Basic procedures for sailing a boat for the first time????

[woodster]

how do i start this ....oh ok ...this past weekend my friend and i went to Fair Hope to sail his Allmand for the first time after almost two years of refitting and almost three months of makeing sure everything is ok in the water......

my question is.... is there a basic procedure for setting up the sails and getting the boat under way ....it seemed to me we (his son and i worked) very hard to get the boat going while he managed the wheel......this is my first time to sail on a large boat(35 footer) and it has been 45 years sence i last sailed with a friend on a small lake in a 16 foot wood hull back in Akansas....

this event was sorta like the three stooges only with a hell of a lot of work lol....so i have come to the conclusion that there has to be a simpler way to do this.......but at this time i am not experianced enough to fill in the blanks that are needed in order to sail or even crew on his boat and as i see it we seem to have gotten the cart before the horse so in my mind there has to be some sort of check list or procedure for getting under way and then trying to set a compass heading .....we did get about 3 knots with just the maine sail heading out the the light house and on the return we saw as much as 6 knots with just the main sail ....we did try the jib sail after getting under way going out but that turned out very ugley so we fureled it back in after much excitement.....he is not an accompleshed sailer as of now but has a what they call a six pack license and two or three charter trips in the caribbian in the past year ....but i am sure that being under the gun on ones on boat with the little experiance makes it difficult....so i feel the need to have some sort of foundation if i am to continue down this path till such time i can get my boat finished and on my own .....any help or insite....i will be most greatful.......

regards

woody

 

[Rick D]

Good For You

If you understand the basics, then the best way to sort it out is simply time on the water. If it's been too long, I suggest getting a dock mate who is experienced to go out with you a few times. If you want to do it professionally, a sail or two with a charter captain, preferably on your boat, is the way to go in my opinion.

It is a bit hard what to recommend, since a lot of it on this side is guessing, but I'd guess just time on the water will sort out sequences and processes for you.

 

[Todd Smith]

Re: Basic procedures for sailing a boat for the first time??

Only way to learn is to sail, preferably with some experienced people.
1) Take classes
2) find experienced friends to sail with, on there boat or yours.

 

[Calif. Ted]

Re: Basic procedures for sailing a boat for the first time??

1. Turn into the wind, with slack mainsheet and vang raise main, secure mainsheet.
2. Drop off to close-hauled, trim main, engine in neutral, unfurl headsail, trim headsail.
3. Stop engine, shift to appropriate gear for your transmission, you should be sailing.
Is that what you mean ?
Almost forgot a step, after you raise the main, detach or slacken topping lift and/or lazy jacks as appropriate for your rig.

 

[heart of gold]

Re: Basic procedures for sailing a boat for the first time??

Read everything Don Guillette has posted in the Expert forums and buy his book from this store. That'l set ya right

 

[caguy]

Re: Basic procedures for sailing a boat for the first time??

There are a lot of helpful videos on youtube as well. As mentioned earlier I learnered the most and gained the most confidence in the beginning sailing with an instructor on myboat.

 

[soling42]

Re: Basic procedures for sailing a boat for the first time??

A six-pack license does not make your bud a sailor. It only means he can carry 6 paying customers on a vessel legally, usually on a fishing trip, which it sounds like is the extent of his sailing expertise. Your speed out versus back was probably working for/against a tide(or a million other reasons).

Go sailing with an experienced sailor and you'll see a big change in the organization of your sailing day and you'll learn quite a bit. Winging it is fun until it gets hairy or something breaks at the worst time, which it eventually will. A VERY famous captain once said: If it's gonna happen, It'll happen out there."

Go out and get at least a few hours in a 22-28' sailboat with anybody that can sail (for real)and your future will possibly be a little less complicated and maybe more fun. Then you can go show your six-pack captain how it's done.

3 years on the hard and no time to figure out how to actually sail his own boat? Hey, you said it was like the three stooges so be safe and don't let captain Larry poke your eye out while he shouts commands from behind his throne of confusion at the wheel. The 3 stooges episode they should've made

 

[ruidh]

Reminds me of my first day sailing my boat after having not been sailing for a few decades. What a comedy of errors.

In my case, a three day sailing course gave me the confidence to realize and rely on what I already knew and filled in some important gaps in my knowledge.

 

[David in Sandusky]

Help and Check Lists

When we bought our '77 h27, we had years of experience in Sunfish, and some time together on a Rhodes 19. I had cruised once with a group of friends on an Ericsson 35. I was wondering how to scale up to a 7,000 pound keel boat.

Luckily for us, there was a local instructor/charter captain who was willing to spend a day with us. I asked him to take us through all of the boat's systems, and then to take us out sailing in the course of a day. I forget what we paid him, but _boy_ was it worth it!

He helped us tune the rig, and gave us a procedure for the next time. He made sure we knew where all the through hulls were, and recommended buying plugs to wire to each one. He recommended safety systems (inflatable PFD's with built in safety harnesses, jack lines, tethers, strong points, etc.) And so it went through the day. I know how to tune a sail, but he had great tips for our rig. He showed us a sound MOB drill, and had us practice it a few times.

He did recommend a checklist for getting under weigh, and returning to port, because a keel boat has enough systems that it is easy to forget something. We have added checklists for anchoring/mooring, and leaving the anchor/mooring. There is nothing magic about these, but they help us not to forget key things (like attaching the rudder - yes, I began backing down out of our slip once without a rudder!)

Here is our checklst for leaving the dock:

Leaving a slip or dock
1 Prepare above decks - power line, tarps, fuel for grill
2 Open cabin and lazarette
3 Close forward hatch
4 Check Engine - oil, diaper, water pump, fuel lines
5 Pump bilge.
6 Turn battery to "Both"
7 Check weather
8 Set up GPS & phone
9 Cockpit seats out & snapped
10 Life jackets & harnesses on
11 Sunscreen, hats, gloves
12 Boat hook out
13 Uncover compass
14 Uncover main, remove shock cords on halyards
15 Tiller attached and amidships
16 Start engine, check for cooling water in exhaust & ladder up
17 Plan exit from the slip or dock
18 Single up lines
19 Cast off bow line then fend off or hold boat to the dock per plan
20 Engage prop in bursts to minimize prop walk
21 Cast off stern line after holding boat straight as it backs
22 Manuever from slip
23 Take in fenders
24 Rig jack lines
Don't!:
Never put any part of your body between the boat and the dock
Absolutely no jumping off the boat to assist.
Absolutely no body parts are to be used to push boats apart.

 

[Mike Turner]

Re: Basic procedures for sailing a boat for the first time??

Woody,

Good advice above. The more times you go out, the more things will start to come naturally, and more quickly.

This past Saturday was pretty blustery here, for Mobile Bay - winds out of the south to south-east at 15 knots and gusts higher. We normally have more like 10-15 knots. For your sail south to Middle Bay Light, you may have been pinching a bit, that would explain the flogging jib. It also could explain the speed differential on your trip down versus back, particularly if the tide was with you on the return.

Mike Turner
Lazyjack 32 schooner "Mary'Lis"
Mobile Bay, AL

 

[woodster]

Woody,

Good advice above. The more times you go out, the more things will start to come naturally, and more quickly.

This past Saturday was pretty blustery here, for Mobile Bay - winds out of the south to south-east at 15 knots and gusts higher. We normally have more like 10-15 knots. For your sail south to Middle Bay Light, you may have been pinching a bit, that would explain the flogging jib. It also could explain the speed differential on your trip down versus back, particularly if the tide was with you on the return.

Mike Turner
Lazyjack 32 schooner "Mary'Lis"
Mobile Bay, AL

Yes it was pretty windy saterday......and as you say it could be the tide...as it was unusually high saterday night.....and yes the advice is very sound.....i am a babe in the woods when it comes to sailing a boat and am wanting to learn......but i would like to learn the basic steps before i concern myself with the course headings and such....when i raced flat track in another life i never got on a strange bike that i didnt take a few warm up laps first in order to learn what was in my grasp as far as the bike was concerned...and i am sure sailing is about the same thing i just dont have a good basic what to do first then second and third and so on but i am sure with a little organized guidance i can learn the does and donts and from there learn my limits and what is best for me ...i have always lived by the rule that a successful person knows his limitations and if he exceeds them he is setting himself or herself up to fail...and i also know i am not the village idot...and like all Leos i do have an EGO but i try hard to not let it get in my and others way....thanks all for the feed back.....

on a positive note it was fun out there on the pulpit riding the bow up and down as we traveled down the 218 digree heading....sorta like rideing the electric bull at gilleys back in the day

regards

woody

 

[Benny17441]

Re: Basic procedures for sailing a boat for the first time??

Oh, had your own Circus Act going? Well the fact that he was at the wheel and that you do not mention laeving the mooring or dock seems to indicate you have the motoring part under control. You need a wind direction indicator so that you can point the bow into the wind to raise your main sail. Then you can head off 45 degrees to port or starboard and fill your main. Once you get going with the main then you can unfurl and cleat your headsail in the same side as the main. If you try unfurling the headsail while you are pointed to close to the wind ther is going to be a lot of slap and lines flying. To change boat direction or "Tack" you need to move the headsail from one side to the other and you do that gradually as you slowly cross in front of the wind. To take down sailsit is best to remove pressure by pointing the boat again into the wind. Get someone who sails to go out with you one time and give you pointers on what to do and working up a routine or procedure.

 

[fifedog]

Re: Basic procedures for sailing a boat for the first time??

I prescribe David in Sandusky' s list, however my sequence always begins with 1) Check weather (I like Intellicast, as well as my local WX) and 2) Check NOAA Wind nowcast/forecast (pretty much sets up my course for the sail).

...and practice,practice,practice....

 

[arknoah]

Here is our checklist for leaving the dock:

Leaving a slip or dock
1 Prepare above decks - power line, tarps, fuel for grill
2 Open cabin and lazarette
3 Close forward hatch
4 Check Engine - oil, diaper, water pump, fuel lines
5 Pump bilge.
6 Turn battery to "Both"
7 Check weather
8 Set up GPS & phone
9 Cockpit seats out & snapped
10 Life jackets & harnesses on
11 Sunscreen, hats, gloves
12 Boat hook out
13 Uncover compass
14 Uncover main, remove shock cords on halyards
15 Tiller attached and amidships
16 Start engine, check for cooling water in exhaust & ladder up
17 Plan exit from the slip or dock
18 Single up lines
19 Cast off bow line then fend off or hold boat to the dock per plan
20 Engage prop in bursts to minimize prop walk
21 Cast off stern line after holding boat straight as it backs
22 Manuever from slip
23 Take in fenders
24 Rig jack lines
Don't!:
Never put any part of your body between the boat and the dock
Absolutely no jumping off the boat to assist.
Absolutely no body parts are to be used to push boats apart.

A great list. Thanks!