List of sailing competences

[Polly1]

I am looking for a list of sailing competences that I can think about working my way through in order to improve my sailing, eg. reversing into my marina berth, sailing at night or picking up a mooring under sail (all things that I havent done yet)
Could anyone point me in the direction of any such lists?
Thanks in advance.

 

[LadyInBed]

Just go through the syllabus for the RYA levels of competence and add anything that you think is missing.

 

[Searush]

Why?

Just go sailing, start with small journeys & days out & build up gradually as you gain confidence. A tick list will not add anything to the process that I an see. If you really lack confidence, take someone with you or pay for an RYA course or three.

Can you read a chart? Set a course? Do you know the bouyage system? Can you read tide tables & work out depths at a given location at a given time? Can you set your sails & trim them, steer a course?

How about interpreting a forecast & deciding where to anchor overnight - or not!

Buy a copy of Tom Cunnliffe's Day Skipper book & work your way thro that. It covers most of what you need to know for daytime coastal cruiseing.

 

[apward]

Go Local Club Racing

Sail, sail, sail, sail, and sail some more.

Better still, start club racing, you'll sail far more points of sail, in such a short time, than you ever will when cruising or making a passage.

www.sailingmiles.com

 

[BobPrell]

Why?

A tick list will not add anything to the process that I an see. If you really lack confidence, take someone with you or pay for an RYA course or three.

Buy a copy of Tom Cunnliffe's Day Skipper book & work your way thro that.

I am interested to see that you say a tick list will add nothing, and then go ahead and generate a list!

As the OP works through TC's excellent book, s/he will be ticking off the items.

If you ask me, there is no lack of confidence. Polly1 has decided to develop their own list, and keep a personal summary of their own experience, instead of using a course as an authority figure. I think it a thoroughly good idea.

This is the modern thing and it's called documentation. It formalizes what is otherwise a vague claim like "I have 5 years experience".

 

[oldbilbo]

Tick lists could be helpful in developing well-rounded competence, but howzabout this in addition...

Get yourself a couple of small, robust notebooks - the 'Moleskine' brand is highly commended. There's something to be learned from every day's sailing ( and nights ), so use your notebooks to record, cryptically, whatever it was that is worth remembering - both good and bad. Keep this stuff private to yourself, and review youir comments and lessons. You'll be surprised how quickly your compendium of good and bad practices builds up - and you can review your thoughts, impressions and memories many times, later.

And don't hesitate to ask questions - of others, and yourself.

 

[William_H]

Competences

Just a few I have been asked to demonstrate and teach. Sail a figure 8 course without touching rudder.
Using heel sail trim balance and jib backing. easier on a smaller boat.
Sail the boat backwards under control. Depends on the type of boat mine is most stuborn.
You might also want to practice heaving too.
Stopping the boat by pushing the boom and mainsail out to windward so wind stops boat. I keep forgetting to do this when approaching mooring too fast.
Of course sailing up to a mooring and a jetty. Departing a jetty or mooring under sail.
Man overboard practice is always good. Get someone to throw over a floating object when you least expect it. Then turn around to pick it up stopping next to it.
Then there is all the spinnacker stuff but you may not want that.
There are a few boat handling skills to go with skills like weather prediction tide prediction navigation and all that stuff. good luck olewill

 

[Searush]

I am interested to see that you say a tick list will add nothing, and then go ahead and generate a list!

As the OP works through TC's excellent book, s/he will be ticking off the items.

If you ask me, there is no lack of confidence. Polly1 has decided to develop their own list, and keep a personal summary of their own experience, instead of using a course as an authority figure. I think it a thoroughly good idea.

This is the modern thing and it's called documentation. It formalizes what is otherwise a vague claim like "I have 5 years experience".

At the risk of a pointless argument . . .

I have been involved in commercial process documentation & Continuous Professional Development quite a bit in my time (the ideas are not that new) & I understand the benefits of review (as in Bilbo's post) but a formal tick list may include stuff that will never be needed & exclude stuff that is vital. That is the nature of lists is it not? Nevertheless, just to be helpful, I offered a range of ideas that may possibly be useful.

Perhaps you should try helping the OP rather than childishly sniping at those who have?

 

[BobPrell]

[/QUOTE]

At the risk of a pointless argument . . .

As a yachting enthusiast I will accept some risk.

I have been involved in commercial process documentation & Continuous Professional Development quite a bit in my time (the ideas are not that new) & I understand the benefits of review (as in Bilbo's post)

In that case I am even more surprised. Were you disillusioned with all that experience?
I thought Bilbo's and LadyInBed's posts most valuable.

but a formal tick list may include stuff that will never be needed & exclude stuff that is vital. That is the nature of lists is it not?

If that is the case, the list needs more development. Once upon a time, knowledge points were divided into must know, should know, could know categories. The OP was trying to develop a good list, I thought.

Nevertheless, just to be helpful, I offered a range of ideas that may possibly be useful.

I thought I acknowledged that. Not explicitly enough it seems.

Perhaps you should try helping the OP rather than childishly sniping at those who have?

I was trying to do that by saying his idea was good. Quoting myself "I think it a thoroughly good idea." Which meant sounding critical of those who said "A tick list will not add anything to the process that I an see. "

I have thought about developing a way of self-documenting and verifying one's own experience.

I shall take your rebuke as a message to get cracking on that.

 

[ianat182]

Some notes that I'm currently compiling for some friends who have just purchased their first Yacht maybe a pointer to the order of things to prepare and practice. These are the headings for each description, a contents page :


(a) Documentation and Certification required.

(b)Safety gear and,flares,lifejackets,Harnesses,strongpoints and jackstays,lifelines and
lifebuoys.
(c)DSC/VHF radio routines and callsigns,MMSI and Distress calls.

(d)Weather Forecasts and passage planning, chartwork and GPS use.

(e)Leaving a Marina berth;Fore and Aft Pile mooring, Swinging Mooring, at anchor.

(f)Returning to a Marina berth, Fore and Aft pile mooring,Swinging mooring, anchoring.

(g)Manoeuvering yacht under power, ahead and astern,tiller/rudder angles, awareness
of 'Prop walk',use of Springing warps, towing tenders.
(h)Determining the yacht's turning circle under power to port and starboard.

(i)Sails Hoisting and Trimming, Reefing and furling, weather awareness, Heaving-to, use of
Mainsheet traveller.
(j)Performance Sails,Spinnaker,Cruising Chute and Asymmetrics

(k)Storm Sails.

(l) Man Overboard drills and practice, available systems, preparation.

(m)Yacht Maintenance, Scrubbing off, Anti-fouling, Lift-in Lift-out, Engine winterizing and
maintenance.
Collision Regulations, Reed's Skipper's Guide,

As you see the notes are quite extensive and are taking some time to complete, however they may give some idea of the knowledge to acquire during the early weeks of your ownership, use them as 'prompts' if you like.

ianat182

 

[Sneaky Pete]

As a yachting enthusiast I will accept some risk.


In that case I am even more surprised. Were you disillusioned with all that experience?
I thought Bilbo's and LadyInBed's posts most valuable.



If that is the case, the list needs more development. Once upon a time, knowledge points were divided into must know, should know, could know categories. The OP was trying to develop a good list, I thought.



I thought I acknowledged that. Not explicitly enough it seems.


I was trying to do that by saying his idea was good. Quoting myself "I think it a thoroughly good idea." Which meant sounding critical of those who said "A tick list will not add anything to the process that I an see. "

I have thought about developing a way of self-documenting and verifying one's own experience.

I shall take your rebuke as a message to get cracking on that.[/QUOTE]


I second all of that, Searush doesn’t seem to take any criticism very well, I believe Polly1 had asked about improving competences not that there was a lack of confidence as searush stated completely different. Anyway the RYA produce a DVD called The Complete course, which takes you up to Yachtmaster offshore lots of good info that you may wish to practise when out sailing it’s expensive at £50 but copies can be had on e-bay for around £10-£15.