Just got this by email;
Greetings Captains Margie and Harold,
We had a fantastic week sailing with you on Island Dreamer in the Florida Key. The lessons, your excellent instructions and sailing knowledge are exceptional. After returning to sail our boat it was surprising how much our sailing skills had improved. The week of instruction, food, company, laughter and stops along the way truly exceeded our expectations.
Have a great Thanksgiving and Happy Sailing,
Monica and Keith
Want to learn to sail around the world? Buying your dream boat for offshore passage making? Already bought it and want a little help learning its systems? Our friends Captain Jeff and Captain Jean take couples who have some sailing experience to the next level of sailing on their Skye 51′ sailboat. In addition to both being ASA instructors Jean is a marine surveyor and Jeff is an expert in marine electronics. They are also happy to join you on your new boat. Visit them at Twocansail.com.
If you are not quite ready for advanced sailing classes and want to learn what its like to live on a sailboat in calm and protected waters come Sailing with Captain Margie and I in the Florida Keys. In any case don’t wait to start cruising, it’s a lifestyle that can’t be beat!
Sailing Cruising Consultants
After having talked to taught many couples about sailing together, and of course boating with Margie for the last 30 years here are some ideas to help you work together;
1. Listen when she speaks- when Margie hears a sound thats different, wants to reef the sails or just doesn’t like the way something is going, I find after my instinctual response (what do you know), that she is/was right.
2. Don’t lay the boat over on its side (heeling more than about 10 degrees). The boat will make less leeway and go faster this way as a bonus.
3. Take your time, explain whats happening, enjoy the serenity of sailing. If you are in a hurry get a boat with 3-300hp outboards.
4. Know what the weather is, the boat can probably handle much more weather than you want to be out in. Know and teach her how to make the boat safe when the wind and weather picks up.
5. Show her where the safety equipment is, the basics of how to use it, and what to do when you fall overboard. If you have been nice maybe she will come back to pick you up!
6. Teach her about navigation, charts, and markers. When you know where you are going you feel much more in control of your environment.
7. Give her the helm, when she gets comfortable go make lunch for her.
8. Sailing is all about where is the wind coming from. Make sure she knows this first. Then you can teach how to set the sails.
9. When you do something stupid don’t lash out at her. Yelling is a sign that YOU do not know what you are doing.
10. I just asked Margie for some input, she suggested that if the above does not work you might try just lying about how great it will be. I guess that means I must have made some of the mistakes above in the past!
I was recently contacted by Luisana Suegart, Associate Editor of Brickell Magazine about a article that she is writing about retiring on a sailboat . These were 3 of her questions;
1. How long does that process of learning how to sail take?
After 30 plus years of sailing I am still learning new things. On a small boat in calm waters with an easy day of instruction you can learn the basic principles of sailing. Being comfortable standing a watch at 2 AM on a 50′ sailboat with miles of ocean around you, the lights of a ship heading toward you in the distance and a thunderstorm off your port bow may take a little longer.
That said, with a week or two of live aboard classes you probably would be ready to strike off on your own to do some coastal cruising (daytime cruising in local and regional waters in moderate winds and sea conditions). After a couple of months of sailing in a place like the Keys with a variety of calm-water to open-ocean sailing areas and safe harbors with plenty of marine stores and mechanics nearby, it may be time to head to the Bahamas for the winter season. From there a trip to the Panama Canal may be feasible.
There is no need to be in a hurry, however. The longer we have been cruising the slower we go. Spending time savoring different cultures, meeting new people, and gently sailing after having waited for the perfect weather window are all part of learning about sailing.
2. What can someone expect from taking sailing classes?
There are many styles of sailing. Choosing the right type of class and instructor to suit your interests is important. There are three broad areas and they all have something different to offer the cruising sailor.
Keelboat classes focus on how to safely and comfortably operate a bigger sailboat. In addition to the basics of sailing you learn about navigation, anchoring, docking and the systems that make life comfortable for long- term voyaging. This is not about having the boat heeled (leaning sideways) 20 degrees and waves breaking over you!
Small boat sailing is the best way to learn how the wind effects the boat. The imediate response of a small boat when you make a change makes it easy to understand how sailboats work. Getting wet when the boat tips over might be considered annoying.
Racing sailors are concerned with techniques that will increase speed under sail. Competitive spirits will enjoy this. Comfort, learning about mechanical systems not related to sailing and boat handling under power may not be as important as how to make the boat go fast.
3. What kind of person should you be if you are willing to pursue sailing?
Sailing is enjoyed by many personality types because it becomes different things to different people. These are some of the things that interest us.
I enjoy being out in nature, gently gliding along with the power of the wind; tweaking the sails to make the boat go half a knot faster; watching the stars while under way at 2:00 AM totally surrounded by the ocean; arriving at a new destination, dropping the anchor and watching the sunset; how easy it is to meet new friends; sharing my passion for sailing with everyone I meet; making improvements on the boat or just fixing something that broke; finding a remote anchorage, jumping in the water and catching a couple of lobster for dinner. I could probably think of a few more if you pressed me…
Margie enjoys moving quietly through the water, traveling at a slow pace and being more in touch with nature because of the silence in sailing. She likes the independence that sailing gives the traveler and the closeness that is fostered between you and your partner because you rely on each other. At the same time you gain more confidence in yourself. She likes the challenges that long-term sailing presents such as how to live life simply and efficiently in a small space.