By Brad – The results are in from our poll asking sailors how they learned to sail and got hooked on this lifestyle we love! Overwhelmingly, the sailors who responded said that they had gotten started by buying a boat and learning as they went. This is in keeping with our experiences and suggests that for many people who don’t live in a community with a non-profit sailing center, often the most accessible way to learn to sail is by purchasing their own boat.

Certification-focused courses like those offered by US Sailing and the American Sailing Association can be a good place to start, offering structured courses taught by qualified instructors. However, these courses also tend to be focused on those who are looking to charter a sailboat, can be expensive, and often require significant travel to access, making them less than ideal for many.

The good news is that you can learn to sail on your own boat – clearly many people already have, and there are plenty of affordable, small sailboats on the market. This approach does come with risks however, and I’m sure any sailor who learned this way can attest that the learning curve tends to be steep. Whenever you’re starting out with a new (or new-to-you) boat, there are going to be mistakes. As long as the mistakes aren’t to expensive or frightening, you carry right on having become a better sailor for the experience. Unfortunately it’s all too common for people who are just starting out to have one really bad experience where they were in over their heads, that turns them off sailing completely. Hopefully we can help avoid some of those going forward!