1st session for Fall 2011

We had a GREAT start to the fall sailing season today. Enthusiasm was high, everybody was prepared (nobody showed up in sandals!) and we did not skid off the learning curve.

This was a day to learn the basic parts of the boat, and familiarize with how it all works. We learned some terminology, the names of some of the ropes & where they go, and lots of other funny boat words.

Why is it important to learn all this strange talk? Does it make sailing more complicated? Is it just a blind tradition to confuse newbies?

The answers are no, and also no, then for the last one, no again.


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Every specialized field of knowledge has it's own language. Lawyers, doctors, engineers, even plumbers, have words for thing that they deal with all the time and none of the rest of us ever think about (or even know about).

It's the same principle as the Eskimos having 125 words for "snow." The distinctions between different types of snow (for example it's relative hardness and the strength of underlying ice) is something unimportant to us; but Eskimos need to communicate this information quickly & precisely to each other.


You would probably want to get a second opinion if your doctor talked about "those airbag thingies" instead of saying "lungs," (or more likely referred to pulmonary).



If you want to be a sailor, you must be able to talk to other sailors!

FJ #5 draws a crowd. Is it Coach Gormley's magnetic personality? (don't stand near the compass!)

Our lessons today were somewhat interrupted by a thunderstorm passing close by. This gaveour advanced cadets a chance to practice their weather-reading skills, and put some urgency into the new sailors learning how to handle the HALYARDS.

Everybody was assigned to a boat, and all got a chance to practice hoisting the sails, handling the sheets, steering, and of course tying knots.


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And, once everyone had tried getting their feet wet (just an expression, none of the boats were launched into the river today), we practiced capsizing! This is what attracted a crowd to FJ #5!

Coach Rezab observes the capsize drill, far left. It's important to practice the steps correctly & in order, so that when we are in deep water it will not be too difficult.




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When sailing, the FJ has only 2 on board: the skipper & crew. However, for ground lessons, we team up in larger groups and all learn. Here are 2 advanced sailors showing 2 beginners how to tack, and also what the hiking straps are for.

The FJs are very sensitive to where the skipper & crew sit. The boat must be held stable by their weight placement to the side or center; and also it is important to not sink the bow or stern too deep by sitting too far forward or aft.

Thanks to Coaches Gormley, Dillinger, Murphy, Cornford, and Jackson (link- Meet The Coaches) for coming this afternoon and helping to get our fleet back into action! We are lucky to have survived Hurricane Irene so successfully, and lucky to have such expert help in teaching.


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Remember, capsize drill IN THE WATER this coming Thursday, even though we have 8 "old salts" returning from spring sailing, only 2 out of our current 29 sailors have done capsize drills! Thursday Sep 15 at 6 pm at the Twin Rivers YMCA in New Bern

...posted by Assistant Coach Douglas King