Embarrassing story, seeking advice

[angelfish2]

*another one raises hand*...I learned to sail on a Sunfish. I was in the water a lot. It's a good thing I had a bikini on! Those were the days...I sure can't wear a bikini any more. Anyway, I think all of us who learned in small boats spent a great deal of time outside the boat, swimming, instead of inside and dry.

The next time you go out (you simply must get back on that horse), you will be surprised at how much better you do. Nevah, nevah give up.

[Miz Pea]

Or, you could buy a motorboat.

[ppvora]

Dear All,
Wow! I'm totally blown away and humbled by the generosity of the members of this forum on the advice, the stories, and most of all, the encouragement that I've received in response to my post.

I'll quickly summarize the tenor of the posts that were received:

a. What happened isn't unusual. Now, go out and do it deliberately so you learn how to deal with it.

b. Small boats like dinghies and centerboards are harder to sail than larger keel boats. Don't be discouraged. But, go out on these small boats to come closer to the "real" experience of sailing -- how the wind, the boat, the water all come together and interact with one another.

c. Get sailing lessons in a dinghy. Join a dinghy sailing club. Crew on a small boat to get more experience.

I would also like to clarify a couple of things: The ASA 101 course was on and offshore over three 8-hour days with time spent equally on and offshore. We were on a Catalina 22' keelboat. The course requires an exam both theoretical and on the water. I believe the school was excellent and my Instructor was just outstanding. Also, yes I did get spooked by the incident that I wrote about, but let me put it into context: As many of you have mentioned a keelboat like the Cat that I learned on is highly unlikely to capsize, so there was no mention of such a thing in the ASA 101. I assumed that centerboard was designed not to keel over (obviously, I was wrong). Also, this event happened so suddenly and that too the first time I went out this season. These are the reasons I was so spooked. But, now that I've read all the responses to my post, I know it's not a big deal. Just keep a cool head and take the necessary action. OK, I get it.

I'm definitely getting back on the centerboard (as soon as today even) and I'm eager to learn more. If ultimately, I get hooked on sailing (highly likely) I'm holding your generosity and your passion responsible.

Thank-you once again!
Premal

[Jim Cate]

Premal, thanks for getting back to us with your new thoughts... and I applaud your decision.

Enjoy the process of learning, and then enjoy the fruits of your work.

Jim

[Wotname]

^^ what Jim said

Premal, welcome aboard CF and I do hope your experience here will match the enjoyment of your sailing learning curve. Do come back with questions or sharing experiences.

Your crewmates here can be rambunctious lot at times but almost always generous.

[grahamb]

More support......in small boats capsizing is just called learning.....and in our warm Australian waters it can be fun too.....have a look at the internet sites for the …. Sydney 18 footers.....billed as the fastest monohull on the water.....and very unforgiving.....but sailed by the best sailors the sport can produce.....and they capsize too.....and often....in a most spectacular fashion....I once flew about 30 feet before touching water.....

[Wotname]

^^ here you go, great 18' action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UqXaTHG0_M

[jtsailjt]

I hope that virtually every poster telling you it’s very normal to capsize a dinghy has convinced you. I’d also like to add that it’s going to happen again just when you least expect it and I hope this next time, even before your head pops back to the surface, you are heartily laughing out loud at the situation and at yourself! Really!

Lake sailing is notorious for having shifty winds and gusty winds which make it much easier to gybe or find yourself with your sails badly out of trim. That’s why it’s such a good place to learn, it teaches you to pay attention all the time and make appropriate and timely adjustments.

I grew up sailing a Sunfish and spent every summer living right on a 3000 acre lake so I sailed frequently. Then I “graduated” to the ocean and my first cruising boat, a full keeled sloop. After a few years of pursuing everything I could learn about this new kind of sailing I returned to visit my parents at the lake and decided to take my old Sunfish for a sail. About a minute after passing by and waving to the young sailing instructor at a local YMCA Camp, I failed to react to a sudden wind shift quickly enough and found myself plunging into the lake with my Sunfish turning upside down. In the split second between when I realized I was going for an unscheduled swim and actually hitting the water I felt mild embarrassment, thought that at least the sailing students will get a good laugh and the instructor can use me as an example of what not to do, I’m going to hear about this from a mutual friend of the sailing instructor and myself, good thing the water’s not too cold, this is just like back when I was 12 and still learning about this lake and this boat, and the big ocean sailor gets his comeuppance from a boat he’s sailed 100’s of hours, I wonder if it’s showing me that it’s mad for my years of neglecting it, and for some reason all those thoughts combining almost at once struck me funny so I completely enjoyed my dunking and couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the absurdity of it. Now I’m 61 and though I really enjoy my cruising sailboat I still sail that same Sunfish whenever I get a chance (plan to later today) I have no doubt that another unscheduled capsize and dunking is somewhere in my future, and I sincerely hope I enjoy the surprise and the swim just as much as I did the last time! [emoji4]

[Suijin]

I come from a family of sailors and grew up right on the water, sailing from the moment I could probably walk. That said, I remember the first time I went out on the family Sailfish (yeah I’m old) and the apprehension that I felt. I don’t remember any of the specifics mishaps but I’m sure there were a few.

Within a few weeks I was happily capsizing the boat to lounge around in the submerged sail and doing all sorts of unconventional things with the boat as children are want to do.

Sailing, understanding the “gestalt” of it, is akin to riding a bike. Getting a feel for how the boat and the wind and the water interact is like understanding how to balance and steer and power a bike. Once you “get it” you’ll have passed a threshold after which you’ll have far fewer scraped knees and elbows.

There is no substitute for experience when it comes to sailing, period. You can take ASA courses out the yin yang but they won’t give you a feel for the boat and the wind. And learning to sail a dinghy is in my opinion the best way to learn. It’s all about feel in a boat that size and you learn quick as you are doing lots of maneuvers on each outing.

Bigger boats have their own specific qualities, concerns, tactics etc. but most of them benefit or are extensions of what you leaned in a dinghy.

So now you know to not sit on the windward side of a dinghy all the way through a tack. Lesson learned.

[dfelsent]

Our local junior sailing program has a basic first day.
It includes a swim test, putting on your life jacket in the water, and learning to intentionally capsize and right a boat.
This is for kids from 7 to 17.
Capsizing, as you are learning, is a normal part of dinghy sailing.

[CBinRI]

Capsizing is part of learning to sail on smaller boats and (if not unexpected) can be part of the fun. And what would be a faster way to learn to shift your weight to the windward side of the boat when tacking?

Being embarrased a bit is just part of learning. I got serious about sailing late in life and took my lumps for several years racing against sailors with much better skills and experience. They will respect you for it. You just need the courage to persevere. And small boats are the best way to learn as they five immediate feedback (as you have now learned). Don’t give up!

[slipaway2017]

Don't get discouraged. There is an easy solution to this. In a dingy in gusty winds never lock in your main sheet. If the boat heals too much just ease the sheet. In a split second you are back upright and you can stay in the dry. I learned this by many wet experiences. Capsizing does not need to be an integral part of sailing.
BTW...I sailed dinghies for years before I bought my first keel boat . by comparison sailing a keel boat compared to a dinghy is like sailing in slow motion....same sailing principles but much easier.
Hope that this helps.

[Peeew]

I raved for years successfully in bigger boats. Then I started with Lasers. Very different and as said above, small boats are great teachers. The lessons just come too fast sometimes.

[edexter]

I second what everyone else has said, everyone dumps a small boat. First thing my dad did with our Sailfish when I was 10 or so was see if I was heavy enough to right the thing by myself; once he was assured I could he let me sail it on Smithtown Bay as long as I didn't go out past the channel unless he was with me.

I am in a similar situation, a 61 year old geologist who recently got back onto the water. I strongly suggest more boating courses - I now have a fiancé that has a lovely old Rhodes 22 and I am learning to sail all over again. So, in addition to taking basic boating, I joined the local chapter of the US Power Squadron and have taken several courses including Seamanship and Piloting, so I am less likely to get lost wandering about the Chesapeake, and know what those funny marks on the chart around Poole's Island mean.

I'm in the Dundalk Sail and Power Squadron in north Baltimore, and our chapter has a lot of courses in the off season, but still try to fit in at least some on-the-water components. And there are chapters in Rockville, Annapolis, Anne Arundel/South Baltimore (the Patapsco River squadron), and many other places that offer excellent classes. You don't have to be a member, but they are a lot cheaper if you are, for me it paid for itself; most people join for the classes, but then stay because of the community. We have a monthly meeting, and cruises and raftouts scheduled throughout the summer - it's great to talk with more experienced people. Although it's called the Power Squadron, our chapter is half sailboaters, and there is NO animosity between the groups - just some friendly ribbing about the lack of speed versus the price of fuel.

And while the Rhodes is a lot harder to tip than a Sailfish or dory, I note that the Skipper's late husband, who was an expert and lifelong sailor and ex-Coast Guard, still managed to dump her twice; fortunately, she's self-righting and has positive floatation, but the Skipper had to pick between rescuing her fancy boat cushions or the dog, which were all drifting away. And when I inherited the job of caring for and helming the boat, I had to replace all the electronics that got wet, so damned if I'm gonna let her go over again...I hope. Good luck!

[jimisbell]

I am a pilot and a sailor and I remember when a friend who was Navy pilot, and well qualified to land a jet on an aircraft carrier, went to the local airport to go flying with me in Cub. He managed to ground loop the thing before even getting to the runway to take off.


Sailing big boats VS dinghys is similar. Everything happens much slower on a larger boat....but remember, that also applies to STOPPING.


As to getting wet, I remember when I was learning to Windsurf (at 55 years of age) I did it from a book. The book, "Zen And The Art of Windsurfing", told me I would fall 23 times before I got it to go 10 feet. I counted the falls and sure enough on the 24th try I went 10 feet before I fell....LOL. Oh,BTW I did it right in front of the house so my entire family was watching the silly old man in the Speedo,falling off his surfboard from the living room. embarrassment was NOT the emotion, determination was the emotion, to prove to those "couch potatoes" I could do it.


Go for it, it gets better.