I have always wanted a sailboat for some reason. Yesterday I came across one sitting on a farm near our house. It is a small boat, probably about 18-20' with a little cabin. It looks very similar to a Catalina 18. It has obviously been sitting out in the weather and needs some work to bring it back, which I don't mind doing.
Now I know absolutely nothing about sailing a sailboat. My family has motor boats that we take out on the lake for skiing, tubing, etc. but I have never sailed. For any experienced sailors out there, is this something I could teach myself? I mean, by the time I finished remodeling the boat and learned all the parts and terms, would I at least have the technical knowledge to figure out the operation of the boat?
__________________ But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing.
As long as you have a lake large enough for the mistakes you will make it will be a fun learning experience. I sailed Sunfish and Hobie Cats when I was on Diego Garcia, and they were a blast once you got the hang of it. When I was at Holy Loch Scotland, I rented an 18 foot sailboat and went up the loch, which is a long narrow lake. We went with the wind going up, and had to beat back against the wind on our return. We had the mainsail up, and couldn't sail the boat worth a darn. I finally pulled the jibsail up, and wow the boat responded like it knew what to do! You'll just need to get out on it in lots of water,and learn to operate it! Oh yeah, if there's a place to mount it, a small outboard motor always comes in handy!
I have only sailed small craft like Scotty so I am far from an expert. However myself and my GF at the time spent the weekend with a friend and his wife on their 46' sailboat sailing off the coast of CA. I had a blast and worked my butt off on that trip while my GF spent the majority of her time with her head over the railing.
The only advice I could give you is have someone you know and trust to look the boat over and give you a quote on how much it will cost to repair the boat. Sail boats are not cheap to repair or replace parts on. You could very well end up dumping more money into it than it is worth.
I have only sailed small craft like Scotty so I am far from an expert. However myself and my GF at the time spent the weekend with a friend and his wife on their 46' sailboat sailing off the coast of CA. I had a blast and worked my butt off on that trip while my GF spent the majority of her time with her head over the railing.
The only advice I could give you is have someone you know and trust to look the boat over and give you a quote on how much it will cost to repair the boat. Sail boats are not cheap to repair or replace parts on. You could very well end up dumping more money into it than it is worth.
I'm trying to find someone right now to look at it who knows sailboats. Once I figure out how much it is worth and how much it will take to fix it up I should have a better idea of the reality of this dream. I may just end up saving my money and buying one that is in good condition.
I'm reading everything I can find on sailing and sailboats but I'm still not sure if it is something I can teach myself or not.
__________________ But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing.
Save your money and get one that's in good condition. What you spend on fixing it up will end up being the same as getting one that's in good condition. And you won't have all the the work and aggravation. If it's for a boat it's expensive.
Might be a good project well worth the money spent. There are lots of car guys out there that restore a car and put way more time and money into it than it will ever be worth.
I haven't sailed yet, but someday I'll do it. Check around for a local sailing club. There is one not to far from here that I came across, they do small boats and teach the basics. It wasn't very expensive and I think it was 1 day a week for a month or two. It was a kids course adapted for adults that wanted to get started.
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We are stuck with it. Pass the ketchup. - Rambo
One reason I was thinking about fixing the boat up was not necessarily to save money but to learn the boat. I figured if I have restored the boat and become familiar with its inner working I will stand a better chance of being able to repair something if it breaks on the water.
A sailing course is a good idea though. I will check with the marinas around here and see what they offer.
__________________ But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing.
jtuck, you might want to contact the US Coast Guard and ask them if there is a USCG Auxiliary squadron in Missouri that could help you. Books are all well and good, but there are things about going under sail you can only learn by doing.
As far as fixing it up goes, there's a great book This Old Boat, which will go a long way in helping you make the necessary repairs. Just don't spent a lot on appearance!
Sailing isn't that hard, and it's a lot of fun, so go for it!
I bought a "dead" O'Day DSII, repaired it, and sailed it for six weeks on the gulf coast, living aboard. It' was an open, center board boat, so you can do a lot on a small one!
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AIRBORNE! All the Way! Recondo: Only the strong survive!
jtuck, you might want to contact the US Coast Guard and ask them if there is a USCG Auxiliary squadron in Missouri that could help you. Books are all well and good, but there are things about going under sail you can only learn by doing.
Good idea. My grandpa was a member of the CG Auxiliary where I grew up. Surely there is one around here with all the lakes.
__________________ But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing.
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