Hi everyone, I just want to get some advice and see if my plans are ridiculous or not.
I live in Melbourne and want to sail up the east coast during 2020. I grew up with a tinnie, using it for river fishing as well as a trip up at the GBR. But I haven't sailed before. Is it completely unreasonable to start sailing now with my ambitions? Obviously it depends on the amount of time and money I could dedicate but i want to get a rough idea if its possible. I've spent a lot of time in the ocean, surfing, and diving. I also paraglide so I've got a pretty good idea of weather patterns and watching the sky.

Im thinking of doing some lessons then starting to crew if possible. Eventually I'd like to buy something like a Top Hat 25.

Thanks in advance

Absolutely, but spend the time with good people getting the lessons.
RYA scheme works best

Yes it is possible and the way to do it is to take lessons and crew, crew, crew.
Crew with someone with experience.
Crew with someone who doesn't have a clue.
Crew on a small sailboat, beachcat or dinghy.
Crew on a Top Hat.
Crew when it is rainy and windy.
Crew when it boiling and calm.
Help your skipper maintain, service and haul out.
Help your skipper clean and do the dirty pain in the ass jobs.
When you turn up to crew, have a sandwich and a drink for all on board.
Learn to carry your weight and be reliable,
Learn by crewing.
And then off you go.

gary

Abso-bloody-lutley it is feasible.

I have been around boats all my life too, but mainly the powerboats. I did have a Catalina 28 for a little while but it spent most of its time in the pen. Two years ago now I bought a 47 footer in Brisbane with the intention of bringing her home to Perth. I had previously done RYA training, done a few bareboat charters in the Whitsundays and helped very, very rarely crew a boat, plus a total of 5 one day trips on my new boat before heading off for a 6 month sail. So I was considered fairly much a Greenhorn and I was the most experienced on the boat.

So from first hand experience, this is what I learnt.

1. Ask questions. Do not be afraid to ask anybody and everybody. There is no room from pride here. Ask people you meet, and ask people on this forum.

2. Don't be afraid to ask for help. On at least two occasions on the east coast in sh!tty weather we decided to make for a marina instead of our desired anchorage. My family (wife and two boys under 10) were new to sailing and if they felt safer in a marina then I wasn't going to argue wth them. We asked for help coming into the docks and held off until it was available. But nearly everywhere we went unsolicited help was offered. We usually accepted it. A solo sailer that spend a few months sailing along with us was always asking for help and advice. She is now in Trinidad.

Don't discount mental and psychological help either. After 4 1/2 months and 4 weeks of that belting into 20-30 kts southerlies down the west coat (funny how that wind didn't bother us up the east coast), we were spent. Close to home but so far away still. We asked FreeRadical (from this site) to help us for a Week. FreeRadical flew from Perth to Shark Bay and spent a week with us sailing to the Abrolhos Is then to Geraldton before he had to fly back to Perth. The weather did improve and we had a nice time. But I don't think FreeRadical has any idea on how much he lifted our morale and spirits.

3. Safety First. Know your limits. Often comfort limits are reached before physical limits. Stop when the comfort limits are reached and slowly but surely they will expand. If you have to ask the question, you already have the answer eg, Should I reef... Reef. Should I put on a life Jacket.... Put on a life jacket. Be prepared to leave a beautiful anchorage early is needed for weather, but conversely be prepared to stay in a crappy one longer if required too.

You will start out with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience.
The trick is to fill the bag full experience before you empty the bag from all its luck

4. Are you sailing with young kids and do you want them to enjoy it? If the answer is Yes, then on your boat you don't have winches, halyards, sheets, clutches, pulpits, pushpits or any other of these items. What you do have is.... That round silver thing, the white rope with the black fleck, or the green rope with the white fleck. A bunk is a bed, a head is a toilet and the galley is the kitchen. They will be to overwhelmed as it is to remember outdated and irrelevant terms. My two (now 12 and 9) started to understand and enjoy the sailing once I realised this and now call everything by the said outdated and irrelevant terms and we are a well oiled machine.

5. And you will be ok if you can follow my golden rule:
Stay on boat
Keep water off boat
Keep boat off land.

Sorry for the long winded post. Once I got typing I couldn't stop. The rules and suggestions above are just commonsense really. Don't let anybody tell you that it is not feasible. But just do it (with the proper preparations). You won't regret it.

Select to expand quote

Toph said..


5. And you will be ok if you can follow my golden rule:
Stay on boat

My big one too.
When things go wrong, people can naturally become anxious, maybe scared, and do stupid things. Mitigate the risk that stupid thing you may do one day doesn't result in you going over the side. How is by ensuring you always stay on the boat. Everything else you can recover from.

A side note: Take your time on the things you need to know and learn to do them properly rather than partially. Even seemingly complex sailing tasks can be done singlehanded when done correctly.

Thinking of a Top Hat then go to and join

http:/www.tophatyachts.com

There you can contact Top Hat owners who may take you on and as well there are Top Hats for sale right now.

My first [and only] yacht is a Top Hat [SV SEAKA] and there isn't a better yacht to learn in or cruise if your funds are limited.

In Melbourne is easy. I started 30 years ago in Melbourne.
St Kilda Squadron Twilight Wednesday races, try to get in right now
and pick smaller boat, not like me 42 f. For start you'll be a ballast but
you learn a lot just watching not only the boat you on but all around .
St Kilda marina / not squadron / Saling school...is a must.

open sailing days, Sandrigham, Mornington, Hastings, Williamstown .

Port Phillip is best training for free. Survive SW change on smaller yacht on you own when you in the middle , is fight for survival .
Than coastal hopping to circumnavigate .....breeze.

it might be more difficult to get on boat / than many years ago /,
on Wednesdays,
ones you undertake a sailing course , they gets you in.
those races are priceless , sometimes you feel like a rag in washing
machine, learn to concentrate, watching expirienced skippers.

Select to expand quote

Toph said..
Abso-bloody-lutley it is feasible.

I have been around boats all my life too, but mainly the powerboats. I did have a Catalina 28 for a little while but it spent most of its time in the pen. Two years ago now I bought a 47 footer in Brisbane with the intention of bringing her home to Perth. I had previously done RYA training, done a few bareboat charters in the Whitsundays and helped very, very rarely crew a boat, plus a total of 5 one day trips on my new boat before heading off for a 6 month sail. So I was considered fairly much a Greenhorn and I was the most experienced on the boat.

So from first hand experience, this is what I learnt.

1. Ask questions. Do not be afraid to ask anybody and everybody. There is no room from pride here. Ask people you meet, and ask people on this forum.

2. Don't be afraid to ask for help. On at least two occasions on the east coast in sh!tty weather we decided to make for a marina instead of our desired anchorage. My family (wife and two boys under 10) were new to sailing and if they felt safer in a marina then I wasn't going to argue wth them. We asked for help coming into the docks and held off until it was available. But nearly everywhere we went unsolicited help was offered. We usually accepted it. A solo sailer that spend a few months sailing along with us was always asking for help and advice. She is now in Trinidad.

Don't discount mental and psychological help either. After 4 1/2 months and 4 weeks of that belting into 20-30 kts southerlies down the west coat (funny how that wind didn't bother us up the east coast), we were spent. Close to home but so far away still. We asked FreeRadical (from this site) to help us for a Week. FreeRadical flew from Perth to Shark Bay and spent a week with us sailing to the Abrolhos Is then to Geraldton before he had to fly back to Perth. The weather did improve and we had a nice time. But I don't think FreeRadical has any idea on how much he lifted our morale and spirits.

3. Safety First. Know your limits. Often comfort limits are reached before physical limits. Stop when the comfort limits are reached and slowly but surely they will expand. If you have to ask the question, you already have the answer eg, Should I reef... Reef. Should I put on a life Jacket.... Put on a life jacket. Be prepared to leave a beautiful anchorage early is needed for weather, but conversely be prepared to stay in a crappy one longer if required too.

You will start out with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience.
The trick is to fill the bag full experience before you empty the bag from all its luck

4. Are you sailing with young kids and do you want them to enjoy it? If the answer is Yes, then on your boat you don't have winches, halyards, sheets, clutches, pulpits, pushpits or any other of these items. What you do have is.... That round silver thing, the white rope with the black fleck, or the green rope with the white fleck. A bunk is a bed, a head is a toilet and the galley is the kitchen. They will be to overwhelmed as it is to remember outdated and irrelevant terms. My two (now 12 and 9) started to understand and enjoy the sailing once I realised this and now call everything by the said outdated and irrelevant terms and we are a well oiled machine.

5. And you will be ok if you can follow my golden rule:
Stay on boat
Keep water off boat
Keep boat off land.

Sorry for the long winded post. Once I got typing I couldn't stop. The rules and suggestions above are just commonsense really. Don't let anybody tell you that it is not feasible. But just do it (with the proper preparations). You won't regret it.

The solo sailor wasn't by any chance sailing a boat named Shanti was she ??

Select to expand quote

UncleBob said..

Toph said..
Abso-bloody-lutley it is feasible.

I have been around boats all my life too, but mainly the powerboats. I did have a Catalina 28 for a little while but it spent most of its time in the pen. Two years ago now I bought a 47 footer in Brisbane with the intention of bringing her home to Perth. I had previously done RYA training, done a few bareboat charters in the Whitsundays and helped very, very rarely crew a boat, plus a total of 5 one day trips on my new boat before heading off for a 6 month sail. So I was considered fairly much a Greenhorn and I was the most experienced on the boat.

So from first hand experience, this is what I learnt.

1. Ask questions. Do not be afraid to ask anybody and everybody. There is no room from pride here. Ask people you meet, and ask people on this forum.

2. Don't be afraid to ask for help. On at least two occasions on the east coast in sh!tty weather we decided to make for a marina instead of our desired anchorage. My family (wife and two boys under 10) were new to sailing and if they felt safer in a marina then I wasn't going to argue wth them. We asked for help coming into the docks and held off until it was available. But nearly everywhere we went unsolicited help was offered. We usually accepted it. A solo sailer that spend a few months sailing along with us was always asking for help and advice. She is now in Trinidad.

Don't discount mental and psychological help either. After 4 1/2 months and 4 weeks of that belting into 20-30 kts southerlies down the west coat (funny how that wind didn't bother us up the east coast), we were spent. Close to home but so far away still. We asked FreeRadical (from this site) to help us for a Week. FreeRadical flew from Perth to Shark Bay and spent a week with us sailing to the Abrolhos Is then to Geraldton before he had to fly back to Perth. The weather did improve and we had a nice time. But I don't think FreeRadical has any idea on how much he lifted our morale and spirits.

3. Safety First. Know your limits. Often comfort limits are reached before physical limits. Stop when the comfort limits are reached and slowly but surely they will expand. If you have to ask the question, you already have the answer eg, Should I reef... Reef. Should I put on a life Jacket.... Put on a life jacket. Be prepared to leave a beautiful anchorage early is needed for weather, but conversely be prepared to stay in a crappy one longer if required too.

You will start out with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience.
The trick is to fill the bag full experience before you empty the bag from all its luck

4. Are you sailing with young kids and do you want them to enjoy it? If the answer is Yes, then on your boat you don't have winches, halyards, sheets, clutches, pulpits, pushpits or any other of these items. What you do have is.... That round silver thing, the white rope with the black fleck, or the green rope with the white fleck. A bunk is a bed, a head is a toilet and the galley is the kitchen. They will be to overwhelmed as it is to remember outdated and irrelevant terms. My two (now 12 and 9) started to understand and enjoy the sailing once I realised this and now call everything by the said outdated and irrelevant terms and we are a well oiled machine.

5. And you will be ok if you can follow my golden rule:
Stay on boat
Keep water off boat
Keep boat off land.

Sorry for the long winded post. Once I got typing I couldn't stop. The rules and suggestions above are just commonsense really. Don't let anybody tell you that it is not feasible. But just do it (with the proper preparations). You won't regret it.

The solo sailor wasn't by any chance sailing a boat named Shanti was she ??

Yes it was... We sailed with her and and American boat SV Huck from Keppel to Thursday Is then Shanti, a Canadian Boat Dreamcatcher and us buddied up from TI to Darwin. We left both in them in Darwin but we get the occasional email from Shanti.

Another reply here that its totally do-able.
Your nearly half way there having a general idea about weather, and common sense. The hardest part will be getting to the day you actually leave, the rest is easy.
I left Port Bundaberg this morning and hada fantastic sail, currently anchored behind Big Woody Island in the Great Sandy Strait, in a Top Hat 25,southbound after going to the Whitsundays. Its been a brilliant trip, i have enjoyed it and loved every second.
I have been sailing in company with a couple of other single handers since Shaw Is, which is awesome fun. One in a S&S34 and another ina Mottle 33, and the little TH has not been disgracing herself, very little distance between us at the destination

I'd be happy to take you out on Port Philip sometime in our mighty Top Hat

Moored in St Kilda

Send me a message if interested

Cheers

And another invite for a ride out on PPB with me on my Compass 28 (sort of like a TH's bigger brother) out of Sandringham.

Take up all these offers, be hungry for experience, sail a lot before you buy anything.

Cheers, Graeme

The cheapest boat you will ever sail on will be somebody else's.

Thanks so much for the support and warm welcome. I'll definitely be taking up those offers to other's boats and really appreciate the generosity. Its exciting to know that it can be done. Time to put the plan into action!

I did a few courses with Yachtmaster, yachtmaster.com.au/sailing-school-courses/
but in particular I'd recommend the coastal navigation course, and maybe an introduction-to-sailing course.
In a TopHat you might have an outboard rather than a diesel, so familiarity with those engines or a book will help resolve mechanical issues. When you're about to set off, a licence for a VHF radio will be a good idea too, it's only a 2 or 3 hour lesson, and a simple test the next week.

So, 2 or 3 short courses, and then you should practice sailing. Like Cisco said, it's cheapest to sail someone else's boat, but there is no substitute for sailing as much as you can. You will thus experience weather, tides, currents and navigation issues, and you will learn from doing it. A night sail is the next extension to your experience. A few hours at night in good weather, to a safe harbour or previously-visited place will give you good experience. And a bit of coastal sailing will help later. Day sails first though. Build up your experience, with practice, reading and some appropriate short courses.

I'm in Westernport and will resume some sailing this summer, so some coastal passages are available if you like. 28 foot Compass, outboard motor.

You read stories about people with no boating experience buying a boat, getting a 3-4 hours lesson from the owner and off they go. And they manage.

Since you have some boating experience, you do know a thing or two, which is a big plus.
Sailing is relatively easy but compared to a tinnie it is much much involved in every way.

Ton of good advice in the comments above, remember practice makes perfect and nobody is perfect at the start.
And there is no such a thing that too old for something.

Everything is relative. I had known people, who owned boats for years, yet rarely took their boats out and called themselves experienced. Than there is this other guy, who was only boating for 6 months but he was out every 3 days. They called him a novice. Who do you think had more experience?

Also, read articles and watch you-tube how to videos. Not everything is gold, but it certainly will broaden your knowledge. Nothing beats hands on and experience, so just do it and sail away!

I had never put up a sail in my life when I bought my boat .
had a look at "a" book on sailing and gave it a crack.
last big trip I did was to weipa from Brisbane, then back .
single handed.
have a go you might be surprised just what you can do.

Select to expand quote

stupid said..
I had never put up a sail in my life when I bought my boat .
had a look at "a" book on sailing and gave it a crack.
last big trip I did was to weipa from Brisbane, then back .
single handed.
have a go you might be surprised just what you can do.

good on ya. Would you mind sharing which book that was, perhaps greenblue could learn from that too?

there is a book called " sailing for Dummises" that might help too

Select to expand quote

Seebreasy73 said..

stupid said..
I had never put up a sail in my life when I bought my boat .
had a look at "a" book on sailing and gave it a crack.
last big trip I did was to weipa from Brisbane, then back .
single handed.
have a go you might be surprised just what you can do.

good on ya. Would you mind sharing which book that was, perhaps greenblue could learn from that too?

there is a book called " sailing for Dummises" that might help too

Wallace Ross , sail power

Select to expand quote

greenblue said..
Thanks so much for the support and warm welcome. I'll definitely be taking up those offers to other's boats and really appreciate the generosity. Its exciting to know that it can be done. Time to put the plan into action!

I have come across this video, watch this, covers the basics