The quickest convert to sailing I've come across...

[SlimRick]

I took my boss out sailing on Saturday morning - 3 hours of bobbing around in the Bristol Channel with very little wind and glorious sunshine on my 30 yr old, 28 footer. It was his first sailing trip.
On Sunday morning he emailed me to say that he had decided to buy a boat and retire on it in ten years time so we've been emailing back and forth all week discussing various boats and their relative merits.
He's now booked us both a flight to Spain to check out a Beneteau Oceanis 411 next Tuesday.
Now that's the way to do it!!!

[Simpo Two]

From rookie to global yachtsman in a week, not bad.


I have no idea how they work but it looks nice - what it is to have beam!

http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/archives/beneteau-ocean...

[Benjaminpalma]

Great. Just remember that it all looks so safe and easy in nice weather...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2366086/Co...

[mickrick]

Well he should be O.K. in a Bendytoy if it stays calm.

[SpeedYellow]

Not sure about living on a Bendytoy is ideal really as guessing he's thinking of going places in it and all the junk of life living on a boat a light displacement soon suffers.

Great to get more people sailing though

[Aerate]

I'm off to see a mate who I persuaded to by a 45' boat off eBay at Christmas ( on the basis it looked 'piratey') . Since then he has been on a week's course, which was his first experience of sailing. Luckily he liked it and I'm taking him from Mallorca to Ibiza on it in a fortnight.

My wife doesn't like me hanging out with him - she thinks he's 'irresponsible'

[b14]

Benjaminpalma said:

Great. Just remember that it all looks so safe and easy in nice weather...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2366086/Co...

Absolutely. The difference in sailing in 15 knots, 25 knots and 35 knots is massive and most people simply don't realise that things get pretty serious, pretty quickly.

[Cheburator mk2]

[redacted]

[jamesc_1729]

Hi - to the op could I ask you from where in the Bristol Channel do you sail? I have just done a weeks dinghy course in the med and also some hobiecat crewing in the uk (plymouth) and am researching where to do some yacht training (comp crew then day skipper).

Is anywhere in the Bristol Channel ok for beginners or should I look at the Solent instead? I am in cheltenham so closer would be easier. Does the large tidal range of the Severn make learning dificult around here and could you recommend any sailing clubs/rya training centres??

[mickrick]

Aerate said:

I'm off to see a mate who I persuaded to by a 45' boat off eBay at Christmas ( on the basis it looked 'piratey') . Since then he has been on a week's course, which was his first experience of sailing. Luckily he liked it and I'm taking him from Mallorca to Ibiza on it in a fortnight.

My wife doesn't like me hanging out with him - she thinks he's 'irresponsible'

Did he get his engine sorted?

[village idiot]

SpeedYellow said:

Not sure about living on a Bendytoy is ideal really as guessing he's thinking of going places in it and all the junk of life living on a boat a light displacement soon suffers.

Great to get more people sailing though

I dunno... I can fit loads of nappies and gin on my bendytoy.

You need to point him the direction of a good yacht broker. I'm sure I know of one or two.

[Aerate]

mickrick said:

Aerate said:

I'm off to see a mate who I persuaded to by a 45' boat off eBay at Christmas ( on the basis it looked 'piratey') . Since then he has been on a week's course, which was his first experience of sailing. Luckily he liked it and I'm taking him from Mallorca to Ibiza on it in a fortnight.

My wife doesn't like me hanging out with him - she thinks he's 'irresponsible'

Did he get his engine sorted?

Apparently so - he just needs a bit more ballast in her to keep her the right way up. So if your missing any manhole covers or paving slabs in your neighbourhood, you'll know why

[PedroB]

[redacted]

[Ayahuasca]

The quickest convert to sailing I have heard of is Sir Chay Blyth who didn't even know how to sail when he took himself off on a round the world, solo, nonstop race. Mind you I never actually came across him personally. He probably would have objected.

[Simpo Two]

The same might be true for Francis Chichester, but he was an outstanding aerial navigator which would have helped somewhat.

[ALawson]

I can do you a good deal on a 38ft westerly ocean ranger!

How much sailing is he going to do in the next tens years? Maybe better to charter, get a better idea of what he wants anh then buy later.

[mickrick]

Ayahuasca said:

The quickest convert to sailing I have heard of is Sir Chay Blyth who didn't even know how to sail when he took himself off on a round the world, solo, nonstop race. Mind you I never actually came across him personally. He probably would have objected.

Have a read of Tania Aebi, Maiden Voyage.