Sailing Class is under way !!

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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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Sailing Wrap-up for 2014

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 Well, the sailing season is over for us... did we learn anything? It looks like some of us are still getting help from a coach in rigging up the boats!

Actually, as you'll see, these cadets learned to sail quite well.





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Here is one of our new sailors skippering an FJ. The boat is moving well (check out that bow wave), looks pretty good.










Actually, SAILING is not over, there is a winter racing series here on the Neuse River. Some of the coaches & students participate, but it's not an NJROTC function.

What's the definition of a race? Two sailboats going in approximately the same direction! Here we see our Sailing Squad Commander demonstrating his advanced sailing skills... it's difficult to pass another boat to leeward, but he does it.







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Now it's time to put the boats away.

Most semester, the cadets are given a work day ("working party" in Navy terminology) to get everything properly stored for the winter. However the onset of cold weather & winter storms got the coaches to act during the week before, and you can see it was not really a day at the beach!





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This semester, we welcome a couple of new coaches. Thanks to these guys, we have a solid fleet and skilled teachers... hey wait where's the boss? Head Coach Rezab is not in this photo!


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Congratulations to the cadets who achieved the Basic Sailing qualification, and are now officially SKIPPERS! This means a lot, not everybody can do it.

... posted by Assistant Coach Douglas King

Sailing the "Baby Ducks" drill

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After learning about all the terminology, the basic parts of the boat, proving able to rig the sails, having the coaches help while learning to steer and trim the sails properly... now we are proving our ability to sail.


We use sailing drills to practice and improve skills, and to demonstrate control of the boat in different circumstances. In order to qualify as a sailor, our cadets must complete 3 sailing drills beyond the simple (and fun!) "Baby Ducks" (link). But you have to start somewhere!








"Baby Ducks" may be simple. Just follow the coach boat flying the "L" flag. It might be simple but it is not easy, we will sail on all points of sail and carry out several maneuvers including TACKING (link). The students try hard to stick as close as possible to Mama Duck, and the coaches can see directly how much they learned. We can even see them improve as we carry out the drill!












As we sail close together, avoiding collisions is very important. The Javelin on the left is tacking but is directly in the way of Coach Jackson's Javelin. Fortunately the cadet skipper on the left  has good control of his vessel and steers downwind to go astern of the one tacking.

This brings up our next major topic, the Right of Way Rules (link).













These cadets have learned well, sailing faster and tacking more efficiently. With such good control of their boat, they should get promoted to sailing FJs soon!








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This skipper and crew are also doing well, at this point we are just sailing for fun... everybody passed the drill!

 Now comes the time to un-rig the boats and put everything away.

What's the name of this rope, the one we use to hoist and lower the sails? No problem, the jib halyard and main halyard. We can even handle cleat hitches (one of the qualifying knots).


We have good weather, a good breeze, and a very good afternoon of sailing.





... ... posted by Assistant Coach Douglas King

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Nor for some REAL sailing... good and bad

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Getting underway!



No band playing, but the cadets sailing out from Bridgeton Harbor pass by their CO on the dock.







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Coach Gormley's boat sailing CLOSE-HAULED with a beginner skipper. He is using the hiking stick correctly although gripping it with both hands may be a bit overly dramatic.

There was enough wind to make today's sailing exciting!





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Wait a minute... what is CLOSE-HAULED? By this point in the program, all beginners should know the POINTS Of SAIL. These are very important to remember, in fact all beginner sailors (and most advanced ones too) should memorize this diagram.









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Here is our Javelin, sailed by Coach Gormley's cadets (who did so well, they even sailed back in to the dock), sailing Close-Hauled. Obviously the boat is moving well, the crew is shifting his weight to the high side (which is good, boats sail better when heeling less). Sails are trimmed correctly... now the question, which TACK is this boat on?

Hint- which side of the boat is the wind hitting (ie the high side)?




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Now let's take a look at some cadets who aren't doing so well. For one thing, these cadets have already passed the basic sailing qualification, and should be in an FJ, not a Javelin... especially a Javelin with a coach helping them!

1- jib is trimmed too tight, they are on a beam reach
2- skipper is attempting to trim the mainsail and pull it in by wrapping the sheet around his hand... a disaster waiting to happen.

Coach Jackson, we feel your pain! However these cadets did fairly well at a couple of other things, hopefully they will get back in the groove next time we sail.


We are about half way thru the sailing class, so if you are unclear on POINTS OF SAIL and TACKING (link) then you definitely should review. Memorize the above diagram, no kidding! Plus, it's on your written assignment and yes, the written assignment is part of your grade (surprised? Why?) Maybe it will help if you go thru our On-Line Lessons (link) !!









If on the other hand, you are totally familiar with everything we've taught up to now, then let's move to something new...

What is this boat doing?
GYBING (also spelled Jibing)
It is the opposite of Tacking! It is when you really really need to be careful of the boom!





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Gybing can be done well, or it can be done poorly. It is fully possible (in fact, it has happened many times) for sailors to be injured, for the boat to capsize, or for the rigging to break, when gybing. This is why it is important to gybe properly.

Here is a photo of a crew finishing a good gybe. The boat is not heeling, the skipper did not make a wild turn, both skipper and crew have their respective sheets under good control. Note the skippers hand on the whole mainsheet... this is how to control the boom on a small sailboat when gybing.








Coach Murphy and his sailors... they did quite well, sailing on all Points Of Sail and Tacking properly... maybe next week they will be ready to start sailing drills!















Hey y'all... did you have fun this afternoon ??











posted by Assistant Coach Douglas King

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1st actual sail goes quite well... not a lot of wind

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Our first sailing day this semester went quite well. At this point, we are not perfect in knowledge of boat parts & terminology, but we did get rigged up and underway.








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Most of the new sailors sailed the Javelins with coaches help. Here we see Coach Gormley with his cadets. There is not a lot of wind, but there is enough to get the boats moving along.







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The advanced cadets sailed the FJs, getting a bit of a refresher... for example, this spread-out group is supposed to be a "Baby Ducks" drill. However, we did practice tacking & gybing and also stopping... the necessary basic skills!





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Here is Coach Murphy with his new sailors.

 Lighter wind makes it more difficult to see what the sails should be doing, but with good coaching the new cadets kept their boats moving and practiced tacking (link).





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Practice... it's how you get good at stuff!

Stopping a sailboat (link) is a needed skill for advanced sailors and beginners alike. We practice in open water on nice soft buoys, so that we can bring the boat to the nice metal dock later.


... posted by Assistant Coach Douglas King

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How To Capsize, and How Not To... thank you Twin Rivers "Y"

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Having planned and prepared for today's lesson, the coaches relax while waiting for the cadets to arrive by bus.

left to right Head Sailing Coach Jerry Rezab,  Coach Joe Gormley, Coach Mike Murphy








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 The main practice for today is CAPSIZING... but of course, to do that you need to get into the boat, and assume the proper positions for sailing. There are one or two right ways, and many wrong ways.

At least this cadet skipper is holding the tiller, even if he's not really doing it correctly.






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 This boat is NOT going to "turtle"

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 This skipper maintained her grip on the tiller... "that steering thing-y" ... quite well indeed!










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This skipper has a good steering grip, but we hope she's not going to try holding the boom while really sailing.

Part of the fun of sticking with this program, and being one of the advanced sailors, is that you get to help the beginners capsize (holding mast, at right)




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Holding the centerboard, using the "righting line" ... this skipper is steadily pulling the boat upright, it takes some patience









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Steady! Steady! Having checked each others safety, then gained control of the boat, this is the last stage of the Capsize Drill.... skipper pulls the boat upright while the crew "scoops" into the hull as it comes up.






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Job well done!
Now we put the boat and all the gear away.

All the cadets did well at capsizing, and learned a lot about how to handle boats under adverse conditions.

Next week, sailing FOR REAL at Bridgeton Harbor!

posted by Assistant Sailing Coach Douglas King

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Sailing Class already begun... next week, capsize at the YMCA

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If you want to be a sailor this fall, you still have a chance. You will need to get a parental permission to LCDR Clark, and show up for the next classes.



Our next class is guaranteed to be fun. We will be holding capsize practice at the Twin Rivers YMCA.  Here is what it was like (link) last spring.



 Class meets immediately after school, every Monday. We will only have 10 classes and 2 of those have already met! You should study these brief pages: Terminology- parts of the boat (link), then study Terminology- Directions (link), then follow up with Rigging the Boat (link), because this is material we have already covered in class. A written assignment has been handed out, and if you missed it, you can pick it up in the Commander's office or from the Sailing Squad cadet leader.




Then, to truly be up to speed, check out the Capsize Drill (link). You may need to carry this out for real!

... Assistant Sailing Coach Douglas King



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