Sailing lessons for a cruising dinghy or Hobie Wave?

Question

I want to get a little sailing dinghy or a Hobie Wave to cruise around the marina.. Do I need to get a full-blown asa sailing license? What's the best way to learn? The full-blown license (lessons) cost $600.. Is there an alternative to a simpler license or to learn?

I live in Long Beach, CA

Answer 1

don't think you need a license to sail!  join a yacht club and take some sailing lessons!  both boats you described are small enough you could just learn on your own if you have some common sense and some boating skills.  get a book and learn!  sailing is a great hobby/sport!

Answer 2

I would recommend getting lessons of some sort, although they may not be necessary if you have had experience with boating; most things in sailing just require knowledge of where the wind is coming from, and how it hits your sail(s).  Once you get the points of sail down (google "points of sail") you should be able to go and actually do the thing.  

A site to help you:

http://www.cal-sailing.org/library/blueb...

This helped me, I hope that link is right.

To further answer your question, a license is not needed for a small boat such as a Hobie Wave (which is an awesome catamaran by the way), at least where I live (MN).  Once you get into bigger boats, I think you need some licensing, but to my knowledge it is not necessary for a small boat such as the ones mentioned.

The best way to learn is by going out there and doing it.  Once you have some basics down, find a day with some steady but slow winds and try to execute what you've learned.  Build on your knowledge through practice.  This is easier said than done, but it really pays off.  Sailing is more than just theory; it requires some hand eye coordination and dexterity, which can only be gained by actually sailing.