Tips for a beginner

[jraaft]

Hello friends,

My name is Jon, and I am the proud new owner of a '77 Compac 16!  I've only had a couple sailing lessons, with another coming up June 14, but I am so excited to finally have my own boat; I can't wait to get her in the water!  So, do you guys have any tips for my first time out solo? Also, are there any other Compac sailors in the Richmond, VA area?

Thanks!

[HeaveToo]

I sail out of Colonial Beach, VA.  About 1.5 hours North and East of Richmond.  It would be a pretty good place to put over and sail. 

Tips...Get out there a do it.  Sailing isn't that hard, it isn't rocket science, it is simple.  Start in light winds and build up.

Sailing for Dummies is actually supposed to be a good book for beginners. 

[Cats Paw]

#1

Your boat is your sailing tool. Make sure that it is safe. Check all rigging, standing and working for integrity. You do not want to have things fail on you as you are away from shore.

#2

Keep an eye on the weather and forecasts. Take it slowly as to build skills with conditions. Docking practice is also good along with Man Overboard Recovery maneuvers.

#3

Wear proper flotation

[jraaft]

Thanks you guys! I've got one more lesson and then I'm going to take my boat out, definitely looking forward to it! All the standing rigging is in good shape and the lines on the working rigging were just replaced. I am definitely planning on wearing a PFD, but I've also heard some sailors wear a tether when solo sailing. Is that something you'd recommend or is it unnecessary? I'm planning on starting mostly on the Rappahannock or Potomac.

Heave Too, I'm actually pretty familiar with Colonial Beach. I grew up in Fredericksburg and did a co-op at Dahlgren Naval Base while in college, plus I have a friend who used to have a house out there.

[HeaveToo]

Colonial Beach is a great area to sail out of....I have been doing so since I was 8.  There are some awesome cruises and overnight anchorages that make for good weekend trips.  There is Cobb island (close by trip), Bretton Bay, Canoe Neck Creek, Nomini Bay, and the Port Tobacco River for overnight cruises.

As for a harness.  A harness is usually worn in heavy weather and it is coupled with jack lines.  Jack Lines run fore and aft and you clip the harness to it when going forward.  I have a set for my boat but I have not worn it yet.  I just have been really careful when I was sailing or the weather got snotty enough that I didn't have time to go forward and put them on.

If you are sailing coastal, having a PFD is a good idea.  I am not sure of you swimming ability, but still, it is hard to swim if you are knocked out. 

A nice thing to have is a GPS and a Compas.  If you sail in a coastal area get a chart too.

Start small, build up.  Learn how to reef your sail as that is a good thing to know. 

[romei]

If your confidence is low at first, either in your skills or your vessel, perhaps you could have a friend stay close on another boat within earshot or eyeshot the first few times until you feel comfortable.

[Salty19]

Welcome to the forum! 


I'll add some add'l tips--all have been great so far. 

-Setup your boat in the driveway on the trailer. Rig it and go for a "test sail". Be sure to strap the boat down so it doesn't move on the trailer.
The idea is to get familiar with all control lines and eyeball things out. Learn how to reef the main now (you should have roller reefing so you would loosen halyard, pull boom back and twist boom so the main sail wraps around the boom. Push forward to lock, then raise the main.

-Speaking of raising the main, you'll want to loosen the mainsheet and downhaul before raising, then tighten once the sail is up. If you have a topping lift, this should be loosened too.

-Tether- Don't bother right now.  It will just get in your way.  Don't go out yet in higher winds.

-Tacking.  If the wind is light you'll want to do two things when tacking.  First, bear off a little bit from close haul to gain some speed.  Then go to a full close haul slowly while bringing in the main for just a couple of seconds.  Then turn hard and do not release the jib sheet until the wind fills it from behind. This is called backwinding the jib.  This will push the bow over. Release and haul in the new working sheet as the bow is coming through.  If the wind is a little higher, say 7-11 or so (perfect for your first sail) you may not need to backwind the jib. If you have a lot of trouble tacking let us know.

-Don't be afraid to sit on the lee side, especially if the wind is light. You've got a Com-pac, not a little dinghy.  It will point better and will let the mainsail shape correctly. It will also let you gain a formidable trust in the boat. It's not going to tip over in any conditions that you'll encounter save a tropical storm with huge waves pushing it from the beam. Which you won't be out in anyway.
Of course be on the windward side if the wind is not light, although I used to sit on the lee and let her heel pretty far, just for fun. You probably won't want to push it that hard yet.

-Review in your head what you'll do do launch and retrieve it.  Make sure your dock lines are long enough to handle launch/retrieve. Make sure you secure them--don't let them get caught in your prop (happened to me last year, not fun), and run the bow line back to the cockpit for easy use when back at the dock.  For many, launching,  docking and retrieving is more difficult than actually sailing the boat!

-All good sailers knows the strength and direction of the wind. Given the variables a good sailer also knows how the sails should be adjusted .  Focus on the wind direction first. 
Use a wind vane or tape some yarn or cassette tape to the shrouds as tools to judge direction. Learn more about sail shape then experiment a bit.  I see your in Richmond. I've never sailed near there, but I've heard lake sailing in hilly terrain can be more challenging as the wind direction will shift and are more susceptible to gusts.  So I guess

-Learn the sailing vocabulary, a necessary evil to understand the language.

-While it can overwhelming at first, HeaveToo is right.  It's not that hard to get started.  Just make sure you're safe and the boat will teach you along the way.

And of course have fun, that's what it's all about!

[MKBLK]

Jon,

Good tips from Salty19 et al. Just one more... when "practice" sailing on the hard (which I think is a great idea); if not attached to your tow vehicle, be sure to place a couple of cinder blocks under the trailer frame far behind the wheels. Don't want to be embarrassed by the neighbors seeing you try to launch into the sky!

Marty K.
Pegasus 1981 CP16

P.S. No, I didn't learn that the "hard" way!

[Bob23]

Although everyone seems to have covered all the bases, I'll add one more so obvious it almost doesn't need mentioning: Have Fun!! After you feel comfortable with the boat, you'll find yourself with a silly grin from ear to ear, a grin so big it may make your face hurt. Get used to it...that's how it should be. Oh, don't wear your favorite hat the first few times out. When it blows off you may be tempted to retrieve it and while this exercise is a good "Man overboard" drill, maybe you shouldn't try it in the beginning.
Oh, no glass on board for any reason.
Bob23

[jraaft]

Thanks again you guys!

I've got one more sailing lesson on the 14th, and the following weekend (weather permitting) I'm planning on going out on my first solo trip! Thanks again for all the tips, I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

[skip1930]

Before the CP-16 is all squared away and she's on the water here are a few tips for making her move and turn. Wear the Personal Floatation Device that is down in the cabin.

#1~Use Tell Tails on all sails. Lay the sails out on the grass. I place my tell tails on the leading edge and the trailing edge of both sides of the sail cloth. Red and green-port and starboard. Three tell tails per edge should be enough. Top. Middle. Down. The idea is to make those tell tails flow horizontal. Not limply, limply, hanging down straight but plastered hard against the sail. I can't see the wind with out a tell tail.

I let me speak in landlubber's talk.
Pick a day with some wind. With the head sail and main sail raised and with the wind coming over the side of the boat simply let the line controlling the boom play out/in until a slight wrinkle appears up and down on the main sail nearest the mast. Then pull that line back in until that wrinkle just begins to go away. Notice that the tell tails will flow horizontal. [It's important to steer the boat in a straight line to keep the sails full and pulling]

Now, holding the line controlling the headsail and playing the line in/or out will make those tell tails flow horizontal. And will make the main sail tell tails change too. So adjust these lines so every tell tail flows horizontal.

Understand that 'wind' flowing between the inside of the headsail and the backside of the main sail can affected by playing the control lines in and out. Again watch the tell tails.  Make 'em horizontal.

Lastly to turn the boat smartly, have some speed up, announce out load to the other folks on board, " Prepare to come about. "  [That means un cleat any and all sheets. That job is assigned to 'WHO'? ] and before throwing the tiller hard over say out load again, " Come about. "

And remember ... the smaller the boat the faster things happen. Be prepared. Have fun. Eventually all will be clear.

skip.