Dress To Get Wet Sailing

It is sort of fun when your day sailor lies on its side!

Sailing small day-sailors can be more fun than sailing a bigger boat. You learn a lot sailing in one of these and the things learned apply to the bigger boats. With a day-sailor you should dress to get wet. 8-)

Some of my most memorable sailing outings have been when we pushed the limits of the boat and it goes over.  It can be fun. Pushing the limits of the boat has a thrill in itself, and the scrambling to prevent going over is fun in itself. As long as you have nothing on board that you will trash and you have all the safety stuff you need for the crew and getting the boat back upright, it can really be fun.

A few years ago I ask a friend to go sailing and I told him dress to get wet. That comment got me a big smile from him. We went out and the first thing we did was get too close to the bank of the river before we started to tack and caught the mast in a tree branch that was hanging out over the water. It brought us to a quick stop. After getting free of the sailboat eating tree we headed back out on the river. 

Sailing on the river can be challenging. The wind is often all over the place and often gusty. It was one of those days. We were having loads of fun. It was my fault we dumped the first time, it was a joint effort the second time.

We had a great time and much to laugh about when we got back to the dock. We still talk about it when we get together.

You need a plan on what to do when you go over. If you go sailing and expect to get wet, everyone wears a lifejacket. When we go over, the first thing is to make sure everyone is OK. Everyone needs to stay near the boat. Next get the sail down and secure so it will not get damaged or wrap around something. Once the sail is down, you can get the boat upright by standing on the dagger-board and leaning back. Collect all the stuff that may have floated out of the boat. Now that it is mast side up we paddle to the shore, pushing the boat. Sailing on the river has the advantage that a bank is not too far away. A little bucket baling and you can be sailing again in minutes.

You also need to let someone know that you are going out sailing, where you are going and what time you expect to get back. That is a good idea even if you do not “plan to get wet”.

In our larger sailboats I am much more conservative because of all the things that could be trashed if the boat should take on water. The things learned on the smaller boats and how boats handle has made me a better sailor. 

Dress to get wet sailing in the summer is a great way to have fun. 8-)