The beginning of my journey
A few years ago I sat down trying to figure out how I was going to travel the world. I came across a sailing channel on YouYube, La Vagabonde, which if you’re in to sailing you should know. I fell in love with the idea of reaching my destinations by sea. So the research began. I loved being on the water, working on ships, but would I be able to handle it on a 38 foot sailboat. That test will come soon. For now I needed to learn the lines (ropes in sailing terms).
First time out
During my time on YouTube I found a channel, Lady K Sailing, to which the creator lived near me. I watched his journey down to the Bahamas and back. So with him being back in my area I reached out and asked him if I could come talk to him about sailing. The next weekend I was off to the sailing club, wind in my hair and the boating heeling (tipping over to one side) nicely. Here I also got to meet other sailors and the journey begins.
Don’t forget to check out Tim on Lady K Sailing
Now if you want to get out there and learn, head to your local sailing club with some beer. Not kidding! These guys and gals love a good drink. Ask around to see if anyone is taking new crew for racing. Sailors are always looking for crew. Racing is a great way to learn fast. Not ready for the racing yet, ask for a private day out. Again, every sailor loves to be on the water.
Meeting my Instructor
You can watch YouTube channels all day and get the basics. However getting out there and really feeling the boats movements and seeing the lines (ropes) is the best way to learn. During my visit to the club I was introduced to Paul. Paul has been a sailor for many years working his way to bigger boats. I asked if he was willing to teach me everything about sailing and he agreed. So the training begins.
Learning the Lines
So it begins, learning the lines! The technical terms behind everything sailing is so confusing. If you google ropes and lines of sailing this is the term that pops up. “The rope that runs up the mast to pull up the mainsail is called the halyard and to bring the sail down the line is called the downhaul. The lines that are used when sailing are called sheets and each sheet will refer to the sail that it controls.” If that doesn’t make your head spin the rest will.
Learning to sail
My first time out was amazing. Once were cleared the shore I was put right behind the helm (wheel). I couldn’t have had a bigger smile on my face. As you can see from the pictures above my smile got bigger with each lesson. I’m so in my element. This is where I belong. Our first three sails we practiced tacking and just steering. I didn’t think the change of the boat, depending on if we were going down wind, broad reach or upwind.
The adventure begins
Well now that I have finally got started, this is just the beginning. Here I will share my experiences and give tips on how you can start and things to look forward to. My favorite saying is “in the wind of change we find our true direction” This couldn’t be more true for me right now. I was so nervous that I wouldn’t enjoy it, however with some wind, I have fell in love once again with the open waters.