BoatBanter.com - View Single Post - Four questions from someone new to boating

Larry

wrote in news:1174314095.430596.35240
@d57g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:

b) If I wanted to learn more about boating, is there a book available
by someone who captures what it is like to be at sea, and describes
the pros and cons of boat life?

If you REALLY want to learn about boating, don't buy any books....

Now, what you do is to walk the docks of your local marina and strike up
pleasant conversations with boat owner/captains. Whatever skill you
have, he needs, desparately. Painting, sanding, plumbing, electrical,
diesel engine, heat and air, electronics, rigging, welding, any
mechanical skills will be MOST welcome, and jealously coveted once he
gets to know you better and finds out your are trustworthy, don't drink
up every beer you see and are a great help. Fun to be around is also a
big plus.

Every boater you ever meet who makes less than $250K/year needs whatever
skills you can muster. Concentrate your starting efforts on befriending
and helping one of them. Pick the one who seems to need you the most AND
GOES SAILING OFTEN, not just works every moment at the dock. After all,
you wanna go SAILING/BOATING, right?

They are very used to paying through the nose for everything they get,
especially anything related to their boat. They will offer you money.
REFUSE IT, gently but firmly. Allow them to buy lunch/dinner/take you to
the yacht club for a few beers...but no money changes hands. "No thank
you. If you want to pay me, just take me with you." Notice how this
makes an astonished look on his face, which then turns into total
disbelief as he has just found someone to sail with! Every sailor you
ever meet is shorthanded. Not many REALLY want to become hermits and
sail out alone, which is a helluva lot of WORK, not to mention dangerous.

Ok, so you do woodworking and plumbing and some electrical. He's found a
goldmine! Just offer to help him do what he needs done. I've been
wheedling my way aboard boats since I was a teenager, just this way. I'm
61 and still boating and helping any time I want. I don't need a boat.
I have 4 of them, from 32' to a 41' Amel Sharki French ketch. My friend
Dan sold the Hatteras 56 motor yacht a couple of years back, dammit, but
we're still great friends. Motor or sail, they all constant maintenance
headaches.

If you're a genuine nice guy willing to do some work on the boat with
your personal skills, you'll very soon find yourself boating with an
experienced yachtsman (or very soon MANY in various boats). You'll gain
skills the old fashioned way, hands on experience none of the books can
give you. Sailing isn't really rocket science and you can learn the
"lingo" and terminology and what the bits are called fairly rapidly. Use
the books to learn to tie knots from memory...most helpful at sea.

Word of you, in spite of your captain's vain attempt to hide you from the
others, will soon spread and as you are going down the dock with your
toolbox towards S/V "Wrecked Boat", don't be alarmed when other captains
wish to befriend you. A marina is like an overpriced trailer park full
of great neighbors. It's an odd mix of those that are truly rich, and
those that want to look that way. But, you'll find few that are really
unfriendly. I just stay away from those. Most are hermits so that's
easy.

If you have the time, and you must MAKE the time, to go to some exotic
port with them, you'll have the time of your life....or maybe lose your
life as this IS a risky adventure. DEMAND NOTHING. It's HIS boat.
Unless you are specifically invited to bring a guest, don't ask him. I
view my status as CREW, not a guest. It works very well.....

Give this a try for a year or two before making a big mistake and
visiting the slick-talking boat broker and buying a white elephant you
may regret. Sailing free isn't a sin, last time I checked, but I don't
check too often. It's a great time, even if I'm not learning much any
more. I love playing in the bilge, anyways, and I don't have to pay for
the bilge or the parking spaces it docks against.

NOTHING beats taking the CAPTAIN's VISA card to West Marine to buy
stuff....(c;

Larry...3rd Mate, Deck and Engineering
S/V "Lionheart"

When my captain bought me a hat that said "Captain Larry" on it, I told
him he just wanted to shift the blame to me if anything happened....(c;