Sailing day... great weather, couldn't be better for practice!

The New Bern NJROTC fleet got some pretty good sailing action this afternoon. the weather was so perfect it was almost unbelievable: clear & sunny but not too hot, 6~8 knot north-east wind, no wave action or chop (except the wakes of the coach boats).

However, it seems likely that the cadet sailors were too busy to appreciate how fine it was!

(...photo at right... some of the coaches seeing our newly-donated chase boat for the first time... Thanks Brett!)

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(...photo below left... the advanced students rig & launch their FJs)


Although the group sails together & sticks together, there were two almost-seperate activities going on. We have a small (but elite) group of returning sailors, experienced skippers who just need a quick refresher before sailing to glory. So FJ#1, FJ#2 and FJ#3 did variations on "The Clock" drill, then some practice tacks & gybes (working our way up to roll-tacking but not quite there yet), then practiced some docking approaches.

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We also have a group of new sailors. They have proven their mettle in capsize drills in the pool, and practiced rigging & knot-tying & simulated maneuvers on dry land... today was their first chance to get out & prove what they can do on the river!

(...photo at right... traffic at the leeward point of "The Clock"


The coaches rigged & launched FJ#4, FJ#5, and FJ#6 this afternoon for the newcomers; in the future they will do this themselves just like the veterans. But for now, we wanted more time on the water & to focus on actual sailing skills. Some of them aslo tried out "The Clock" but it looks like we need to be baby ducks for a while yet.



OK we have done capsize drills... does everybody remember what THIS means?






Remember when I mentioned there were some not-too-pretty gybes? Here's what can happen. Then it was followed up by the crew playing "mountain climber" in the cockpit. Those floaties on the upper sidestays really work well.

Kidding aside, this is important. In stronger winds, the floaties can be driven under... the Neuse River is not deep enough for an FJ mast. That means it would stick into the bottom mud. From there, things go bad to worse.



Fortunately, everything worked out well in the end. The boat was righted by the skipper, the crew 'scooped' in just fine, all recovered, and they kept on sailing.

So the big lesson for the day... SAIL ON!

posted by Assistant Coach Doug King

Splash!! ...it's capsize at the Y time...

The fall 2010 sailing group finally had a chance to get wet, only not in the Neuse River.

The New Bern YMCA is generous to allow us to practice the capsize drill in their pool.

As the cadets learned during the summer, capsizing in the pool is EASY compared to the real thing! We want to be prepared, so it's good to get familiar with the boats & how to handle them... under mild conditions and with the situation fully under control.

We also have video of this capsize training session, but it is not edited yet... sorry!



Feet under straps... that way, you stay with the boat whether it fully capsizes or not...


Unfortunately the skipper has let go of the hiking stick at this point. The rudder is out of the water, so it doesn't really matter BUT this is all part of doing the job correctly!

We concentrate on learning one thing at a time... got the feet right, we'll get the hands right later!


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Ready or not, over you go!


Isn't it cheating to keep the boat in 5 1/2 ft deep water, where you can stand up but the other cadets can't?


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Nothing like a nice refreshing swim!

In this session, two experienced cadets swam next to the boat & capsized it for the newbies.

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The skipper swims around the transom & grabs the centerboard. In many cases, it's possible to right the boat quickly by pulling it down (do your chin-up exercises!), but the training is to wait for the crew to rig a righting line.







Most of the novice skippers were concentrating on getting into the boat, and doing the drill... which is good... however with no mainsail rigged, the boom tended to swing wildly.

Some of the cadets remembered that the skipper is supposed to STEER and held the hiking stick. This cadet was the only beginner to also take the mainsheet in hand to control the boom!






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Here's why the coaches keep reminding the cadets "keep your feet tucked under the hiking straps!"

You don't want to fall out of the boat. Out on the river, this boat would probably have popped back up & sailed off on it's own.

Very good training! Even the experienced cadets have not been in an FJ for almost 2 months, so they needed the reminder. And the newbies showed they can float, and also perform needed tasks under pressure, while in the water.

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Posted by Assistant Coach Doug King

The First Lessons Are the Hardest.... (really?)

OK, we're off to a good start. Hopefully this page will make it a little easier to learn & remember all those funny words NAMES FOR BOAT PARTS.

Why do we need to know a bunch of weird words?

After all, you don't need to know what's inside an engine to drive a car!


Big difference- in driving, you are operating the vehicle by yourself, you don't have a crew which you need to communicate with.




On the other hand, you DO need to communicate with other drivers, only not in words. For example, we know what kind of chaos (and danger) happens when a driver does not know what a red light means.

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In order to communicate with other sailors, you need to know the language.... and it is similar to learning a foreign language.


We could get by saying "that pole which holds the sails up" instead mast; and "the front big white flappy thing" instead of jib. Sometimes very good sailors will talk this way, joking around. But in an emergency, knowing the right word is necessary for quick, clear understanding. And good sailors do just that!




These diagrams show 16 of the basic operating parts of the Flying Junior sailboat. These parts will have the same names, and same functions, and pretty much the same form, in all sailboats... so this is a good place to start.





How many more terms do you need to know? For a start, see if you can think of a few very important parts which are not diagrammed here...

hint: two key parts of running rigging are not shown

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One very important part not shown here are the DRAIN PLUGS!

Is it really necessary for us coaches to teach you about these, or why they're important?!?



Coming next... Capsize drill at the YMCA!

posted by Assistant Coach Doug King