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There use to be a thread about sailing but I think the op has abandoned it. Therefore I will take up the cause. What is this thread about? Sailing is the most relaxing fun you can have on a boat without being naked....but you can if you want. I will try to explain how you can find, buy, and sail a boat without losing your pocket book or your life. (cuz schitt does happen) A little bit about myself I started sailing about fifteen years ago. I have sailed in Galveston Bay the majority of the time with several trips down to Corpus Christi and one trip out to the Flower Gardens. My first boat was a Newport 16 which I purchased from the Boy Scouts. Yes, the Boy Scouts....the boat was originally donated to them as a tax write off but the lawyers in corp told the Troop Leader that the boat was a liability and they should get rid of it. They put it up for sale and I purchased it for around $400 with clear title. The Newport is a small cabin day-sailor which can hold a family of four with a vee berth that sleeps two inside. The head (toilet) is the old 'bucket and Chunk-it' type and was placed in the cabin under the vee berth but the pail spent the nights outside in the cockpit. It came with a furling headsail which made it safer to sail the boat because no one had to head up to the front to do sail changes. My second boat was a Conyplex Contest 27 sailboat. It was built in Europe during the late 1970s and sent to America inside a shipping container. The fin keel was unbolted and the mast was unshipped. The boat was put on a cradle and shoved into the container with the mast and keel taking up the rest of the room. The boat was built during the days when companies were making the transition from wooden hulls to fiberglass laid hulls. Since fiberglass use was so new, they erred on the conservative side and made the hull really thick. The hull was actually nearly one inch thick around the waterline. The boat was able to sleep six people and came with a NGC fuel stove, sink, icebox, and a head. It had a tiller instead of a wheel which I prefer due to the fact that I can make quick rudder corrections almost instantly. The tiller was unique in that it was made out of stainless steel instead of laminated wood. I sold the boat a couple of years ago right before the hurricane came in and wiped out Galveston. The boat was lost in the storm....as in it actually was lost. It became free from its moorings and has not been seen since. I am now in the process of purchasing another sailboat down in the Houston area. Hopefully I will find one soon and then move down there. So without further ado, please ask me about sailing and I will try to answer to the best of my ability.
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Sep 5, 2015 02:49
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I also like sailing and posted in the old sailing thread. I raced J-27s in Philadelphia (i.e. The Delaware River) for four years. But now I live up in North Jersey and haven't fallen in with a new club yet. A few general things about sailing Keelboats vs. Daggerboards A keelboat has a weighted (usually lead or cast iron) keel that gives the boat absolute stability. The gust of wind could hit the boat hard enough to capsize it, and the heavy keel rights it again. A daggerboard boat doesn't have this feature, they are usually small, fast boats, and if they capsize, they can turtle, or turn upside down and stay that way. Cruising vs. Racing Most sailors prefer one or the other. Some like both, but generally racers are a little younger, more competitive, and much more obnoxious. Cruisers tend to be older or more laid back. The big money generally gets spent on racing, but you don't have to spend a lot to get involved and race at a low level. Owning vs. Not Owning Owning a boat is generally expensive. It's also usually a pain in the rear end to sail a boat of any size by yourself, outside of boats that are specifically designed for single handed sailing. I'm a big advocate of finding a club and sailing a ton before you do something crazy like buy a boat. On the other hand, I know lots of people that bought boats almost immediately after getting into it and they're perfectly happy. Protected Water vs. Coastal vs. Blue Water All sailboats are not designed to be sailed across the North Atlantic. In fact, most are not designed to be subjected to harsh conditions found on the oceans. Links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GDro9i1ye0 The best sailing channel on Youtube. Watch his older videos about sail trim. His newer videos are fine but don't really tell you anything http://sailinganarchy.com This is where all the biggest assholes go to talk about sailing. http://sailingmagazine.net Don't go here. The milquetoast world of sailing. How do I get into Sailing? Find a club. If people want to share their regional clubs, I will add links to this section. There are two kinds of clubs, the kind I'm talking about owns boats and lets you sail them with other club members for an annual membership fee. The other kind is basically just a meetup group where people can get to know each other and meet other sailors but the actual sailing occurs on boats that have nothing to do with the club. Either people in the club own boats and are looking for crew or a small group will split the cost of a charter. I've never belonged to this kind of club and have no idea how it goes. Jersey City - http://sailtruenorth.com - I have no idea, people in Philly told me they were good when I moved up to JC, I haven't checked them out yet. $1,100, J-24s New York City - https://myc.org I have no idea, apparently they have a website and they sail what appear to be J-24s. Philadelphia - by far the best option in the Philly area http://www.libertysailing.org $750/year for crew, and a $100 initiation fee. They sail some old rear end J-27s. These clubs will generally get you on a boat and doing things right away. Tell them that you have no experience, they'll tell you what to do. If you still need to be told what to do at the end of the season, you're doing it wrong. Sailing is not that hard, but you need to be curious and you need to put some effort into thinking about how the boat and sails are interacting with the wind and water. If you don't do this you'll never make sense of all the flapping canvas and people will constantly be screaming at you to pull sails in or let them out. I don't understand how people have fun doing this, but there are people that came to my club year after year and never bothered to actually learn what they were doing. How do I get into Cruising? This is probably what most people think they want to do. Head out on a sailboat for a day, a weekend, or maybe a few months or more. The best way to get into this is to join one of the clubs linked above. You will find other people interested in doing this, and that have done it before. It can be done pretty economically. I've cruised on Chesapeake Bay for 3 days and 2 nights for $350. Best of all, if you do what I suggested and actually learn how to sail (and navigate and use the radio). Guys that have boats will want you on their boat and you can sail for free. Learn your AlphaBravoCharlieDeltaEchoFoxtrotGolfHotelIndiaJuliaKiloLimaMikeNovember... etc. How do I get into Racing Most of the clubs linked above have racing programs. You don't need any experience to start. You will either love it or hate it. Some of the traditional positions on the boat, listed from the jobs that traditionally require the least experience to the most experience: Jib Trimmer - Usually this is the newbie job. I disagree with that philosophy, but it's so ingrained that I don't even fight it anymore. As the boat maneuvers toward the first racing mark, it will generally need to zig-zag (called "tacking") every time it tacks the jib trimmers need to adjust this sail by pulling back and forth between the jib winches. It's actually really hard to do correctly, but most racing teams don't even realize what correctly is, so it's just done as quickly as possible. Pit - Specialized position, usually doesn't do a whole lot during the race. Helps launch and douse the spinnaker and helps with general sail management. Can also help with mainsail trim if the boom vang This person usually stands in the companionway. Foredeck - Does any job needed to be done forward of the mast. Usually this means managing the spinnaker pole if one is used. Heavy guys like me never get to do foredeck, but it is fun. On a good racing boat the foredeck or pit person is the tactician because they're usually not doing much and can keep a good lookout and communicate with the skipper and crew. Mainsail Trimmer - In light air this is where the newbies belong, so they can learn. In heavy air you need a very experienced person on the main, as they need to spill the sail quickly when gusts hit. In heavy air the sails can overpower the rudder, and the helmsman will be unable to steer the boat. Helmsman Only job is to steer. It's actually the toughest job on the boat because you need to simultaneously maintain point of sail, look out for other boats, and safely maneuver the boat. On a lovely racing boat, the helmsman is the tactician. On most racing boats the helmsman is also the... Skipper Boss of the boat. What's it like to race? Confusing as gently caress. The way a sailboat race works is that there's an anchored boat called the "committee boat" and a bunch of markers that form the course. One of the markers is called the "pin". An imaginary line between the committee boat and the pin is the "start/finish" line. When the race starts, the boats cross the start finish line, round the markers in order, then return to the start/finish line to finish. Since it's not practical to have the boats anchored or otherwise stationary when the race begins, the boats are maneuvering, and the race committee uses a starting sequence to start the race. They will announce over the radio that the sequence is about to begin (usually they'll say something like "The sequence will begin in about 1 minute" or "The sequence will begin at about 6:30) so people can get their watches ready. Then they'll signal the start of the sequence with a flag and usually a horn. This is when everyone starts their watch, and it marks 5 minutes from the start of the race. The race committee usually will provide additional signals for 4-minutes-to-go, 1-minute-to-go, and then a final signal at the exact start of the race. This five minute sequence is chaotic as the boats jockey for position. This is by far the most intimidating part of the race for new racing skippers. There is lots of yelling and quick moves, and ultimately someone will put themselves in position for the best start. The boat that starts first usually (though not always) finishes first. Yep, the most important part of the race happens before it even begins. The main reason for this is that the boat in front usually has the best air, and they spoil the air for the boats behind them. They will still need to sail a nearly flawless race though, and if they make any kind of mistake, the #2 or #3 boat can easily catch them. The biggest opportunity to make a mistake is launching or dousing the spinnaker, the big light downwind sail. Gear If you are sailing in protected waters you don't need much in the way of gear. That said, if you plan to do coastal or blue water sailing, you will need to be prepared. PFD - The most essential piece of equipment is your personal flotation device. I recommend getting an automatic PFD. There's a CO2 cartridge that will inflate the vest if you go into the water. Something like this would be fine. http://www.amazon.com/Onyx-Co2-Automatic-Vest-Universal-Adult/dp/B0032ALK36/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441508566&sr=8-1&keywords=automatic+pfd If it ever inflates you have to get a CO2 replacement kit for like $30. Apparel Gloves - Sailing involves a lot of pulling on ropes, and letting them slide through your hands under load. That said, I don't like wearing gloves and will only wear them if it's cold. Gill and Musto make gloves specifically for sailing. These are Musto's gloves: https://www.musto.com/sailing-clothing/gloves-socks Sunglasses - Essential. Always have a pair. Make sure they are polarized. Shoes - Topsiders are fine. They need to protect your feet, tolerate water, and give you a good grip on a fiberglass deck. Gadgetry Knife - Can come in handy, especially in an emergency. I rarely used mine though. They make dedicated sailing knives with a folding marlinspike (used to loosen tight knots) for seven whole dollars. http://www.amazon.com/Maxam-SKRULE-Sailors-Multi-Tool/dp/B003COEDMW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441510669&sr=8-1&keywords=sailing+knife Go ahead and get one and stick it in your bag. Or, if you're really cool, get a carabiner, and tie the knife to the carabiner with a bit of cord. Now attach the carabiner to one of your belt loops and you can't drop your knife overboard. I did this for a year and a half until I got tired of picking around with a tangled up cord in the bottom of my bag so I could have a knife that I never used. Watch They make dedicated racing watches for $100 and up like this one http://www.coralreefsailing.com/index.php/accessories/gill-race-watch.html. I used an Ironman , it doesn't matter much. But if you're racing, you should absolutely have a watch. Everyone on the boat should be keeping track of the starting sequence. VHF Radio Even if you're not a skipper, you should have a radio in your bag, because one day the skipper will forget his, or the battery will be dead, or something. It's small, you can get a good one for $100. http://www.amazon.com/b?node=2623486011 That's mostly it. Don't bring too much. Sailboats are small places. Carry sunscreen in your bag and bring a bottle of water and a granola bar or something if it's gonna be a long sail. Blackjack2000 fucked around with this message at 06:07 on Sep 6, 2015 |
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Sep 5, 2015 04:42
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I was hoping that someone made a thread about this and here we are! My gf was taking sailing lessons and told me that it would be just my thing. Ten seconds after we sailed from the port and I was handed the steer during my trial lesson I thought that was the coolest thing ever and lamented the days I've passed without it. Only if my god awful job wasn't hogging my free time these days. But I've looked up for sailing clubs nearby and god knows I want to actually race and stuff. The op and follow up post was godsend because I am learning the lingo in another language (Turkish) and it would be nice to have someone describe everything like that in English. Just a dumbo question but what kind of "gear" I am going to need here? Gloves sound no-brainer (?), some solid grip sneakers or shoes? A sabre and a tricorne hat???
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Sep 5, 2015 10:52
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Good idea, I'll start a gear section too. It's sort of like anything else, you can take almost nothing or you can take tons of stuff. Don'' take tons of stuff. First of all, you'll need a PFD. Get an automatic inflating PFD. Much more comfortable than a foam pfd, especially in warm weather. it's always good to have a radio with me. Early in my sailing career I ingratiated myself with a skipper when he forgot his radio and I produced one out of my sailing bag. You can get one of those dry bags where you roll it up and there's a buckle and it's waterproof, but that's not really necessary. Just get a water resistant bag and stow it somewhere dry on the boat. As far as gloves go, almost everyone wears them. I don't. Go ahead and get a pair and stick them in your bag, but I would try sailing without them first. If you sail frequently you will develop calluses. I find gloves to be sweaty and uncomfortable, but again, I'm one of the few that don't wear them. Watch - Get a watch. Get a good watch. This might even be a good excuse to get one of those Apple Watches if they have good sailing apps for them yet. (I imagine they must). I used a Timex Ironman and it worked great. Indispensable for racing. Every person on the boat should be keeping track of the starting sequence. They do make specialty watches for sailboat racing, and they have some decent features, so that's a possibility too. Sunglasses - There will be lots of glare off the water. Get a good pair of polarized sunglasses. Either fasten them to your clothing or get a cheap pair you can lose over the side. Shoes - I used Topsiders most of the time. Or I used sneakers. It's not that important as long as they can get wet and as long as they're not slippery. I'ver never used grippy sneakers, but I bet they'd be nice. Some people sail barefoot, but I've kicked way too many winches to ever consider doing that. Sunblock - Important if you're as white as me. Keep a bottle in the bag Radio - Something small and cheap - it's just a backup unless you're the skipper. Warm clothing - bring a lightweight synthetic fleece unless it's the summer time. You'd be surprised how quickly it can get cold out on the water. That's it. Seriously. Bring a water bottle and maybe a granola bar or something, but don't bring a lot of stuff. You should be wearing your pfd, sunglasses, gloves, and watch. Everything else should fit in a small bag in the boat, and you'll rarely need to go into it.
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Sep 6, 2015 04:10
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What do you feel is the best way to generate electricity under way? Solar panels, wind turbines, generator, or running the main engines? How do you feel about motoring + sailing at the same time? Does it significantly increase your speed or is it inefficient? How large of a boat can a person sail without a professionally trained crew? I mean like with friends or family helping you out.
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Sep 7, 2015 02:21
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Lolcano Eruption posted:What do you feel is the best way to generate electricity under way? Solar panels, wind turbines, generator, or running the main engines? Most cruisers generate electricity via their diesel engines. Some boats now come with a small auxiliary diesel engine so you don't need to run the big one when you're anchored. But the boat shouldn't need much power in any case. The boat will generally have an icebox rather than a fridge, and showering is a PITA so grab some soap and jump in the water. Wind turbines are pretty expensive and usually seen on live-aboard boats. Solar cells are generally not powerful enough to do much, but can help keep the batteries topped off. Racing boats usually don't have any of this stuff, they charge their batteries at the dock and that's pretty much it. quote:How do you feel about motoring + sailing at the same time? Does it significantly increase your speed or is it inefficient? Motorsailing is done when there is not enough wind for regular sailing. It is always slower than the boat could sail under wind alone, if only there was enough wind. quote:How large of a boat can a person sail without a professionally trained crew? I mean like with friends or family helping you out. It really depends on the conditions. Almost any size boat if it's calm out and the wind is like 7 knots or less. Boats today are designed to be easy to sail, so even a 50 footer is really no problem if the skipper knows what he's doing. Go much bigger than that and you're into mega yacht territory where you have a crew sailing it and you have a crew cooking your dinner.
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Sep 7, 2015 06:05
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Galewolf posted:I was hoping that someone made a thread about this and here we are! My gf was taking sailing lessons and told me that it would be just my thing. Ten seconds after we sailed from the port and I was handed the steer during my trial lesson I thought that was the coolest thing ever and lamented the days I've passed without it. black kind of covered most if not all the gear you might need. He is mostly racing and I will try to cover the average day sailing. It also depends on what type of boat you will be sailing on. Small dagger type boats (aka SunFish, Snipe, and such) would probably be best with a body glove suit....type worn by surfers. Boat shoes not really needed as you cant walk on such a small boat. Larger boats, I would go with a good pair of boat shoes (Perry brand comes to mind). Wide brim type hat to keep the sun off, good sunglasses cuz sun glare off the water really is a killer. Other than that, there isnt that much more you need. If the weather goes bad, you will need to get some foul weather gear which can cost up to $800 for it all.
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Sep 9, 2015 00:57
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Lolcano Eruption posted:What do you feel is the best way to generate electricity under way? Solar panels, wind turbines, generator, or running the main engines? Let me put in my two cents to go with Black's comments. Cruising boats tend to carry a set of house batteries as well as a engine battery. Electrical draw on a boat is mostly lights at night. But with the LED being the norm, battery life is now longer. Instruments comes in next as a power eater. Depending on how many instruments you install will determine how long your batteries will last. Also people are now bringing laptops on-board to use as a navigation device and for sending/receiving emails, weather info, and other things through an antenna. Most cruisers use a combination of things to recharge. Typically a wind generator and solar panels tend to be enough if you are frugal with what you run on your boat. Running your main engine to charge your batteries is a old standby and tends to eat into your fuel supply. I don't tend to motor sail because it just ruins the fun for me. Unless I am battling against a current or have a dead line to meet, I just hove-to and just enjoy being out on the water. You have to be careful when you motor-sail so you don't run out of fuel before you get to your destination. I sail by myself mostly all the time. Most people do it for the challenge while others just don't have a crew to sail with or just don't want to put up with others on the boat. If the boat is set up correctly, you can sail a boat up to 45' in length by yourself.....if you know what you're doing. Think about purchasing a small boat first. One I would suggest would be a Catalina 22. They built millions of these little things and parts/sails are easy to come by. Besides, most come with a trailer so you can tow the boat to a lake away from your home port.
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Sep 9, 2015 01:09
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Anyone here sail dinghy? I grew up on Lakers and Hobe 10s (the last monohull hobe before they became exclusively cats.) with the occasional sunfish. I used to r race Lazers Solo and drat was it fun. It's been a few years, and I'm considering g grabbing a Zuma since it's car topable and doesn't need a trailer. Dinghy is great cause you sail on smaller lakes without a problem. Big boats are cool, but I've always liked my little 10-15 footers
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Sep 9, 2015 05:53
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Hobie 16 is probably my favorite boat to sail of all time. Sailing in Colorado though doesn't happen much. I miss sailing.
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Sep 9, 2015 16:41
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Picture of me sailing my hobie cat back when I lived in Michigan. Best $400 I may have ever spent buying that thing. Obviously this thread needs more pictures.
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Sep 10, 2015 16:39
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Pictures you say? Okay! So I'm not a sailor, although I did do a small bit of crewing during races when I was a teenager - well over 30 years ago now, but after this last weekend, I've really got the itch to become one. Probably not going to happen anytime soon though. In any case, I spent the holiday weekend in San Diego, where they were having their annual Festival of Sail. These aren't really the kind of sail boats that are terribly applicable for this thread, but it was a good time, and you guys might like the pictures anyway. I *think* that the lengths listed for all of these ships are the sparred overall length, not length on deck or waterline. I started off on Friday participating in the Parade of Sail on the deck of American Pride, a large (129') three-masted schooner build in 1941. Because of her size, the crowded nature of the parade, and a light breeze, we spent very little time without the engine assisting, which made me sad, but it was a necessary evil as they had to use the engines hard on two separate occasions to prevent a collision with a small boat with a very dumb helmsman.  On Saturday, I spent a few hours on another 129' schooner, this time the Bill of Rights, for a mock cannon battle with the Irving Johnson. The engine was much less obtrusive on the Bill of Rights, but they never did shut it off, as we were doing a lot of tight maneuvering for the mock battle, and far too many people in small boats have no clue how to keep a safe distance from a pair of maneuvering tall ships, and like the day before on the American Pride, the engine had to be used to avoid a collision with one of them on more than one occasion.  Saturday afternoon was when it got really fun, as I boarded the 83' Topsail schooner - Amazing Grace. This boat was extremely light and maneuverable compared to the previous two ships, and her captain loved to show those characteristics off. The engine was shut completely down as soon as we got away from the dock and the sails were raised, and the crew had us landlubbers help with the sails, raising and trimming, as well as moving from side to side to help with heeling, etc. Great fun crew and I had a great time.  Sunday was the cruise that really made me want to get back into sailing. I went out on the Curlew, a 81' long, John Alden designed schooner that was launched in 1926. This boat was beautiful, and very fast. Like the Amazing Grace, the engine was killed as soon as we left the dock, and the rest of the day was just spent sailing around San Diego Bay, where the Curlew handily outran every other sailboat on the water (except the Stars & Stripes), even though she isn't allowed to fly a spinnaker with passengers aboard (coast guard rule for them I guess). Although the photo shows her only flying the inner jib, on the cruise I was on she was flying all three, the inner, mid, and flying jib. When everything was trimmed up, we were flying across the bay, and it was surprisingly dry, even in a heavy swell.  Now I just need to get a good, high paying job in San Diego, and volunteer to be on the crew of every sailboat I can find!
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Sep 10, 2015 17:44
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Does team racing exist (in the US) outside of high school/college? I miss setting mark traps and heading people up, into oblivion. I have a laser 1 but mostly race Nacras with an old racing instructor, from back in the day. If you wanna meet people and have a blast, I highly suggest lasers and laser regattas. Dirt cheap, in comparison to the rest of sailing. Ages range from teenagers to old men and since everyone's by themselves, you're pretty much forced to socialize with whoever is around you. liquorlanche fucked around with this message at 20:51 on Sep 10, 2015 |
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Sep 10, 2015 20:38
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liquorlanche posted:Does team racing exist (in the US) outside of high school/college? I miss setting mark traps and heading people up, into oblivion. Down in Clear Lake (Galveston, Texas), we would have the Wednesday Nite Races. It was basically what you did.......lots of sailors, young and old, out on the bay doing the rounds while the spectators were on the bar decks doing their rounds. It is basically class racing, zumas, sunfish, Lasers, and such. Nothing competitive for most. In October, there is the race from Houston to Corpus Christi....cant remember the name of it. I tried it one time but we ended up with some issues with the rig so we bailed out right outside of Galveston Bay.
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Sep 14, 2015 03:23
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RazNation posted:I will try to explain how you can find, buy, and sail a boat without losing your pocket book I'm curious about upkeep costs. About how much does it run you every year to keep your current boat in good condition? I grew up knowing a lot of families that had boats of various types, and while they were super fun, every single boat owner had tales of woe regarding how much money they spent every year on the thing. Also, what's the space like on a 27'' boat? I'm guessing the cabin isn't all that huge, but is it a reasonable size for two people?
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Sep 14, 2015 17:43
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kedo posted:I'm curious about upkeep costs. About how much does it run you every year to keep your current boat in good condition? I grew up knowing a lot of families that had boats of various types, and while they were super fun, every single boat owner had tales of woe regarding how much money they spent every year on the thing. In my last job there was a boat owner. He did seem to have tales of maintenance costs every so often. One of the other coworkers said the best summation he ever heard for owning a boat, was that it was equivalent to standing in a shower tearing up 50s. So I too wonder is it as expensive as it seems?
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Sep 14, 2015 22:46
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Marenghi posted:In my last job there was a boat owner. He did seem to have tales of maintenance costs every so often. One of the other coworkers said the best summation he ever heard for owning a boat, was that it was equivalent to standing in a shower tearing up 50s. Yes; yes, it is. Always remember the 3-F Rule: if it flies, floats or fucks, it's cheaper to rent. The only reason to do otherwise is out of love and passion (applies to all three equally, actually...)
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Sep 14, 2015 23:45
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kedo posted:I'm curious about upkeep costs. About how much does it run you every year to keep your current boat in good condition? I grew up knowing a lot of families that had boats of various types, and while they were super fun, every single boat owner had tales of woe regarding how much money they spent every year on the thing. The funny thing about upkeep on a boat is that shipyards (auto shops of the boat world) charge by the boat length. Getting your boat hauled...aka removing it from the water by crane is charged by the foot of the boat. Typically around $7/ft. That is just taking the boat out of the water. Then you have to pay for other things. To get the bottom spray cleaned is another $3/ft. Some people save the money by doing the bottom scrubbing themselves by putting on a mask and fins and jumping into the water with a brush. If your boat stays in salt water, you will need to get the bottom painted about two to three years. This entails having the boat hauled, bottom spray cleaned, placed on blocks, some rough sanding, replace zincs, and two layers of new paint. This usually takes about five days and cost somewhere around $25-30/ft Of course, the more stuff you can do on your own, the less you will have to pay the shipyard. If you can work on a car without killing yourself, you can pretty well work on a sailboat. If you have any teak wood on the top of your boat, most do.....you will have to redo those about every two years unless you cover the wood up with some canvas. But these are just the maintenance costs. The real bills are in the slip fees if you keep your boat in a marina. Most marinas keep certain size slips which are typically in five foot increments. Instead of you paying for the slip by the size of your boat, you pay for the slip by the size of the slip itself. For example, with my 27' boat, I have to keep it in a 30' slip. The cost of the slip varies greatly depending on where the marina is and how much demand there is for the slips themselves. I was paying around $8/slip foot for my boat as well as keeping insurance in case I or my boat damages the marina or other boats. With a slip, you will get a storage locker, fresh water spigot and 110v power plug next to your boat. Some if not most places will also charge you for the electricity you use as well. Slip rentals are typically done in one year leases and you get access to their amenities as well as a discount at the shipyard if they have one. However if you have a smaller trailer sailor boat, you can save the slip fees by keeping the boat at your house. If you don't have the room or cant keep the boat at home, you can store it at a storage place or at the marina if they have a lot specifically for storing boats. If you keep it at the marina lot, you will have to pay for it but at a reduce cost. Around Dallas, its about $50 with boat ramp privileges. And now for the good news......because you are in a sailboat, you will not be burning fuel left and right like those people who run powerboats. The large 'Miami Vice' cig boats that run around Clear Lake eat up about $450 a day on fuel. I spent $36 on diesel fuel for my sailboat for all of last year. Granted, these prices are what I see in the area where I sail. Prices will be different where you live so take my prices with a grain of salt.
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Sep 15, 2015 01:35
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Slip fees around San Diego Bay: http://www.cvmarina.com/amenities-slip-fees/san-diego-marina-slip-fee-comparison/ For a 30' slip, from $330 up to over $600 per month.
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Sep 15, 2015 04:37
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The Locator posted:Slip fees around San Diego Bay: Ouch! I think the issue there are that there is more boats than there is slips on the west coast.....as in in prime locations where you are not driving over three hours just to get to your boat. This is where I use to keep my boat. http://www.seabrookmarinacenter.com/ It was a fifteen minute motor out the channel to buoy #1 from F dock which was great. There is more marinas within Clear Lake itself but during the winter, the north winds tend to blow most of the water out of the lake.
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Sep 17, 2015 23:40
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AA is for Quitters posted:Anyone here sail dinghy? I grew up on Lakers and Hobe 10s (the last monohull hobe before they became exclusively cats.) with the occasional sunfish. I used to r race Lazers Solo and drat was it fun. It's been a few years, and I'm considering g grabbing a Zuma since it's car topable and doesn't need a trailer. I just bought a Sunfish recently and have had a blast sailing it - although I already capsized it for the first time. Luckily the daggerboard was secured so I was able to grab it and right myself. They're great boats for learning the basics of sailing. I'm also lucky enough to crew a 24" as the jib trimmer though my local sailing club, so I'm hoping to get a 16"-24" of my own some day. Does anyone have any suggestions for upgrading their Sunfish? I've considered getting a wind indicator but didn't know if there were any common upgrades (mine is a basic Sunfish made in the mid 70's). GamingHyena fucked around with this message at 03:05 on Sep 20, 2015 |
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Sep 20, 2015 03:03
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I need to win the Powerball or something.. This thing is calling to me. http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/bod/5158313305.html Sadly, my wallet can't afford to answer. A Laser or Capri in the $750~$1500 range is probably more in my budget range. 
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Sep 20, 2015 03:38
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GamingHyena posted:I just bought a Sunfish recently and have had a blast sailing it - although I already capsized it for the first time. Luckily the daggerboard was secured so I was able to grab it and right myself. They're great boats for learning the basics of sailing. I'm also lucky enough to crew a 24" as the jib trimmer though my local sailing club, so I'm hoping to get a 16"-24" of my own some day. Sunfishes are fun to sail, plus they are easy to haul around. You don't need a wind indicator, just use a six inch length of yarn tied to the mast. If you get bored with that fish, you can go look at Lazers. And always ask to crew on other people's boats.
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Sep 22, 2015 00:51
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The Locator posted:I need to win the Powerball or something.. This thing is calling to me. Wooden boats especially those built in the early 1900s are one big arse pain to keep in shape. Freaking woodwork alone is enough to drive you mad. If you are looking for a small boat, take a look at the Catalina 22. Cheap, enough room for family of four, and parts are easy to find. A really good, clean older model with a nice trailer will cost you about $4k. You could also ask marinas if they have any boats they have confiscated for lack of payment. They will typically sell the boat for the outstanding amount due for the slip. Granted some boats may be junk but sometimes you can find a good gem AND a very good chance of leasing the slip the boat is in.
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Sep 22, 2015 00:57
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RazNation posted:Wooden boats especially those built in the early 1900s are one big arse pain to keep in shape. Freaking woodwork alone is enough to drive you mad. I'm well aware of this, but if I had a stupid amount of money, I wouldn't care at all. I'm dreaming here you know.
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Sep 22, 2015 04:00
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I took an introductory sailing class that that the city of Oakland (California) offers on Lake Merritt earlier this summer and it was blast so this weekend I am taking the solo small-boat sailing class. These classes are ridiculously cheap (about $120 for a three-day thing) so everyone in the bay area should take them.
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Sep 23, 2015 01:06
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withak posted:I took an introductory sailing class that that the city of Oakland (California) offers on Lake Merritt earlier this summer and it was blast so this weekend I am taking the solo small-boat sailing class. These classes are ridiculously cheap (about $120 for a three-day thing) so everyone in the bay area should take them. I just signed up for a 5 day (every other Saturday, so takes a while) introduction to sailing class that's done on Tempe Town Lake. I'm looking forward to it.
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Sep 23, 2015 03:55
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I just signed up for sailing classes through my university (going back to school and wringing everything I can out of my tuition). I end up paying $50 dollars for a 10 week course. If anyone else is in the Santa Cruz area, it's open to community members, but I don't know about availability and pricing.
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Sep 24, 2015 00:24
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Does anyone have opinions about sailing schools like this? Seems like it's part vacation, part learning experience. It super fun and if I were to go my main goals would be learning and getting that certification rather than having a vacation. Are they worth a drat, or are they just catering to people like me who are excited at the prospect of sailing and want to learn but don't know any better? Also why are there so many sailing schools with "barefoot" in the name? Is there some sort of nautical meaning to the word?
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Sep 24, 2015 00:32
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kedo posted:Does anyone have opinions about sailing schools like this? Seems like it's part vacation, part learning experience. It super fun and if I were to go my main goals would be learning and getting that certification rather than having a vacation. Are they worth a drat, or are they just catering to people like me who are excited at the prospect of sailing and want to learn but don't know any better? It's probably legit. Look around for reviews or opinions from people that have used them. Those same courses can be completed for less money in the States, but there's no reason not to spend more money to have a good time and do it in the Caribbean, I just mention it because you said your focus is the certification rather than the vacation.
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Sep 24, 2015 02:24
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kedo posted:Does anyone have opinions about sailing schools like this? Seems like it's part vacation, part learning experience. It super fun and if I were to go my main goals would be learning and getting that certification rather than having a vacation. Are they worth a drat, or are they just catering to people like me who are excited at the prospect of sailing and want to learn but don't know any better? I did a week long course out of Ft. Lauderdale similar to this, and it was great. All business during the day - drills, mini-lectures, discussions on systems, etc. and in the evenings we went swimming, drank, played cards, etc. I do think the experience is dependent on your crew mates. Mine had also prepared well and were about my age.
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Sep 24, 2015 21:15
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Cool. I have a couple of friends who are interested in going so I think I could probably fill up an entire boat with people I know who are excited to learn.
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Sep 24, 2015 22:21
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I learned to sail this summer, and I'm considering buying a Hobie 14 off of the camp I worked at. The Hobie was fine on the perpetually flat lake that the camp used, but I'm wondering if I'd be pushing it trying to use it on Lake Michigan?
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Sep 25, 2015 17:45
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JohnSherman posted:I learned to sail this summer, and I'm considering buying a Hobie 14 off of the camp I worked at. The Hobie was fine on the perpetually flat lake that the camp used, but I'm wondering if I'd be pushing it trying to use it on Lake Michigan? We have been about a mile off shore in Michigan and Huron on a hobie 16. Not sure I would want to go as far out on a 14. We sailed out to Mackinaw one year. My uncle was about a mile out on Huron and had a mast guy cable snap and was hosed. Luckily a boat came by and was able to get the coast guard on the radio and get him a tow. He has a paddle and the current was just way too strong and he was going nowhere. So yeah on the big lake just make sure you have the right great and ability to get help. It is a blast out there though.
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Sep 25, 2015 18:09
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The Locator posted:I'm well aware of this, but if I had a stupid amount of money, I wouldn't care at all. I'm dreaming here you know. I know what you mean.......I would really love to have a Lagoon 460 or a Elan E5.
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Oct 1, 2015 01:36
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kedo posted:Does anyone have opinions about sailing schools like this? Seems like it's part vacation, part learning experience. It super fun and if I were to go my main goals would be learning and getting that certification rather than having a vacation. Are they worth a drat, or are they just catering to people like me who are excited at the prospect of sailing and want to learn but don't know any better? These schools are basically a legit business except that you would be better off learning to sail here in the states. Its cheaper and you can go on a charter down in the islands afterwards and really enjoy yourself. Due to the topsides of a boat, it is typically a boat shoe or bare foot that gives you the best footing when you are on the boat. Other than that, the meaning has about as much bang as marketers calling fatty chocolate as bliss and decadent. Now if you really want to go out on a charter, there are several companies down in the West Indies that you can 'rent' a sailboat. Typically this is how it works if you go with a crewed boat: 1. You call them up and tell them that you have X amount of people and you want to go on such and such date. 2. Your group flies down there and the charter company picks you up at the airport. They take you directly to the boat, load up your gear, and cast off to sail to some small cove nearby so that you can spend the first night out on the hook. 3. Depending on what cruise you sign up for, you can be gone as long as a week or even two. You do your sailing during the day and anchor up by mid afternoon so that you can spend some time swimming, snorkeling, scuba, or wind boarding. 4. At the end of the cruise, they take a quick look at the boat to make sure you didn't break anything and then take you back to the airport. That scenario is with a crewed boat. That means they supply the captain and a second mate/cook and you can do whatever. Captains will also let you sail the boat while they supervise. The other way is a 'bare boat' charter. This type of cruise means is that you just get the boat and supplies but its your job to crew the boat. The companies will test you first before they let you drop the lines and sail away with their $450k pride and joy. Not because they have money tied into it but more than likely the boat itself is owned by an individual, sight unseen, who allows the charter company to lease it out. The income is split between the two. These cruises tend to run about $1k-1.2k a week with the cheapest rates during the summer. Don't bother if you want to go during the cold arse winter because you have already lost out on getting a boat. I personally rather do one of these trips than get holed up with 2.5k other people on some crap infested cruise ship. The Moorings and SunSail tend to be the biggest charter companies down there. RazNation fucked around with this message at 02:02 on Oct 1, 2015 |
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Oct 1, 2015 01:58
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JohnSherman posted:I learned to sail this summer, and I'm considering buying a Hobie 14 off of the camp I worked at. The Hobie was fine on the perpetually flat lake that the camp used, but I'm wondering if I'd be pushing it trying to use it on Lake Michigan? Hobies are fun and fast boats especially when you hang out on the wire.  On such a lake, I would sail close to shore. The boat has no motor nor any protection if you get stuck out there.
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Oct 1, 2015 02:01
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RazNation posted:These schools are basically a legit business except that you would be better off learning to sail here in the states. Its cheaper and you can go on a charter down in the islands afterwards and really enjoy yourself. Great information, thanks! I started looking into local sailing classes shortly after posting that and you are indeed right... I can learn someplace just down the road from me for a fraction of what that trip would cost. Granted it's not in the Caribbean.
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Oct 1, 2015 02:05
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Today was day 1 of sailing lessons, and it was a complete blast. I'm not completely exhausted too. I had no idea what a workout it was sailing these little boats on a small lake. Seems like we were constantly tacking because whenever we got a nice breeze we'd run out of water on the tack pretty quick. Was in Capri 14.2's.
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Oct 4, 2015 02:55
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kedo posted:Great information, thanks! I started looking into local sailing classes shortly after posting that and you are indeed right... I can learn someplace just down the road from me for a fraction of what that trip would cost. Granted it's not in the Caribbean. Kewl! Make sure that they are ASA certified to get the best training.
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Oct 5, 2015 12:11
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