I live in Florida and am interested into meeting people that sail with the intent to be a hand on a sailboat for the experience and training. I know nothing about sailing nor do I know anyone that is into it. How can I get into the scene to meet people and feel things out?

  • 667@lemmy.radio
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    4 months ago

    Go get your basic keelboat cert to lock down the basics. Then do a bunch of beercan races until you’ve got the hang of it.

    Volunteer to crew anywhere and everywhere.

    You’ll be a salty dog in no time.

  • Rentlar@lemmy.ca
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    4 months ago

    Go to your local marina or their website and see if there are sailing classes.

  • SkybreakerEngineer@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Join the Navy and tell them you want guaranteed placement as a bosun. You will save money by never wanting a boat of your own.

  • kersploosh@sh.itjust.works
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    4 months ago

    Contact your local sailing club/yacht club. They often have classes and rental boats. Even if they don’t, you can sometimes find someone with a boat who is willing to teach a beginner.

  • Greg Clarke@lemmy.ca
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    4 months ago

    Yacht clubs often have Wednesday afternoon sailing races and those crews often need extra folks on board. I learned sailing that way when I was in university. An inexperienced reliable crew is member is better than an experienced unreliable crew.

  • ValenThyme@reddthat.com
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    4 months ago

    you’re definitely going to want to get on the Sailing Anarchy forums

    i did the basic free course at nauticed.com and got a boating license for my state and that was enough to buy and sail a racing dinghy 8 hours up a river my first time out. Sailing is a blast you’re gonna love it! You can get a dinghy on craigslist for less than the cost of lessons so if you’re into DIY it’s a fun inexpensive way to go.

  • TerkErJerbs@lemm.ee
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    4 months ago

    I don’t have any personal experiences with any of these crew finder sites but I know lots of people who’ve used them. The catamaran designer I *apprenticed under met his wife through one. She had no prior sailing experience but was willing to learn, and he needed crew to do a Caribbean crossing, and that’s how the story began for them like 25+ years ago. They still sail together all over the world.

    The other advice is good too. Just walk the docks and ask around. People love talking about their boats.

  • Paragone@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Please invest in Dallas Murphy’s ebook “Plain Sailing”.

    https://www.amazon.com/Plain-Sailing-Sail-Trim-Manual-Sailors-ebook/dp/B00593YTJG/

    It gives you all the fundamental-understandings, & by making you basically-competent-in-understanding sailing, it gives you significant advantage over everybody else looking at having a bit of sailing-time on someone’s boat.

    Authors to know of include:

    • Tom Cunliffe ( I can automatically recommend anything instructional of his, & he has a youtube channel )

    • Nigel Calder, if you’re looking to invest in a cruiser for yourself, you want to read his books.

    • John Kretschmer’s books are excellent.

    if you want to have a cheap boat of your own, then there are 2 books I recommend, the white-cover book by Dynamite Payson & the Building an Outrigger Canoe book.

    https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Boatbuilding-Dynamite-Payson-Paddle-ebook/dp/B00UYB5EGK/

    https://www.amazon.com/Building-Outrigger-Sailing-Canoes-Construction-ebook/dp/B00CKMG7E4/

    Do keep in mind that in some jurisdictions, human-powered hulls do not require registration ( canoes, kayaks, rowboats, etc, ), whereas powered hulls ( including motor AND SAIL ), legally do.

    Between those 2, you should have some understanding of how to get yourself afloat, affordably.

    Please do not compromise safety, though: alcohol massively multiplies the death-rate on the water, so segregating alcohol from operating-aquatic-vehicles is a good thing, see?

    _ /\ _

  • Monkey With A Shell@lemmy.socdojo.com
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    4 months ago

    Could just get a personal size boat to get accustomed to the feel of it. Be aware of the boom when you turn with the wind (jibe if I recall the term) lest you get whacked out the boat.