Your First Boat
If you've been boating all your life and your first boat was a long, long time ago, maybe this page isn't for you. But if you have the 'Quit the Job and Go Cruising Dream' and you don't have a lot of boating experience, or if your boating experience is on a little runabout that you climb aboard and blast around the lake on the occasional weekend, maybe you should read this, too.
We're going to assume that your boating experience is limited and that you don't even know what you need to learn. We don't want to be insulting or talk 'down' to you if you already know a lot of this stuff, so realize that this is written for those who don't. But read it anyway; your knowledge may be refreshed and who knows, you may pick up something you didn't know you didn't know. (And maybe you'll discover something beginners should know that we forgot to include. Please let us know in the comments section at the bottom of this page.)
We're going to assume that your boating experience is limited and that you don't even know what you need to learn. We don't want to be insulting or talk 'down' to you if you already know a lot of this stuff, so realize that this is written for those who don't. But read it anyway; your knowledge may be refreshed and who knows, you may pick up something you didn't know you didn't know. (And maybe you'll discover something beginners should know that we forgot to include. Please let us know in the comments section at the bottom of this page.)
What you need to learn
Perhaps it would be wise if your first experience on a boat is on a friend's boat. That way, your expenses are limited to maybe buying them a bottle of wine or taking them out to dinner. (The true Frugal Mariner would invite them over for dinner. It's a lot less expensive than a restaurant.)
Before you go, please read, "Your First Time on a Boat"
If you plan to go cruising, you should start with a small version of the boat in which you would like to go cruising. By that we mean, if you anticipate cruising in a sailboat (most cruisers seem to be) your learning boat should be a sailboat. If you have the money for a trawler or powerboat, get a small powerboat.
Before you go, please read, "Your First Time on a Boat"
If you plan to go cruising, you should start with a small version of the boat in which you would like to go cruising. By that we mean, if you anticipate cruising in a sailboat (most cruisers seem to be) your learning boat should be a sailboat. If you have the money for a trawler or powerboat, get a small powerboat.
Getting Started
Take it out on a nice warm day, in nice warm water - because you're going to get wet. Wear a life jacket because you are going to go into the water.
Ask a sailing friend to take you out the first time and give you a few pointers. Then try it on your own
Little boats respond very quickly. If you make a mistake, you will find out immediately. If you're quick enough, you can correct it. If not, you'll probably dump the boat and your sail will end up in the water and so will you.
Then you'll learn to right the boat, climb back on and continue sailing. With this kind of instant feedback, you will find you will learn very quickly.
Ask a sailing friend to take you out the first time and give you a few pointers. Then try it on your own
Little boats respond very quickly. If you make a mistake, you will find out immediately. If you're quick enough, you can correct it. If not, you'll probably dump the boat and your sail will end up in the water and so will you.
Then you'll learn to right the boat, climb back on and continue sailing. With this kind of instant feedback, you will find you will learn very quickly.
On a larger boat, which responds more slowly to the helm (steering wheel or tiller), you don't have the 'instant feedback' that accelerates the learning curve.
Sunfish Sailboat
LOA: 13'9"
Beam: 4'1"
Draft: 2'11"
Sail Area: 75 Square Feet
Hull Weight: 120 Pounds
Capacity: 1-2 people
Skill Level: Beginner-Expert
LOA: 13'9"
Beam: 4'1"
Draft: 2'11"
Sail Area: 75 Square Feet
Hull Weight: 120 Pounds
Capacity: 1-2 people
Skill Level: Beginner-Expert
Once you have learned how to sail, or operate your new boat under the tutelage of a mentor or two, now it's time for you and your crew to start learning what you need to know to go cruising.
The Short List
We call it the 'Short List' so you won't be too intimidated to start. But each of the items on the list has many sub-categories, as you will soon see. But here's the list, and some places you can go to learn the stuff:
| 1. | Rules of the Road. (Colregs) You don't want other boats running into you and you don't want to run into other boats. Just like on the highway, there are rules. You can start right here on this website and read about what you need to know. There are books and courses you should seriously consider and there are links on our Rules of the Road page. |
| 2. | Running Lights Each boat has lights which identify it. Some are ones that you may never encounter (We hope you'll never be sailing near a ship which is sweeping for mines.) But the common ones you need to learn. The rest, you need to have a quick reference chart available in case you see something you don't recognize. |
| 3. | Sound Signals While you're traveling on your boat, you'll hear many sounds. Some are just seagulls and you can ignore them. But sometimes it's sound signals from other boats or ships. You need to know what they mean. |
| 4. | Anchoring Watching your boat sliding backwards through an anchorage during a sudden and unexpected storm can be terrifying. Knowing how to set your anchor so that you know it is going to stay put is very important. Others may come sliding toward you, but that is rare (fortunately) and often you can fend off the boat, or if it is small enough, tie it up to your boat until the storm is over because you know your anchor is going to hold. |
| 5. | VHF Radio It turns out there's a lot more to communicating with a radio on a boat than on your CB radio. There is no "10-4 , Good Buddy, what's your handle?" There are many rules and regulations and protocols that must be followed. |
| 6. | Weather There is an awful lot to know about the weather. Whether you're traveling across the lake or across the ocean, once you're on the water, you absolutely MUST keep a close watch on weather indicators. Here's a start on what you need to learn and some books and links to continue your weather education. Heavy Weather Sailing ; Beaufort Scale; |
| 7. | Coast Guard Courtesy Exam The Coast Guard Auxiliary or the U.S. Power Squadron are both authorized by the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct vessel safety inspections at absolutely no charge to the boat owner. There are also no penalties for infractions - merely a notification of what needs to be done to bring the boat into compliance with safety regulations. Once compliance is complete, you get a sticker to put on your boat. Well worth the effort. |
| 8. | Marlinspike The art and skill of knot tying. Many books written on the subject. Several websites dedicated to marlinspike. There are a minimum of eight knots that every sailor should know (and power boater, for that matter - we consider the term sailor to include power boaters.) We'll have our own marlinspike page soon - but Grog has an excellent one. |
| 9. | Tying Your Boat in its Slip I have worked in a marina. I am amazed at the number of boat owners who do not tie up their boats properly. Here's how to do it properly to protect your property. We'll have our own page on this soon - until then here's another site. |
| 10. | Continue your Boater Education Boating is not a field where you ever stop learning. Besides all of the safety, navigation, running lights, boat handling, knot tying, radio operation there are all of the systems on your boat, each of which has subsystems. Your boat's engine, for instance, needs fuel storage and supply with its tanks and hoses and pumps and filters, and that's just one aspect of it. The cooling system with its raw water and fresh water side, and it interfaces with the water heater, and on and on. There's so much. We can only begin to tell you the list of things you need to know. I think the best advice we can give you is learn what you can from books, classes, and others and then APPLY WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED! Get out on the water, crawl into the engine room with some wrenches, install a piece of electronics yourself. Challenge yourself. What you learn early on can save your ass later on! |
For tips on purchasing your first boat, we can recommend:
Larry and Suzi, Tara and Colleen on the 21 foot Harbinger - our first boat - just before our attempt to conquer Lake Erie - we failed - had to call in a Mayday, our first and only - (rudder broke off in a storm with 10 foot waves and 50 knot winds.) We learned a lot - the hard way.
In either case, it should be large enough to accommodate you and those who are going to go cruising with you. If it's just you and your significant other, it should sleep two, and have maybe a small galley and a head. If you don't know what a 'head' is, you should stop now and read "your first time on a boat."
Take a look at something in the 22 to 32 foot range. And it doesn't need to be a new boat. As a matter of fact, it might be better if it isn't a new boat. A 'fixer upper' can give you a lot of experience working on a boat and learning a boat's systems.
If you have, for instance installed a VHF radio and it's antenna and wired it up, you're going to know how to work on one when it stops working. If you've installed a through-hull, a seacock, hoses and a pump for your deck washdown you're going to be way ahead of the fellow who doesn't know anything about these things.
If you have decided that you're going to cruise on a sailing boat and you don't know how to sail, lessons are in order. But if you aren't in an area that offers sailing lessons, I strongly recommend you try to learn on a little boat, such as a 'Sunfish'
Take a look at something in the 22 to 32 foot range. And it doesn't need to be a new boat. As a matter of fact, it might be better if it isn't a new boat. A 'fixer upper' can give you a lot of experience working on a boat and learning a boat's systems.
If you have, for instance installed a VHF radio and it's antenna and wired it up, you're going to know how to work on one when it stops working. If you've installed a through-hull, a seacock, hoses and a pump for your deck washdown you're going to be way ahead of the fellow who doesn't know anything about these things.
If you have decided that you're going to cruise on a sailing boat and you don't know how to sail, lessons are in order. But if you aren't in an area that offers sailing lessons, I strongly recommend you try to learn on a little boat, such as a 'Sunfish'
The Sunfish: The perfect beginner sailboat
The Captain J - when we first saw her. She was kind of sad and needed lots of work to put her in cruising condition. As did her crew!
She is now Kanau (pronounced Ka - NAH - ou) and has had many repairs and upgrades and many thousands of miles under her keel, during the course of which Larry and Suzi became Cap'n Larry and Saltwater Suzi.
She is now Kanau (pronounced Ka - NAH - ou) and has had many repairs and upgrades and many thousands of miles under her keel, during the course of which Larry and Suzi became Cap'n Larry and Saltwater Suzi.
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Notice: While we make every effort to ensure that the information provided on this website is accurate, we can not be held responsible for any mishaps which may occur as a result of your using information found in this website without verification through other, more authoritative sources such as the U.S. Coast Guard. |
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Saltwater Suzi and Cap'n Larry's "Boating on a Budget"
How to's, Information, Education & Fun Stuff about Boats, Sailboats, and Cruising
How to's, Information, Education & Fun Stuff about Boats, Sailboats, and Cruising
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