[jrd22]

Gotta echo Sailchick, get some sailing experience. Your in SF,one of the great sailing areas of the world. Find a club or take some lessons, that's the most important thing for you to do before you decide to sail the seas. You can take a CG Auxiliary class and that will give you a lot of fundamentals, including basic nav. Google CG Aux classes and you'll find one in your area. Good luck.

John