The Alternative Guide to Family Sailing
Wouldn't it be nice to take the family to the sea side or a lake on a nice day, pack a picnic, load up a boat and sail off to a secluded bay or an island? Well, with the Alternative Guide to Family Sailing we'll show you the ropes and how you can get your family on the water, sailing for a lot less money that you might think and without compromising safety or fun. In part 1 of this series, we look at how to decide what type of boat would be most suitable for your family.
One of the questions that I get asked rather a lot is ‘what’s the cheapest way to start sailing’? Well, the answer is that there isn’t a cheap way to start sailing however, there are routes that you can take that are considerably more affordable than what the Royal Yachting Association would suggest.
These can include buying second hand boat, renting a boat when you need it own boat or even building a boat.
What are my options?
Before we start looking at the options available to you, we need to get some criteria nailed down. These are based on your means, your time and your access to water, transport etc. Get a bit of paper, sit down and think about this bit carefully. Vast amounts of cash and time have been spent by people who haven’t done this bit. You enthusiasm will be nagging you but don’t listen to it – sober reason is required! My late father was once told by his Bank Manager that ‘sailing is standing under a cold shower, fully clothed and tearing up £20 notes’, now obviously he was a miserable blotter jotter of a man but it is very easy to end up losing more than you can afford on an ill informed decision. So, get a cup of tea or coffee (no booze, it will encourage you to make rash decisions!) and switch off the telly , stop swearing at the radio phone in and concentrate!
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