Hello everyone,

I just found this group and was wondering if I could get some help.
Some questions I have a

1. Anyone know of good yacht dealers in the San Francisco Bay Area?


2. Need some good web links for the following:

*Charting and mapping (pacific coast and Central America) I wish
there was something like mapquest where you can type in two cities and
have it kind of plot the map for you with distance and sail time but I
think this might be wishing for too much.

*Maintenance type of links

*A newbie guide for boating/yachting.

Thanks in advance.

Wilson

This is probably the wrong NG.

Most of the boaters here have outboard powered runabouts.

rec.boats.cruising is almost entirely sail.

A book came across my desk within the last couple of weeks. It is
called "Fast Track to Cruising- How to go from novice to cruise-ready
in seven days". I haven't really looked at it very closesly, as I
thought the premise was preposterous, perhaps even dangerous.

It might be of interest to anybody hoping to become an "instant"
sailor. (Mapquest charting).... It is written by Steve and Doris
Colgate, a couple who run an enterprise known at the Offshore Sailing
School.

The cover claims that the school has turned out more than 100,000 seven
day wonder "Sailing School Graduates". I think I encounter a few of
them everytime
I get underway. :-)

Expect to enjoy many, many years acquiring and improving your skills.
You will never be finished learning, no matter how much you eventually
know.

Chapmans is a must, and USCG Aux or Power and Sail Squadron classes are
very highly recommended for a beginnner. Have fun, and stay safe. :-)

I can see where my post can lead everyone to think i'm a complete
moron.. Don't worry, I don't want to do the 7 day course and i'm not
going to be buying something and sailing in the short term.

It will be a couple of years before I even get the boat, and I intend
to be going to classes way before then.

As for the mapquest request, I really just want to find out how far it
is between locations... If i was at home, I could pull up a real map
and check by hand, but in the office I can't really do that. Anyway, I
just needed the distance to check into what type of boats will I end up
with when the time comes...

Anyway, thanks for the reply, I'll check out the USCG classes..

On 16 Feb 2005 08:20:57 -0800, "Wilson" wrote:

I can see where my post can lead everyone to think i'm a complete
moron..

ROTFL!!!!

We're all morons in this group. :)

Don't worry, I don't want to do the 7 day course and i'm not
going to be buying something and sailing in the short term.

It will be a couple of years before I even get the boat, and I intend
to be going to classes way before then.

Why not? Spend a couple of grand and buy a Sailfish or Laser. You
will get a feel for what's what and you can't get into very much
trouble with those (as long as you don't try to cross the Atlantic
with one). It will put perspective on your future lessons.

As for the mapquest request, I really just want to find out how far it
is between locations... If i was at home, I could pull up a real map
and check by hand, but in the office I can't really do that. Anyway, I
just needed the distance to check into what type of boats will I end up
with when the time comes...

I must have missed something - oh well.

Anyway, thanks for the reply, I'll check out the USCG classes..

Do that. And take the advanced class while you are at it.

Come to think of it, if you want to get a feel for navigation, pick up
a copy of "The Boater's Bowditch" which I liked a little better than
Chapman's treatise.

Later,

Tom

wrote:
This is probably the wrong NG.

Most of the boaters here have outboard powered runabouts.

rec.boats.cruising is almost entirely sail.

A book came across my desk within the last couple of weeks. It is
called "Fast Track to Cruising- How to go from novice to cruise-ready
in seven days". I haven't really looked at it very closesly, as I
thought the premise was preposterous, perhaps even dangerous.


I agreed until I read further and saw the author.

It might be of interest to anybody hoping to become an "instant"
sailor. (Mapquest charting).... It is written by Steve and Doris
Colgate, a couple who run an enterprise known at the Offshore Sailing
School.

The cover claims that the school has turned out more than 100,000 seven
day wonder "Sailing School Graduates". I think I encounter a few of
them everytime
I get underway. :-)

Possibly, but you should realize that Steve Colgate is both a very good
sailor and a very good teacher. I'm not sure how good a writer he is,
but his schools are very highly regarded. You may scoff that nobody can
teach everything one needs to know about sailing or boating in seven
days, and I bet he'd agree. But I bet you'd be impressed if you checked
out what his course *does* teach in 7 days, and I'd be very surprised if
they claim to teach it all or even a majority of knowledge & skills needed.


Expect to enjoy many, many years acquiring and improving your skills.
You will never be finished learning, no matter how much you eventually
know.


Agreed, and that (to me) is one of the fun things about sailing,
boating, and cruising. There is always more to learn, and new places to go.

Chapmans is a must, and USCG Aux or Power and Sail Squadron classes are
very highly recommended for a beginnner. Have fun, and stay safe. :-)


I'd rank Colgate's classes above the USCG Aux or Power Squadron. Those
guys are usually very doctrinaire, and their courses provide no hands on
experience. The Colgates give classes, and emphasize interactive
learning, then put you in a boat with an expert instructor.

DSK

Wilson wrote:
I can see where my post can lead everyone to think i'm a complete
moron.. Don't worry, I don't want to do the 7 day course

Why not? Other than the expense, it's a good learning experience.
Although I've been sailing all my life, I took some courses with my wife
and gained a lot from the experience.


... and i'm not
going to be buying something and sailing in the short term.

It will be a couple of years before I even get the boat, and I intend
to be going to classes way before then.

Don't neglect metting other sailors and going out on other people's
boats. There is a chronic shortage of crew, you'd be amazed how welcome
willing hands are. This is great way to learn everything from how to
sail, learn about different boats, and learn about your sailing area.



Anyway, thanks for the reply, I'll check out the USCG classes..


They are a good inexpensive alternative to one of the resort type
sailing schools. Don't neglect the local library either.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 12:09:30 -0500, DSK wrote:

~~ snippage ~~

Agreed, and that (to me) is one of the fun things about sailing,
boating, and cruising. There is always more to learn, and new places to go.

Maybe for the rest of you clowns, but I am truly blessed in that I
know everything there is to know about everything. :)

Stephen Hawking could learn a few things from me I'll tell you what.

Later,

Tom

Doug King wrote:

Possibly, but you should realize that Steve Colgate is both a very good

sailor and a very good teacher. I'm not sure how good a writer he is,
but his schools are very highly regarded. You may scoff that nobody can

teach everything one needs to know about sailing or boating in seven
days, and I bet he'd agree. But I bet you'd be impressed if you checked

out what his course *does* teach in 7 days, and I'd be very surprised
if
they claim to teach it all or even a majority of knowledge & skills
needed.

*********

The average person would probably learn ten times as much in a seven
day class as they will learn in seven days of self-study with a
textbook. I agree.

I just hope that too many people don't buy a book that promises to make
them "cruise-ready" sailors in seven days, browse through it for a
week, and then set off on an aggressive itinerary.

Even an old stinkpotter like myself could probably learn very basic
sailing techniques with seven days of intensive instruction.........but
most of us would be ill-advised to rely solely on self instruction from
a book, regardless of claims made in the title or on the cover.

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 12:20:46 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 12:09:30 -0500, DSK wrote:

~~ snippage ~~


Agreed, and that (to me) is one of the fun things about sailing,
boating, and cruising. There is always more to learn, and new places to go.


Maybe for the rest of you clowns, but I am truly blessed in that I
know everything there is to know about everything. :)

Stephen Hawking could learn a few things from me I'll tell you what.

But...

...are they *worth* knowing?

What part of knowing everything about everything are you having
trouble understanding? :)

Later,

Tom

I think your idea of being part of the crew is great. I will have to
try that and see how it turns out.