Topic: LEARNING TO SAIL (Read 9118 times)

Roger in France · « **on:** May 06, 2006, 06:50:24 am »

Any suggestions to help an absolute beginner to yacht saling? Nobody in my club uses wind power and my French is not technically competent in any case!

I have placed an order for a "Laser" and hope to do some preparation before she arrives. I am looking for books; videos or DVDs which I can study before getting wet!

But I guess the learning will not truly start until I am at the lake and making my first mistake!

Roger in France.

boatmadman · « **Reply #1 on:** May 06, 2006, 09:38:18 am »

Just go for it! Learn by mistakes - its all good fun!

Good luck

Ian

martin-R · « **Reply #2 on:** May 06, 2006, 05:09:26 pm »

Roger, unless you're going to be involved in racing, there's not really anything to learn. rudder is instinctive and sails are in except for downwind. One thing I did learn when tacking is not to try to tack again until the boat has built up some speed, otherwise it tends to sit folornly in the middle of the pond flapping its sails and doing little else.

Doc · « **Reply #3 on:** May 06, 2006, 05:26:43 pm »

Roger,
Best advice (?) is to read everything you can find about sailing. Real 'no-brainer', huh? And the best 'trick' is to learn what all the terminology means, sort of, and then apply it to your boat and sailing.
Having said all that, and having tried all that, the real way to learn to sail is to get the boat wet and see what happens when you do this and that. Expect to make mistakes, but try to remember those mistakes so you don't have to go through all that @#$% again. It really isn't ~that~ difficult. Doing it 'right' is something that you have to learn the hard way.
Each boat has it's own characteristics and almost no two simular boats sail the same way. Finding out the differences is what works (and is the most fun).
The only two things you have to know before getting any boat wet is to turn on the electronics, and no holes below the water line!! After that, well, you just have fun wiggling the sticks and seeing what happens.
When you've had some experience sailing it all seems to 'fall-together'. (That's when you start with all the fancy terminology and make it seem harder than it really was :) )
- 'Doc

Have fun, don't worry about things any more than you have to.

ruffair · « **Reply #4 on:** May 06, 2006, 08:56:31 pm »

Traplet (Marine Model International) do a fairly good intro DVD that features all the main yacht classes including Lasers. Failing that read a book written for full size dinghys. (I did) The principle's the same. Lester Gilbert also has a very good site that features how to set up yachts.

Roger in France · « **Reply #5 on:** May 07, 2006, 06:53:25 am »

Thanks chaps. All very helpful. I have now ordered some books and a DVD, as suggested.

As soon as I ge my "Laser" I will get her bottom wet and learn by my mistakes, I felt sure that is what you would advise!

My only concern as that I shall be sailing on very big, very deep lakes and usually on my own. There are three huge reservoirs within 10 minutes of my home.

Here in this part of France there are literally hundreds of small to medium size, man made reservoirs used for farm irrigation. Some are quite shallow and most dry out in high summer so you get to see the bottom which is usually clear of obstructions and weed. However, they are all private and the good ones which retain water all year around are often hired out to the local fishing club. Fishing is a passion around here and they do not take kindly to any kind of intrusion, despite me explainig there can be no fuel slicks and very little disturbance.

However, 5 minutes away is a superb lake of about 2 hectares, reasonably deep, clean and with a huge stone on a tiny island. The small patch of trees to the north west provide shade, there is a bench and sweet grass and wild flowers. All I need is my yacht, a little wind, time off for good behaviour and a bottle of our local wine and, oh yes, ....permission! But I am working on the farmer,the snag is he is incorruptble as he makes his own wine!

Roger in France.

Doc · « **Reply #6 on:** May 07, 2006, 07:22:35 am »

Roger,
Ah! But you've got an option with that wine making farmer. Ofer him the controls to the boat...
Then be prepared to fight him to get it back.
- 'Doc

ruffair · « **Reply #7 on:** May 07, 2006, 03:09:23 pm »

If not wine, then a couple of packs of Gauloises should do the trick.

martin-R · « **Reply #8 on:** May 07, 2006, 08:04:16 pm »

Ah yes, but has he got his own distillery? A bottle of Calvados or Absenthe has been known to work wonders in France, but don't let him handle the sticks with more than half a bottle inside.

dougal99 · « **Reply #9 on:** May 07, 2006, 08:11:33 pm »

Roger

Go for broke and offer him some British Beef

Cheers

Doug

Colin H · « **Reply #10 on:** May 07, 2006, 10:04:21 pm »

Roger,

By the sounds of that place I would offer MONEY.

Hope it works out for you.

Yours Colin H.

cbr900 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 20, 2006, 08:21:57 am »

Honestly mate just enjoy the sailing and the controlling will come with experience, read whatever books you like but the best instructions are sailing the boat..

Roy

Roger in France · « **Reply #12 on:** June 23, 2006, 06:27:01 am »

Well I have at last got her bottom wet. However, twice I have been to the lake with a very slight on shore breeze. The first time I did 2 x 50m. beats and the wind stopped all together. The next time it was half an hour of bliss and then the wind died again.

Tomorrow, I bet there's a gale!

As you guys said, learning from my own mistakes is fun but a little more wind would help me learn more.

The upside is I have already attracted 2 pretty French girls but it was my "Laser" they were interested in and their dog did try to swim after the yacht.

Roger in France.

Tug · « **Reply #13 on:** June 23, 2006, 07:27:59 pm »

Roger,
I would add to Doc's comment about water-proofing all under the waterline to waterproof everything everywhere,

If the boat is in middle of lake and there is a sudden gust of wind it could lay flat your boat then water will get in somewhere , in my case up the rudder tube not but a spoonfull but if you are a half kilo. from shore then?

rats · « **Reply #14 on:** June 25, 2006, 02:36:42 pm »

http://www.onemetre.net/

interesting site full of information

Doc · « **Reply #15 on:** June 25, 2006, 06:16:20 pm »

Roger,
Always some 'dog' hanging around those pretty French girls, ain't they?
- 'Doc

cbr900 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 08, 2006, 11:55:00 am »

Come on Roger it is about time you showed off you pride and joy by means of photos, and I mean the Yacht..

ROy

Roger in France · « **Reply #17 on:** July 16, 2006, 07:03:42 am »

OK I will try to add a pic but I am not good at transfering pics they always seem to be too large. I have not been getting much sailing done as there has been no wind for weeks (well not when I am free to sail). Even the "Laser's" Light Winds Rig hardly shifts her.

Roger in France.

cbr900 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 16, 2006, 02:40:46 pm »

Roger,

It looks good in the water as well as out, you need a large fan and make your own wind...

Roy

Voyager · « **Reply #19 on:** July 16, 2006, 02:52:57 pm »

You could hire a wind machine? Better still, a large rubie murrie the night before should give you all the wind you can handle

gary r uk · « **Reply #20 on:** July 17, 2006, 10:21:43 am »

Hello Voyager
Is that Black Park that your sailing in ?
are you a member
are you still local
why not come on over and sail with us on thursday pm & sunday am.
cheers
gary rowe
BPMBC

Made it to 80 (25p Richer now) · « **Reply #21 on:** July 17, 2006, 11:19:48 am »

If that's Black Park they have cut an awfull lot of trees down since I was last there ::) ::)

MikeK · « **Reply #22 on:** July 17, 2006, 05:56:32 pm »

Quote from: Youngat65 on July 17, 2006, 11:19:48 am

If that's Black Park they have cut an awfull lot of trees down since I was last there ::) ::)

I think Gary was talking about Voyagers' own little pic, at the side of his page, not Roger in France's lake. ( and it does look a bit Black Parkish at the edges) lol
best regards
MikeK

Made it to 80 (25p Richer now) · « **Reply #23 on:** July 17, 2006, 06:08:32 pm »

just proves I should have gone to spec savers

dougal99 · « **Reply #24 on:** July 17, 2006, 09:20:04 pm »

Quote from: Youngat65 on July 17, 2006, 06:08:32 pm

just proves I should have gone to spec savers?

But would that help you find them Bob?

Cheers

Doug

PS I've got some spare string if you'd like some

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Author Topic: LEARNING TO SAIL (Read 9118 times)

Roger in France

ruffair

Roger in France

ruffair

Roger in France

Roger in France