Free Sailing Lesson Sitemap

Introduction - The thrill of a new way of life for you and your whole family is here, now, with sailboat living. Because sailboat living is family living picnicking, camping, day cruising, leisurely sailing in the sun, racing, and fishing. It is activity and luxury and adventure that everyone can enjoy.

01. Choose Sailboat - To join the fraternity of sailing enthusiasts and enjoy the new era of sailboat living, your first step is to select a boat. Unfortunately, there's no one sailboat that's perfect for all uses. If there were, there would be no need for the bewildering variety of sailboats that are available. A choice that the prospective sailboater should consider, therefore, is between a faster craft, designed primarily for speed, and a somewhat slower boat intended for cruising and loafing around a bay or lake. Racing is the more limited of the two uses, and calls for a greater degree of skill and a good set of reflexes on the part of the skipper.

02. Learning To Sail - What does it take to sail? The main ingredients are a sailboat, a mild breeze on a suitable body of water, and a little desire. Sailing is by no means difficult, and if you can tell which way the wind is blowing, you can learn the fundamentals in a very short time. Actually, on your very first day out you should be able to sail well enough to enjoy the panorama of water, wind, and sky that is part of the fun of sailing.

03. Before Casting Off - Before you take your boat out for the first time, it would be wise to go over the operation of each line and every piece of gear so that you will be sure of their function. This will save you a great deal of time and trouble when you are out on the water.

To study the sails, lay them out on the lawn to see what they look like. Compare them with the sail-plan drawing in Chapter 1.

04. Let's Go Sailing - The great day has arrived at last you're about to sail the boat by yourself. It's all very well to say, "Don't be nervous," but as with most new things in your life it is sometimes a little hard to get used to a sailboat. It's not that you're afraid of capsizing (you wouldn't be so foolish as to get into a sailboat if you couldn't swim); it's just the strangeness of the feeling in your bones as the boat leans with the wind and the confusing sound the sails make overhead.

05. Sailboat Living - In the Preface I stated that sailboat living was for the entire family. And the most popular of all family boating sports is cruising. This may range anywhere from a few hours' trip to a week or more.

When cruising, the size of your boat has nothing to do with the amount of fun you and your family can have. Even small open prams have a world of possibilities for young fellows who don't mind roughing it a bit.

06. Boat Home - During the boating season, you can keep your sailboat in your backyard or garage if you have a trailer; in a boathouse or at your dock if you live on the waterfront; at an offshore mooring; or at a boatyard, marina, or yacht club. The latter three must be paid for.

07. Sailboat Safety - Sailing, as has been stated in previous chapters, is one of the most relaxing, enjoyable sports imaginable. It's one in which any member of the family, regardless of age, can participate, but there are some basic water safety rules which any good sailor should learn.

08. Boat Caring - In the previous chapters in this book we have discussed sailing principles, sailboat living, safety, and so on but unless you take care of your boat and its sails, all the "dope" given in those chapters may be for naught. For if your sailboat isn't in the best of condition, you can't expect it to perform its best. Fortunately, the modern fiberglass sailboat requires very little care and maintenance. Unlike the old wood hull, which required almost as much work time on land as the time you spent on the water, the new fiberglass boats are designed for the least possible amount of work.

Glossary - To most beginning sailors, the lingo of sailing is strange and unusual, knowing this language won't help you when it comes to sailing your boat. (Your boat doesn't understand the language, either, and the publisher won't print the words many sailors use when "talking" to their boats.) However, in knowing it, you won't sound like a landlubber when speaking to your fellow boatmen.

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