In article
,
"d parker" wrote:

Yes you scare me, if that's your attitude towards learning without a person
on board to prevent mistakes being made. If you have made it without
injuring someone or breaking boat too much I congratulate you. However,
books only tell you what to do. They rarely tell you what not to do.

DP

Truth be told, as with any practical knowledge, we only really learn
from experience. Some of us can get the clues from books; some need
personalized instruction; others need to be shown, but it's the *doing*
that does the trick.

Having an instructor at your elbow is not the same as being totally
responsible and having to remember everything at once. Sometimes, the
student (such as my wife) only gains the confidence in their skills when
the instructor (me) isn't there. [Every once in a while, I'll "fall
asleep" on a long leg. We always get "there".]

Strangest story: Had a friend go out for his first sailboat trip with us
and I gave him the basics of sail trim and eyeball navigation that
afternoon. He was enthusiastic, so he handled the boat most of the day.
Next we heard, he'd bought an old sloop and successfully gotten it down
to Florida. He learned quite a bit along the way, including becoming a
pretty fair sailor. Biggest lesson, though, was to NOT move unless he
felt ready for the conditions. He got "stretched" a couple of times and
did the stupid things we all do, but I don't think was ever in actual
danger. [Told him I thought *starting* the trip was a stupid idea, and
he agreed, but he had FUN.]

We have had crew onboard that had done all the courses and had all the
certifications. Would rather have dinghy sailors, and usually soon feel
comfortable going below with them at the helm. Even complete neophytes
sometimes were better than all of the the "accredited" "sailors" I've
met.

But that's not a condemnation of courses, or an absolute approval of any
particular method. Everyone learns differently. Some will never learn;
others merely need a suggestion.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/