Do You Need Sailing Experience to Live on a Boat?
What skills and certifications are essential for sailing with a family?
Skills and Certifications for Sailing the World.
#FamilySailingSkills #SailingCertifications #SafeSeafaring
Short answer? No. You don’t need sailing experience to start cruising full-time. But you do need the willingness to learn, make mistakes, and laugh when the toilet explodes in the middle of the night.
Sailing and cruising are not the same thing. Sailing is a sport. Cruising is a lifestyle. And while sailing helps, it’s not the biggest hurdle. Budgeting, fixing diesel engines with YouTube, and navigating red tape in five languages will test you far more. The irony? Some cruisers don’t even like sailing. They just put up with it for the freedom it gives.
Luckily, it’s never been easier to get started. You can learn from the sofa via books, YouTube (choose grit over glam), or our weekly Patreon cockpit sessions, where we break it down in plain English and share what works, what didn’t, and what nearly sank us.
Before we left the dock, we taught sailing professionally and ran an RYA centre. So we’ve seen the good, the bad, and the hideous. Our advice? Skip the formal training at first. Instead, book a flotilla holiday, crew for friends, or get your hands dirty in a boatyard. That’s where the real lessons happen. It’s cheaper, more fun, and your partner’s less likely to throw you overboard.
Still unsure? We cover all this and more in our full write-up here:
👉 Read the full post – Defcon5: How do I Learn to Sail?
Want practical, honest advice every week (with bonus bloopers and real-life sailing chaos)?
👉 Join us on Patreon – Mothership Adrift
You'll also be the first to hear about our November book launch, upcoming talks, and other behind-the-scenes misadventures from life afloat.
Further Reading: "The Annapolis Book of Seamanship" by John Rousmaniere.
While not specifically focused on family sailing, this comprehensive guide is widely regarded as a sailing classic.
It covers a broad range of topics, including navigation, seamanship, safety, and emergency procedures. The book provides detailed insights and practical advice for sailors of all levels, making it a valuable resource for families looking to enhance their skills and knowledge.
If you’ve enjoyed this and want more straight-talking tales from life afloat, warts, wins, water pumps and all, then you’ll love our upcoming book. We're inviting early readers to join the pre-launch crew and get behind-the-scenes access as we wrestle it into shape. It’s honest, unfiltered, and occasionally useful. Sign up here to get involved, give feedback, and be part of something that’ll either be a bestseller or a brilliant cautionary tale.
