Sailboat Lessons

I'll buy something like a Zuma 13 'sailboat and want to learn to really sail. However, all the lessons here (Long Beach, CA) are all "certification courses and costs 500-700 dollars and you almost to join their" yacht club ... It seems like a bit of exaggeration. Where can I learn to sail a boat just in my bay without learning to drive a boat keel 25 'and learn navigation etc.. It seems that this should come later as I am learning to sail?

Is there an online source to get me started if I can just jump in and cruise around and experience? I'm already reading a decent book .. What are the real benefits of spending that kind of money on a school at this stage?

As someone who had minimal instruction in sailing, I can not stress enough how important it is to receive a proper education, especially if you navigate anywhere near any other boat, the power or sailing. You must have enough confidence to navigate the boat in any direction, in many circumstances, and how to apply the rules of the road at least (hint: the boats are not * always * have the right to passage). While joining a yacht club to learn to navigate * * is excessive, you should be able to find a community sailing program to help you. If you go the "Teach Yourself route, choose days when the winds are moderate and low traffic, wear a lifejacket, and pay attention to what you say the boat. If you feel like you get beat on water, then you're probably doing something wrong.

My final advice - do not make the mistake of initiating sailing downwind away from your first dock until you are sure to sail against the wind quite effective to recover. Otherwise, you're in one day looooong:)

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Could help

You have basically three options:
- Find out for yourself
- Find someone to teach you
- Take a class

In fact, there are many of us who went first track. In my case it was in a canoe I converted to sail.

SWSA may help the second method. It's mostly a matter of finding someone with the time to help.

Regarding classes, I suggest you try the center wooden boats at the foot of Lake Union. They have a program called Sail Now, that probably cost half of what you have been cited for the current ASA. Typically an instructor and three students to leave at a moment in one of their boats. CWB offers also individual classes, but I'm not sure of the cost.

Once you are qualified, you can rent their boats. Or, for every three hours of volunteer work, you help, you get a free hour of boat rental. You can go to the center, spend a few hours a helping hand to the livery boats, boat maintenance, or clerical work, then take a boat for a ride. You spent a beautiful afternoon to help a good cause and it does not cost you a penny.

CCB is also a great way to get exposed to a wide variety of types of small boats. They chat platforms, platforms sloop, platforms arrowheads, platforms horn lug sails, you name it. They centerboarders keel boats, hulls round Sharples. If you've read about it in a book, you can probably do the experiment to the CWB. This exhibition is really ideal for exploring this kind of boat you really like before buying one.

There are books in the library that might help. You could look on Amazon.com for sailing books to buy if you want to follow this path. Good luck, but I think if you plan to buy a boat or board, to learn from a professional or experienced sailor.