Students Guide

Welcome

This guide will touch upon basics skills needed to sail. Learning to sail could enhance a lifetime of adventure.

Parts of the Boat

To communicate with others it is is necessary to agree upon a terminology to describe the parts of a boat.

Sails are the boats engine. Most sails are triangular in shape. A Sabot sail is held onto the mast in a sleeve. Top of the sail is called the "Head". Front bottom corner is called the "Tack'. A line attaches the tack going downward to hold the sail and mast to the boat. The rear of the sail is called the "Clew". A line attached to the clew adjusts the tension on the bottom of the sail.

The "Rudder" steers the boat in the water. The "Tiller" is what the sailor uses to control the rudder. Pointing the tiller toward the right steers the boat to the left. Pointing the tiller to left steers the boat right. The "Leeboard" keeps the boat from slipping downwind. The Mast holds the sail in the air. The "Boom" holds the rear corner of the sail to capture the wind.

It take some time to learn which way to move the tiller to steer the boat. The above drawing shows that pointing the tiller left make the boat turn right. Pointing the tiller right turns the boat left.

Safety

Always wear a life jacket near the water. It is the law and is good practice. Anyone not wearing a life jacket will be banned from the program. The life jacket should fit properly. Having a buddy is useful in keeping track of the situation. Adult supervision is mandatory.

Points of Sail

A sailboat is driven by the wind. The boat cannot go directly into the wind. In order to go in the direction of the wind one must zig zag back and forth.

Two important things to know about the wind is its speed and direction. There are several ways to know both speed and direction. One can feel the wind on their face. Ripples on the water show wind speed and direction. Flags are useful. Sails on the boat will often have wind indicators.

Sometime the wind will build strength while on the water. The sails will flap and make a lot of noise. This can be scary. Keep calm and make sure you are in control of the boat.

Capsizing the Boat

Flipping the boat over is part of small boat sailing. Keeping a cool head is essential. Capsizing can happen when

Wind is too strong
Sail is trimmed to tightly
Balance of crew in the boat is wrong.

All small boats will capsize at one time of another. Stick with the boat. Do not swim away. Grab the hull so the boat does not drift away.

Practice capsize recovery in shallow water when the weather is warm. This will help build confidence of your recovery skills in a controlled situation.

Prepare a Float Plan

Before sailing let someone know your intentions. Give a float plan to a parent.