Hi everybody,
My fiance and I are looking to learn how to sail and get a feel for what's involved in living on a sailboat. So we thought if anyone was stopping in Brisbane, Australia and wanted to help us out by passing on their knowledge we would be happy to offer you our laundry facilities if you need them, shower/bath, accommodation if needed and some delicious meals in return. We'd also love to show you the sites and give advice on the area. What we're looking for are some lessons in sailing and tips and advice about living on a sailboat and we'd love to help out with some boat maintenance too to get a feel for what's involved. (Our long term dream is to sail from here to America and Europe).
If you're interested please send us a message or email! d.clinch@live.com.au
Thank you kindly!
Zoe and David
Regardless if your generous offer is accepted or not .....
You must read a few books....titles will be suggested by members...
Get boat licence....
Look around what boat you might buy , my suggestion is in 32 - 38 feet range
Look for marina berth, cost involve incl. annual antifouling
Book right away to attend......Basic and coastal courses. / is a must /
Optional courses ... Radio and Safety at Sea.
Don't forget, when you obtain boat licence, you can handle boat.
Any yacht has a engine, sail are optional, if you have not master them
don't have to use them.
When you master to use your boat, one of us can crew on
for few days, than you become master on your boat.
First step is a classroom, marine slang, rules, safety implemented before
your first step on deck, than you build up your knowledge.
I am a member of Central QLD Coat Guard, seen to many rescues.
for an hour when I started out 
Im 63 and not much better 
Get a hobie cat , laser or something small then learn by doing.
I got a 14 foot hobie about 20 months ago. Sailed all the time. I now have a 22 foot with cabin cooker toilet etc and stay over night often. I sail about 20-30 hours per week and learn a lot!
I got 7 lessons but did only 1. I go so often that it seemed pointless so i stopped.. I also didn't realise you needed a license.
Next year getting something bigger for coastal cruising extra comfort. Antifouling easy. You don't need a marina berth in sydney dunno bout brissy. If I were you I'd get a hobie 16. Tow anywhere and launch off beaches. Great way to learn.
I love reading about sailing and watching online videos.
Currently reading john lector book on self steering
You can also join people if you have the time on a crossing. For eg I have a friend in France sailing to nz. I'm going on the tahiti to nz leg. Theres websites where you can find this.
i dont really agree with charriot with all the red tape and fear talk. i know its all about safety/litigation blah blah blah - for sure, but you can start small on something like hobie or a laser and get the basic idea. Just dont go gung ho and go out in any weather youre not sure of. Im hooked on sailing after hiring a hobie in 2012 whilst on holiday. When i got home i looked into renting a hobie, but at the same time found one on ebay for 600 bucks. capsized it a few times, towed it 5000kms to york peninsula SA, sailed her around there, used her in the grampians on the lakes, port melbourne. bloody awesome thing. I certainly wouldnt have contemplated getting a license, or buying a 32-38 foot boat for my first boat then getting someone experienced to sail it for me. Start small. baby steps i reckon. get a feel. and dont bother doing tonnes of work to a boat youre gonna flick off when you upgrade. just use it all the time or else you are throwing money away.
Thats my 2 cents. Im having alot of fun. Sailing to me is about one of the last human freedoms and ill be damned if im gonna look for bureaucracy in the marine world.
It is not so much "Learning How to Sail".
It is more about "Becoming a Sailor".
Get a small two person sail boat that needs a little bit of fixing up but not a total rebuild, fix it up so you learn something about how a sail boat is put together and then take it sailing.
When that sail boat has taught you everything to know about itself, sell it and graduate to the next boat ad infinitum...................
Just after I turned 60 nearly a year and a half ago, I ran into an acquaintance who had just finished a trip from Tasmania to NZ delivering a 56' boat. It made me realize that 35 years ago, I had dreams of learning to sail and getting a boat to have adventures and achieve a level of "freedom".
Life and family, living inland in the country etc etc got in the way and I didn't get 'round to it.
A week after speaking to him I bought a Mirror dinghy which I had a bit of fun in.
I also ordered every single book in the public library system on the topic of sailing. The ones I thought were really good to keep for reference I then bought, plus other books known to be sailing "classics".
A couple of months later I sold the Mirror for a modest profit and bought an RL24. It's a great little boat but I also realized that what I really want to do is cruise on the ocean. It was also frustrating having to rely on others for mast raising etc, and I didn't get to sail as often as I would have liked.
After a year, I applied for a swing mooring so that I could have a boat ready and waiting for me anytime. Having done a lot of research into which would be the next (and final) boat for me, I narrowed it down to a few with a max of 30'. I advertised the RL24 thinking it could take six months or more to sell, but it sold in a week for another modest profit, due to having made some improvements.
With the money from that I bought my new pride and joy, a Clansman, "Maggie IV" which had been on a hardstand for six years. I bought it for less than the cost of the engine.
Before it came out of the water it had the complete rig replaced under insurance by the previous owner. New mast and all rigging, Seldon boom with single line reefing, new sails, new Profurl furler, new Kubota 3cyl 18HP (41 hours), plus other new bits and pieces.
I had it trucked 850Kms to my place last week to give it a makeover while waiting for the mooring. I'm now in the process of scraping back the hull underside, and checking out everything else to get it "ship shape".
I also bought a second hand Navic wind vane to reduce the need for extra crew, which arrived yesterday and looks in great condition.
Can't wait to get her in the water!
"It's never too late to have a happy childhood"! Go for it...............
Congratulations Shotchas, you have done really well and you have got a great yacht on which to realize your dream.
May Maggie IV and Second Wind share an anchorage one day. Cheers Cisco.
Good on you Shotchas,
I'm much the same as you 63 years old here .Just bought my first keeler also. Clanies are a good old boats they don't mind a bit of rough seas either .
Was a good one down here was on the market for about three days before she sold missed out looking over her Before I bought my Walker (ive always had a soft spot for a walker probably my downfall . But Im happy with the way shes going and you will soon get that hull done in no time. "Maggie' wants some sea water on her hull she's screaming for it good luck and follow your dreams life to short
What a lovely post by all. I started sailing at 8 yo with my uncle in syd on a heron. After owning a few dinghies, then racing yachts on the harbour, then doing many offshore deliveries, and now a commercial marine operator. My first yacht bought was "Albatross" 5 years ago, a Clansman 30. I couldn't have made a better decision. Unfortunately Im now selling her: http://www.gumtree.com.au/m-my-ad.html?adId=1041410260 so aussiecruiser, if you decide to dive in the deep end please consider a Clansman as a first yacht.
Just remember, the best part of sailing is motoring off the mooring travelling at 5 knots, sheeting the sails in, heeling over, then...... turning the donk off and continuing at 5kt in silence. No noise, no fumes, no cost. THE WIND IS FREE.
Happy sailing
Thanks for the positive comments fellas.
Cisco, I'm sure we'll recognize each other's boat and meet somewhere.
Same goes for other members, post good photos of your boat will make it easier. It would be great to recognize others while sailing.
Getting off the topic slightly, I tried the electric bilge pump on Maggie IV. Blowing 10 amp fuses. Holding the wires together very briefly with no fuse, got it to turn over very grudgingly and drawing a squillion amps. I thought if I could get it to turn it would free up after sitting for so long but it sounds bad, and keeping power on it for even a short time would burn the wiring.
The problem is it's under the engine and I can't even see it, never mind reach it.
I haven't investigated thoroughly yet but was thinking maybe I could put in a new pump somewhere more accessible with a suction hose down into the bilge under the engine?
I'll try to find the wiring from the float switch to see if it's working and can be rescued, so that the auto function still works, with a manual override.
I really don't want to take the engine out.
Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated.
BTW, hull scrape is progressing, a little bit every day between lots of other jobs
Cheers
Shotchas, I had nearly 6 month trouble with my bilge pumps, tried many different set ups.
Simply very narrow and deep.
Now if you can't remove the pump, you wouldn't known if the prop is full of ...
and needs good clean or the brushes gone.
Note, common build pump has to be submerge, primed to work.
Piston or plunge pumps suck well but fuzzy about filtering and the amount of
water is much less.
I end up with stainless bar, attached pump and a floater above
Just slide into well and instal the way, can't move or rattle .
It might by the easiest solution for you too. Good luck.
This one is food for thought even fitting the lower pump 350 GPH and maybe if you think its just justifiable the high capacity pump later and its not so hard to service when its on a board like that. The float switch is on a seperate bracket on the back so it adjustable the main problem is when they shut off the the water in the out put hose runs back into the bilge and starts a pump cycle so people fit one way valves other adjust the float switch so it is above what ever water returns from the out put hose back into the bilge. The high capacity pump will only run if you have put a hole in the boat or some thing major
www.thevirtualboatyard.com/2009/11/dual-bilge-pumps.html
There's a couple of good ideas there, thanks guys. I'll check the available space to see if I can slide something down there with a pump attached.
Back to the original post, learning through somebody else is a good way to get started, the best way, is by sailing a dinghy, where, if you make a mistake, you get wet or bruised rather than injured, crippled or worse. A dinghy, such as a Corsair, has all the rigging found on any sloop rigged cruiser, and can be purchased from as little as $1000.
Lots of good advice here from eveyone, I was in the same situation 18 years ago where I had never been sailing and decided to build my own yacht. Whle doing this I brought a $500 Gwenn and taught myself the basics before wandering the yacht clubs and eventually getting a spot on a race yacht where I learnt the finer detail, the return delivery trips are what you want to be on as no pressure and you will get to steer and do things. There a many course's you can take to learn the the technical stuff and help wet your interest. I loved every minute of building my yacht but with todays market buying one and get out on the water sooner makes a lot of sense. On a final note if you do try the small dinghy boats don't be put off when it dumps you in the water as a good size cruiser will be far more forgiving than any dinghy.
Zoe and David
We guide you towards your goal, depends on our individuals
experience. It's your turn to acknowledge ...
Select to expand quoteSectorsteve said..
thats a great boat for that price, wow.
I emailed the couple with a link. Good value would like to see them take some one to look over it with them if they got interested
