Hello

[rcoll14450]

I wanted to introduce myself and start gathering some information from some you experienced sailer's out there. I've been around power boats most of my life but always had a desire to sail. I've sailed some sunfish and other dingies years ago but nothing serious. I've recently decided to start looking around for a school and get my certification then maybe renting for some weekend sailing before making the big purchase. I'm in South Carolina and Charleston looks like the best place to start being only a couple of hours away. There are some nice lakes around but i don't know of any schools at them. Any advice is welcomed.

[RealityCheck]

Welcome!

We all probably have embarrassing histories of once being involved with power boats... but you are making the necessary steps to full recovery and this is a good support group!

Getting certifications via a good school is an excellent step. You will get a far faster introduction to the correct ways of doing things and not have to un-learn bad habits that can develop when doing things the hard way.

I would think Charleston would be a great place to learn. I've only been to Charleston a couple of times and I was not sailing at that time but with a group I was volunteering with. Love the place.

Depending on your schedules and finance, you may want to consider the vacation classes offered by many sailing schools which allows you an even faster way to move through the courses by living on the boats while your training and doing what you learn. I know several in Florida and the US Virgin Islands that seem to have good records with happy clients often including couples training together. Do a web search and ask about specific schools and you will probably find several inputs from those that have taken the classes.