Sailing

Hey there! Thanks a ton for all the info. My biggest worry was whether this school would actually give me a solid enough foundation to handle self-teaching through hands-on practice later on. I’ve messed around a bit with a Fisherman 17, but let’s be real—compared to a 50-foot sailboat, that thing is basically a child's toy. Thanks again!

Michael Adams said:Hey there! Thanks a ton for all the info. My biggest worry was whether this school would actually give me enough of a foundation to handle self-teaching through hands-on experience later down the road. I’ve messed around a bit with a Fisherman 17 before, but compared to some 50-foot sailboat, that thing is basically a bathtub toy. Thanks again.

No worries at all. If anything else crosses your mind, just throw it out there—I'm sure someone around here will step up and give you an answer. :-))

Hey everyone!
I’ve got two pieces of good news to share... first off, I finally managed to get logged in and officially joined the club here on the forum, and the second thing is just that I miss being out on the water so much that I’m actually willing to let people cut me off left and right in conversation after spending this entire week glued to my computer screen... honestly, I feel like a coal miner...

but man, it feels like people barely ever swing by this forum anymore... what a waste. because honestly... the second anyone starts talking politics or god forbid, sex, suddenly everyone is online at once!
back in the day, I used to sail like crazy, I actually lived on sailboats out in the islands and stuff... but sadly, you can't exactly pay the bills just by sailing—and let's be real, that's not a job, it's too niche—so over the years, I haven't been able to get out on the water nearly as much. I really miss that energy from the ocean, that view of the open sea and feeling the wind...😛

Look, you can absolutely make a killing in the sailing and cruising course industry, but let’s be real—the barrier to entry is brutal because nobody starts out with a mountain of cash. You don't stand a chance if you try to run a solo charter business; trying to compete against the big players with just one boat is like bringing a knife to a gunfight, especially when you look at their pricing. If you want to actually survive, you have to bundle something else in there to give people a reason to pick you. It’s entirely up to you to come up with a killer concept.

casualfox9 said:Just a quick heads-up—we’ve got 4 spots left for a sailing and cruising course that’s a bit different from your typical training school. It's running the week of June 16th this year:

"Sailing and Cruising Course"

What the weekly course covers:

- Sailing prep (gear, meal planning, routing, etc.) — includes a lecture in Washington, D.C. one week before we head out
- Crew organization
- Basic onboard safety protocols
- Getting the boat ready for sea
- Boat anatomy, working with lines, sails, and winches
- Knots
- Anchoring
- Docking in marinas or harbors
- Steering basics, docking, and maneuvering with lines
- Rigging the vessel, hoisting and dropping sails
- Sailing fundamentals and wind patterns
- Maneuvers
- Sail trimming
- Reefing sails
- Navigation
- Basics of racing and regatta rules
- Cooking on board
- Extras: depending on what the group wants—think hitting up local seafood spots, biking through islands, stuff like that.

The main focus here is actual sailing—basically, how to move faster and safer using nothing but the wind.

Theory: 2 hours a day
Hands-on (on the boat): 6 hours a day
Free time: whatever you want—sailing solo, sunbathing, swimming, fishing, biking, etc.

We have two routes planned: either the southern or central Mediterranean Sea, depending on the weather and what the crew feels like doing.
The boat we'll be using is a First 40.7.

Price per person: $1333

Extra costs: food and marina/dockage fees, plus any national park entry fees.

Requirements:
- Non-smokers only
- Must be 18+

DM me for more details.

Martine wants to do some kind of course in July—but I'll be back home in San Francisco on vacation then.
Anyway, I don't know the first thing about sailing—nobody I know owns a boat—but honestly, I am absolutely obsessed with it this year. Since I couldn't get anyone to agree to just rent a boat and head out for a few days, I've been losing my mind a little.

I've got the drive, I've got the passion, and I can borrow the cash—is there any hope for me? 🙂

Amanda Ramos48 said:Martine wants to do some kind of course in July—I'll actually be back home in Miami on vacation then.
To be honest, I don't know the first thing about sailing. None of my friends own boats, but lately, I've been absolutely obsessed with the idea. Since I haven't been able to coordinate with anyone to just rent a boat and head out for a few days, I've been feeling a little frantic about it.

I have the drive, I have the passion, and I can even borrow the funds—is there any hope for me? 🙂

I'm not sure about July, maybe 🙂 Right now, I'm organizing this for two friends, so we decided that instead of just a casual trip, we'd turn it into a serious sailing and cruising course and take four more people along on the boat. If I end up switching jobs, I'll start running a regular school. 🙂

Thomas Wilson85 said:But unfortunately, it seems they rarely drop by this forum... what a shame. It's always the same story—the second someone brings up politics or some trashy gossip about sex, everyone suddenly floods online!
There was a time when I spent my days intensely sailing; in fact, I practically lived on sailboats out on the islands... but sadly, one has to make a living, and sailing just isn't a career path for most people. So, as the years have passed, I've found myself getting less and less time out on the water. I truly miss that raw energy of the ocean, that endless view of the horizon, and the feeling of the wind...😛

It's a real shame; you really need to spend as much time as possible out on the water 🙂 damn... work 🙂

Does anyone know where they host courses in San Francisco?

Tyler Hill4 said:Does anyone know where they hold those training sessions over in San Francisco?

From what I can gather, there aren't really any formal classes set up... it’s usually one of those things where you either have to be a member of a specific club to get out on the water, or you just pack your bags and head out to the Great Lakes to take some courses through the USA... oh, and they actually just opened up a new base near Palm Beach too, which would probably be a lot more appealing for people who've already spent some time out on the lakes... yeah, once you get to know the crew a bit, you start making connections, and then you might end up joining them for some regattas or even just hopping on a boat for some transfers across the Mediterranean Sea if you find the right group...🙂

casualfox9 said:It’s such a bummer, you really need to spend as much time as possible out on the water 🙂 damn... work... 🙂 just gets in the way

Thanks, Martine, but honestly, you know how it goes... it’s pretty much impossible when you actually have to work to make a living, right? And I just love sailing so much, plus I've spent a huge chunk of my life out there over the last ten years, so there's definitely some truth to that whole "old hand" thing... I never did the whole rental boat thing, we were always out there sailing for real...😎

Thomas Wilson85 said:Thanks, Martine, but you know as well as I do that it’s just not realistic when you have to work to make a living. Besides, sailing is a huge passion of mine, and I’ve put quite a bit of sweat equity into it over the last ten years, so there's definitely some truth to that old saying about "earning your crust." I never did the whole rental charter thing; we always sailed strictly for the sport.😎

Why on earth were you acting so defensive? 🙂 What on earth were you all doing out sailing in the middle of winter? 🙂

casualfox9 said:So why were you getting all worked up? 🙂 I mean, were you guys actually out sailing in the middle of winter? 🙂

Well, basically, during the winter months when we had training sessions or something similar going on... we were constantly out on the water. We did it during the summer too, obviously, but back then it was always just point A to point B, you know? You didn't really have any breathing room or time to go off and do your own thing, find your own route or whatever... but you eventually get used to it and start having fun, as long as you're out there on the ocean...🙏

casualfox9 said:Why are you getting so worked up? 🙂 What on earth were you people doing out there sailing in the dead of winter? 🙂

I’ve sailed through just about every kind of hellish weather and season you can imagine. I’ve even dealt with snow falling while out on the water—one time, I actually decided to head out on New Year's Eve just for the hell of it, and let's just say things got pretty wild.

Brandon Mitchell6 said:I've sailed through just about every conceivable condition and season imaginable; I've even dealt with snow falling mid-voyage. One time, I actually stepped out into a blizzard just for the hell of it! :-)))

Anyway, why did the Boeing take off? 🙂 Down in Palm Beach, I 🙂

casualfox9 said:Anyway, why did the Boeing take off? 🙂 I was down in Palm Beach 🙂

Look, I haven't lost my mind just yet, though I'm getting pretty close. We're rushing everything because we need to have it ready before the trip to Italy. Right now, I'm stuck trying to track down some parts for the wing frame. Maybe I'll run into you in Palm Beach; I've still got a mountain of work to grind through today, but after that, I'm completely free until the end of the week.

Brandon Mitchell6 said:I haven't quite lost my mind yet, though I’m getting close. We’re rushing everything to make sure it's ready before the trip to Italy. Right now, I'm busy sourcing some replacement parts for the wing frame. Maybe I'll run into you in Palm Beach; I've still got a few things to wrap up today, but after that, I'm wide open until the end of the week.

How about grabbing a beer tomorrow afternoon, Thursday?

Brandon Mitchell6 said:I wouldn't say I'm crazy just yet, though I'm getting pretty close. We're rushing to get everything finished before the big race in Florida. Right now, I'm sourcing some tubing for the wing frame. Maybe I'll catch you at the shop; I've got a few things to wrap up today, but after that, I'm wide open for the rest of the week.

I checked with a buddy about those tubes, but unfortunately, he doesn't handle carbon fiber fabrication 😢 so I can hardly believe it. At this rate, I might just have to start my own manufacturing firm for specialized tubing 🙂

casualfox9 said:I checked with a buddy about getting some carbon piping made, but unfortunately, he doesn't handle carbon fiber work 😢 so I'm stuck staring at a dead end. At this rate, I might just have to start my own manufacturing plant for custom tubing 🙂

I had a feeling that was coming. I spent some time digging around online to see what a setup like that would actually run you, and honestly, since most of these manufacturers are based out of China, I can tell you right now—it's going to cost an absolute fortune. :-))