First - push the boom and Tiller forward in the same direction until the sail fills with air, as the sail fills the boat will start sailing backwards... and once the boat is out of the "no go zone" (irons) you can sheet-in and start sailing again. It is just that easy!
Many beginning sailors find themselves getting into Irons. Which means that the boat has stopped and is pointing directly into the wind having lost all forward movement. Relax and don't worry it is easy to get out of!
First - push the boom and Tiller forward in the same direction until the sail fills with air, as the sail fills the boat will start sailing backwards... and once the boat is out of the "no go zone" (irons) you can sheet-in and start sailing again. It is just that easy!
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Since you can not sail directly into the wind, you must learn how to tack (zigzag) on either side of the No Go Zone to work your way into the wind... this is called Tacking. When you tack your sailboat, you bring the Bow of the boat through the Wind. First you must gain enough speed to complete your Tack, then you will push your Tiller towards the Sail and hold it there until the Tack is completed. As the Bow of the boat turns towards the Wind the Boom will swing over to the other side of the boat. As the Boom reaches the center of the boat You need duck so the Boom does not hit you then switch sides so that You will be facing Your Sail when the Tack is complete. Continue to hold the Tiller over until the Boom swings over and the Sail fills with wind. You have now completed your Tack and you can center your Tiller. If you do not complete your Tack and the Bow of the boat points directly into the No Go Zone... you are in what we call "IRONS."
We discussed the directions that we can sail in another post. Let's now talk about a few terms, starting out with Windward which is the direction the wind is coming from (toward the wind) and Leeward the direction the wind is going to (away from the wind). In the beginning we will always be sitting on the windward side of the boat facing our sail. We can also throw in Port which is the left side of the boat when facing the bow and starboard which is the right side of the boat when facing the bow. The Bow of the boat is the front of the boat and the Stern is the back of the boat. A couple of good ways to remember Port and Starboard are "Alway leave a little Port Left in the bottle" or "The sailor Left Port Sunburned."
Many beginning sailors find themselves getting into Irons. Which means that the boat has stopped and is pointing directly into the wind having lost all forward movement. Relax and don't worry it is easy to get out of!
First - push the boom forward until the sail fills with air, as the sail fills the boat will start sailing backwards... now push the tiller in the same direction as the boom and once the boat is out of the "no go zone" (irons) you can sheet-in and start sailing again. It is just that easy!. We just got back from a 4-day weekend in Venice Beach, Florida. Yes... a little break from sailing but, I have to get out and get under the water sometimes and do some diving too! It is my second favorite sport! Usually the extent of my diving is scraping the bottom of our boats and is not nearly as fun as hunting for sharks teeth.
We had a wonderful time diving and finding pre-historic fossilized sharks teeth and many other kinds of fossils from other animals as well! Still waiting to find that 4 or 6 inch Megalodon sharks tooth... maybe next time! There are many types of sailing available for people of all ages. A club member at a sailing club in Daytona Beach recently retired from sailing at the age of 90 years young. How cool is that... plain and simply admirable to have sailed for that many years! Since we start our youth programs at the age of 8 years old, that could potentially be a sailing career of 82 years of pure enjoyment on the water. I know that I used this quote in my last post but it seems so appropriate to use again here.
"The gods do not deduct from a man's allotted span, those days spent sailing." Until next time Fair Winds and Following Seas... The Three Major Rules That We Live By Are:
1) Don't Break the Boat... 2) Safety of Skipper and Crew First... 3) Let's Have FUN! So... let's get out on the water and have some FUN! And always remember... "The gods do not deduct from a man's allotted span, those days spent sailing." Hello to all this is my first blog for sailing instruction, tips and information about our site and events. Keep an eye out for helpful videos about sailing and even learn from having a camera onboard during your sailing lessons.
I look forward to seeing this site and our sailing community grow with your help and enthusiasm! What do we plant when we plant the tree? We plant the ship that will cross the sea - We plant the mast to carry the sails - We plant the planks to withstand the gales - The keel, the keelson, and beam and knee - We plant the ship when we plant the tree. |