Complete Novice Orientation

[Foswick]

I have a few friends traveling up next month to crew for me. Amongst them, they have a combined experience of zero ... but they want to learn. And, before we leave the dock, I need to get them to the point that if they really had to, they could get the boat under control and call for help. So, when they arrive, we will have plenty to go over. I don't want to have to get bogged down in basics - like what a winch is and which way is starboard.

And, they're keen to learn on their own to be better prepared.

I used to teach sailing, but I don't really have any videos or any suitable materials for this kind of thing. I'll teach them the things that really need to be hands-on, but I am trying to find some basic video lessons (or something like that) that covers things like:

• Basic terminology - stuff that you really kind of need to know so we can talk to each other (port, starboard, cleat, winch, forward, aft, etc.) - maybe the top 12 terms - keeping it simple.
• Basic running rigging - just the essentials of what does what - very basic, without getting into trim or procedures like tacking.
• How to use a winch
• Basic boat orientation - like where is the cockpit, midship, foredeck, companionway, main mast, mizzen mast, lifelines, bowsprit, etc.

I have found a number of crew orientation videos, but surprisingly nothing that keeps it so basic. To me, the key at this point in their training is not ensuring that they get the information they need, but in filtering out what they don't need to know, at this stage. All of the information is freely available, but a novice does not yet know what is and isn't important.

A good example of this is that I can find a video that explains port, starboard, fore and aft. But, that same video goes into points of sail - which they just don't need to know at this point, but they don't know they don't need to know it.

I guess I could just go out and record my own. Wondering if folks knew of something suitable, already.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Wondering if folks knew of something suitable, already.

Yes, doing it before you leave is useless. How many times have we heard the story about the orientation about how to use the marine head, and when they go they still ask how?

Take 'em out, tell them before you leave to hold on and don't fall off the boat. Then, when you're out there, SHOW THEM. KISS.

 

[thinwater]

Actually, you need to be at a point where you can singlehand. Then there will be no need for them to rescue you. It is not fair to place that responsibility on novice crew. Like sailing with small children. Also, you need to be able to recover a MOB with no help from the crew other than staying out of the way. Same reasoning. And I'm also sure you have this covered.

But yeah, teaching is great.

Oddly, IMO learning the points of sail, how to trim for each, is the most basic tenant of sailing. Which way is the wind blowing and how am I moving in relation to that. The first thing a beginning sailor needs to develop is an instinctive attention to the wind direction. That is more important than starboard, north, or to a point, up. Of course, I learned sailing dinghies.

A soon as we get past not falling off, that is the first thing I teach. Which way is the wind blowing and what does that mean to us. Winches and systems are what you learn after you understand what sails do. How could I understand hoisting, furling, and reefing without knowing about courses and wind direction?

I would have them study dinghy sailing basics. Winches and procedures are less theoretical and can be quickly learned hands-on. The fundamentals of wind are more important IMO.

 

[dlochner]

Give them some homework before they arrive. Find a basic learn to sail book and send it to them. If they do their homework they will have a basic general sense of what sailing is about and be familiar or at least read the terms we use.

Before any maneuver is attempted go over in some detail what you want each person to do and what the boat is going to do and feel like.

 

[kloudie1]

Preparing the novice for heeling is a good thing to do. Help them to understand that the boat will lean over a bit but it will not fall over.

 

[FastOlson]

Preparing the novice for heeling is a good thing to do. Help them to understand that the boat will lean over a bit but it will not fall over.

Good point! I also like the other points about "basics" of a boat. To that point I have always given newbies (including experienced sailors) a quick tour of the vital safety stuff. How to use the radio, start and stop the engine, locations of fire extinguishers, and use of PFD's.

As for the head (!) I emphasize our rule that "everybody sits" ..... this much reduces 95% of the potential problems in the head compartment. Also, go over the flushing procedure, i.e. pump everything clear thru and out after about every 6 sheets of TP.
Port and Starboard and fore n aft are good to learn and can be assimilated as we go. It's an endless list to some extent, but some things seem really important, whether we are out motoring around and picnicking on a 0 knot day or sailing rail-down.

 

[pgandw]

What thinwater said. You need to be confident in your abilities to single hand. I wasn't, and I probably spoiled sailing for my son in law by ending yelling at him, "no the other starboard!". In the excitement, the dockside talk always gets totally forgotten.

When you can manage on your own, then you can calmly tell newcomers to pull or release a line, having to describe to them several times which line it is. And the newcomers will enjoy not being yelled at, and might actually learn something, and come back again.

Don't go out on a day where the wind/weather is going to make things happen faster than you can handle. Especially so if the guest you are trying to impress is a non-sailing woman. Ask me how I know. Another story - my next door neighbor boating novice bought an inboard ski boat, and was eager to launch it and drive around to his boat lift. The launching ramp was on the shallow side, and the wind had piped up to 15 kts with about 3ft seas. I finally refused to help him, said we needed to wait for a better day. At first he was a little angry, but a week later he thanked me for keeping him out of a situation he wasn't ready for.

Fred W
Stuart Mariner 19 Sweet P

 

[Foswick]

Thanks for the comments.

I am not really looking for advice on what to teach or how, though thoughts/perspectives are definitely heard and appreciated. I've taught dozens (hundreds?) of people to sail. What I am looking for is a resource as I described, because the logistics and goals of this situation are different than what I am used to.

The points made about learning on the water and picking up terminology as we go are well-taken, but this particular situation calls for something different. It has to do with how these friends learn and the logistics of their upcoming trip. It just will be smoother if they know these things ahead of time.

Also, teaching wind before winches is backward, for this group. There is a good chance they will not get to the point they really understand how to sail on this trip (depending on how weather cooperates). But, they will need to know how to raise/lower the main, start the motor, use the VHF, etc. before we leave the dock. It is just a safety issue.

This isn't a matter of confidence single-handing. In fact, I see that as a real problem - if just one person knows how to manage the boat but takes out other people who do not. It puts those people in danger, should anything happen to the skipper. I see that a lot and call it "magical skipper armor" - the idea that the one person capable of controlling the boat in an emergency is somehow not at risk of being the emergency.

As a rule, our boat doesn't leave the dock for any duration unless there is one person, in addition to the skipper, that could control the boat if they had to ... or the skipper is alone. While I generally like the Captain Ron school of sailing, if I leave the dock with newbies that just know "hold on and don't fall in", they are at risk within a few minutes of departure, should anything happen to me. Granted, in life, there are many risks like this. This one is easily mitigated though.

 

[jssailem]

An online source that may be helpful, is the Duncan Wells “StressFreeSailing” site and videos.

Chartering Checklist - For a Stress Free Sailing Holiday - STRESS-FREE Sailing

Master ferry gliding for cruising yachts to dock, hold position, and maneuver in tidal waters with ease. Learn its history, benefits, and step-by-step technique.

stressfreesailing.com

His presentations are clean clear and functional.

 

[Foswick]

An online source that may be helpful, is the Duncan Wells “StressFreeSailing” site and videos.

Thanks! I had seen some of his stuff and like his approach.

 

[BigEasy]

Sounds like you need to develop your own instructions to fit the level of detail (or lack of detail) that you desire. Email the document to them a few days before the outing instructing them to not only read it, but bring it along as a reference during your pre departure orientation.

 

[pgandw]

This isn't a matter of confidence single-handing. In fact, I see that as a real problem - if just one person knows how to manage the boat but takes out other people who do not. It puts those people in danger, should anything happen to the skipper. I see that a lot and call it "magical skipper armor" - the idea that the one person capable of controlling the boat in an emergency is somehow not at risk of being the emergency.

As a rule, our boat doesn't leave the dock for any duration unless there is one person, in addition to the skipper, that could control the boat if they had to ... or the skipper is alone. While I generally like the Captain Ron school of sailing, if I leave the dock with newbies that just know "hold on and don't fall in", they are at risk within a few minutes of departure, should anything happen to me. Granted, in life, there are many risks like this. This one is easily mitigated though.

If you truly mean what you say about somebody else qualified, then you want something similar to the PQS system the Coast Guard uses to qualify both CG and Auxiliary boat crews (similar is used in aviation). Consists of lectures, demonstrated proficiency with a simulator or at the dock, and then and only then an underway proficiency check. At each step, you repeat until you get it right.

Boat US, the CG Aux, Power Squadrons all have videos and/or Power Points for the "classroom" portion, and usually have the associated knowledge tests. These are generally 8 hours actual time. A lot of states also now require this for a boating "license".

You will also need at least a couple of hours dockside to teach MOB procedures, each person demonstrating ability to tie off to a cleat, how to use cam cleats and line clutches, basic knots, which lines control what on your boat and when they are likely used, etc.

The airlines and charter boats have 2 classifications - the actual crew, which must be fully qualified. Then there are the paying passengers who will be given a minimal safety briefing, but are only expected to follow crew directions in an actual emergency.

It's your boat, you get to select the model you want to use for your friends. But as real life has shown, expecting anything less than a qualified crew to be more than a passenger in a real emergency is usually overly optimistic.

Fred W

 

[Stu Jackson]

As a rule, our boat doesn't leave the dock for any duration unless there is one person, in addition to the skipper, that could control the boat if they had to ... or the skipper is alone.

Isn't this sentence a contradiction? If you go out alone, you come back, don't you? Why should taking one other person be any different?
I've been sailing alone since I was a kid in the 50s. i have always returned. Sounds like you have, too.

 

[Foswick]

Isn't this sentence a contradiction? If you go out alone, you come back, don't you? Why should taking one other person be any different?
I've been sailing alone since I was a kid in the 50s. i have always returned. Sounds like you have, too.

If you go out alone, you are only putting yourself at risk. So, if you have a heart attack out on the water or fall overboard, you knew the risk, and that's not a bad way to go.

However, if you are the only one that can control the boat, you put others at risk. If you have a heart attack or fall overboard, and they cannot control the boat, that puts them in a bad way.

That's the difference.

Now ... I'm not saying that this is necessarily a high-risk thing to do, but no one ever plans to be the cause of an emergency, but they happen anyway. Past success does not grant immunity. That is, because I have sailed for decades and not fallen overboard does not suggest that I could not.

For us, I don't go forward unless the crew on board could, at minimum, control the boat should I go over. To do otherwise puts the entire crew/passengers at risk with just one misstep on my part. To think it couldn't happen to me is arrogance (or at least overconfidence) at the expense of everyone's safety.

That is how we run our boat. I don't judge a person who would go out, being the only person who can control the boat - so long as everyone on board genuinely understands the risks and is capable of making that decision.

 

[Richard19068]

Isn't this sentence a contradiction? If you go out alone, you come back, don't you? Why should taking one other person be any different?
I've been sailing alone since I was a kid in the 50s. i have always returned. Sounds like you have, too.

I'm sure Foswick will reply for himself but I'm guessing that if he goes out single handed and doesn't get back he has endangered only himself and he is okay with that. If he goes out with all non sailors they will be at risk if he goes overboard or is otherwise incapacitated. His party will be at less risk of harm if there is at least one other sailor (other that him) aboard.

 

[Stu Jackson]

If you go out alone, you are only putting yourself at risk. So, if you have a heart attack out on the water or fall overboard, you knew the risk, and that's not a bad way to go.

I don't disagree, but wouldn't this mean YOU would never go out alone? Think of your horrified wife when the boat never returns...
Just means to me that this kind of fear mongering makes little sense in the real world.
Your boat, your choice.

 

[thinwater]

I'm going to differ with you on the singlehander mentality. This is what EVERY charter skipper faces. This is what every sailor going out with non-sailor guests faces. If you believe that you are putting others at risk, with only you as skipper, then you either need properly trained, experienced crew, or to chose mild weather that you are comfortable with.

I think believing that you can quickly train non-sailors to handle important emergencies is more hopeful than I would have thought of a man of your expereince. As for falling off, make certain that you don't. Yes, you can be sure of this. Tethers and avoiding high risk activities.

I don't see singlehanding as a high-risk activity. The greatest risk is injuring yourself on board, and your crew should be able to help you through that. The likelihood of an injury so grave that you cannot give direction is vanishingly small, unless you are planning to cross multiple oceans. In fact, if I did not believe it was vanishingly small, I'd be doing something other than sailing. Obviously. I'm not a thrill seeker. I do enjoy facing challenges and then controlling the risk until it is vanishingly small.

 

[Foswick]

Just means to me that this kind of fear mongering makes little sense in the real world.

Being cognizant of the risks and making informed choices is fear mongering? Ignoring a risk does not make it go away. As I stated the risk is low, but it is a risk. Each person needs to make informed decisions according to their own situation. Not sure why that might be controversial.

 

[Foswick]

This is what EVERY charter skipper faces. This is what every sailor going out with non-sailor guests faces.

OK. I was not telling other people what they should do, I was saying what we do.

I think believing that you can quickly train non-sailors to handle important emergencies is more hopeful [...]

The lesson: If the skipper becomes incapacitated, this is how you take down the main sail, furl the headsail, run the motor, and make a DSC distress call.

The idea is not that they will remember everything and do it perfectly (or even well). The idea is that they have been given a much better chance of success than if I had not spent a few minutes going over it. Without the instruction, there is a very low chance of gaining control of the vessel. With the instruction, there is a much better chance.

This is not about training a crew to handle all shipboard emergencies, effect a MOB recovery, and survive off of their own urine for 3 months. This is more along the lines of a little bit of instruction being vastly better than none.

It strikes me as a little backward to make the point that it is OK for a skipper to take out complete neophytes with no other trained crew on board, but then also make the point that the skipper shouldn't give them some basic emergency instructions, just in case.

I don't see singlehanding as a high-risk activity.

It is not, inherently ... depends on how you go about it. But, it does carry some risks and those risks are not negligible. Around here, for example, if you go overboard, single-handing, there is a good chance that is not survivable unless someone spots you or you are quite close to shore. I lost a friend to this, and he was actually quite close to shore.

We are willfully ignorant of some of the dangers. If we dwelt on every possible thing that could go wrong, we wouldn't sail at all, but then again, we wouldn't leave the house either.

I think you are reading more into my posts than was intended. I'll paraphrase:

• If a skipper is the only one that can control the boat, they are a single point of failure.
• It is OK for the skipper to take the risk on for themselves. If they have untrained passengers, they are also accepting the risk on their behalf.
• On our boat, if we bring people on in such a situation, we give them some tools to increase their odds.

I did not intend to say:

• People should not singlehand.
• People should not take out untrained people.
• People should not be free to take whatever risks they like.
• I could prepare an untrained person to confidently handle any onboard emergency, without a significant investment of time.

 

[thinwater]

^^ Fair points.

My personal experience is that trying to teach people, for example how to take down sails, is not likely to be effective unless they understand wind direction, courses, and something about sail trim and forces on a boat first. They might learn how the winches work, but at the same time not understand how to take a jib down in the lee of the main and then the main while nearly head to wind. Raising the anchor requires some understanding of wind and waves, if the conditions are "interesting" enough for there to have been any likelihood of an accident. That is a common thread, I think. The skipper got hurt because the weather is rough, so managing the boat will not be simple.

The skipper needs to be really careful. This is an important point. By analogy, a sprained ankle can get a hiker killed in the winter, so you need to be quite mindful when hiking alone in real wilderness.

I really think the lessons won't stick unless taught as a part of the whole. But I do understand and respect your intent.