First of all, did anybody else cry reading Selah's post?
Second, I am offering my 2 cents as a new sailor but long time dreamer.
I bought my first sail boat 2 years ago. I had been dreaming and reading up on all aspects of sailing for almost 20 years before and had a couple of opportunities to have some day sails. So, I thought I knew how to sail at least enough to "learn as I go" and didn't think about getting lessons at all. Then the Wife put me straight on that one. She booked us both in for lessons. It cost us $1000 for the the both of us. The lessons were spread over 6 weeks Sat and Sunday. We were taught on a club sail boat 26' which we shared with another couple plus the instructor. They could teach you on your own boat but ours was at a different marina and it would have cost more because there would have only been the 2 of us instead of the 4 on the club boat. The point I want to make is that I could have learned the basics by experience or by asking at my marina but I would have been further behind. That $1000 was about the best money I have ever spent. It gave me a chance to ask those "dumb" questions that I might have been embarrassed to ask from other sailors. After my lessons I took my boat out every spare weekend that I could and that is when the real learning curve started. But the basics, it will never leave you.
Good luck and have fun.
Our lessons consisted of:
- Taking the boat in and out of the slip/marina safely and efficiently
- How to raise the sails
- how to trim the sails
- how to tack and gibe
- how to anchor
- safety on board (do you know how to wrap a line around a winch without losing a finger)?
- basic navigation and radio use
- basic engine starting/maintenance and running
- folding the sails (ours where hank on).
- tying off the lines
- reefing and when to reef
- rules of the road/etiquette
- how to read weather reports
- best sources for weather reports and general good apps for your smartphone
- how to tie the basic knots
