What Boat is Right for Me?

For all new sailors, you're going to need a small starter boat of some sort to learn on.  Lasers, FJs, Optis, sunfish, and small catamarans are all excellent examples of such.  So there are a few key questions you need to ask yourself before considering renting or buying a starter boat.  What type of terrain will you be sailing in, do you plan to sail alone or in groups, and how do you intend to use your boat (racing, exploring, relaxing, etc.)


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Small catamarans such as this Hobie Cat are lots of fun.  They can handle more intense winds and both salt water and fresh water terrains, however they are not the ideal boat for smal lakes and areas with little wind.  They're best used in teams of two and you often need a person to hike out on straps to keep the boar balanced as seen in the picture above.


FJs also work better in teams of two however can be managed by your self if you are comfortable with running two sails and a tiller at the same time.  However, without a second person you do run the risk of capsizing the boat without the extra weight to level out the boat.  I'd say FJs are a better selection of a starter boat if you're working in groups and do not have access to large bodies of water or the high wind you would want to operate a Hobie Cat.


Optis are the most simple of one man sail boats and generally for younger users.  They will not get as much speed as other one man boats but are easy to manipulate as well as store, because of their small size.





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Finally, lasers and sail fish are probably the best one man starter boats to get if you live near a lake with moderate wind and want to have some fun.  Both structured almost identically with one sail and just a small pit for the sailor, they are easy to operate on your own and can pick up speed quick without the need for vigorous wind.  They're am excellent choice for older sailers who want a one man starter boat.

Getting Involved in the Sailing Community

As a novice sailor, getting involved eith other sailors and organized activities is an excellent way to expand your knowledge of sailing and become more comfortable with sailing.  There are two sailing camps locally and I would highly recommend looking into them, as well as local ragatas and clubs.  The most prominate of the two is Columbia sailing club, who you can check out at http://www.columbiasailingclub.org/.   I spent several summers at Columbia sailing camp and they are especially good at teaching younger sailors how to handle a boat.  They teach capsizing recovery, points of sails, how to rig and de-rig your boat and offer a lot of hands on learning in the water.  They have a large selection of Optis, small one man sail boats for children to learn on.

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However Columbia Sailing is orientated much more towards children who are new to sailing.  For adolescents and young adults new to the sport, Lake Murray is probably more your speed.  Though the class is still taught in a manner to catch new sailors up to speed, Lake Murray moves at a faster pace and is directed at an older audience.  They teach primarily on Fj sail boats, two to three man boats with a jib and a main sail.  While you are still supervised and Lake Murray, I found myself with lots more leeway to learn on my on my own and working in groups allowed us to learn from each others mistakes and practice working in teams, skills which are essential to learn to operate bigger boats.


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Both a Lake Murray and Clumbia offer week long camps in the summer as well as organize a étude ragatas in the fall.  However, if camps are too pricy for you or you would like a more familiar community to expamd your hobby with, many high schools and colleges offer different forms of sailing clubs and there are loads of local organizations just a click away on the web.  Get involved!

Don't Sink the Boat!

Capsizing (noun.)-  The act of flipping a sail boat.

Nearly every new sailor will do it.  I remember my first real gust of wind, my heart racing as I threw myself out onto the hiking straps, the grin on my partner's face as we tempted the integrity of the boat itself.  Nearly every new sailor comes across a point where he or she encounters more aggressive conditions than he is used to and over estimates the ability of his boat.  Nearly every sailor will have to learn to recover from capsizing.  

It was summer of 2008 and my sailing partner, Graham, and I were finally old enough to sail FJs and work in teams.  We were two of the most of the most experienced and educated sailors, and we were also two of the most daring.  So, it was not to anyone's surprise when, as the rest of the sailors tied off their boats and awaited the oncoming storm on land, Graham and I chose to take advantage of a windy day.  We were experiencing sailing as we had never experienced it before; our hearts raced as we cut through the sleek top of the water.  We were truly in the eye of the storm, the breeze was heavy and refreshing, the temperature warm and relaxing.  Everything seemed to revolve around us in that moment.  But as our pride swelled and our ears filled with the cheers of our classmates cheering us on from the island's edge, we tested our luck a little too much.  We hadn't even noticed that the boat had started to keel over, and, in an instant, there was water rushing into our boat.  There was no swift jerk yanking us out the boat.  Rather. It was more as if the lake was sucking us into its grip.  It was as if the lake wanted to savor our expressions and force every ounce of panic out of us and we watched it devour the Lake Murray Yacht Club's nicest boat.  

The method to uprighting a capsized boat is pretty practical and probably the only logical manner you could come about a 500 Lb piece of fiberglass in a lake.  You have the heavier of the two sailors stand on the dagger board and, once they are sturdy, grab on to the side of the boat and lean all of their force back.  Meanwhile, the lighter partner waits on the opposite side of the boat near the center, and allows the boat to scoop them up while it's rotating so that someone is already in the boat when it is flipped.  It's a rather simple process and something most sailors can acquire a feel for in a few tries.  But, for two 12 year old boys, stranded in the middle of the lake without an instructor, recovering a capsized boat had to be the most impossible task anyone has ever asked.  Graham squirmed across the side of the boat, pushing and pulling, yanking and tugging, and all the while we were submerging our boat further.  Our sailing instructors could not have been more displeased.

So, I would very much reccomend practicing uprighting a capsized boat before you even consider any sailing.  Obviously the procedure varies from boat to boat, but for beginner, one to two man boats, it requires very little space or time.  Find some open water offshore or near a dock and bring a partner.  Flip your boat over by letting the boom go free, letting the tension out of all lines, planting your feet firmly in one crease of the boat, and pulling the opposite outside of the edge in toward you.  After the boat is capsized, swim out to the dagger board, place you feet out as far onto the tip as possible, and pull along that same outside edge toward yourself and the water.  Practice this several times to get a good feel for it.  If you have any other questions about capsizing recovery check out http://www.sailingcourse.com/smallboat/capsize_recovery.htm.  Good luck!

Nautical Vocabulary For Nitwits

Alright sailors, this week marks the first official Sailing For Dummies post.  But, before you even think about setting foot in a boat, there are some terms you ought to know:

Sail-  fabric sheet suspended by the mast which cups the wind to propel the sail boat.

Main Sail-  usually the lowest positioned and largest sail, it's foot is secured to the bottom.

Mast-  Arrangement of poles, or spurs,  extending vertically from the boat, used to hold the sails.

Boom-  Spar extending horizontally from the mast.  The main sail runs through the boom and the boom keeps it pulled tight.

Boom Vang-  Piece that runs from the base or the mast to the boom.  It pulls down on the boom to keep the sail tight. 

Jib-  front most sail on a boat.

Bow-  front end of the boat.

Stern-  rear of the boat.

Port-  left end of the boat when facing the bow.

Starboard-  right end of the boat when facing the bow.

Rudder-  board-like piece hinged to the back of the boat, which allows the boat to turn. 

Tiller-  Piece of the rudder which the sailor uses to steer.  Pushing and pulling on the tiller shifts the rudder, causing the boat to turn.

Hull-  the water tight underside of the body of the boat 

Sailing is an excellent way to blow off steam and escape from the world around you.  But, like all great hobbies, it requires some research and self-teaching.  Tune in next week to further better your hobby!

     Don't know what a jib sheet is?  Are you unsure what it means to "hoist the main sail"?
     When  my teacher asked the class to blog about a topic of interest, sailing forced its way to the front of my mind.  How could it not?  I have never known a hobby that is more intimate than sailing; the adrenaline rush when you catch a gust of wind, the overcoming tranquility as gentle waves rhythmically rock the side of the boat, the feeling of accomplishment and power you get in knowing you can manipulate the water with such a simple machine- nothing could spark my excitement the way sailing does.  So, for the next three months , I will be posting each week, educating my audience so they can learn to love the same hobby that overtook me.