Sailing is an activity that you can enjoy at any age, no matter the location. You can use sailing as a recreational activity, travel around the world, or as a sport. But, like all things in life, acquiring knowledge on something new needs time and patience. So, the question “How long does it take to learn sailing?” isn’t that uncommon and it certainly is reasonable. Before you fully enjoy sailing, you must learn specific things that will make you safely and competently steer and operate your boat. However, keep in mind that even experienced sailors will tell you that knowledge never ceases and that there is always something more to learn about gear, navigation, and weather. So, let’s now see some details on this matter and then answer this big question. Keep reading!

First things First – Details about Sailing

What comes to your mind when you hear the word sailing? Some people imagine large luxurious yachts sailing across the French Riviera. Others imagine regattas, racing boats, and dinghies while others dream of traveling around the world with their boat. You might envision a long-passage voyage across the Pacific, a cruise around an inland lake, living aboard your boat and exploring the surroundings, or being moored to a marina. Whichever profile you are there are numerous types of boats to serve your needs and preferences, as long as you’re keen on sailing and want to discover the oceans and the marine environment.

So, first things first! It’s important to note that the mechanics of sailing are the same for any size boat and can be applied to any body of water. Even so, each vessel has its own characteristics and challenges to understand. Furthermore, even the calmest waters can be difficult to adjust to. As a result, you should double-check that you’re ready to handle your boat and keep yourself and your crew in safe hands before you set sail.

But, what are the most important factors to take into account for your learning process? Let’s see them below!

Your Goals

Well, this is a fact; your goals depend entirely on you. In other words, the duration in which you’re going to learn to sail equals how much knowledge you need to have before being an actual sailor. Subsequently, this equals what you want to do with your boat. It’s a different learning process if you want to be an offshore cruiser, a weekend sailor, or a racer. However, understanding the main principles and instructions on sailing as well as the boat itself are more or less the same. So, you’ll need to extend your knowledge about sailing if you want to circumnavigate around the world. But, you’ll need less experience in order to sail in small inland lakes.

It’s advisable to learn to operate and handle all systems and functions aboard without entirely relying on technology. Yes, nowadays technology is extremely helpful but when we refer to sailing you can’t completely rely on technology as it is more than common that it will let you down.

When you decide to learn to sail, you learn other important things as well. For instance, first aid and emergencies, boat maintenance, rigging, sailing terms, navigation, and how to deal with rough weather. The only thing you’ll have to ask yourself as you go on your learning process on how to become a better and more informed sailor is how much you want to study and what outcome you wish to achieve.

Keep in mind that sailing is a challenge that’s both intellectual and physical. But, if you are eager to follow this path then it’s more than likely that you’ll learn things faster. However, if your goal is to win races, deal with rough weather, and sail around the world, you will definitely need some more time and experience. In any case, learning things and acquiring new knowledge will never stop. You will always learn something new, even a small detail, about boats, navigation, the ocean, the weather, etc.

Your Unique Learning Style

Firstly, the length of time it will take you to learn to sail will be determined by your personal learning style. Meaning that you might be a person that learns easier while observing and learning from others. Subsequently, you will spend some time on other people’s boats. But, you will also need to take some sailing courses in order to have professional guidance.

On the other hand, if you learn by reading and practice, you will spend some time reading and/or understanding how boats work, and their complexity. But, you might even want to buy a boat as soon as possible and understand all these in practice, of course by taking some professional courses and adequate training. And never underestimate your mistakes as you will learn from them. It’s important to note that taking a course with an accredited sailing organization will make you understand things safer and faster. For instance, the American Sailing Association and the Royal Yachting Association provide excellent courses that lead to skipper certifications recognized by worldwide companies.

It’s worth mentioning that the time you will spend on learning will be determined by your preferred learning style. As a result, it will be more efficient and less time-consuming for you to put into practice your own unique style of learning. Bear in mind that there are many things to fully understand and apply in practice in terms of sailing safely and correctly. Like this, you will be able to relax and enjoy your time on the water!

>>Also Read: Is Sailing Hard?

Experience and Research

Well, experience and research are the basis of everything. Meaning that when you gain experience you also gain knowledge. Of course, any previous experience with sailing will be really helpful when you begin again to learn sailing after a long time. Or, even if you want to add some extra skills to your repertoire. This will make it easier for you to pick up skills and retain crucial aspects of the process, even if you have just sailed for a few weeks in the past.

On the other hand, you might have never sailed before but you have spent some time on a sailboat. These experiences could be almost as helpful as any previous sailing experience, depending on how much attention you paid to the skipper and crew’s operations. This particularly applies in case the vessel you were aboard is similar to the one you’re learning now.

It’s also important to note that you will aid your learning process by doing research. For example, read books, research on the internet, as well as talking and listening to experienced sailors or sailing professionals. And, if you’re good at memorizing then reading books or researching the web will be a piece of cake!

Geography

Keep in mind that all areas have their own geographical and weather characteristics. In other words, sailing in some places is easy, while in others it is extremely difficult. So, in some places, geography will facilitate your learning process while in others it will challenge you. Weather and wind patterns, tides, and currents all have an effect on your practice and thus future voyages. However, most sailing clubs are often hidden in a sheltered bay or in a location where the waters are calmer. But, in case you live in a place with tidal currents and heavy traffic, it’s advisable to program your arrivals and departures according to the weather and traffic. Also, always check specific locations that have to be avoided if your boat cannot beat the current.

You’ll also need to study right-of-way laws, how to navigate away from other vessels, and how to avoid big ships. If you’re learning to sail on a small inland lake or in a calm bay with a consistent wind coming from one direction, your main concern may be having to paddle back when the wind calms. If you’re sailing in an easy environment then you will feel more secure and comfortable setting sail for a small course around the bay. But, note that in case your sailing environment is challenging, it will take a few more months to learn how to sail. However, you can shorten the time in case you interact with sailors who are aware of the local geography before setting sail on your own.

Safety comes First

Learning all safety guidelines and measures is among the first steps you’ll take during your learning process. For example, how to use safety and emergency gear, how to handle emergencies, enhancing your problem-solving skill, managing stress, enter or exit a marina, among others. The factors involved in getting your vessel out of and back into a mooring are just as crucial as the environment of the waters you’ll be sailing to. Things like how to avoid a collision, how to handle lines, fenders, and how to safely moor your boat are significantly important to understand and learn. And again, all these depend on the environment to which you’re sailing. In any case, even if you’re sailing in calm waters with moderate weather, you will have to learn how to tie up and untie in a slip at a busy marina as well as how to safely enter harbors and marinas.

Practice and Devotion

Learning to sail is one of the most gratifying experiences anyone can have. This is because the end result is so inspiring and can give you the greatest sense of independence. However, the level of expertise needed to understand and overcome the numerous obstacles that a sailor can face when out on the water necessitates extensive preparation. And, therefore this can be accomplished with a little effort over a period of time.

Some people, on the other hand, are naturals at sailing and can understand and apply things easier. Meaning that they are able to get around with ease after a couple of days on a sailboat. Although this may be true for some people, it is not true for the vast majority. Others, need to spend more time on a sailboat in order to understand how things work.

In any case, you need a considerable amount of practice in learning how to sail along with a touch of theoretical knowledge. This knowledge and practice can take you 2-3 weeks of daily sailing where you will gain experience. But, depending on your abilities, it might as well take longer. And, that is why sailing certifications require about 10 full days of sailing which are followed by written and practical exams to test your sailing knowledge.

So, I strongly encourage you to go for hands-on learning that’s continually practiced during a period of time. In other words, if you put aside 1-2 weeks of dedicated effort to learn to sail by taking a course, you will be able to better understand the essentials before owning your first sailboat. As aforementioned, some people can pick up sailing faster and easier than others within a couple of weeks. But, it’s impossible to understand all knowledge regarding safety procedures, navigation, VHF operation, terminology, electrics and plumbing, rigging, etc. All these require practice and effort so this equals spending a considerable amount of time in order to learn them.

Even after taking a multi-week sailing course and hammering out the basics, some people still don’t feel comfortable sailing. A lot of sailing, at least at first, necessitates a certain degree of trust in yourself, and a lack of confidence can easily prevent people from putting their newfound experience into practice.

So, if you’re interested in learning how to sail, it’s advisable to take a sailing course and then a short sailing holiday. Take two weeks off to go somewhere you’ve never been before, learning as much as possible during that period. Learn about the theory and practice of sailing, as well as the history and way of life of sailors. After this experience, you’ll be more confident in your ability to take your first steps like a true sailor and buy your own boat.

Sailing Certification

Getting a sailing certificate over the course of a couple of weeks will make you feel more confident and comfortable in terms of knowledge and experience. Even though a sailing certification isn’t necessary when it comes to learning how to sail, it definitely facilitates your learning process. So, are you interested in getting a sailing certification? Then it’s advisable to check out the most popular sailing organizations such as the IYT, RYA, ASA, and US Sailing. These offer first-class sailing education along with internationally approved sailing certifications.

When it comes to the different sailing organizations, the length of time it takes to learn how to sail is determined by the degree of expertise you want to achieve. Do you want to be a crew member-only or do you want to be a skipper? Do you want to be a coastal cruiser or do you want to make long offshore passages?

In case you just want to assist as a crew member on a sailboat, then it will take you around 1 week to get there. But, when it comes to becoming a skipper, you will need at least 2 weeks in order to achieve this outcome. On the other hand, when referring to offshore cruising and traveling around the world this will definitely take you more time. And, therefore more hours to complete the course. This is because it’s a completely different timeline compared to coastal sailing. Also, when it comes to certifications, you will have to sail many nautical miles within a certain amount of time along with several months of education.

Planning

Everyone’s schedule is different, so if you’re thinking about learning to sail, you’ll need to prepare ahead. The amount of time it takes to learn to sail will be influenced by your schedule. With this in mind, you’ll need to determine what works best for you and how to learn to sail in a reasonable period of time.

If you’re genuinely interested in learning to sail, taking two weeks or even just ten days to learn to sail can be a sufficient amount of time and a great first step to take. The amount of time you spend immersed in sailing on a regular basis will give you a significant advantage. This mostly applies to the amount and level of experience you will gain. On the other hand, if you choose to do it all at once, take a 2-weeks course and then plan a short sailing holiday. This way you will begin to grasp a different perspective on life and enhance your experience of learning to sail safely and properly.

Bear in mind that not everyone has the luxury of doing it all at once. Taking too much time off to concentrate on sailing alone can be challenging. So, being able to organize a time frame will make things easier. Many beginners earn their international sailing certificate over the course of 2 weeks of sailing vacation. But, if you want to take a skipper certificate it will take you around a year or so. Depending on your current situation, you can do it all at once or you can arrange your time frame according to your needs.

The idea of going on a sailing vacation is a great option. This is because many courses that lead to a certification last around 7 days. So, taking a week off is the only requirement. But, this still might be difficult for some. In this case, you can block out 5 weekends in a row and find a sailing organization that will teach you during those weekends. Then, gain experience, both theoretical and practical, until you either get a certificate or feel confident enough to sail.

>>Also Read: Is Learning How To Sail Expensive?

How Long Does It Take To Learn To Sail a Boat? – The Bottom Line

So, how long does it take to learn to sail? For some people, this will take more while for others it will take less. It all depends on your character, goals, and devotion. There are numerous factors that influence the exact amount of time, but you can learn the basics of safe sailing in a minimum of 2 weeks. Depending on your situation and your goals, and if you want to take a sailing course, the time varies from 2 weeks to 1 year. This is because, you might want to be a professional skipper, a racer, an offshore cruiser, or a coastal cruiser. So, there’s no definite answer to this question as every person is different, has a unique learning process, and goals. I wish you all to achieve the best outcome possible!