Hi All,
Lee here! Just landed on this forum with all the nervous excitement of a cat about to try water skiing. I'm on a sacred mission, as my profile may or may not dramatically reveal. I've just finished reading the welcome note-don't worry, I agreed to all terms and conditions, even the imaginary ones, and solemnly swear not to set fire to the internet (unless by sheer accident).

Now, onto my grand, not-at-all-midlife-crisis adventure: sailing! My family's aquatic credentials are solid-the folks hail from Cowes, Isle of Wight, which means exploration, rum, and a healthy disregard for dry land run in the blood. Grandad sailed, and my uncle quite literally ran away to sea at 14 (presumably chased by chores). I suppose our family tree has some barnacles. Admittedly, my quest to sail has had more false starts than a snail with a limp.

Let's see. there was the 18-foot Dart Cat (loved her), the 43-foot Laurence Giles shipwreck (she loved the bottom of the sea), and the memorable 22-foot Gay Mull, which helpfully included a large hole in the hull-ideal for those seeking underwater excitement. Clearly, the universe was playing hard to get.
But now I'm in my 'late forties' (read: 'last orders' at the bar of youth), and the siren call of the sea is louder than my alarm clock. So here's the plan: finish working in KSA (that's Saudi Arabia, not Kryptonian Space Agency, in case you're wondering), then "mosey" over to the Mediterranean, spend two or three years playing sailing vagabond, then surf the waves back to Christchurch for more shenanigans-hopefully, this time the kids join in, and the boat stays above water.

So the official reason for joining you lovely lot is to measure just how deep into the "what on earth am I doing?" zone I've sailed, and to find out what kind of perfectly unhinged humans voluntarily point their homes at the horizon and disappear.?I'm trying to work out whether I truly belong among these noble sea lunatics or if I've just overdosed on YouTube sailing channels and daydreams. The rose-tinted glasses are firmly welded to my face, but even through them, the sea still looks absolutely terrifying, and yes, I am fully, sensibly, and loudly scared of its power. To quote a famous painter(God help me) "The heart of man is very much like the sea; it has its storms, it has its tides, and in its depths, it has its pearls too."

So look forwards to chatting with you all.........anchors away(yeah i said it!!!)

Welcome. Best way to find out if you've just overdosed on YouTube sailing channels and daydreams is to go sailing. And not just on bright sunny days, but also on wet rainy days, and days when the wind wont blow, blows too hard, and/or from the wrong direction.

Do you know anyone with a boat within reach of where you live? Have you any certificates such as RYA day skipper, that would enable you to charter a bare boat? I'm guessing you're about a days travel by air from Split in Croatia, for example.

I assume from your earlier ill-fated ventures into sailing you know a sheet from a halyard, and have some idea how to sail? Even so, if you've not much experience of coastal / open water sailing, then you may want to consider doing the RYA day skipper course - at least the theory online - to get some basic knowledge (tides, charts, weather, anchoring and collision regs), plus whatever may be required to be a radio operator (if anything) where you're likely to go sailing. Having those may also make it easier to get crewing experience on other people's boats, if that's what you're hoping to do.

On the other hand, if you're that keen and have the wherewithal, then the quickest option may be to buy yourself a boat. There'll be at least twice as many opinions here as there are forum participants as to what the best boat is, depending on what you want to do with it. I understand mooring fees in the Mediterranean are pretty fierce, and are generally priced per metre, so a smaller monohull may be the better way to start. And as soon as you own a boat, you'll be spending more money on it, fixing, replacing, upgrading etc etc. Boats are complicated and full of stuff that goes wrong and/or wears out. As an owner, be prepared to spend more time fixing than you expected, and so a bit less time sailing than you did in your dreams. If you don't want to seriously bleed money, then having or acquiring the skills and tools to fix things yourself is a good idea, and also makes you more self reliant when in out of the way places. There is a saying that cruising is repairing your boat in exotic locations.

^^ everything that this intelligent person said -and more.

Welcome to Seabreeze

Indeed welcome as others have said. You might find yourself hooked on sailing like most of us. John Masefield's poem Sea Fever captures it

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

Select to expand quote

Trek said..
Indeed welcome as others have said. You might find yourself hooked on sailing like most of us. John Masefield's poem Sea Fever captures it

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

Beautiful poem, is there a verse about boat jobs.

I must go down to the sea again, for there is sanding to be done.
All I ask is for some fine epoxy, that won't kick to fast in the Midday sun

Etc.etc

Hi All,
Whilst i am stuck in the middle of the Arabian desert, I want to start doing some online courses, Navigation, Radio, Celestial Charts ,Tidal and Currents et al, there's a lot on YouTube to choose from so any recommendations would be helpful.

Quote
"You must then know the sea, and know that you know it, and not forget that it was made to be sailed over."
Joshua Slocum

Select to expand quote

ManiaLee said..
Hi All,
Whilst i am stuck in the middle of the Arabian desert, I want to start doing some online courses, Navigation, Radio, Celestial Charts ,Tidal and Currents et al, there's a lot on YouTube to choose from so any recommendations would be helpful.

Quote
"You must then know the sea, and know that you know it, and not forget that it was made to be sailed over."
Joshua Slocum

H ML,
The best training there is in sailing comes from your old stomping ground, namely the RYA. IMO, there is no better sail training org anywhere.
Youtube? Good luck sorting the wheat from the chaff on that one!
If you're landlocked, you should do the theory courses on offer from the RYA. All online, and when you do your on-the-water you'll end up with formal qualifications to boot.
Suggested theory courses:
RYA Essential Navigation (no practical, theory only. This is a pre-cursor to your day skipper)
RYA Day Skipper (theory and has a practical component that you can do later (if you want to get the qualification. I would, it's a great course)
RYA Yachtmaster (prac and theory. You'll need to work up to this, but again, excellent course.)

Cheers!
SB