In this final episode, we look at the basic rules of sailing. Having consistent rules to follow for all sailors helps prevent accidents. The reason we have rules for sailing is so that the other knows how you will respond, unlike driving, there are no signs or road markings. Sailing rules are pretty similar around the world, however, please check locally. You should now be familiar with port and starboard tacks on a boat. If the wind is blowing over your port side first then you are on port tack...
May 29, 2021•10 min
I hope you are enjoying the lessons so far. Thank you to everyone that has brought me a coffee to date, very much appreciated. In this episode, we talk about Gybing a AftMain Boat. Gybing is where you change direction from one tack to another when heading away / downwind. Things to remember: Communicate with your crew, keep them and yourself safe as the boom traveling across can hurt if it hits you. Also, be careful of other boats around you, if you are too close then your boom could hit them. W...
May 20, 2021•6 min•Season 1Ep. 9
I hope you are enjoying the lessons so far. Thank you to everyone that has brought me a coffee to date, very much appreciated. In this episode, we talk about Gybing a Centre Main Boat. Gybing is where you change direction from one tack to another when heading away / downwind. Things to remember: Communicate with your crew, keep them and yourself safe as the boom traveling across can hurt if it hits you. Also, be careful of other boats around you, if you are too close then your boom could hit the...
May 20, 2021•8 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In this episode, we talk about tacking an aft main boat. In the example, I talk about taking a boat from a starboard tack to a port tack, close-hauled to close-hauled, 11 o'clock - through the wind at 12 o'clock - to 1 o'clock. The basic steps are: Look behind you, checking for obstacles. Communicate to your crew (Helm: Ready about. Crew: Ready). Move the foot at the towards the front of the boat over the strap in the middle to the far side. Swap the mainsheet from your right hand to your left, ...
May 12, 2021•5 min•Season 1Ep. 7
In this episode, we talk about tacking a centre main boat. In the example, I talk about taking a boat from a starboard tack to a port tack, close-hauled to close-hauled, 11 o'clock - through the wind at 12 o'clock - to 1 o'clock. The basic steps are: Look behind you, checking for obstacles. Communicate to your crew (Helm: Ready about. Crew: Ready). Move the foot at the back of the boat over the strap in the middle to the far side. Push the tiller away from you, this will turn the boat towards th...
May 05, 2021•10 min
This is going to be a short episode. In this episode we are just going to quickly look at the difference between centre main and aft main boats. Why is this important? Because how you tack the boat, and the motions that you go through depending on what type of boat you are sailing. If you already know what type your boat is then just skip to the right episode. If you don’t have a boat but are planning on buying something old and wooden, then the best bet is to pick Aft Main, if you are planning ...
May 03, 2021•3 min•Season 1Ep. 5
In this episode, we’ll be looking at points of sail. These are the directions that the sailing boat can travel in according to the wind, and the names we give them. The wind pretty much dictates many of the names of sailing, some names such as Port and Starboard, or left and right on a boat, bow and stern, or front and back don’t change. But as the wind can change, and often doesn’t from one day to the next, or from one end of the lake to another. Imagine a traditional clock. If you found this u...
Apr 27, 2021•6 min•Season 1Ep. 4
In this episode, we are going to explore the different parts of a sailing dinghy. First, the bit that most of you will know is the mast. They do come in different sizes and often are mounted in slightly different ways. In this episode, I’m going to focus on the boats that you might be most familiar with, Herons, Mirrors, GP14s, Enterprises, Wayfarers, Scorpions. These typically will have 2 sails, the sail at the front is a jib sail, and the biggest sail is the mainsail. That’s it for this lesson...
Apr 21, 2021•7 min•Season 1Ep. 3
In this episode, we’re going to consider the basics of sailing a dinghy on the water. We’re not going to get into the physics of sailing, we’re going to try and use your own environment to understand how sailing works. If you enjoy this podcast series then please feel free to visit www.buymeacoffee.com/Learntosail to say thanks.
Apr 14, 2021•10 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Episode 1 - Introduction Welcome to Learn to Sail, a short podcast series designed for beginners to provide you with basic sailing knowledge. By using this podcast, you will build up a basic understanding of how sailing with the power of the wind works. We’ll look at the basics of how boats move and stop. We’ll explore the different parts of a sailing dinghy and how to sail in different directions. Finally, we’ll explore the basics rules of sailing. After this course, I guarantee you will not be...
Apr 14, 2021•1 min•Season 1Ep. 1
