Posted by Jock on November 04, 2005 at 14:51:02 from 217.172.252.81 user Jock.
In Reply to: Re: Learning to sail posted by Andy G on November 04, 2005 at 14:23:24:
During my school years my water-based sporting activities were largely confined to opting out of the Combined Cadet Corps and using the time so gained to assist a lock keeper on the Grand Union Canal at Brentford. My entreaties to my parents that they invest in a GP14 fell on deaf ears. But, I DID learn to sail at about the age of 12 on the Walton-on-Naze boating lake. My only "lesson" was when the 10 year old who was earning pocket money by minding the boats went out with me once to explain luffing. Those were the days when people without any sailing experience were welcome to hire sailing cruisers on the Broads and to learn as they went along.
Today, only "experienced dinghy sailors" are welcomed at Hunters Yard, there is mud where the Walton boating lake used to be and no hire boat operator would be seen dead with a 10 year old assistant. Some time ago I posted a link to Lem's "Return from the Stars" for those who followed that link and wondered what it had to do with AR, now perhaps you can see where I am coming from?