The best advice to be given to anyone wishing to start dinghy sailing is to take your time, don’t rush into anything and don’t try running before you can walk. First thing to do is to read around the subject and at least gain a basic understanding of what is involved in owning and buying a sailing dinghy. The Internet is an ideal place to do such research and this will be of great help when you start learning to sail.

We dont recommend you buy a dinghy and try to learn to sail yourself. Much better to either go to a recognized training center or join a sailing club. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Learning to sail at training center means that you can book lessons to suit yourself and you should receive professional instruction. The downside is that it can be expensive. In our opinion joining a sailing club is the best way to learn. You will meet a variety of boat owners, get advice on the different types of dinghies available etc. You will almost certainly have the opportunity to crew for members which is an excellent way of gaining experience. Many dinghy sailing clubs are focused on racing. Dont let this put you off. Although it may not seem appealing to a beginner, dinghy racing is an excellent way of improving your sailing techniques.

If you are lucky enough to have a choice of sailing clubs in your area go visit each one. Ask yourself

What are the members like ?
Were you given advice ?
Were you made to feel welcome ?
Do they offer any sort of training ?
What sort of boats do they sail and at what times ?

Unfortunately many clubs forget about attracting new members and concentrate solely on racing without realizing everyone has to start somewhere. Gone are the days when all sailing clubs had waiting lists of people to join. Many clubs are now beginning to realize they must actively seek new members to maintain numbers and in some cases survive. See our sailing clubs list to find a sailing club in your area.

Don’t rush into buying a boat. Most clubs usually have a few boats which members can use. Take advantage of this fact until you have more knowledge about dinghies and have decided if sailing is for you. Also offer your services as a crew for members with double handed boats.

When you eventually get to the stage of buying a boat you should have a good idea about what you should be looking for. It’s easy to waste money buying a boat that may be unsuitable. Your local club is an excellent place to buy a boat as people constantly trade up. The best thing about buying a boat from your own club is that often people will know its history, its faults etc.

For additional advice, continue reading here:

http://sailing-basics.com/sailinglink.php

1. Be Wise to Read the Weather
You must be wise enough to check the local weather before you depart for boating. Radio, TV, and coast guard forecasts are sure source of information. If you notice, rough and volatile changing winds, darkening clouds, or sudden dip of temperature, it is an indication for you to play safe with the weather. Watch the barometer readings for sudden changes if you have one on board.

2. Adhere to the Pre-departure Checklist
Being prepared for any eventuality in the water is a way of maintaining proper boating safety. From tips on fueling up to compliance with the fire safety regulations, checking the pre-departure checklist is the best measure to be sure that no points regarding the safety are forgotten.

3. Apply Common Sense
Using your common sense is the most important part of boating safety. Always be alert of small watercraft and large vessels that can be hindrance to your boat. You need to operate at a safe speed always. Always be pay heed and respect the navigational aids and buoys. These aids have been placed there to ensure a safe passage.

4. Make Sure You Have an Assistant Skipper
When you venture out to the water, it is ideal that you have one more person who is familiar with all aspects of the boat. The assistant skipper must be familiar with the operations, handling and various safety tips. In case of an injury to the primary navigator, a presence of an assistant skipper, he or she can safely navigate the boat to the shore. Instruction on the operating of the VHF Radio is essential.

5. Chart out a Passage Plan
Always inform people about your passage plan and register it with the coast guard or your local marina staff. Passage plan is the course of the route you will be taking and the number of days you are intending to be out at sea. A typical passage plan consists of: Your name, your address, your phone number, and the phone number of the trip leader. It must also have the phone number of the passengers along with their other details and name. You must include the type of boat you are in the registration information, the itinerary, the signal and safety equipment in the boat and other types of communication means on board. Do not forget to de-register your passage plan with the coast guard or marina staff on safe arrival at your destination.

6. Make the Use of Lifejackets
Most victims give up their life in water because of the lack of proper knowledge of using the life jacket. Prior to departure, try your life jacket on, as they are then adjusted properly ready for use in case of an emergency.

7. Avoid Alcohol
Safe boating also involves a sailing that is free from alcohol. When there is alcohol involved the chances of accidents double. The affect of alcohol exacerbate under the external factors such as wind and sun.

8. Learn to Swim
If your profession involves being in and around water, it is very necessary that you know how to swim. Many organizations offer you swimming lessons for all ages of people. In case you do not know how to swim, take a lesson as early as possible.

Direction – Winds are named from the direction they blow from. A wind blowing from the north to the south is a north wind. But the wind never flows in a steady direction so you need to keep track of what its doing and change your behavior accordingly.

Clues are all around you – waves are pushed along by the wind but it is the ripples on a waters surface that show the direction of the wind. Look for leaves, sand or anything that can be blown. Moored boats will swing to point into the wind, unless influenced by currents. Light shallow boats are the best indicators. When all else fails, face the direction of the wind, turning your head slowly from side to side. You’ll soon notice the sensations on your skin. Practice this technique and it will soon become second nature.

Terms – The world of a sailor is divided into two halves: everything toward it and everything away from it. Looking into the wind is ‘upwind’ and turning your back on it is ‘downwind’ – up and down, or ‘windward’ and ‘leeward’.

Anything upwind of you begins with the word ‘weather’. Anything downwind of you is prefaced by ‘lee’. Sailing on the wind means you are in a windward direction. Sailing off the wind means you are heading in a leeward direction.

Different winds – There are two types of winds in sailing, true and apparent. A true wind is what you feel when sitting on a moored boat. The wind you feel when moving, is what is called an apparent wind. The wind indicators on a boat when it is sailing is apparent wind. You can adjust your sails to the apparent wind but not true. – Forecasts Most sailors will rely on forecasts from the Met Office. These forecasts are broadcast on the radio. Gale warnings are broadcast at the earliest opportunity, and radio 3 and 4 broadcast inshore waters forecasts. Imminent means within 6 hours and good means visibility over 5 miles. Quickly means a barometer dropping up to 6.Omb in 3 hours. As wind is so unpredictable and immediate, these weather reports should not be relied on 100%.

Sailing into the wind – A sail boat cannot sail into the wind, but it can get there indirectly. By sailing close to the wind in one direction, and then changing course to sail as close to the wind as possible in the other direction, you can zig zag to your destination. This is known as ‘beating’ or ‘working to windward’. Changing direction is known as ‘tacking’ or ‘coming about’.

1. Be on the Water in Days.

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2. A Few Words About the Creator of Plans4Boats.

The author of Plans4Boats has been building boats professionally for years. He put together this system so that anyone who ever dreamed of owning a boat would have the ability to make that dream come true. He will share with you all of the techniques and tricks he has learned through his years of experience so that you don’t have to learn them all the hard way like he did. Learning to build boats using this system will make you feel like you have an expert craftsman in your workshop with you guiding you the entire way.

3. Not a Shortcut Guide.

Plans4Boats is not just a basic outline for boat building. It will teach you how to put your boat together quickly, but it will also teach you some of the things you need to know about shop safety and how to use tools properly. You’ll learn what materials you need and you’ll learn the most efficient way to use your materials, which will expand your craftsmanship tremendously.

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(If the below seems a little too advanced, I’d suggest reading a guide, similar to here)

A spinnaker is a large sail that replaces the Genoa in light winds, it has its own technique when spinnaker handling and it must be emphasized at this stage, that there is no substitute for practice or development to flying a spinnaker.

A spinnaker is probably one of the more difficult sails to hoist, being in light winds and a large sail area it can have a tendency to twist and tangle around the forestay if not hoisted correctly.

Firstly the spinnaker should be packed into its sailing bag in the correct manner. The port, starboard and halyard connection eyes should be tide off to the sail bag top after packing the spinnaker into the sail bag, and in preparation of connecting the port, starboard sheets and the spinnaker halyard.

Equipment and rigging a spinnaker.

There are many different makes of equipment from which to choose when equipping a new boat. Choose the most suitable for your boat that will take the appropriate loads and size of spinnaker.

You will require a spinnaker pole that is the correct length and diameter for your boat, it will have an up & down haul mid connection eyes, the end connections should be snap-on stainless steel piston type with quick release trip lines.

The spinnaker pole will connect to the mast by clipping one piston end of the spinnaker pole onto the fixed eye on the mast. The up haul and down haul system should then be connected to the mid pole eyes. The other end of the spinnaker pole will be clipped to either the port or starboard sheets whichever is on the windward side of your point of sail, it should not be connected to the clew of the spinnaker. The object of the pole is to help the wind flow into the sail area and maintain the shape of the spinnaker.

The up haul and down haul system will be fully adjustable and controlled from the cockpit. The down haul will be taking the entire load from the spinnaker and should be rigged accordingly. The up haul will hold the pole in a horizontal position when set.

The port & starboard sheets will be connected to the spinnaker and then run back to the stern of the boat and round a suitable roller cleats and returned to the spinnaker winches, therefore being controlled from the cockpit of the boat.

The spinnaker halyard should have a swivel connection to the spinnaker head; this will help the spinnaker in adjusting itself when being hoisted.
You are now ready to hoist the spinnaker, steer the boat with a favorable windward intake into the spinnaker. You will need one crew at the spinnaker bag to assist the emptying of the sail and free any tangling that might happen thus, shaking it free.

The main spinnaker halyard should be hoisted as quickly as possible but keeping one eye on the spinnakers wind filling progress and adjusting the port and starboard sheets as required. The spinnaker pole can be finally adjusted when the spinnaker is fully hoisted with the up and down haul winches.

When you come to dropping the spinnaker sail it should be undertaken as follows;

Use the port or starboard sheet that is on the leeward side of the sail i.e. the opposite side to the spinnaker poles position. On the command of the skipper the spinnaker halyard will be released and dropped under control, at the same time a crew member will pull in the sail using the port or starboard sheet chosen and trying not to get the spinnaker sail in the water!. The spinnaker sail could then be packed back into its sail bag correctly ready for re-hoisting at a future time.

• Keep a proper lookout for sight and hearing to prevent any possible collisions. Make use of your common sense if faced with a dangerous collision situation.

• While overtaking another vessel, you should stay away from the path of the vessel and thereby try to overtake. Rather, you should never come into the path of a sailing vessel.

• If two sailboats are approaching each other with wind on different sides of the boat, sailboat with port tack should give way to boat with starboard tack. Port tack means having wind on your port side. Your port side refers to left-hand side of your boat if you are facing the front.

• If two boats are on the verge of collision and all safety measures have failed, basic sailing rules indicate if other boat is on your starboard side, you should give way to that boat. Starboard side refers to right-hand side of your boat if facing the front.

• If two boats are approaching each other with wind on the same side of each, windward boat should give way to leeward boat. Windward side refers to boat sailing in direction of the wind while leeward side refers to boat sailing against direction of the wind.

• If during sailing, you come across a boat that has restricted maneuverability or is not under command, you should give way to that boat and allow it to pass.

• When passing through a narrow channel, you should sail as close to the outer edge as possible.

• Normal sailing instructions indicate that sailing vessels should not come into the path of large vessels or ferryboats. These boats find it difficult to change direction abruptly and could require substantial time in doing so. Therefore, noncommercial powerboats normally give way to sailing vessels.

http://www.newportinwaterboatshow.com/

I would still encourage you to get a cheap guide – learning how to sail for the first time is often overwhelming; but talking it through with someone who has more experience can help sort information out.

If it has been something that you’ve done a few times and absolutely loved, this may be a good opportunity to save some money in the long run.

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Worth checking out or someone who loves sailing and projects.

Sailing has been known as a fantastic hobby due to the fact that everyone can do it (believe it or not, it is not nearly as expensive as most non-sailors might imagine it would be), but where do you start? After all, it must be obvious for even the most determined landlubber that sailing a dinghy is going to require some skills and abilities and it hardly likely that you can learn these skills and abilities out of thin air, is it?

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Let me give you some examples so you can judge the quality of the information available in ‘How to learn to sail’.

Firstly, there are some basic do’s and don’ts, simple things that are really little more than common sense of which are nevertheless need to be aware. As an example, whilst on the one hand the book recommends joining a sailing club to learn the ropes, it advises against booking a sailing holiday if you have no idea whether you are likely to enjoy it or not.

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Happy Sailing!