Why is sailing so formal?

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Old style target indications are unsafe (except for navy trained people) 3 points abaft the beam, when "look over there" is safer. The old style very important when yelling from mast top but stupid to someone standing next to you.

I agree Mark and I guess the OP is referring to this level of nautical mysticism.
My sailing generation went from compass points to... 'Tree at 1 o'clock, 100 meters.'

This became my standard way of target reference and was as simple as we could make it.

Now with digital taking over from analogue.... What will be next?

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by BostonZee

So, you could call it that, but you can communicate more information with fewer words to your crew if you use the "formal" words. I found this very helpful back when I was doing a lot of racing.

For example, if I said we were going to sail "close hauled" after a tack my mainsail and headsail trimmers would know they would need to trim their sails in as far as possible, and my crew would know they would all need to get up on the high side of the boat and hike.

On the other hand, if I said that after a tack we were going to "close reach" then the trimmers would know that the sails did not need to be trimmed quite as much, and the crew would know they needed to be on the rail but depending upon conditions might not be hiking.

If I said we would be "beam reaching" or "broad reaching" as our point of sail, they would all know there was something different to do for each of those points of sail.

Is all of this "formal"? Or for that matter, just plain silly?? When I first started sailing I though so, but the more I sailed the more I found the benefit of having specific terms or phrases for things that were going on in the sailboat and on the water. Not only did it make it safer and easier, but it made it a lot of fun to learn all of this new terminology, and to teach it to others!!

I know....my favorite sailing term was "harden up from a broad"
[emoji1]

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Cyrus Safdari

People have already mentioned that everything has a name because it allows conveying important information quickly and efficiently. Sailing was after all a profession too, as well as a team effort, so a wide variety of people from many backgrounds had to find a way to communicate with each other on a boat.

Sailors are judged to be a gruff bunch because they're short and to-the-point. If you're not a working crew member on a boat, you're an "idler". A line that is not under tension, is called "lazy". etc

So not only does everything have a name but there are moral judgments involved!

Oh!... Come on,... have you been left on the dock holding the "bitter end"......[emoji1] sorry couldn't resist!

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Now with digital taking over from analogue.... What will be next?

We bought His and Her binoculars both with bearing compasses in them so you just give the bearing.

But isn't there a smartphone app that does it too?

Edit...: Here it is: http://pocketmariner.com/mobile-apps/compass-eye/

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

Depends on how well your mules can swim

You got it. Knowing the excepted terns is a must. The damn mules don't understand how to tack. Yelling Port to them doesn't do a thing.

[td0tz]

Formal?
I crossed the Atlantic with two sailors from long seafaring traditions, a Brit and a Scotsman, the Scotsman an RYA offshore instructor.

They sometimes referred to the sails as "those flappy bits"

[StuM]

Originally Posted by kalbahnov

Similarly, Shakespeare used a lot of nautical terminology in metaphorical ways that would have been easily grokked by his audiences

I saw what you did there, stranger!

[JPA Cate]

As you might expect of us, we use the "arcane" language. It's particularly useful to describe where something is hidden: in the fridge, outboard, down two, center describes where the meat for supper is.

A story, from when I was new crew on a MORA boat. We are in the ocean, under spinaker, with a goodly beam sea, the boat heeled a lot, another newbie crew was tied to the genoa sheet winch in the cockpit, and suddenly the skipper yells, "STOP THE BOAT!". This was a useless command as far as i was concerned, all it told me was that he was scared. He wanted the sheet dumped, and if he'd said that, any of us except that one girl could have done it.

The little rituals of using the correct language, and repeating your understanding of the course to steer, the timing of a tack or gybe, docking maneuvers, help keep everyone safe, and expedite doing the jobs.

I think I was thrown off by Too Coys labeling of this specific language formality. To me it has little to do with form, everything to do with being explicit, saying exactly what is meant, no more, nor less.

Ann

[Ted and Relinda]

The least formal sailor that I know of would be Bob Bitchen. Look for Cruising Outpost magazine. It's about as informal as sailing can get intentionally. But the terminology is still the same. It's meant for communication quick and understood. Works great that way. Untill you mix Brits or Ozzie's on the boat.
Ted

[TooCoys]

Originally Posted by RKO

So when they are at the helm, I always hear "Ready about! Hard Alee!"

THIS! This right here!

"Watch your head" seems to work just fine, and doesn't sound so hoity-toity and formal.


But then, I'm not racing, and I don't have "crew".

[JPA Cate]

Too Coys,

"Watch your head" will work and keep them safe, too. Your choice if you want to teach them more.

Ann

[Astrid]

" Re: Why is sailing so formal?
Quote:
Originally Posted by RKO
So when they are at the helm, I always hear "Ready about! Hard Alee!"

"THIS! This right here!

"Watch your head" seems to work just fine, and doesn't sound so hoity-toity and formal.


But then, I'm not racing, and I don't have "crew"."

You answered your own question when you said you are the one at the helm without a crew to oversee. If you have a crew on deck, they need some sort of warning of what you are about. "Ready about!" is a preparatory warning for the crew. It tells them what you are about to do and they can jump to their posts and be ready for it. "Helm a'lee" is the actual command to execute and is given when everyone is at their posts.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by TooCoys

THIS! This right here!

"Watch your head" seems to work just fine, and doesn't sound so hoity-toity and formal.


But then, I'm not racing, and I don't have "crew".

THIS! This right here!

So you are up on the foredeck (or the front thingy ) changing a headsail and I shout "Watch your head". Am I telling you that you need to careful about clew of the sail flapping around near your face or am I telling you that we need to tack (perhaps unexpectedly).

However if I shout "ready about", it is a clear and unambiguous message that I want to (need to?) to tack and for you to do your part in the manoeuvre or quickly advise why you aren't ready.

Now if there are some non-sailing friends on board, I might say "ready about" to the crew mates and "by the ways guys, watch your head".

It is about communication - some ways are better and others not so.

[kalbahnov]

Originally Posted by StuM

I saw what you did there, stranger!

[belizesailor]

To the original question, "why so formal", I think it has to do with the origin of modern sailing being military/commercial. Precise communication is important to such endeavours...us "yachties" came along much later and inherited the terminology.