We received an email from a member asking for our advice, and we thought: Our members will have excellent answers!
Please read on, and then leave a comment with your suggestions.
To any sailors with an opinion.
I live in the Midwest of the U.S., but I want to sail the world. So I’m in a quandary and could use some advice.
I am a retired carpenter with strong desire to sell off my home and everything in it, then move to the “best” place in the U.S. gain experience and learn to be a capable circumnavigating sailor on a simple boat without undue gadgets and electronics.
Jonathan Cline says:
1.go somewhere, anywhere, to take the ASA sailing & cruising courses, which can be completed in a few months.
2. hire a certified boat surveyor as consultant, in order to not waste your time, tell them what style of outdoor camping you like to do, and allow them to find a boat which fits that level of comfort. be aware that purchase price of used sailboats can be less than half of what the list price is, sometimes less than 1/3 or even 1/4th of the list price
3. get on the boat and sail away as soon as weather schedule allows. legions of hapless/clueless people sail offshore coasts and across oceans every season and they all survive. Be prepared for what to do after you complete your idea of ‘sail the world’ because once you have ‘done it’, you still have many years left to do something with yourself.
Patrick Mulcahy says:
Dear Mr. Wanna Bee Sailor,
I recommend you change the goal to becoming a competent MARINER.
Learn from those who have done it successfully. Read their books.
Lots of good advice from others in the comments here.
Join a Yacht or Sailing club. Once you gain your comfort level, see if you can get on a few deliveries, private parties looking for crew or professional companies.
Learn dead reckoning & celestial navigation. Learn how to heave to should the weather dictate, or you want to wait for daylight to enter an unfamiliar port.
Learn how to securely anchor in all types of weather.
See if you can get a crew job on a charter boat and log some sea time.
I have found small boats have taught me faster than larger ones!
I grew up in New England, have sailed in the Chesapeake, Southern California, San Francisco, and the PNW. All provide excellent environments in which to learn.
Learn all you can about all aspects of becoming a competent mariner.
The only regret you will have is if you don’t pursue you dream!
Wishing you fair winds & following seas!
Nick Willis says:
I can only share my own story with you and hope that it’s helpful.
I discovered sailing at the sprightly age of 52. There are many sailing schools on Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island, and I took a 3 day course at one (an American Sailing Association “ASA 101” class – many offer these). I enjoyed it so much that I took all the multi-day courses following that they had to offer, and then rented a boat through them for the rest of the season.
I rarely say this, but in hindsight, I wouldn’t have done it any other way. The ASA courses are very good, and provide you with both day and over-night options. It’s a wonderful way to learn to sail, and you’ll meet some like-minded folks as you go along.
Since then, I’ve bought my own boat, gone to a Marine Trade school (IYRS) for my ABYC certifications, and even joined Andy Schell on a “59 North” passage.
The main point I’d like to make is the ASA classes are a low cost way of getting your feet wet, and from there you’ll find opportunities to your own liking will present themselves.
Fair winds!
John Welsford says:
It’s been a while since I was a young man with a lot of time still ahead of me, but, and its a big but, it still feels as though the “Life defining” adventure is still out there waiting for me, so I’m still working on it.
But that said, I’ve been afloat on boats of my design at the bottom of South America, and well north in Canada, from south to north which is so far from what I imagined I might achieve that I’m still amazed at what I’ve achieved and how it happened.
I’m working up to the next “adventure”, doing extended sea trials with Long Steps, my 5.85m sail and oar adventure boat, I was out in open sea in Beaufort force seven two weekends ago, and am very pleased with how she handled, there are some tiny adjustments to make, not to the design itself as thats working well but just to things like placement of cleats and blocks before I take her further afield.
The biggest adventure of all though, is seeing so many people enjoying boats which have originated on my drawing board, and, this is the best bit of all, meeting those people, such wonderful people to know, that makes all the work worthwhile.
Gary Prost says:
San Francisco Bay is one of the best places in the world to learn to sail. On a normal summer day, you’ll find fairly gentle wind south of the Bay Bridge where you can learn the basics, and at the same time, wind in the part of the bay known as “the Slot” are 15 gusting to 25 or more, so you don’t have to go far to find some challenging conditions. You’ll have to learn tides and tidal currents to reach popular sailing grounds on the bay, as well. Outside the Golden Gate is open ocean.
Stacy Smith says:
If you can’t find an opportunity to crew with a good mentor, the coastal/offshore sailing schools seem to be a good option. My father and mother did theirs in South Florida after (like so many others) reading Lin and Larry Pardey’s books, taking their advice to “just go,” then bought a Lyle Hess Falmouth Cutter and sailed from California to New Orleans via the canal. Unable to enjoy briny bay water or shake the offshore itch, they followed up with a Bristol Channel Cutter and sailed west instead, taking a few years to make it back around the long way, living the adventure of a lifetime. A quiet session piano player and a willing spouse in their late 50s trading the newly emptied nest for the sea, they learned daily what the sea, other sailors and ports of entry chose to reveal; it wasn’t always good, but always new.
Sailing school worked for them, and awakened them into a decades long dream they shared with countless others they met along the way. They both completed the Chapman (I think) navigation course from home around 1980, and used charts, windvane and a sextant (no GPS) while traveling. If today, they might spend time learning solar, basic diesel maintenance and electrics to maintain power for GPS, phones and nav lights.
Perhaps begin living a minimalist lifestyle before chucking the stuff. Food provisioning, preparation and preservation using what you’ll have available. Vitamins, supplements. The few critical tools, books, clothes, reduced water use, learn Nigiri sushi prep, break addictions to media other than “how-to”, extended quiet times in the same surroundings, sleep deprivation and management related to your age and health, aerobic exercise in a small space, learn the difference between solitude and isolation (a few days at Gethsemane monastery there in KY might be useful). Good prep and practice will make it easier to recognize and act on the “just go” moment when it presents itself. This is all pretty generic, but if you opt out in the end, you are already better for the experience, and can join the camp cruising fellowship.
Hodges Street Sail Repair Gil Fontes & Laura Turgeon says:
Although there are many places one might begin, learn, and practice sailing my vote is to do this in the New England area. Maine is a great place for this…but a short season may slow the process. Rhode Island has a more moderate climate and a long sailing tradition. R.I. has a great bay for learning to sail. The state has many sailing schools & clubs…and a good sail boat building, repair, and sail making industry. The state is expensive to live in…but it may be worth it. Did I mention the great food offered there ? Special interest to you might be that the influx of folks moving there that work in offices in Boston has squeezed out the blue collar workers. There is a great need for carpenters. Annapolis, MD is also a great place for sailors.
Reading other posted advise I see that folks are suggesting all kinds of options and most of them seem great. I would not suggest starting this adventure in another country as it would simply add to the learning process list. I agree with those who suggest NOT selling your house right away…renting is suggested and may be a good idea for added income. (if you don’t mind being a landlord.) Newport R.I. and any of the sailing clubs & schools in that area are very experienced. NOTE: A friend of our left R.I. the day she flunked her navigation exam. She sailed to the UK solo in herv Shannon 28′. When she returned they gave her an honorary diploma.
Pete Armstrong says:
Kai ora, I live in the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand, it used to be called the Antipodes, the uttermost ends of the earth. Just a convenient 17 hour flight from New York these days though… I can’t advise you on your question about where in the US, but I would advise thinking about coming on down to NZ (just check the exchange rate right now) and sailing out of Tauranga or Auckland or Whangaparoa Gulf Harbour, or Sandspit near Matakana, or Whangarei, or probably best of all, Opua in the Bay of Islands. Lots of fantastic coastal sailing and challenging conditions when the Tasman/Pacific storms come through. Godspeed and I wish you well with your adventure, wherever you chose.
Nga mihi mahana (warm regards), Pete Armstrong
William Mittendorf says:
Why limit yourself to the US? The best place is definitely New Zealand. Kiwis respect fine woodworkers and are very generous with their knowledge. It has the best boats and cruising grounds, and they speak English. Oh yeah, they are among the finest sailors in the world.
Mark Baxter says:
I jumped into sailing with both feet, not having sailed since high school, until I purchased my first sailboat (a 64-foot three-masted Marconi-rigged schooner) when I retired four years ago. The boat I bought was in Maine, so I hired a delivery captain and crew and sailed with them down the East Coast, through the Caribbean and Panama Canal and then up the West Coast to my current location in the Pacific Northwest. It was kind of a “deep immersion” technique of learning the sailing lifestyle. The entire cruise was a working refit, so I was able to learn a lot, not only about sailing, navigation, weather, etc., but also about installing, repairing and maintaining all of the onboard systems as well as the ship itself. I really enjoy living aboard up here, where so many different sailing opportunities are available in the relatively protected (and not-so-protected) waters of Puget Sound and the Salish Sea. It is a perfect learning environment. Additionally, it allows me exercise my customs and immigration compliance activities (initially learned in the Bahamas, Jamaica, Panama & Mexico during my East to West Coast cruise) as I sail between U.S. and Canadian waters. During my first year up here I cruised primarily around the San Juan’s and last year spent most of my time cruising in the Canadian Gulf Islands. This year I’ll be cruising primarily up along the coast of British Columbia in preparation for voyaging up to Alaska the following year, which of course will take me briefly into unprotected waters of the Pacific Ocean. I am sure there are many other good paths you can take; but you couldn’t go wrong if you choose to live and sail in the Pacific Northwest!
Michael Brinkerhoff says:
These are all good comments!!
If you can swing this adventure and keep your real estate, rent or lease it, the cash flow could be helpful.
Good luck!!
Ants Uiga says:
A suggestion to find a sailing community is to join a yacht club on the west or east coasts. The interaction with fellow members will introduce you to racing to sharpen your sailing skills, get you invited for ocean cruises on other people’s boats, allow front row seating for sailboat maintenance, and give a large selection of sailing friends. When it is time to cast off by yourself, it will be obvious from the interaction with others.
David and Margaret Tew says:
One way to learn whether any kind of sailing is something you enjoy, especially long distance, is to look into crewing aboard a delivery. Offshore Passage Opportunities is one way to do so: https://www.sailopo.com/h1.aspx
David and Margaret Tew says:
I see now you have some sailing experience. Ocean sailing my be a useful thing to explore. It’s somewhat different than lake or river sailing.
Skipper says:
I’m doing right now what you are talking about, only with my family of four. The classic and wooden boat communities aren’t as strong at this question for cruisers as I would have liked (it’s where I also began my sailing education). The best advice I can give is to check out American Sailing Association (ASA) for classes. Their texts are easy to understand and their classes, which are taught in many places) are top notch. You can get up to speed pretty quickly to be an independent sailor.
Then you’ll have the tools you need to crew with others or just start on your own and learn by doing.
The Bahamas and Caribbean are fantastic for what you describe…Easier waters but with access to open ocean… Safe ports friendly to cruisers for access to people and supplies.
From there you will be better prepared to venture out with all the tools at your disposal and a network of other sailors for support. Just to get an idea, download the app, No Foreign Land, and see all the crowd-sourced info once your are living on your boat.
We have a catamaran that was built to be simple. I like your philosophy around that. It will save a lot of headaches.
Happy sailing.
Dale Niemann says:
If you have never sailed, get a sunfish or sailboat less than 15′. It will capsize you and you will learn. Sail in all weather. Then think about a larger boat and go where the wind takes you.
Timothy Daly says:
Ray,
Start by enrolling in a Marine Systems Program for 6-9 months (I did so just for ‘fun’ after retirement). You can find one in Newport, and also in the Pacific Northwest. It will provide you with a good foundation in the mechanical/electrical/ diesel aspects of a cruising boat, and at the same time you can live in an area that will allow you to take sailing lessons, crew on biats, etc.
Tim D
Douglas Henschen says:
ABYC classes are also available online or in places like Annapolis, MD. Before selling your home, maybe get a VRBO in a yachty place like Chesapeake Bay, Newport, Florida, or the Pacific Northwest. Take the ASA two-weekend 101 Keel Boat Learn to sail course. Next, do the ABYC and then see how you like the sailing life before you commit your life’s savings.
Suzan Wallace says:
Mr. Wanna Bee-
The learning happens, “out there”!!
Ive learned things from other sailors in every anchorage ive ever pulled into. Teachers are everywhere, especially those that will teach you what NOT to do! Sailor havens are up & down the East coast, not always in the obvious places, like yacht clubs, but small out of the way ports. Sailors tend to love their peace-of-mind.
So Im going to suggest where i would go in your circumstance. Secure a crew posiition aboard one of these cargo sail vessels and get some sea miles under your belt from those who make their living upon the sea (Tres Hombres is a fav).
While sailing the sea on said vessels, read the books of those sailors who have gone before….listen to the stories your fellow crew tell. All part of your education.
Every sailor has their dream destination and dream boat, this is a personal thing that no one else can confirm but you. It all depends on where you want to go, type of sailing that suits you and you wont know that until you get out there. Sailing is an experiential sport/lifestyle.Learn by doing~ _/)
https://fairtransport.eu/en/our-fleet/tres-hombres/
CaptSuz
Peter Lane says:
Blessings on your journey! The first place I would go is within myself. Sailing, in its purest form, whether it’s across a pond or an ocean, is about letting go. The wind blows where it will, or not at all, and the art of sailing is learning how to adjust and adapt to what is. Sailing is at times frustrating and tedious, at times exhilarating and joyful, and the best way I know to maximize the latter is to be at peace with myself. The ocean can be a lonely place – be prepared for lots of time scanning not only the horizon but your own soul and psyche.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~ attributed to Mark Twain
Jeff Welch says:
Move to Annapolis and get on a racing sail boat to learn from the best. Take a diesel mechanics course on the side.
Ask a lot of questions about well built, fast and seaworthy older boats. Find one, rehab it and go sailing.
Raymond Harrop says:
I think it would be good to start by doing a 12 month wooden boatbuilding course – perhaps on the west coast of Canada where you will learn a lot about sailing boats and be among people who can advise you further.