Why Sailing is not Like Driving a Car, No. 2

In yesterday's entry I wrote about how important it is to train your crew well, teaching even total newcomers some useful skill that you can count on in a pinch.

For how to teach, I used the example of how one club instructor put her hands over her mouth to force her to not give too many prompts when her students should have been performing independently.

While teaching sail school, she had realized that her students couldn't dock a sailboat unless they could do it without her giving them a single prompt, and she had her hands over her mouth as they approached the safety boat to dock next to it.

Last night I happened to speak with the father of this instructor. Her father said that she had been steering their tiller sailboat for 10 years when she signed up for driver's ed at school. Neither she nor her parents expected any problems. She was a straight-A student, and many students took "Driver's Ed" for the easy A of it.

Not this young lady. She was flunking driver's ed. HUH? NOBODY flunks driver's ed!

So her dad took her to a large, empty parking lot one Sunday, one without parking bumpers or other barriers, to see what was going on.

She started out driving straight, just fine. He didn't see a problem. Then he told her to turn left -- and she turned the car right!

She was handling the steering wheel like a tiller!

So if you have a crew member struggling with some basic skill, isolate that skill and watch carefully what is going on. Several months ago, I did this with a sailor I knew. He had been sailing the Catalinas for five years but his movement across the water was often erratic and unpredictable. He obviously struggled with tacking to the point that he would know he was going to run aground on a known high point, but seemed unable to turn the boat in time to get out of the way.

So I went out with him, and discovered that he really didn't have any solid idea of how to tack the boat. He just tried something new each time, hoping he would figure it out and get it right (it turned out that someone had told him to do this -- see my many references about people who give one bad advice!)

I wrote a very detailed, 15-step method for tacking and gave it to him. He said he would read it and study it, and agreed to go out with me on one of the little 16.5' Catalinas to sort it out.

After reading the list, he politely canceled the sailing date.

He canceled s similar date with someone else.

Finally he said to me one day, "I just want to be the best sailor I can." I said, "Then go out with me and let's sort this out."

So we did, and I and my list of things to do were driving him crazy. Finally he said, "Just let me do it my way," and I said "OK."

Turned out he was doing everything right -- except for one thing: he didn't know where to start the tack. Somewhere in sail school he had not learned that (probably because instructors always prompted  him -- too much "help"). So he would, say, have the wind nearly astern when he started the tack. Of course the boat would make a broad, slow turn, and it might end anywhere, including moving in a complete circle, ending where he had been before.  If you don't tack with a plan, how will you know when to end it? Or he might not have had enough speed by the time he got to the "no-go" zone, and the boat would swing back over to starboard.

All I had to do was remind him of the "no go" zone, and explain that he should sail along, say, the starboard side, build up speed, spot where he wanted to end, move through the "no go" zone -- and stop the tack.

He did it perfectly the first time -- with no prompts. Then he did it perfectly three more times.

So then we expanded the concept to a controlled jybe, keeping the boom close to center so there wouldn't be a huge snap when the sail picked up the wind on the other side. Then he did THAT perfectly with no prompts.

So then we just sailed around, and he started calling all the moves very well: "prepare to tack," and I had to hustle to keep up with him, because he now knew exactly what he was doing. Acting as skipper and calling all the shots, sometimes he tacked and sometimes he jybed, getting it all right every single time.

Meanwhile, the wind shifted to northerly. Uh-oh! When the wind is from the north, to get into the marina you have to sail up a narrow north-south canal to get to the entrance. It certainly isn't impossible, but unless you have a motor, you have to make a series of short, quick tacks -- or run aground at a place where this man had been notorious for running aground.

No problem this time!. He took charge as skipper, executed the tacks crisply and accurately, turned into the club's basin, and expertly sailed the little boat into its slip. He told me what to do, when to do it, and used one sail, expertly managed, to get the boat home -- just as he had been doing most of the afternoon.

Give too many prompts, and you keep your crew member from learning. This person's problem with tacking is the most concrete and perfect example I can think of to demonstrate just how important it is to let anyone you're teaching to perform completely independently, even if you see them making a mistake.

If they make a mistake, discuss it *afterwards.* Give them a chance to practice it, and when they get to that point on the next attempt, put your hands over your mouth if you have to, but DO NOT PROMPT THEM OR GIVE THE CLUES. Just don't. Discuss it afterwards.

Even then, don't tell them what they did wrong. ASK them if they know what mistake they made. Give them time to think. Give them a chance to learn.

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Why Sailing is not Like Driving a Car, No. 1

Two days ago I wrote about how a sailor and his two friends ended up in a lot of trouble, going way too fast to be able to control the boat in winds and waves much too big for the sails they had up (which included a giant asymmetrical spinnaker). The title of it is "Too Much Sail Up!"

Nothing like that ever happens in a car. Cars aren't moved around by wind, waves, and current. This is why we get speeding tickets -- because we have such effective ways to slow our cars down. In the article named above, Dick ended up in a very dangerous situation because sailboats don't have brakes -- and because no one else on the boat knew how to steer her well.

The problem is that most of the people who read this blog are going to end up in a situation somewhat like Dick's some day -- unless it's happened already. Even then, something just as dangerous could happen to us again. And, like Dick, as our enthusiasm and confidence grows, we'll start inviting other people to sail with us, including some people who perhaps have never sailed before or who have very litttle experience. We'll think "I know everything I need to know to get my boat and friends in safely," but it doesn't always work out that way. All the adults on your boat should learn some skill that can help in a pinch, even if it's just "tailing" the sheets as you change a tack, or steering for short distances.

I'm going to list some reasons sailing a boat is different than driving a car, and explain a few things I feel are important about those differences. This is important because people new to sailing will tend to think about sailing as they think about driving. It's important that they know the differences.  I invite *anyone* who has a similar example comparing driving to sailing to send me an email at

Rakuflames@gmail.com

I know it can be hard to participate on this board and I want to fix that.

For now, please send only things you've noticed have to be done very differently on a sailboat than in a car. If it works well, we will open the blog up to other topics later. I have always wanted this board to be more interactive, and this may be one way to do it.

So here's some big difference between driving and sailing that occurred to me this morning. I hadn't really thought about this first one one before:

WHEN WE DRIVE, we drive in two dimensions. We're driving on what geometry calls a two-dimensional plane. No matter where we go, unless the car becomes airborne in an accident, we only have to deal with flat surfaces. We don't have to worry about whether the keel is going to catch on something. We don't have to worry about whether a mast is going to hit something. Length ("Are we there yet, Daddy? Are we there?") is an issue. Width (is that oncoming truck crossing the center line?) is an issue. But we don't have to worry about what is under or over us.

BUT WHEN WE SAIL, we sail in three dimensions. We have to pay attention to what is above and below us as well as what is all around us. Driving is like moving over a long piece of paper. Sailing is like moving through a very large tube.

WHEN WE DRIVE, it's very clear where our car is supposed to be. This makes both our car and other people's cars much more predictable than boats.

BUT WHEN WE SAIL, except in rare circumstances, there are no "lanes" on the water when sailing. Even when in a channel, often there's no hard and fast rule about which side of the channel to be on. I try to stay to the starboard side of the channel when I can, but if a section of channel is "shoaling," or starting to fill up with sand, I may have to move more to center or even port side of the channel so my keel won't play tag with the bottom.

WHEN WE DRIVE, we have brakes.

BUT WHEN WE SAIL, the closest thing we have to brakes is to put the boat in reverse. This takes several seconds. First you have to slow down in forward to a dead crawl. Then you have to shift into neutral, and then into reverse. The time we're most likely to do this is while docking, and timing can be critical. Tricky judgments have to be made at that point, so we don't give the boat too much throttle in reverse, but enough to keep from hitting that big cement pier that's coming closer and closer to our bow. (Of course if you are bringing your boat in stern first, that's all changed. You're in reverse, and now you have to move your gear shift from reverse, to neutral, to forward.)

WHEN WE DRIVE, steering is simpler. Unless we're driving on a very slippery surface such as ice, steering is easy.  There's a direct relationship between how much you turn the steering wheel on a car and exactly how far that car turns. That's why we can change lanes safely as well as parallel park without causing a traffic jam. It's very clear when to stop a turn, and the car straightens out immediately. That's because the car has traction.

BUT WHEN WE SAIL, we don't want traction. We want the boat to glide as effortlessly through the water as possible. The things that can give us traction in the water, such as barnacles and other crud on the hull, are bad, and we work hard to get rid of them.

In addition, because of lack of traction on a sailboat, deciding when to end a turn is trickier. We may spot a point on the land that we want to be the end of our turn, but we have to stop turning the wheel or pushing the tiller before we get to that point because the boat glides with no traction. It will continue to turn after we have "centered up" the wheel or tiller.


That's a very short and incomplete list of some of the important differences. Why waste blog space on it? If you're going to sail with beginners, you have to lead them past that stage where they're clueless to a point where they can seamlessly step up to their assignment and know how to do the job. If you have to go up to the bow to do something difficult like changing a sail, the boat has to be under control by a helmsman who understands the differences between driving a car and piloting a boat.

And unless you train them well, beginners will look to their driving skills to help them out. While there's some overlap, the differences are important and have to be acknowledged.

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Learning the "Rules of the Road"

 

     Or, "A collision at sea can ruin your entire day.”

In a great practical joke aboard the USS Buck, that fictive quote appeared
 on a bulletin board, attributed to Thucydides, a writer from ancient Greece!

 I’ve kind of been avoiding this topic because it’s so complex, but newer sailors need to know what the rules are, where they came from and how they apply to them. I’ve found a great website that does an excellent job of explaining what these rules mean, and that’s what you need. Many of us read a law and think we know what it means when we don’t. Maritime rules are complex, and one rule affects another, and one has more prominence in one situation than another, so understanding what the rules mean can be tricky.

For instance, although you’ll hear “right of way” – as in, “I had the right of way!” all the time, that’s a driving concept that doesn’t work on water. On the water, instead of “right of way” you have the “stand on” vessel and the “give way” vessel. The “stand on” vessel is expected to hold its course, while the “give way” boat has to take certain actions specifically to avoid a collision.

All of these rules are designed to avoid collisions. But since there are no highways on the water, no lane markings, no traffic lights – and because boats don’t have brakes – it gets complicated.

The formal name of these rules is “The 1972 International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea," but mercifully that's been  reduced to “COLREGS.” The COLREGS cover virtually any situation you could face while sailing in the vicinity of other boats, but they are complicated, and written in legal style, which unfortunately means they are easily misinterpreted when people without a legal background read them.

Enter the “Handbook of the Nautical Rules of the Road,” which answers all the questions and translates the “leagalease” into everyday language that non-lawyers can understand and use to be a better and safer sailor. Written by Chris Llana and George Wisneskey, this book is online – for free – at this website:

http://navruleshandbook.com/index.html

For instance, there’s Rule 5, on keeping a lookout. Here’s what the rule says:

“International : Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper lookout by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.” (Sometimes the rules change slightly for inland sailing, but this book explains that too.)

What does that really mean to a sailor? In the online book I'm recommending, that one paragraph is followed by an extensive but very clear explanation of the practical meaning of the rule. By “extensive,” I mean just under 2,400 words just explaining what it means to be a "lookout."

Is that too much for you? Too bad – really. You’ve chosen to sail, and you need to know the rules. Llana and Wisneskey make it an easy read. That’s the good news. Mind you, the 2,400 words I just described only apply in open water. If the other vessel is a freighter in a narrow channel, such as we see in Tampa Bay, well .. that’s a different rule. But no worries, this book explains that, too. This book explains it all. For free!

The bad news is that there are seven rules just in that section of the COLREGS. But really – this book is so well written that you will know exactly what is expected from you.

It will take a while to read it all, and absorb it all, and I suggest you read this book twice. The first time is right now. Then after you’ve been sailing for another six months or so, read it again, and you’ll realize “Oh yeah, there was that time …” and you’ll begin to see how the COLREGS apply to your day-to-day sailing.

A word of caution, though: the word “COLREGS” brings a state of mind in some people that could quite fairly be labeled “obnoxious.” There are a good number of sailors out there who have read the COLREGS, are certain they know what they mean, and will not hesitate to give you a very hard time if you don’t agree with them. You know how your mother told you not to talk about religion, politics, or your personal finances at a party? I would add to that, don’t try to discuss COLREGS with another sailor unless you know him or her well. 

Self-appointed experts are everywhere, and they can be quite aggressive about pushing their point of view. In my most recent experience with this, several people tried to set me straight. As it turned out, they were wrong, because they didn't understand the nuances hidden in the rules. These self-appointed experts are often wrong and they will do you no good service. Be polite, nod your head, say something neutral and change the subject. Knowing and understanding COLREGS is important – important enough that you should find out for yourself.

One more thing about that “right of way” phrase: if the worst should happen and you are in a collision with another boat on the water, you will find that a maritime judge will give some measure of blame to both parties (even if it's 99% blame to one party and 1% to the other), because the overriding rule, the one that is the basis for all the others, is “Do everything possible to avoid a collision.” While the COLREGS don’t specifically state that you should, for instance, deliberately run your boat aground to avoid a collision, it might be the best choice at that moment.

You have to read these rules, digest them, get some experience and come back to them, then get more experience and come back to them again. But don’t just read the rules. Read the very clear explanations in Llana and Wisneskey’s book. There are other books out there, but this one is very good – and the price is right!

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Courses at the Coast Guard Auxiliary

_______

May 8, 2013

     There is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing
as simply messing about in boats.”

Kenneth Grahame (The Wind in the Willows)

I started sailing by taking the Basic Sailing course at Boca Ciega Yacht Club (BCYC). There are other schools in the area, including University of South Florida and Eckerd College, that can get you out on the water in a small boat, really controlling the boat you’re on, but BCYC is the one I’m familiar with.

And it’s a lot of fun. You learn the points of sail, or the position of the sails in relation to the wind; how to tack (turn the bow through the wind to sail in a different direction); jybe (turn the stern through the wind to sail in a different direction); backwind the headsail, which makes tacking easier in light wind; heave to, or set the boat at a slow and controlled drift so you can do things like eat lunch; dock; and rescue a person who has somehow managed to fall off your little boat in spite of your expert sailing skills. Hey, anything can happen!

Learn those things at BCYC and you get the treasured little card that says you are qualified to take out their 16.5’ Catalinas on your own (with a sailing partner – they’re designed to be sailed by two people). I’m sure all the small boat sailing classes in the area are very good, but of course I have a bias for my club.

However, there’s still a lot more to learn about sailing. You’ll find, when you sail on a bigger boat, that although the principles of things like tacking and jybing are the same, the execution will be somewhat different. In addition, a number of extra pieces of equipment will be on those boats that you haven’t yet learned how to use, such as reefing systems. To sail safely on bigger boats, it’s crucial to know how to use that additional equipment.

There’s also a whole world of rules and regulations that don’t apply to small boats sailing in very restricted areas during daylight. So how do you learn those next steps? BCYC has only the 16.5’s for instruction. You can go sailing with others on their boats, but that instruction will be hit-or-miss, and if you study more systematically, you’re unlikely to miss the important things.

Coast Guard Auxiliary to the rescue! The CGA in St. Petersburg offers a year-long cycle of supplemental classes for both power boaters and sailors. In addition to a basic boating safety class which lasts six weeks, they have a more in-depth one that lasts 13 weeks and a wide range of supplemental classes including coastal navigation; how to use your chart plotter; reading charts; anchoring safely; and hurricane preparedness. I have taken a number of them. They were all well organized, well taught and extremely useful on a day-to-day basis.

In addition, if you take the six week class and pass the test, you are then eligible to join the Coast Guard Auxiliary yourself, which is likely to get you a discount on your boat insurance.

If you live in the United States and have access to sailing, there may well be a Coast Guard Auxiliary near you. Check it out and see what they might have to offer you.

However, don’t completely ignore the value of reading. I don’t believe anyone can really learn to sail from a book; but once you get the basics down, books can tell you about finer points. I have said before that Sailing for Dummies was tremendously helpful to me once when I got caught in a bad situation, and that’s the truth. But try other books as well. If they don’t make sense, set them aside for now, but come back to them later. Find supportive sailors around you and ask questions about what you read, and sail on other people’s boats every chance you get.

Once you’ve started sailing, don’t ever stop learning about it, and don’t ever be satisfied with your level of skills. There will always be more you can learn. Those things may make you and your boat more safe, or it may just make sailing more fun, but either way it’s a win.

A Knotty Problem -- updated photos

 

     Or, I thought Sail School was going to put me in a “remedial knots” class!

I am a person who prefers to tie her boat up without help. No one does it the way I want it done. I know where I want the lines, how slack I want them, what knots I want used. I have it all figured out.

I didn’t get there quickly, or easily. In Sail School, I really struggled with some knots, particularly the bowline. That’s unfortunate, because the bowline, with its cousins and aunts (“bowline on a bight,” for instance) are highly useful knots. After I’d managed to learn the bowline, I could only do it if no one was watching. No kidding. (That means I really didn’t know it very well.)

So if you’re struggling with a knot, or knots, you have my full sympathy.

Here’s what you need to know about knots: they need to be easy to tie –- and also, easy to Untie. Consider the cleat hitch:

 

This cleat hitch above has been done perfectly. The working end –- the one that leads to the boat –- is leading from the right direction on the cleat. There are no extra wraps. Someone is holding the bitter end tight, but it isn’t wrapped ‘round and ‘round the cleat.

Ever see that? (See above.) Don’t do that. You might need to free that line quickly, and wrapping the extra line around the cleat –- or doing more loops on the cleat than necessary to complete the knot –- only slows you down. You might have to undo it in the dark, and having lots of extra line wrapped in silly places for no reason will only make that harder. If there’s extra line, just coil it neatly. Then no one will trip on it, but it won’t interfere with the line’s uses, which are both to hold the boat and to release quickly. Your dock will look neat and tidy, and your neighbors will not mutter your name under their breath.

As you look at the cleat hitch above, you’ll also see that it is actually attractive and symmetrical. It has one loop on each end, and two parallel sections. It just looks good. Good knots look good. Here’s a clove hitch:

Again, you can see that it is symmetrical and attractive. Ditto for a bowline. When it is pulled tight, you’ll see that the base of the knot has three neatly interwoven lines. When you look at these knots, you can easily figure out how to untie them. This is how nautical knots turned into an art form. Put “Celtic knots” into Google and you’ll find dozens of pages full of beautiful examples of intricately-woven knots. The knots you use while sailing will be simpler and more utilitarian, but they can still be frustrating to learn.

I’ve heard the craziest tips for the bowline: the rabbit hops out of the hole, runs around, gets scared and jumps back down into the hole. The truth is that you can stick the line in the wrong place at any point while that poor rabbit scampers around! There's a much easier way: just go to this website!

http://www.animatedknots.com/

You can practice at your computer, or –- really –- there’s an app for that! You can get it at that website and put it on your phone, or IPod, or IPad.

That’s what I did. I put it on my Ipod, and when I needed to use a bowline, I just whipped that baby out and accepted its help. I also practiced knots as I watched TV.

See, it isn’t enough to know the knots. You have to be able to do them quickly, and easily, and often, while telling other people “NO! Please don’t jump from my moving boat to the dock!” or “NO! Don’t push the boat that way! We’ll hit the boat in the other slip!” or “NO! Please wait for directions …” People really want to spring into action while you are leaving or returning to the slip, and often they feel they should know what to do even when they don’t. You have to be able to keep a sharp eye on the other people on the boat while docking or undocking. You don’t need to be racking your brain trying to remember how to work that cleat hitch, or untangling the mess that was supposed to be a bowline.

LESSON LEARNED: Practice knots until they're instinctive. Some day when other things are going wrong, you'll be very glad you did.