Start Sailing Right - Sailing Downwind

Possibly the most comfortable point of sail is sailing downwind. The boat is (or should be) flatter on the water, so you don't have to hike out and the sails are all the way out so you aren't ducking under the boom.

In order to sail downwind, pull the tiller away from the mainsail until the wind is behind you. Keep the wind coming from somewhere between dead behind you to off the quarter opposite the sail (there are two quarters on a boat, it refers to the Port or Starboard side of the rear of the boat). This will help you avoid "sailing by the lee" or sailing downwind with the wind coming over the same side of the boat that the boom is on (this is BAD!) Sailing by the lee can result in an accidental jibe, which is when the wind gets around the leech of the main and forces the boom across to the other side. This can result in serious injury!

One way to avoid sailing by the lee is to always keep wind in the jib. If you are sailing dead downwind with the main all the way out, the main will blanket (or cover) the jib and block wind from it. It will luff and fall. If you turn into the wind slightly (by moving the tiller towards the sail some) and keep the wind off the quarter of the boat it will keep wind in the jib, you will go faster and it will help you avoid the accidental jibe.

So, now you want to change directions but instead of tacking you want to jibe (or put the stern of the boat through the eye of the wind). Jibing smoothly is an important skill. One thing to remember is that, unlike tacking, the mainsail never fully de-powers as you move through the wind. This puts a lot of force on the sails and the rigging. It is best not to jibe "wire to wire" with the main sheet all the way out on one side to all the way out on the other. Bring the sail in about 1/3 to 1/2 way in, move your tiller away from the sail, then as the boom moves across the boat, let the sail out on the opposite side. Here is a video from US Sailing that demonstrates jibing.

See you on the water!
Captain Rob

Start Saling Right - Sailing Upwind

Ahoy Mates....

So now you have a good handle on how sails work and trim. You know you cannot sail in the "no go zone" (see Wind Awareness and Points of Sail.) Now let's try and go somewhere specific. What do you do if the place you want to get to is in the no-go zone?

Well, basically you have to sail Upwind going back and forth (zig-zagging) always making progress in the general direction of your target. We call this "beating to windward" or sailing upwind.

The act of turning the bow of the boat through the eye of the wind (the "no go zone") is called "Tacking." To effectively perform a tack, you must do a couple of things.

First - communicate to your crew that you, the skipper, are about to perform a tack. This is important! Remember that the boom will be swinging across the boat when you are tacking and we call it a "boom" because that is the sound it makes when it hits you in the head! The command is "Ready to Tack." Your crew should respond "Ready" when they are prepared to tack (which should be pretty quick.)

Once your crew has indicated they are prepared, push the tiller towards the sail about 45 degrees and say "Helms to Lee" or "Tacking." This indicates to your crew that you have begun to tack.

Hold the tiller over until the boat comes through at least 90 degrees of the turn. Remember that the no-go zone is about 90 degrees and you want to make sure you are all the way through before you stop turning. A good indication is that the Jib will fill on the other side of the boat. As it does, your crew should release the jib and let it come to the other side, then pull the sheet in on the new leeward side of the boat so that it begins to drive the boat forward again.

The finesse part of tacking is getting from one side of the boat to the other. As you turn the boat, your goal should be to keep it pretty flat, so move yourself across the boat smoothly as the boat is in the no-go zone.

Here is a video from US Sailing that shows the proper tacking procedure.

See you on the water!
Captain Rob

Start Sailing Right - Knots and Lines

There is no rope on a boat, only lines. So what kinds of line are there and what applications would they be good for?

Dock Lines - Used to secure your boat to the dock - are usually stranded or braided nylon which will stretch a bit when a load is put on them. This is ideal because as the boat bounces on the water and pulls against the line, if there was no give in the line then the line would snap tight and pull the cleat loose or break the line.

Halyards - to maintain sail shape, halyards are made of the least stretchy line possible - Braided Kevlar or spectra. These lines don't stretch and maintain the tension on the luff of the sail, which is an important aspect of sail shape.

Sheets - Sheets control sail shape also, but they are usually a medium stretch material like Braided Dacron. This allows some give when the boat gets hit with a heavy puff, but still does a good job maintaining sail shape.

There is a good resource for knots at the US Sailing Website (Click Here) that has videos of how to tie the basic sailing knots. If you are in the Start Sailing Right class, pay particular attention to the Bowline, Figure Eight and the Cleat Hitch. These are the knots we use to rig the 14.2.

See you on the water!
Captain Rob

Start Sailing Right - Wind Awareness & Points of Sail

One of the most important thing for a beginning sailor to develop is a sense of "wind awareness." You need to be able to feel the wind, see the wind and anticipate the wind. Let's worry about see and feel first. Look for things on shore (flags, trees, wind indicators) to help you determine the wind's direction and speed. Also, feel the wind on your arms, neck, face (I use my ears...weird, I know....) Once you can determine where the wind is coming from, you can trim your sails properly.

Okay, back to the business of "terms." If you are just starting out, be aware that there are terms, but don't worry if you can't remember them all. Here is a diagram of the Points of Sail in PDF format. Take a moment and look at it now. What you should be looking at is the relationship of the Wind to the Sail and the Sail to the Boat. When we are sailing close to the eye of the wind, the sail is all the way in. As we move the bow of the boat away from the wind, we let the sail out. We do this to keep the relationship of the sail to the wind roughly the same. Let me say that differently. We move the boat underneath the sail, keeping the angle of the sail to the wind the same, while pointing the boat in a new direction.

Confused? No problem. The point is that the closer your bow is to the eye of the wind, the further in you should pull the sail, and the further away from the eye of the wind the bow is are, the further out your sails should be.

So what about Downwind? Okay, the one exception to all of this is sailing Downwind. At this point of sail, you are catching the wind to push you along. In every other point of sail, you are using your sail like an airplane wing to create lift and pull you through the water.

Want some dry land practice? Check out this Ocean Racing Simulator. Try to set the sails at a position and drive the boat as fast as you can. Watch the knot meter to see how fast you are going. Now go downwind, then upwind and compare your speeds...which is faster?

See you on the water!
Captain Rob

Start Sailing Right - Capsize Recovery

Most people are at least a little nervous about the prospect of a capsize recovery. This is completely understandable. Once you are out of the boat, your activity ceases to be "boating" and starts to be "swimming " which may or may not be what you thought you were getting into when you boarded the boat! Also, sailboats don't sail well with the mast in the water and if it seems a little unnatural, well...it is. But let me assure you that Capsizing is a NORMAL part of dinghy sailing, it just isn't the fastest way to sail. If you don't believe me...watch THIS VIDEO.

US Sailing has a great segment on Capsize Recovery...click on THIS LINK to see an overview and a Flash Video demonstrating a capsize recovery.

Also, if you have the Start Sailing Right book, there is a chapter that covers it both for mono-hulls and for multi-hulls (catamarans).

See you on the water!
Captain Rob

Start Sailing Right - Preparing for Sailing

Hello...

As with any sport, you need to be prepared for the event. In the case of sailing, you are going to be outdoors so you need to be prepared for the weather conditions. Appropriate clothing, light loose layers, close toed shoes, gloves if necessary (not just for cold...also for protection of your hands) are all things to consider. In Arizona, this also means sunscreen, hats and bringing water.

Another preparedness issue is proper personal floatation devices. While the skipper is most likely required to have enough life jackets on board for everyone, they are often the Type II Horse Collar jackets. These aren't very comfortable and therefore you are probably less likely to wear it. I always recommend if you intend to do any significant amount of water sports activities that you own your own vest that you have picked out, is sized right for you and that you are familiar with the operation of. This also increases the likelihood that you will wear it!

Before you leave the dock, and probably before you leave your house, and even several days in advance if possible, check the weather report! I have found that your sailing experience depends on the wind! Too much or too little and it is no fun (or too much fun :-) There are some great resources for weather information online: www.NOAA.gov ; www.WUnderground.com ; www.Weather.com ; www.Tempe.gov/wx (for Tempe Town Lake!)

While being prepared by knowing the weather in advance is important, once you get out on the water you need to be aware of the wind. Your sails are the engine and the wind is the fuel. Knowing where the wind is coming from, both where you are now and where you are headed, is key to knowing how to properly adjust your sails. Proper sail adjustment (also called "trim") is key to getting the most out of the wind that you have (more on this later). Be aware of the wind around you by looking at the water's surface. Dark water means more wind, glassy or lighter water means less wind. Look at the indicators on nearby land, things like flags and trees, to get a sense of where the wind is coming from. By the end of class you will be driving to the lake noticing these things looking to see what kind of wind we will have for the class!

I started this segment by referring to sailing as a sport. That implies that a degree of physical exertion will be required. You need to make sure that you are physically fit enough to sail the type of boat you will be on. The good news is that the level of fitness varies wildly from boat to boat. Smaller dinghies like Lasers and Buccaneers require a little more physically than a boat like a Catalina 22 or a Merit 25 (both boats with weighted keels). The important thing is to know your abilities and sail accordingly.

This segment covers chapters 1,2 & 4 in the Start Sailing Right book.