Safe Sailing –Three Questions You Should Ask Before Setting Sail
Safe sailing techniques are best acquired through a good sailing school, which you can attend at any stage in your sailing life. Find a school where the instructors are qualified and the courses lead to certification. The benefit of attending sailing school is that you learn to sail in a structured environment in a thorough and efficient manner.
Is a sailing school the only way to learn and practice safe sailing techniques? Hardly. Follow these tips to ensure that you and your passengers are always safe when you’re on the water.
CPR Video - Watch this video for important information that could save your life and those you love!
Here are my top three questions to ask yourself before you set sail:
- Do you know the basic sailing techniques? It’s important for every sailor to know the “Five Essentials” that constitute the central aspects of safe sailing: course made good, trim, balance, sail trim and centerboard. You must also know how to reduce the amount of sail to suit the prevailing wind conditions. Counteracting heeling is another basic, but important technique you must master before you go sailing on your own.
- Do you know the names and functions of all the different pieces of hardware on your boat? You should know all the lines, and you should have rigged your boat at least once by yourself before proceeding. This is important because an essential rule of safe sailing is to perform a visual check of all the standing rigging including the shackles and pins securing it to the hull before you take off.
- Did you register your trip? Even if you’re just going across your local bay, it’s a good practice to register your trip with your local Coast Guard. If it’s an international journey, for example some Caribbean sailing, you should register your travel plans on the State Department’s website. You should also make sure that someone at home knows where you are any time you’re on the water.