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?

  • @Paragone@lemmy.world
    4•3 days 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?

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