NJROTC Sailing Class has begun for Spring 2015... yes it's a real class, and yes we have lessons and grades and all that. We also have a lot of fun, and the cadets who stick with it for a few sessions will really go sailing. In fact they will be skippering their own boats soon.
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Today we actually covered several brief lessons- first we learned a few knots (link), then we got on a real boat and practiced some moves.
All of our basic lessons are available on this web site. If you look over to the left, you'll see a column of "Links We Like." This includes some of our sponsors and supporters, and the 4th one down is "Our Sailing Lessons (link)."
These lessons give the basic terminology, most of which we covered today. Do you remember what the HULL (link) is, and the RIG? What are the two types of standing rigging, and what is the difference between a HALYARD and a SHEET (link)? . Hint- the "sheet" is not the sail, it is one of the ropes.This afternoon we worked with both STANDING RIGGING (to make the mast stand up) and RUNNING RIGGING (to hoist & control the sails).
So, if you are a beginner sailor, and you are mystified by these questions, these lessons should help. We will have more next week, and soon we will not only cover REAL SAILING but we will be practicing how to capsize safely!
posted by Assistant Coach Douglas King
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