Captain's Log
Captain's Log June 2007Fill the experience gap
No matter how much sailing we have done, there is still a lot to learn about owning, maintaining and handling an ocean sailing yacht. Cruising sailors today not only have to be competent seamen with good basic sailing skills, they also need to be somewhat expert mechanics, reliable plumbers, capable electricians and wizards with computers and advanced communications and navigation software.
You can see why sailing appeals to adventurous and intelligent people who enjoy a challenge and are self-sufficient enough to master the art and science of modern sailing.
But the learning curve at first can be steep, and it remains tilted upward for a long time. For us, after 40 years of owning boats and cruising the world, we still have big blank spots in our knowledge of the latest technologies. You could call it the experience gap since we simply haven’t had the time or opportunity to get our arms around everything that is out there to make life on the water safer and easier.
But there are ways to fill the experience gap short of boldly buying all the available technology and doggedly wading through the manuals one after the other. For most nonengineers, that could be a path to frustration and failure.
The solution is to go to the experts and learn as much as you can from them before making your own informed decisions and embracing the systems and technology you want and need. Every month BWS brings you expert advice on boats, gear and equipment, and we hope this regular fare provides insights and advice you can use.
Getting hands-on experience is a great way to fill the gaps in your knowledge. For the basics of sailing and handling a cruising boat, all of the major sailing schools offer advanced liveaboard and learn-tocruise courses that will show you the best and safest way to handle your boat in a wide range of conditions and situations.
To learn what it is like to sail offshore, you can go to Mahina Expeditons, Modern Sailing Academy, Offshore Sailing School, the Blue Water Sailing School and others to gain real blue-water experience under the guidance of seasoned passagemakers. Or if you want to crew on an oceangoing boat, the Cruising Rally Association works with skippers in their events to supply able crew, and Offshore Passages Opportunities maintains an ongoing list of skippers who are looking for help delivering their boats offshore.
When it comes to the technical side, Yanmar and other engine manufacturers and dealers offer regular maintenance and repair seminars that can be invaluable for both a skipper and crew. When it comes to mastering advanced electronics and communications systems there is nothing like the guiding hand of qualified professionals to short cut what can be a long and frustrating learning process. For example, both Maptech and Nobeltec offer seminars on how to get the best from their charting and weather software. Ocens, which provides weather and communications software, runs seminars throughout the year. And many of the dealers for charting, weather and communications systems offer orientation seminars in their areas.
The cruising life offers wonderful experiences as you set off on your own boat to discover new cruising grounds, meet new people and make new friends in the cruising fleet. To make the most of the experience, to gain the benefit of all of the knowledge and useful tools out there, it only makes sense to fill those experience gaps by seeking out experts to show you the way.
Fair Winds,
