Sailing Lessons
Sailing is not something to underestimate. Whether you set sail on the ocean, the sea or on a landlocked lake, there are lessons that you should know before you ever set sail.
What Is Sailing?
What is sailing? Sailing is the act taken upon a sailboat which is propelled by the wind. It can be performed on yachts as large as nine meters long and dinghies as small as two meters long. Now that we know what sailing is, we can delve further into the things every person should know before their first lesson.
10 Sailing Prep Tips
The movies are very deceiving to the eye about what sailing is really like. It may seem like a simple task, or something that just anyone can pick up easily, but is in fact a very difficult sport to master. These are 10 things you should know before your first sailing lesson.
- Environmental Awareness
- Choosing Your Boat
- Know Your Role
- Personal Storage
- Sailing by Yourself
- GPS and Compass
- First Aid Kit
- Food Choices
- Technical Terms
- Don’t be Scared
- Have Fun
Environmental Awareness
Each location has its own set of difficulties and attractions. Before going out for your first lesson ask yourself these questions.
- Are the waters too choppy? Waves can cause your boat to flip and even throw you from the deck. Winds can create large swells making it harder to control the path of your boat.
- Do you have your proper equipment? Having proper equipment will affect how well you are protected by the sun, wind, cold water, and slippery surfaces on deck.
Not being aware of your location can be a life or death situation. If you get lost and do not know the water well, or your boat breaks down, you have now just put yourself in harm. Whether it be a hole in your boat, or stuck on the reefs, or even just lost, you have now put yourself in a position of harm and stress. Always know how you are going to get to your location, what the waters are like, and what the conditions will be that day and every hour. The ocean, yet a very beautiful thing, can be extremely scary and deadly at points in time.
GPS and Compass
When I say always, I mean always have a GPS and compass on your sailboat. A GPS is the best navigation tool to have when out on the water. While you may think you know your waters, it is always safe to have this tool in case of an emergency. A compass will also help with navigation.
A compass will help you be able to know your path or direction while sailing in unfamiliar waters. Just because you may think your GPS handles all the information for navigation your compass will come in handy when your GPS is not working.
Navigation will be your number one life saver when exploring foreign waters. This will give you the opportunity to map your path and to track back on the same path safely. A GPS will show your paths taken and give a number of different information. Such as location, which shows where you currently are. Destination, which is where you are wanting to go. Paths taken, which is where you have already been before, or where you are coming from. And even small things like the temperature, wind speed and many other useful things you will need when going out at sea.
Choosing The Best Boat
Your first boat may not be your best boat, but the more you get used to it now the better you will get at rigging the bigger, nicer boats. Keep in mind there is always room for learning and adjustments. Even the smaller sailboats can be harder to control and navigate through the waves sometimes. Always know your boat like the back of your hand.
Each boat has its own unique set up. Choosing a boat that is too confusing for you may not be the right financial choice. If you mess up even the slightest, this could be potentially dangerous and quite costly. Different boats are made for different conditions. Choosing a boat for calm waters and light wind, then taking it for a spin out on 10-foot swells and 20 mile an hour wind could be a huge and expensive mistake.
Bareboat contracting is not recommended for amateurs since it just gives the stripped down to the excursion, otherwise known as the pontoon. Bareboating is the demonstration of contracting a boat that one lives upon, explores, and works for an excursion. Basic bareboating areas are the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the Whitsunday Islands, the Ningaloo Reef, and other comparative warm climate get-away spots.
A skippered sanction is a name for little vessels with a prepared commander. One of the most agreeable experience, be that as it may, could possibly be on a manned sanction. Here the main thing you must think hard over on your excursion is having a great time while the team completes the work.
Know Your Role
You must know what position you will be taking when sailing with a crew. Understand the logistics behind your job and do it well. Sailing can be and is a very dangerous sport, especially in harsh conditions. Waves and wind are no joke. Knowing your role can save someone’s life, on the other hand, by not knowing your role can end in a tragedy. You must know your job and how to do your job. Your crew has their own tasks they need to take care of, and they count on each other to know their tasks shown below.
The helmsman steers the boat and works closely with the trimmers and tactician to maximize the speed of the boat. They’re also called the tacks and gybes.
The mainsheet trimmer trims the mainsail and is responsible for the runners and works closely with the helm to maintain boat speed. You can download a useful sheet that will give you a good demonstration on trimming the mainsail.
The pit or cockpit is responsible for all lines leading to and from the cockpit. A crucial role when hoisting and dropping the spinnaker, coordinates between cockpit and foredeck.
The pit crew boss is responsible for coordination of roles in all drills, often combined with cockpit.
Knowing what your job is whether you are with a crew or by yourself determines how much you are going to do. With a crew you will only have one task maybe two. If you are alone, you will have to complete all the tasks that you would have your crew helping with. Hoisting the sails, steering the vessel, and even parking your boat when you are done.
Having a room for a crew is also essential. Having a two-meter boat with four people running the deck will not work out for any of you, so choose your crew wisely. Make sure you and your crew understand their roles on deck.
Personal Storage
Come prepared to store all your personal items. You will need to protect them from the water and wind while going out on the water. Always come ready with a waterproof bag to store your items in. This will ensure your items will stay safe even if they happen to go overboard. A waterproof bag can be found at practically any outdoorsy store.
To ensure the safety of your personal items, you may need to invest in a name brand product. There are many trusted brands for your outdoor waterproof needs. Many stores offer a variety of waterproof products such as Velcro bags, foldable bags, and coolers. Always make sure your items are protected before even leaving the dock. This will ensure complete safety for your belongings. If this means that you prefer to leave your wallet and keys on shore, then leave your wallet and keys on shore. Do not risk the loss of your expensive belongings just for a drift in the bay.
Make sure you are one hundred percent prepared before boarding your boat. Your waterproof container, whether it be a cooler, or just a zipped-up bag needs to be accessible while out at sea. Place it in a drier more isolated part of your boat, preferably tied down to something.
Sailing by Yourself
Experts do not recommend that you sail by yourself on your first time out; it may not work out well for you. Videos, manuals, blogs, etc. will not make up for an in-person training session. That one on one training is to help you understand and to get the feel of the boat. Along with a mentor who has experience, without those things you will not be able to safely complete sailing on your own, or much less with a crew. Lessons will help you further understand the aspects of a sailboat and sailing.
Sailing alone comes with many things that can be prevented when having a crew. If you were to fall into the water, you may not be able to get back onto your boat or may even drown if the waves are big enough. Sailing with a crew prevents many injuries and having extra people to control the boat in those harsh conditions.
Water conditions can change in the blink of an eye. Always watch your radar and listen to the weather while at sea. This will help you to be better prepared for on coming harsh conditions such as getting back to shore when conditions such as rough water as soon as they are noticed. Being out in those conditions alone is a very poor choice and puts you in risk of harmful outcomes.
First Aid Kit
When sailing you may get hurt or injured at some point. There are some things that are inevitable when it comes to sailing. First aid kits will always be needed when sailing and is even required to be on board for the top-class professional sailors.
Your first aid kit will need to include band aids, pain relievers, antibiotics, tape, wrap, and many more items. Make sure you make it a habit to refill your first aid stock every time you go out on the water. These are items you do not want to go sailing without.
Your first aid kit should be kept in a designated safe and dry place on your boat. If you do not have dry compartments, then your waterproof container will be very useful for this. Your kit should be able to be easily accessed by any of your crew members when needed. Always make sure you know where it is at all times and making sure it gets placed back into its designated spot on your boat.
Your boat can be a very dangerous thing and you can get injured or even killed when not being in control. How useful your first aid kit could be cannot be stressed enough; it can save a life if need be or just be an aid for a small cut or bruise.
Food choices
You will need to bring food on your sailing voyages. Do not plan on so much, just bring only what ingredients are needed to prepare meals while on the water. You will first need to ask yourself how many people will be on the boat. Next thing you need to know is if anyone has allergies. And lastly which food items will last a while on your boat.
While sushi, fruit, or easily perishable items may make your experience seem more exotic, those are not good food choices. Shoot more toward canned foods and vegetables. Making sure you are still getting the needed protein and carbs for a daily balance. Even if your boat holds a refrigerator, be aware of the things that might spoil faster than others. Milk is a good example of what not to store on your boat.
Balancing your diet on a sailboat is not the easiest when it comes to voyages. Many foods spoil super easily and you must be careful and watch the expiration dates on your food. By checking the dates, you can make sure you are not going to get sick from a spoiled egg or milk. The last thing you want to do is get sick while trying to relieve your stress while on your voyage.
Technical Terms
Everything has a meaning on your sailboat. Ropes are not called ropes they are called sheets. Know the different meanings for the left and right side of your boat. Left Is ‘port’ and the right side is called ‘starboard’. You should learn this when taking your boaters license course online.
Some more sailing related terms are ‘bow’ and ‘stern’ which are front and back of the boat. Point of sail is the direction of the boat relative to the wind. Helm is where you can steer the boat. There are so many other terms you must know before your first lesson.
Your instructor will ask you questions about the boat and sailing throughout your lessons. Come prepared and ready to learn and ready to impress your instructor. Make sure you do not mix terms up they are very important and unique.
Knowing the correct terms and having the proper vocabulary will make you look like a pro out on the water with your friends. Not only does it make you look cool, it is the way sailors speak to each other when out on the water. It is also a good habit to have when you are talking to someone who might be a world sailor champion. You never know, so pick up those terms and learn them quick. Do not let all the technical terms stress you out too much if you are new to sailing.
Don’t be Scared
The first time you go out on your boat may seem scary and intimidating, but just breathe and let loose. Focus on your tasks and you will be just fine. Overreacting and stressing will not help once you are out on the water. It will in fact only make it worse for your experience. The better calmer you are on your first run will only help you gain confidence for all your next outings.
Do not psych yourself out over the waves and wind. These will help you learn and grow character later when you must deal harsh conditions. Just relax and focus on your current task and you will learn easier and only get better.
Being scared the first time is normal, but do not let it overtake you because you will only fail if you do not try. It will become default if you push through being scared and it will just be natural from then on. Being scared only lets you do so much. Sailing can be relaxing, but also can be a very scary thing in those harsh conditions. You can never learn if you never let yourself try.
Have Fun
Though sailing can be scary, it also can be very fun. Sailing gives you the opportunity to let loose and do what you love. Those 10 things that you should know before you take sailing lessons will ensure that you know what you need to know.
Make sure you bring your essentials and know how to work your boat and understand the terms behind everything. It is always better to be prepared and come late, then to be early and be blind as a bat.