Every class needs to begin with safety. This is what we learn, it's what we practice. How many ways are there to get hurt on... or around... boats?
Way more than a million. And this is not a joke or an exaggeration.
Here is our class, doing the work themselves to get the Laser rigged & launched in "Y" pool. They have just set up the mast and are rigging the boom... vang, downhaul, sheet, outhaul
So, are small tippy sailboats dangerous?
Yes, of course.
Are we crazy, doing this dangerous stuff?
No. Because we start at the beginning, with the very first set of skills, and we learn & practice how to do things safely, each step of the way, all the way up to being fully capable sailors with a range of boats, in a range of conditions.
The swimming pool is a great place to start. It's calm, it's easy to keep control of the situation. The students learn to handle the boat without other hazards or distractions.
Unfortunately, we don't have photos of carrying the boat in thru the door, which was one of the tricky parts of the operation.
From carrying the boat in, rigging it up, launching it... hopefully remembering to put in the transom plug... then putting in the daggerboard & rudder (what is the difference between a centerboard and a daggerboard?)... then getting on board a floating vessel, which is not necessarily like taking a walk in the park... are we ready to sail?
Uh Oh!!
As small boats often do, we capsized!
Step 1- make sure everybody on board is OKGood here, but these two students have made one mistake. They have let go of the boat and it is possibly more than arms reach away. This is potentially hazardous, because out in open water the boat will drift downwind rapidly, possibly faster than you can swim. It is important to always hang on to the boat and not let it get away.
Step 2- Get control of the boat and of the situation. This means one person (usually the skipper) swims around the transom and grabs the daggerboard.
When one person is holding the daggerboard, several things happen. The boat cannot turn "turtle" with the mast pointing down... where it will get stuck in the muddy river bottom. With a person holding the daggerboard, the boat cannot blow away from the crew, leaving them stranded. Lastly, that person can control which way the boat swings around.
Step 3- when ready, right the boat with the crew using "the scoop" to get into the boat as it comes right-side up.
"The Scoop" is important because it enables full control of the boat at all times, and the weight of the person inside holds it stable.
DO NOT right the boat before all is ready. The sheets must be released, the centerboard or daggerboard must be fully down, the crew must be prepared to "Scoop."
DO NOT attempt to swim to shore.
This year, we have a fleet of Lasers which our advanced sailors... who have already learned to skipper the Javelins... will sail in the spring.
Because they will be singlehanding, with no crew, they had to demonstrate a capsize & recovery by themselves. No scoop, and nobody to help you into the boat!
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This does not require great strength, but it does take a bit of determination and tenacity. Having good swimmer's kick skills is also a big help.
Also, brace against the hull and pull outward, to make sure the daggerboard is fully down. This gives you more leverage.
The sail has a lot of drag in the water, so the boat will only pull upright slowly. So just get a grip, and hang on.
Never bounce on the daggerboard. If you break it, you will be in a much worse situation!
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The Laser does not have a halyard!
It's time to unrig, so the students pull the sail (the luff sleeve) off the mast.
We are careful with the sails, and never drag them on cement.
Very shortly, all students are dry, and back on the bus with their current Written Assignment in their hand
... Assistant Sail Coach Douglas King
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