Learning to Sail (continued)

Since a sailing education never really ends, I've decided to continue using the blog title "Learning to Sail." I expect that it will reappear on this website over and again.

Once I had done enough reading about sailing, I was ready to get my feet wet (at least figuratively). I looked into one-on-one instruction and the options were somewhat limited to location and not exactly what I would expect for those wanting to be frugal with cost. I also found that one-on-one instruction did not necessary provide the student with certification or proof of completion beyond the instructor's word. That would not be very helpful for building a sailing resume as required by most sailboat charter services.

That led me to investigate various commercial sailing schools. Living in the Mid-Atlantic United States provides me with relatively easy access to the reputable Annapolis School of Seamanship located in the sailing mecca, Annapolis, Maryland. This is an excellent option as the program is highly regarded by the sailing community and recognized by most charter services. The only negative for me was the lack of flexibility on class location. I had plans to complete a certain level of instruction through the winter months and that wasn't going to be comfortable or easy in the Upper Chesapeake Bay.

That being said, the Annapolis School of Seamanship also offers various classes off the boat, year around (i.e. marine diesel basics). I hope to complete a selection of these excellent classroom courses someday.

I decided that the progressive program of courses available from the American Sailing Association ("ASA") would work best for me. With affiliated sailing schools located around the world, a host of qualified instructors, and a wide-ranging choice of interesting courses, the ASA offered me the best option to meet my sailing education objectives. ASA membership also provides a number of financial, commercial, and social benefits to sailors. It has been a great decision.

"To know the laws that govern the winds, and to know that you know them, will give you an easy mind...; otherwise you may tremble at the appearance of every cloud."

Joshua Slocum, Sailing Alone Around the World

What Makes a Good Sailor?

This list is reproduced from the American Sailing Association.

Intuition

The top of the list is intuition. We’ve all been on boats with people who just seem to know innately, more than anyone else, where the wind is and where it’s going to be. The boat goes faster when they are in charge and they have an anticipation and understanding that is on another level. Sure, some of it is from experience, but some of it isn’t. Intuition is a magical thing and great sailors have it in spades.

Solid Understanding of Fundamentals

Of course, we would say this but it’s true – core fundamentals are critical to being a good sailor. Obvious perhaps, but so many sailors have holes in their game. One walk along any dock in America and you’ll find some interesting takes on how to tie a cleat hitch. Knowing knots, points of sail, weather information, vocabulary and all of the other basics have to be second nature for a person to be a good sailor.

Jack of All Trades

MacGyver would have been a good sailor.  Things go strange on boats. Fittings pop out, things fall overboard, lines snap – there’s no telling how a boisterous sea might change your day. For this, an ability to think on your feet and improvise is the quality of a good sailor. There is nothing so comforting as being around good sailors who, when faced with a problem, simply start figuring out solutions based on the materials on hand. Boats don’t carry spares of everything so innovation often reigns supreme. Some of the most ingenious creations in the universe have been developed by good sailors on long passages in small cruising boats.

Calmness

Truly good sailors are never the ones screaming and throwing tantrums. They are the ones figuring things out while someone else is screaming and throwing a tantrum. But beyond being calm under duress, good sailors are usually just calm in general. It’s a disposition that serves nearly every sailing situation and good sailors know it. To be calm is to be clear of mind and clarity is an enormous advantage when sailing. Breathe people.

A Boat is a Boat

Someone who really knows how to sail can hop on any boat and make it hum. He or she will do a quick inventory of how the particular systems on the boat operate and in a matter of minutes will be an integrated crew member or skipper working as if they have been on the boat for years.

Experience

In sailing or anywhere else, nothing substitutes for sheer experience.  Miles under the keel in most instances can provide all that is needed to become a good or great sailor. In most cases, with a solid footing in the fundamentals, it brings with it the aforementioned calmness, the quick understanding of any boat’s systems, the ability to innovate and improvise. Although experience might not be able to provide God-given intuition like the Russel Coutts and Jimmy Spithills of the world, it will certainly take you farther down the road than most.

Holding Your Rum

And lastly, a good sailor has to be able to hold their rum. It’s been a time-honored tradition and it will always be this way. If you are throwing up in a parrot mask you donned after your seventh margarita you lose points. There’s too much at stake to be a lousy drinker. Have fun but stay cognizant – you can dance that weird dance of yours and still think about whether the anchor is holding.

Learning to Sail

One of the first things I learned about sailing is that each sailor has an opinion about everything and does not seem to be afraid to share it with you. Ha! So when I first wanted to learn how to sail, I was confronted with many different opinions about the best process.

I am an engineer by education and profession, so I have a preference to obtaining some level of formal instruction as background and basis for further learning. I have concerns with attempting to learn anything by going directly to a hands-on experience, and question people who suggest that you should just jump on a sailboat and figure it out.

After being a casual observer on others' boats, I only knew some of the very rudimentary basics. I felt that I needed to learn more, even before pursuing personal instruction. The perfect method for me was to turn to reading, and I found the best possible text in Sailing for Dummies.

Don't let the title fool you or insult your intelligence. I found that Sailing for Dummies provided a very well written, easy to read, introduction to sailing. It was also a valuable reference while I continued my sailing education and it continues to be a handy book to have on hand to answer questions or refresh my memory. This book will always have a home in my library.

Authors Jennifer and Peter Isler are experienced, professional sailors. They have a unique writing style that communicates critical technical information in an entertaining fashion. This book was a great way for me to begin my formal sailing education.

How Did This All Start?

Neither Laura or I were born into a sailing or boating family. I was raised on the southern shores of Lake Michigan, so I had the opportunity to do some boating, mostly for purposes of fishing. Laura was raised in central Illinois, and enjoyed canoeing and boating on small inland lakes.

The Lake Michigan experience exposed me to beach catamarans, and I would marvel at the speed and agility of the small Hobie Cats in the brisk winds. I was able to understand the concepts of sailing, but had no real experience outside of being a passenger.

Fast forward many years to vacations in the Caribbean with our children. It was there, as landlubbers, that we saw the beautiful monohulls and catamarans cruising about the islands. Little did I know that I had been bitten by the sailing bug... I had to learn more about it!

On one particular trip to Grenada, we met a lovely couple who took our family for a cruise around the Tobago Keys on their 42' sloop. Now I began to take this much more serious and started to read and study about sailing. I knew that somehow Laura and I would someday find a way to be sailors too.

Welcome!

Sailing S/V Hope is a collaborative effort for my wife (Laura) and me (Ken). With this blog, we will share our adventures on becoming sailors, from retrospective observations of the sailing lifestyle to technical posts on equipment or techniques to updates on our whereabouts on the water.

We are not experts, which could actually make this a useful and entertaining read. You will have the opportunity to learn from our mistakes and laugh at our escapades.

You can also follow along on our Facebook page and Instagram.

Fair winds and following seas,

Ken