Sailing and Camping

There's a common misconception that you need to be a wealthy individual or have access to your own yacht in order to learn to sail and to enjoy sailing as a past time. However nothing could be further from the truth and each week thousands of ordinary people go sailing through clubs and sailing schools all around the globe.

Sailing is something which can be learned at almost any stage in your life. I know of people who can't even swim who are learning to sail and of all ages too. You'll find an enormous amount of schools available to teach you how to sail in many locations ranging from just down the road to far away exotic lands.

Theses schools are very experienced and abide by strict guidelines in their sailing instruction. Almost all sailing schools offer certification which is internationally recognized and this is certainly something worth going for. With the right certification you'll be able to bareboat charter a yacht anywhere in the world and have full use of it for the length of your holidays. It's certainly one way to open up new horizons in your life and make every holiday a big adventure.

If you are feeling up to it the best method to start learning to sail is in a little sailboat around a protected bay where you are in sole command. The downside is that you will capsize quite a lot until you get the 'feel' of sailing however nothing is faster at teaching you the basics than that method.

For the older, more refined, generation you certainly don't have to go down that route in order to learn how to sail. Instead there are what's known as small keelboats which will not capsize and you instructor will be on board with you. This is also a perfectly acceptable method to learn sailing. In part 2 of this article we'll discuss the process and exactly what you'll go through.