#certification The link below goes to their instruction home page. I highly recommend them, as successful and very satisfied student. Dan Corcoran Offshore Passage Opportunities - I would contact Hank and see what he can do for you.
Club Nautique, San Francisco - they train 3X more US SAILING Coastal and Offshore graduates than all other sailing schools in the U.S. combined. Although I am in New York, I flew to their base in San Francisco to take their CPM (Coastal Passage Making)class, and can say it was fantastic. It requires five weekends to complete, one weekend a month (Friday 6pm thru Sunday 6pm). Just outside the Golden Gate Bridge it gets nasty, and makes an excellent training ground. Each class goes either north or south once outside the gate into the Pacific and returns to Alameda over two days and two nights. Sometimes it got very difficult ... I remember one of the times I went, we got a lesson in sleep deprevation when we failed to follow the watch schedule and get sleep when we should have ... each time we arrived at an anchorage, the instructor had the idea to simulate it being "full" and needing to move on to the next anchorage. We did this for 20 hours. Before the end of the 20 hours, he added man over board practice at night, outside the golden gate bridge, which we did paired with another class boat, both 42 foot cruisers. See the attached link for a description of what you need to know to pass the test. http://www.clubnautique.net/northern_cal/instruction/CPM.html#certification The link below goes to their instruction home page. I highly recommend them, as successful and very satisfied student. Dan Corcoran Offshore Passage Opportunities - I would contact Hank and see what he can do for you.
Advanced Schools part 2
... my point about the sleep deprevation, was that each of the five weekends of the class brought unexpected challanges, real lessons, and (if you heard the long version of that trip) substantial bragging rights for what was accomplished individually and as a team (five to six students on a 42 to 46 foot cruiser). Dan Corcoran
... my point about the sleep deprevation, was that each of the five weekends of the class brought unexpected challanges, real lessons, and (if you heard the long version of that trip) substantial bragging rights for what was accomplished individually and as a team (five to six students on a 42 to 46 foot cruiser). Dan Corcoran
- Status