Yup, there is a heck of a lot to sailing and
boating in general. Lessons from a professional instructor can help you learn really fast. You can start with the very basics by
buying a few
books on sailing and
boating. This will help with the terminology and the theory. The lessons will help with the necessary practical experience of applying what you learned from the
books.
Taking out knowledgeable friends after the lessons are over will help even more and maybe even keep you out of trouble until you become completely familiar with your own boat and have gained more time and different experiences on the water.
A tiller extension allows you to sit further to
weather, which is the high side of the boat that the
wind hits first. This can do two things for you, it can allow you to see better and on smaller boats where weight placement matters more, it allows you to sit further up on the
weather side of the boat allowing the boat to sail flatter than if you were down in the
cockpit. Flatter is faster and more comfortable for others. People who do not know how
capsize resistant
keel boats really are get freaked out when they heel a lot. Plus heeling a lot is slow. People who get frightened or uncomfortable on your boat tend not to want to come back, whether that fear is rational or not.
You can get a little U-shaped holder and put it on the tiller as a holder for the tiler extension for when you do not need it while underway, mostly when broad reaching or running when you do not need to be sitting far
outboard.
It's the little piece of plastic on the tiller itself.....