Sailing Experience

[Fanie]

In another thread (couldn't find it) it was suggested that you get some sailing experience for your skippers license.

Do one have to sail a boat larger than 9m, or is sailing experience sailing experience ?

A friend of mine has a windrider 16, sailed some competitions etc and I cruised with him on it once. If this could add to sailing experience, I can build a small tri in the next weeks or so (already designed it in Delftship) and can sail on local waters with it. Since I probably won't ever own or sail a monohull ?? would this be ok for getting sailing experience ?

[longliner45]

I would like to see you build a small tri in the nexts few weeks or so,longliner

[masalai]

Ambitiousness can be a good thing if you have a good place to build, skilled tradesmen & all materials needed for a detailed set of plans.

It will be a good learning experience for you. Fanie, during construction we will forgive you for not making any posts - except to boat jokes.

Best wishes in a speedy recovery.

[Fanie]

This is a hull a friend and me did in a whole day. It was unpleasant since it took too long probably due to lack of preperation. I want to change the method and be better prepared, also instead of doing it in one day next time I would rather do it over 3 days since I have other work to attend to as well.

Didn't like the hull in the pic which was just an experiment, which is another reason to change it. Maybe the preperation is going to take a bit longer this time, but once the frame is done it may be somewhat quicker and if I calculated correctly a bit cheaper to drape the materials. One cannot bugger a whole day up on a single hull this size. I think you missed the part where I mentioned before that I did a couple of thing with fiberglass before... but just a few.

If only my laser cutter was finished, it would have sped some things up a bit as well. I tried to find out if the woven mat can be laser cut, but seems nobody could give me any hard and fast answers on it. Hand cutting it out like a pattern is also a pain.

Anyway, we have one big job to complete before end of Dec - maybe things will work out.

About the sailing experience - if one joins a club, are sailing hours logged or how do one make up sailing hours to count for experience ?

[masalai]

Ok you win, previous post may have been a little too tongue in cheek etc.

Go for it and good luck. Hope to see you on the water!

[Fanie]

You're going to be there too ?

[masalai]

That is what I am doing, look at member galleries & other posts I have made apart from "drivel" & "Jokes" threads & items.

This ancient one needs the sea to feel at home/alive

[tuks]

Hi Fanie

The idea for the qualification is that you spend years sailing with more experienced people and through doing this learn what you need to know. Every time you go sailing, you will need to keep a record of the hours and miles sailed, hours sailed at night and a few details of the passage.

When you have reached the minmum experience levels you submit you logbook to SAS and you do practical and theory exams. The skipper will grade you and give you a ticket. Sometimes if you are not ready you might only get dayskipper even if your logbook shows you have enough miles for costal skippers.

For what you want to do, it seems you will need a Costal Skippers ticket. So you will need the following experience.

15 days as skipper or watch captain
with at least 8 periods of 24hours
48 hours of night watch keeping
800 miles logged in tidal ocean waters
atleast 3 passages of 60 miles or more.
If I recall correctly a trip must be 4hrs or more and 75% of the time uner sail.

Unfortunatly your trimaran idea wont count because inland waters arent acceptable, but recording this cant hurt though. I think the 9m boat was only for the exam. Im not sure there is any restriction on the boats you sailed on for the log book. but you need overnight passages, some long passages so small boats are not suitable.

If you need the qualification in a hurry you can go through a sailing school which will teach you the theory you need in a class room and will take you on a passage, I think its Cape Town to Basaruto to get the required miles so you can write the SAS exam. The SAS examiners dont really like this they prefer to see multiple trips over a long period because you will be more experienced.

If you lived near the coast it is generally not a problem, you join the yachtclub, do open wednesday night sailing, make some friends, do some daysailing. All of the qualified vaalies that I know of have either done the ocean sailing course, or they are racers and you generally get opportunities to do some coastal races.

The best bet for you will be to make friends with somebody else with a dayskippers or costal skippers ticket. Take the boat out with them to build up your experience and then you can take the exam. Or you can keep the boat on the Vaal dam or Harties for a while and learn to sail. Here you will meet people that have experience and can take you sailing in the sea.

I have not done the qualificatiions so I cant help you out sorry.

[Fanie]

Hi Craig,

Yet again thanks for your detailed help. The one person I called in Ricards Bay who has a boat says he's too old for it and may sell in the near future. Also didn't seem too eager to take someone else out for the experience. I'm sure there must be people looking for a crew from time to time although I suspect they want experienced guys and someone not living 600km from the coast eh ! I think the biggest problem with these sailing guys are that they do not fish ! so the real motivation lacks

[tuks]

There are a bunch of guys that run cruises on the Vaal dam. I would suggest once your boat is built, hook with these guys they are very friendly. You will learn how to handle your boat under fairly safe conditions and you will probably meet people you can sail with.

http://www.inlandsailing.co.za

[safewalrus]

Fanie

In the first instance get a small boat (dinghy) with a mast and a sail. Find some water that the boat will fit in and move about in! Read a few books (or get help) learn the basics and GET IN THE BOAT AND SAIL! When your ready move on from there, only YOU will know when and where!

Ok so you'll turn over, fall in, make a prat of yourself more than once but if you stick with it you will move on, when your ready! Then and only then go for the pretty ticket. But first you got to play! (learn to swim or buy a life jacket or make sure your first bit of water ain't to deep - you can stand up in it with your head above water)! Don't kill yourself that ruins the whole effect!!

[Fanie]

Thanks Tuks and Safewalrus,

I have now watched just about all the sailing video's on youtube as well as some off a couple of other sites. 'How to sail - free online lessons...' you take this thing then pull it around that round thing and pull here then that thing there will do something. If it is not working out then you pull the other way. If it still does not work you phone a friend.

My main concern is to determine the bad weather issues as this is where most problems would be... I'm sea sick already .

Calm water I suspect anyone can sail in especially if it's wind still. You really think I should take swimming lessons first ? I thought the idea is that the boat keeps one out of the water... otherwise what's it there for ?

Can't kill myself yet, not enough fish cought, not enough jokes read, boxy fisher's not completed yet and then... ok we'll discuss women another time.

[charmc]

Originally Posted by Fanie

My main concern is to determine the bad weather issues as this is where most problems would be... I'm sea sick already .

Calm water I suspect anyone can sail in especially if it's wind still. You really think I should take swimming lessons first ? I thought the idea is that the boat keeps one out of the water... otherwise what's it there for ?

Can't kill myself yet, not enough fish cought, not enough jokes read, boxy fisher's not completed yet and then... ok we'll discuss women another time.

Fanie,

Good advice from masali, tuks, and Walrus. Your point about never sailing a monohull so no need to practice on one is a good one ... if you are certain you have absolute and total control over every aspect of the future.

The learning curve is pretty steep on small boats, as everything moves pretty quickly. I'd follow Walrus' advice and learn the basics in a small dinghy. In light airs you can read and then practice by yourself, although a bit of instruction helps at the beginning. Once you know the basics, asking to crew with someone in a larger boat will yield some good experience. There are many levels of conditions between light airs in protected waters and rough seas offshore, so lots of experience needed. That sailing group by Vaal dam sounds pretty good.

One more thing: what I said about things happening fast in small boats; they happen even faster in multi-hulls. Might be a good idea to become good at sailing before switching to tris. Just a thought.

Learning new skills, always a way to stay young!

[Fanie]

Hi Charlie

I have access to a tri - but would like to get my own for 'praticing' purposes.
The little tri I was on was really easy to sail.

I assume by things happening fast in a small boat I assume you mean they tip over quicker or do they sink faster

Been on the Vaal dam as well as Bloemhof in baddish weather but on my power boat mind you, I'd rate Bloemhof as the one with the badder temper. Seen plenty of boats including ski boats tipping and sinking there. So far I survived and hope to keep building on the reputation. Had a couple of close ones there... you slip once you're done for. There's one area that makes knobs not waves that pop up all over. Scary to see, worse if you're in it, funny if you watch the other's faces

Learning new skills, always a way to stay young!

Are we talking about the women now ?

[charmc]

Originally Posted by Fanie

I assume by things happening fast in a small boat I assume you mean they tip over quicker or do they sink faster

Hey, Fanie,

I found that, learning to sail in a dinghy, everything happened quickly; tacking gybing, acceleration, response to helm, etc. (Maybe it just seems to all happen fast when you are a rank newbie?) And yup, when I screwed up badly enough, it tipped over pretty quickly (though not as fast as when I tried windsurfing ).

Originally Posted by Fanie

Are we talking about the women now ?

Well, it applies to other stuff, too, but of course women!!