Starting out with a SPLASH

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Our first class was held yesterday afternoon... capsize drill at the Twin Rivers YMCA pool, which is still under it's winter "bubble" roof. This is a great training exercise, and we really appreciate the opportunity to get in out of the weather and get an early start on our sailing practice


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The first job is to carry the boat inside. The FJs are heavy, but manageable with a team effort. Unfortunately us coaches were too busy to get any photos of this process.


The advanced cadets have the task of setting up the mast and rigging.





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Meanwhile the beginners were passing their swim test.

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After a winter break from sailing, do we remember how all this stuff works? What does that green rope do? A few moments of hesitating, then our first skipper and crew set out to try the Capsize Drill







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 Successfully capsized!
 The first priority is safety- the skipper and crew must check on each other. We want to hear you yell out "ARE YOU OK?"

Remember, if you can yell that means your head is above water... which is a good thing...




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 Step 2 is a bit more complicated, which is why we practice. The skipper and crew must get control of the boat. This means ensuring that it will not drift away from them, and that it will not turn "turtle" with the mast pointing down.


The skipper swims around the stern of the boat to grab the centerboard, preventing the boat from turtling.



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Still on Step 2...
The skipper has a firm grip on the centerboard, and waits for the crew to be ready to pull the boat rightside-up. Remember, if the boat capsized it is probably due to strong winds or some other challenging conditions, so they must be prepared to keep control of the boat once it is upright. This is why sailing requires a high level of teamwork!





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  Step 3... right the boat, crew gets aboard using the "scoop" method. He must be careful to not pull against the skipper, but use a quick pull and a strong swimmer's kick to get inside the boat as it comes up.

Having the weight of a person inside the boat helps hold it stable, and eliminates the chance that a strong wind will blow it out of control or away from the skipper and crew in the water.






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In this program, we also sail Oday Javelins, which are heavy and stable. You can walk across their foredeck.

Not so the FJs! Here's why...





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 Sailing is an excellent demonstration that brains are better than brawn. Here one of the physically smallest cadets is preparing to pull the boat upright

In a situation like this, using the bow-line as a righting assistance line is important.



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 Determination! She is pulling steadily and the boat is stating to come up.












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 Crew is doing "The Scoop," skipper slipped out of place a little but the boat is on it's way



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A little further, crew is almost inside, skipper is regaining the right position and still determined to keep control of the boat.

From this angle, the boat will often come upright on it's own. They feel tippy but are surprisingly stable.








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Success! Now comes the last part, the crew helps the skipper aboard. This can be easier if the crew lets the boat heel toward the skipper, which makes the gun'l lower to climb over.








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Brief review- what did we learn? Some names of boat parts, how to get in or out, remember to watch the boom, and of course the 3 steps of the Capsize Drill...


We also made a big step in learning that we can control the boat even when things go wrong!


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... posted by Assistant Sailing Coach Douglas King

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