Your experience with online courses?

[john6206]

ASA offers online courses - at about $430 each!!! BUT you get a fancy sticker for your log when you are done.
Udemy has classes that seem to be directly ripped off of ASA for $15 each (Ace your ASA coastal navigation test . . . etc)
Boater's University (which is associated with Sail Mag) has classes running about $200 each

With Boat's U - you can get a "one year pass" for $400 - take as many classes as you want - that has an appeal.

I've signed up for the Udemy Coastal Nav class, waiting for my chart and tools to arrive by mail (sold separately).

While it's -5 Fahrenheit here in Ann Arbor, I'd like to take a marine diesel maintenance course, anchoring, underwater basket weaving, yoga . . .
learning is always a good thing.

Have you taken any online sailing classes? What was your experience.

 

[jssailem]

Online classes, books, YouTube videos, talking at the marina bar are all ways you can learn about sailing. Sports like sailing are learned by experiencing the activity. All other cerebral approaches will give you a glimpse, and are a great introduction. Until you experience the boat broaching because you have too much sail up, the warning “Reef early” is just words.

If you want to learn, get in a tippy small dinghy with a sail and get on the water.

You’ll make mistakes just like a toddler learning to walk. They are recoverable. They will instill muscle memory that will kick in as you explore bigger boats and open seas.

 

[john6206]

@jssailem
Just for clarity, I've been sailing for almost 30 years.

I'm thinking about buying my first non-trailerable boat, and before I make the jump there are things I'd like to learn. With diesel engine maintenance for example, I think some basic instruction is probably less expensive, less frustrating, and less dangerous than "making mistakes and recovering from them."

Two things that no one can away from you; a good education, and a good time.

 

[dLj]

It depends upon what you are looking to learn.

Anything related to actual boat handling, like anchoring, docking, sail handling, I feel are fairly limited in usefulness.

For other subjects such as navigation, chart reading, trip planning, lights and regulations, have a better end result.

There is no substitute for getting on a boat and having hands-on practice. You can study all you want off a boat, but in the middle of the night, and you see nothing but lights of another boat and you need to figure out what it is and what you need to do - all the on-line learning can do may help, but nothing compares to being there and doing it....

dj

 

[jssailem]

I can appreciate the needs to learn about systems on a boat. My diesel engine knowledge was enhanced by a community college course. Hands on learning. Getting oil and grease under my finger nails helped me understand and diagnose the issues that led to rebuilding my diesel.