Beginner Sailing Tips
If you are new to sailing you will benefit a lot from these easy-to-grasp sailing tips and guidelines for new sailors. The tips are meant for beginners but advanced sailors will also benefit from a review of these tips.
1. Go for calm waters
As a beginner you want to learn the ropes of sailing in a safe and relaxed atmosphere. Select waters with light winds and very minimal traffic.
2. Use a small boat
Sailing can be learned easily with fewer sails and lines. The best choice for a novice is a small dinghy which will be easier to control and captain. The small dinghies are also ideal for practicing test capsizing.
3. Start with a boat rigged with a single sail
Boats with just one sail make sailing very easy and less complicated. This is where you can easily learn and then go for multiple rigs boats once you gain a good grip of the basic skills.
4. Observe safe sailing basics
Just like in driving this is a thumb rule for any sailor, both the novices and the experienced. Always carry a flotation device on board and ensure that you have mastered how to swim. You can explore more guidelines on safe boating practice.
5. Get more details on tide, weather and wind conditions
It goes without say that weather elements can make or break a boating trip. Ensure you only set out for boating in conducive weather conditions. Always carry appropriate clothing and provisions for whatever the weather may throw at you.
6. Familiarize yourself with sail control
The skill and dexterity of sailing is in mastering how to take advantage of both water and wind conditions. You need to master how to tweak the sail settings so as take advantage of conditions of wind and water. Generally, sails must be flat in conditions where the wind is very light or very strong and full in moderate wind conditions.
7. Respect the boom
There are many injuries that occur when beginners are sailing on boats as a result of failure to notice when the boom is about to swing. If you fail to notice a looming boom you may be bumped on your head or worse still, be knocked off the ship. The crew and passengers need to watch the boom and be mindful of a coming boom .
8. More practice will perfect you
The cliché that practice makes perfect also applies in sailing. The more you practice the more skills and grip you will attain and then you will begin to grasp the advanced skills of sailing.
As a novice sailor it will also serve you well to know some of these important sailings terms.
Aft
The term refers to the back of the ship. You will often here phrases to the effect that something is located aft of the ship. This means that it is at the back of the ship. The other alternative term for aft is stern.
Bow
The term is used to refer to the front of the sail boat. The ability to recognize the location of the bow is critical for understanding the two different sides of the sailboat. The port is used to refer to the left side of the bow while the starboard denotes the right side of the ship.