Sailing For Beginners

Sailing is really very simple; a skilled instructor can teach you the basics in an afternoon. Most beginners shove off on their own after just a few.
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Then Graham had some dinghy sailing lessons with a local instructor.

Sailing for beginners: A How-to guide - leondumoulin.nl

As our garden is not big enough to store a boat we looked around and decided on Chichester YC. I went out with Graham a few times and quite enjoyed it — I like being on the water — but was happier when there was a safety boat. After lunch I was in our dinghy, a Laser Bahia, with another beginner and a young instructor and we found out that it is very different doing a tack in a boat on the water to doing one in a static boat on land!

We capsized a couple of times but it was a warm August day and I am a reasonable swimmer and between us all we got the boat back up and us back in it fairly quickly. I was very tired at the end of the day — all that concentration and physical exertion — it meant I slept well though!

The second day was similar — shore-based stuff in the morning and on the water in the afternoon…. The other beginner who I shared the boat with during the course said he would not do any more dinghy sailing but at least he had tried it and would not be saying in his old age: Mark, aged 48, explains: Hollowell is also a good place for family membership and I wanted to get my two daughters interested as well.

But the main reason was I just fancied having a go. All eight of us on the course had never sailed before and it teaches you from knowing nothing to how to sail a boat and control it.

Beginner’s guide to sailing

Pick a day with favorable conditions and dress appropriately. Depending on your area, good conditions come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Generally, you want fairly calm seas and lighter rather than stronger winds. Remember that it is often windier and cooler out on the water than it is on shore, so dress appropriately. Have the right boat. Be aware of the boom.

The boom is the big, heavy bar at the foot of the mainsail. Before you venture out on your first trip, be sure to acquaint yourself with important sailing terms. When sailing with a group as part of the crew, the skipper person steering the boat may call out directions using these terms. You will need to know them to be an effective crew member and act quickly, as there are often situations that arise when sailing that will require you to act fast.


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Bow refers to the front of the ship. Port is the left-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow front. Starboard is the right-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow. Acquaint yourself with basic maneuvers.

Learning To Sail Is Just The Beginning

Before you sail, learn what it means to tack and jibe. Tacking refers to a sailing maneuver in which the sailor s turn the bow of the boat through the wind. The wind will change from one side of the vessel to the other side. Jibing refers to a sailing maneuver in which the boat is turned into the wind so that the wind goes from one side of the boat to the other. Jibing is not as common as tacking since it can be much harder to do correctly. Practice avoiding the boom. The boom is the horizontal pole which extends from the mast the tall pole-like object and is part of the mainsail.

Some of the most common sailing injuries are a result of not being aware when the boom is about to swing. This usually happens during a tack or jibe. To avoid a bump to the head, or even worse, being knocked overboard, one of the most important beginner sailing tips to always remember for both passengers and crew is to be conscious and respectful of the boom at all times, especially when the skipper yells out for the crew to execute a tack or jibe.

Wear the proper clothes. When sailing, it can be much cooler on the water than it is on shore, due to the wind exposure.

It can be helpful to combat this by dressing in layers. Comfortable casual clothes and non-slip shoes are usually suitable for sailing.

If you know are going to get wet, wear a swimsuit underneath your layers and leave the nice clothing at home. Tie back long hair and avoid excessive jewelry, which could pose a safety risk if it got caught in the ropes or elsewhere.


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Bring a raincoat or jacket to protect yourself from rain or wet weather. You can buy shirts with sun protection built into them. These are often sold at sportswear stores or can be found online. If you are crewing a boat or sailing your own small vessel, wear clothes that can get wet, such as spandex or Lycra. These are usually materials used in swimwear.