South Woodham Ferrers Yacht Club WELCOME TO Start sailing a dinghy

Domestics Please Sign in Toilets Fire Exits First Aid Tea & Coffee Mobile Phones

Programme The SWFYC start sailing programme is the basis to learn to sail a dinghy in 5 modules:- Session 1: Introduction and the boat, practical tacking reaching and running, afloat 2 Hours Session 2 : Enterprise simulator Rigging, practice tacking reaching and running ( gybing), reefing. Tides, capsize recovery Session 3: Sailing a triangular course afloat helming the boat Session 4 Rules of the road and buoyage, Weather , Beaufort Scales and Sea states, launching and recovery Session 5 Sailing fig 8 round marks, MOB, capsize drill. Boat handling

SWFYC Stepping stones New Dinghy member Competent dinghy sailor Proposed new ‘stepping stones’ support structure for new dinghy members, which perhaps we should also consider to other categories of member. Developed with the RYA SWFYC Stepping stones New member briefing at welcome meeting New Dinghy member Novice dinghy sailors Experienced sailors Escorted Dinghy picnic (s) Escorted (Easy) Club Cruise Race Briefings Individual dinghy buddy identified to encourage and help settle in for 1 year Start sailing a dinghy modules Crew with an experienced sailor x3 Talk about the locality and pitfalls Escorted first sail Competent dinghy sailor Race Training modules Escorted first sail Certificate awarded

How a dinghy sails Wind from behind blows a boat forward Wind blowing over the side of a boat and sails angled, blows a boat forward and sideways (To prevent it blowing sideways a board is lowered) Sailing nearer the wind (up to 40 degrees) is possible as the sails act like an aircraft wing creating lift. The boat will sail forward if the centreboard is fully down

CLOTHING ITS COLDER ON THE WATER Bring dry clothing and towel Lifejacket or buoyancy aid Use multiple thin layers not single thick layer Modern synthetics preferred to wool or cotton For winter base layer, middle layer, oilskins Use sun cream Wear a hat, gloves, boots / trainers the head can provide 20% of heat loss Bring dry clothing and towel

Today High Tide is 18:37 so the tide is going out Weather forecast today is: We will be escorted by the Club Rescue boat

RYA Safety Checklist Inform someone where you are going and when you plan to be back Get a weather forecast Personal and boat buoyancy Alternative means of propulsion Anchor chain and warp Bucket, bailer or bilge pump Sharp knife

Lets go sailing!

Debrief What lessons did you learn? Did you understand what was happening? Did you enjoy the sail? Next session Thursday 9 May at 18:30

SWFYC Start sailing a dinghy Session 2 Enterprise simulator Rigging, Practice tacking, reaching and running ( gybing) Tides Capsize recovery

Let’s recap What did we cover in the last session ? How a boat sails Basic sailing techniques: Sails, centreboard, weight distribution Clothing Checklist

Getting Started Choose your heading or course Let out the sails until they flap Pull in the sails until they just stop flapping. The sails are now set and will propel the boat The burgee will tell you where the wind is blowing from If the wind gusts ease the sheets out momentarily until the gust passes Centreboard position Up for running with the wind from behind Half way down for reaching with the wind across the boat Fully down for beating or close hauled with the wind from ahead Correctly balance or trim the boat Try to keep the boat upright by sitting on the side nearest the wind, if it is gusting you may need to lean out or ease the sails out ( or both). Sit toward the stern when running Sit in the middle when reaching Sit nearer the bow when close hauled

Steering the boat (The rudder has 2 functions) The rudder helps resist sideways slip of the boat (especially when the blade is fully down) To steer the boat, the more the boat is moving the more sensitive the rudder will be. The rudder is operated by the sideways movement of the tiller a lever on top of the rudder. Moving it to starboard ( the right) will turn the boat to port. Turning it to port (the left) will turn the boat to the right. With the centerboard down pulling the mainsail in ( with the jib released) will turn the boat into the wind Pulling the jib in (and releasing the mainsail) will turn the boat away from the wind

Teaching Points Helm sits on the windward side of the boat Helm holds and steers with left hand Helm holds mainnsheet in his front hand Crew uses body weight to keep boat upright Crew holds jib sheet in aft hand The jib and mainsail should be roughly parallel

Parts of a sail

Boom fittings Fixed and sliding gooseneck Kicking strap, used to pull the boom down and control the twist

Sailing terms

Practical Session on the simulator Rig the sails on the simulator Use checklist Practice starting from stationary Practice tacking Practice reaching Practice gybing Practice lying-to

Tides What makes the tides How often are the tides Neap and Spring tides Where do we find the tides What does it mean to me as a dinghy sailor at SWF

Avoiding a capsize Watch out for gusts ( ripples on water) Keep the sheets in your hands, ease or let go when a gust strikes Hike out (lean out) in strong gusts Sit right back to lift the bow when running in strong winds Consider tacking around rather than gybing in strong winds

If the worst happens : capsize drill

Capsize recovery Crew swims to the stern of the boat Helm holds mainsheet as lifeline and goes around the hull to centreboard Helm pulls himself up onto the centreboard (near the hull) using the jibsheet Crew manoeuvres into centre of boat Helm leans out and rights the boat, stepping over the gunwhale into the boat as it comes upright Crew is scooped into the boat Bring boat into the wind and bale water out with bucket

Debrief What lessons did you learn? Did you understand what was happening? Did you enjoy the sail? Next session Thursday 9 May at 18:30

SWFYC Start sailing a dinghy Session 3 Rigging, Checklist Launching Practice tacking, reaching and running ( gybing) whilst helming Stopping the boat Reefing.

Stopping the boat Alter course to head almost into the wind Centreboard down Let the sheets go Back the jib

Reefing to reduce sail area

Reefing to reduce sail area

Debrief What lessons did you learn? Did you understand what was happening? Did you enjoy the sail? Next session Thursday 23 May at 18:30

SWFYC Start sailing a dinghy Session 4 Enterprise simulator Rules of the road Practice tacking, reaching and running ( gybing) Reefing Local conditions Some Knots

WEATHER FORECAST Essex Radio Inshore Forecast : 6 miles to sea VHF from Coastguard Ch16 every 3 hours - 12 miles out to sea Telephone – Marinecall, Metoffice, Coastguard BBC radio 4 - 00:48, 05:25, 12:00, 17:54, Marinas WEB www.marinecall.co.uk www.meteo.gov.uk/datafiles/offshore.html www.meteo.gov.uk/datafiles/inshore.html www.metoffice.com/weather/charts/animations.html www.ecmwf.int/services/forcast/menu/index.htmll www.theyr.net www. xcweather.co.uk

WEATHER WARNINGS Always check the Weather Forecast IMMINENT - Within 6 Hours SOON - 6 - 12 Hours LATER - 12 - 24 Hours

BEAUFORT SCALE Force Knots (MPH) Description State of Sea Wave Ht at sea 0-1 (1MPH) Calm Like a mirror Dinghies drift with the tide 0 m 1 1-3 (1-3MPH) Light air Ripples Dinghies just have steerage way. Sails left loose 2 4-6 (4-7MPH) Light breeze Small wavelets, still short but more pronounced. Sails filled and draw, allow plenty of curve in the sails 0.1 m 3 7-10 (8-12MPH) Gentle breeze Large wavelets, crest begin to break, a few white horses Good sailing breeze 0.4 m 4 11-16 (13-18MPH) Moderate breeze Small waves growing longer, fairly frequent white horses. Dinghies may be over canvassed and require a first reef, or head sails reduced to working sails Limit for cat D boats 1 m 5 17-21 (19-24MPH) Fresh breeze Moderate waves, taking more pronounced form, frequent white horses. Dinghies may require 2nd reef Cruisers put in a first reef at sea 2 m 6 22-27 (25-31MPH) Strong breeze Large waves forming, white foam crests more extensive, probably some spray. A yachtsman’s gale Dinghies have 2 reefs and spitfire jib inshore. Unpleasant conditions and survival for some boats offshore Wind over tide make very nasty conditions 3 m

Other factors that affect wave height Direction of the wind – speed slows down over land Distance (fetch) from shelter Wind against the tide Rebounding waves off an obstruction Uneven seabed Funnelling effect

COLREGS KEEP TO THE RIGHT Always keep as close to the right hand side of channels and restricted waterways as safe navigation allows. Keep clear of buoyed deep-water channels if possible

When two sailing boats meet If the yachts have the wind on different sides , the yacht on port tack gives way The vessel in black is the vessel that gives way in these 4 situations

Boats with the wind on the same side If boats have wind on the same side , the boat nearest the wind gives way. When running windward is the side away from the mainsail The black boat gives way

COLREGS If one yacht is overtaking another, the overtaking yacht must give way. This also applies to a yacht under sail if overtaking a powered craft. Overtaking means approaching from more than 22.5o abaft the beam

COLREGS When a yacht under sail meets a motor boat (or a yacht under power even if the sails are set) (a)power gives way to sail except when sail is overtaking NB it is good manners for a yacht to keep clear of large commercial vessels even if it has theoretical right of way

COLREGS When a yacht under sail meets a motor boat (or a yacht under power even if the sails are set) (b)Yachts & motor boats must give way to all large, powered vessels constrained by their draught in narrow channels

COLREGS In shipping lanes (a) always cross on a HEADING which is as near as possible at right angles to the direction of the traffic flow, even if this means that the action of the tide will result in a course made good at an angle to the lane.

Gybing Check kicking strap is tight Raise centreboard Uncleat or let go the jib sheet Grab the other jib sheet and get ready to pull it in Pull the kicking strap to pull the boom across the boat Cross the boat when the wind flips the boom across the boat Trim the jib, pull in the new jib sheet as much as necessary to fill the jib

Distress Signals Continuous sounding of fog signal Slowly and repeatedly raising outstretched arms Signal sent using SOS Flares – (Wear gloves) Red Smoke Lasts 60 secs but 20 -30 minutes of usage life Best flare for daylight Red Flare Lasts about 60 secs Best in dark Fire in twos A sqaure flag with a ball above or below it Flames on the vessel

Debrief What lessons did you learn from today? Did you understand what was happening? Did you enjoy the module? Next session Thursday 30 May at 18:30

SWFYC Start sailing a dinghy Session 5 Afloat and helming the boat Rigging Launching and recovery Sailing a figure of 8 course Capsize drill

Debrief What lessons did you learn today? Did you understand what we have covered in the course? Did you enjoy the sails? Do you feel confident to go on to the next step?