Drills for teaching sailingBy John MacBeath Watkins

I’ve been asked by my fellow sailing instructors at the Center for Wooden

Boats to write up some of the drills I use for teaching.

Because I’m planning to post this where anyone with a computer can

access it, I should explain what the Center for

Wooden Boats is, what our sailing program is

and why I’m writing this. Those already

familiar with the program can skip this part.

The Center for Wooden Boats is a small-

boat museum that aspires to preserve not just the

objects of the era of wooden boats, but the skills associated with them. It

started when Dick Wagner, an architect, decided to start a boat livery out of

his houseboat. More about CWB here: http://www.cwb.org/ . Being a New

Englander with an abiding affection for classic wooden boats, he started

with a few Beetle Cats.

The Beetle Cats attracted wooden boat buffs, and they wanted to talk

about wooden boats, work on boats, build boats, and have classes about

wooden boats. Eventually, Dick gave in to the inevitable and turned it into a

museum, and moved it into new quarters at the south end of Lake Union.

I got involved with the Center in 1987. At that time Dick was doing

all the checkout rides to make sure people could sail well enough to be

trusted sailing what were, after all, museum exhibits. Not long after I joined,

Dick asked me an a few others to help out with the checkout rides. One of

those people was Vern Velez, who in 1989 came up with the idea of starting

a sailing school associated with the Center for Wooden Boats, to be called

Sail Now! He asked me to help him start it.

We were having a problem with people coming down to rent a boat,

certain that they could sail, and failing the checkout. They often had a

certificate from some sailing program that said they had passed a sailing

course. The problem, we realized, was that either the class had been too

long ago, or the people running the course had taught them the regulation

number of classes and given them a social promotion.

Vern’s idea was to start a program with a clear goal: When they were

done, people would be skilled enough to sail our exhibits.

He proposed a program based on five lessons, with up to three

students in the boat (usually the Blanchard Junior Knockabouts, a classic

keelboat built on Lake Union) with an instructor. Some students learned in

three lessons, others needed more than five, but they were all learning to sail

well enough to take the boats out and in some cases learned well enough to

become instructors.

We were soon overwhelmed with students. Chris Glanister joined us

as an instructor, then a few more. Vern had to step away from the program

for a few months, so I ended up running it. I was at the time editing a

magazine, so I had to find a way to get other people to do most of the work.

I put out a call for more instructors, told the staff they would have to take the

calls to schedule the students, and instituted a program of tracking students’

progress with, initially, a piece of paper with their name at the top and the

instructors’ comments about what conditions they had sailed in and what

they had learned on the sheet. The sheet of paper is now a form which has

been through several evolutions, but otherwise, the program runs pretty

much the same way I set it up, though it is now big enough to require a

person on staff to run it. The instructors are still volunteers. The sweetener

I used to recruit the instructors initially was unlimited time in the boats for

their own sailing, but that proved unnecessary. The joy of teaching is a

deep and lasting one, and we never tire of it.

Vern was able to come back after a few months, and while he was

running the program it won a national award. Vern has now moved back to

his native Puerto Rico, where he is helping with – you guessed it – a sailing

program.

That’s the basis for the program I teach in. The problem we now face

is that as the program gets bigger, it gets harder to communicate between

instructors and discuss what works and what doesn’t. That’s why I’m

writing this.

On the psychology of students and instructors

The pleasure of teaching comes mainly from two things: You always

feels you are spreading light and joy when introducing people to an activity

you enjoy, and the process of learning a new skill makes people feel better

about themselves. This means the instructors are (if they are any good)

dealing with people whose self-esteem is blossoming under their care. (The

concept of self-esteem is often misunderstood. It does not result from

unwarranted praise, which produces only an addiction to praise. Rather, it

comes from the feeling that what you do matters, the feeling that you can

affect the world. That feeling comes from knowing you can do things,

which is why learning a new skill is so pleasurable.)

There are pitfalls along the way. Not all couples do well when

learning together. In one case, I had to physically place myself between the

man and woman, and explain quite clearly to the gentleman that the process

works better if I do the instructing. In addition, when a couple learns a new

skill, each of them has an equal chance of being better at it. The culture is

changing, but I used to often see men struggling with the concept that their

wives were better at sailing than they were.

I have seen instructors fail to notice the progress of the quiet student,

which can delay the assessment that they are ready to graduate, and on other

occasions fail to notice the needs of quiet students who do not demand

attention. It is the job of the instructor to focus on each student and make

your own assessment of them. There is no link between being outgoing or

demanding and being good at sailing, and the diffident student deserves as

much attention as the brash one.

Not everyone has the same sort of mind, which is why all the

functions of our society can be accomplished without us all being geniuses.

People who can visualize what is going to happen next will have a big

advantage in learning sailing, while those who are good at learning by rote

will be at a disadvantage. Some are better at kinesthetic learning, and will

respond to the feel of the boat better than visual cues. Often, language gets

in the way, and pointing rather than talking helps the student more.

Sometimes you have to shut up and let the student think, let them practice

without your helpful hints so that they are responding to the boat rather than

the instructor. Only occasionally should the instructor demonstrate the

action; for the most part, the students should be running the boat with the

instructor’s advice.

I’m not going to cover the things that are covered in ground school or

the students’ textbooks, only some on-the-water drills that help structure the

students’ time on the water in a productive way.

Drill 1: Steering

Nothing will more effectively prevent a student from gaining confidence

than a feeling that they are not in control of the boat. While children usually

learn to steer in an instinctive manner quickly, adults tend to take a more

analytical approach that can trip them up. If you see that the student is often

pushing the tiller the wrong way, or is tentative and has to think too long

before moving the tiller, you must convince them to stop thinking about the

tiller and start thinking about where the boat goes. Thinking about the tiller

while steering is like thinking about which foot to lift while walking; you

would stumble at every step.

You must get the student’s mind outside the boat, looking to their

destination and making the boat an extension of their body. Get the student

to put the boat on a reach, then pick two possible destinations about two

points apart.1 Tell them to head the boat first to one, then the other. Don’t

let them look at the tiller. Tell them “the tiller moves two ways, so push it

firmly one way, and if the boat goes the wrong way, push the tiller the other

way.”

At this point I find it’s good to point out that mistakes are an

important part of the learning process, and you want them to make big

enough mistakes that they can see what they are doing wrong. That means

don’t be tentative with the tiller, be bold, screw up, and then do it right.

Give them a good five minutes or so of steering first to, say, the book

depository on the hill, then to the grassy knoll two points to starboard of it,

as soon as they are firmly on course to one heading back to the other. After

a few cycles you’ll see their use of the tiller become rapidly more natural

and fluid. Importantly, they will know what to do with they make a mistake

and put the tiller over the wrong way – practicing the error means practicing

the solution, and they no longer have to think about what to do when they

screw up.

1 Here I’m referring to the 32 point circle people used to use when boxing the compass.

Drill 2: Sailing to windward

Once I’ve got them steering well, the first thing I teach students is to

sail to windward. It’s a big confidence builder, because any fool can make a

boat go down wind – that’s what happens when the boat is drifting. Again,

this helps the student feel in control of the boat, because it assures them that

they need not be pinned on a lee shore.

Sheet the boat close hauled, but not so tight that a small error will

result in the jib backing and causing the boat to tack against the will of the

student. Have the student turn the boat slowly toward the wind until the jib

luffs. I find it helps to get them to watch the seams on the sail, and tell them

it should look like a Wright Brothers wing. This helps them read when the

wind is on the wrong side of the sail. Have then turn quickly away from the

wind before they lose too much speed, then stop turning and check their

course against the shore to make sure they’ve stopped turning. Start testing

up to windward again. At first, you’ll have to point out what is happening.

After a while, you can just point to the sail luffing and they’ll turn away.

Eventually, you should be able to shut up and let them think, and they’ll do

it right without your help.

Often, they start thinking of sailing to windward in terms of the tiller

in relation to their body instead of the boat in relation to the wind. The cure

for this is not to have them change sides when they tack, so that they have to

think about the problem correctly.

Drill 3: Sailing to windward with eyes closed

Students are sometimes overwhelmed with the number of things they

have to watch, and don’t develop a feel for the boat. One simple way to cut

the sensory input is to have them close their eyes. My first job teaching

sailing was at a summer camp to the blind, and there I learned how easily the

blind can learn to sail to windward.

Do this drill on a day when the wind is steady and moderate, not too

calm. It’s the same as the previous drill, except that instead of looking for

visual cues, they are feeling the loss of power as the sails luff. There should

be enough wind to heel the boat, since that is one of the major kinetic cues

they will feel.

You’ll find that many people sail better with their eyes shut. I suspect

this is because some people have more of a kinetic, rather than visual,

learning style. Once they’ve mastered this, they will sail better to windward

with their eyes open, as well.

Drill 4: Tacking

Tacking is one of the easiest and most intuitive things for students to

learn. Tell then to keep the mainsheet where it is so that they can tell when

they’ve finished the tack. All they have to do is steer the boat through the

wind, then stop turning when the main fills on the other tack and check their

course to make sure they’ve stopped turning. If they have difficulty with

this, it’s likely they are centering the tiller instead of watching where the

boat goes. Again, it can help to have them tack a few times without

changing sides, so that they are thinking about the boat in relation to the

wind and not the tiller in relation to their bodies.

Drill 5: Depowering in gusts

On a gusty day, it’s a big confidence builder for students to learn that

they are in control of how much the boat heels. Often, it helps to have then

control either the sheet or the tiller rather than both, and use either the helm

or the sheet to depower, so that they are comfortable with both methods.

You should also use such occasions to teach then the ‘fisherman’s reef’—

keeping the jib in tight and luffing the main on purpose to reduce heeling

when the wind is consistently strong and they haven’t had a chance to reef.

Drill 6: Jibing and chicken jibing

This is perhaps the least intuitive thing for students to learn. In the

nautical language of the 18th century it was said that a boat that wants to turn

to windward was ‘ardent’ and one that wants to turn to leeward is ‘crank.’ I

rather like those terms, because they give boats a character. Most boats are

designed to be ardent (weather helm), so turning to windward is in essence

giving the boat what she wants. Going down wind, the boat heels little, and

if the boom is very long, it’s probably a bit ardent, so you’re fighting the

boat when you jibe.

First, teach them to go downwind without jibing, which is at least as

important a skill as jibing. In addition to watching any wind pennants the

boat may have, they should learn to watch for when the jib is blanketed by

the main, and how to interpret the ripples pushed by the wind. It’s good to

point out to them that if the jib and main are both filling on the same side,

they can’t jibe.

Next, explain the goal, which is to have the boat finish the jibe going

down wind with the sail all the way out, so that the forces on the boat are

pushing it forward, and it won’t be knocked down. Explain that sheeting in

reduces the power in the main when it catches the wind on the other side,

and that releasing as soon as it comes across keeps it from spinning the boat

and allows the forces on the sail to pull forward. Point out that the worst

case is when they fail to stop turning soon enough, and fail to let the sail out,

because that can produce a boat that is sideways to the wind with the sail in

tight, a scenario for a knockdown or capsize.

The actual turn is the least intuitive part of the jibe. Get them to look

at where the mainsail is before the jibe, because that’s the direction they will

be turning. If they can remember that simple rule, they’ll always turn in the

right direction.

Demonstrate a proper jibe, so they can see you take your downwind

course, sheet in, make the slight turn and let the sheet slide through your

hand as soon as the sail crosses, while canceling the turn. If they have

difficulty executing jibes, you can take it apart a step further, and have them

handle first the helm and then the sheet until they’ve mastered all parts of

the jibe. Then make sure you’ve got plenty of sea room and have them

execute a series of jibes, perhaps five in a row, so that the maneuver

becomes more natural.

It is best to point out the hazards of jibing in strong winds, and teach

them the alternative, the chicken jibe. I tell them it’s what you do when

you’re too chicken to jibe, essentially a 270 degree tack. It’s actually more

intuitive than a real jibe, because you’re pulling in the sheets as you head up

and letting them out as you bear away. It helps to cement the purpose of the

chicken jibe if you have them do it around a leeward mark.

Drill 7, the meta-drill: Sailing around a course

I find it helps put all this into perspective, and show students why

you’ve been learning all these drills if they sail to destinations. Ideally, that

would mean sailing around a course, where they can practice sailing

efficiently to windward, finding the lay line, trimming for various points of

sail and jibing or chicken jibing. If you don’t have a course handy, just tell

them to sail toward destinations that will force then to practice these skills.

At first, you should get then to tell you how they will get to their next

destination before they go for it, so that they are forced to think things out.

Realizing that they know how to go somewhere in the boat is one of the final

confidence builders for new skippers.

Drill 8: Landings

It strikes me that there are two main methods taught for landings. In

one, the student sails at the dock at 90 degrees to it, turns just before hitting

and stops right there. This depends on perfect timing, so is vulnerable to

mistakes. I prefer to teach then to sail to the dock as 45-50 degrees, so that

they can luff the sails to slow the boat or sheet in if they don’t have enough

way on. I tell then to try to put the side of the bow right on the dock. If they

execute perfectly, they’ll turn just before touching. If they don’t, they won’t

break the stem of the boat, but will hit the dock with a glancing blow.

Get the student to describe how they will dock before they do it, to

make sure they’ve worked out whether they need to do a U-turn to head the

boat into the wind. Have them practice several in succession, so that you’re

confident they can put the boat where they want it on the dock.

Technique for a difficult landing:

At some point, you're likely to have to land the boat in some unfavorable

conditions where you aren't able to luff the boat to slow it. We used to

regularly dock the San Francisco Mercury, a small keelboat, against a north-

facing dock in north winds, and I worked out a technique that worked quite

well for landing broadside to the wind.

I'd come down the channel downwind with the main sheeted tight as

possible, closing off the leach to avoid developing any power. As I got to the

aft end of the mooring spot, I'd pivot 90 degrees with the main still tight and

the jib backed. The boat would slide into the slip sideways. People who

didn't pull this off either didn't sheet the main tight enough or didn't make

the final turn tight enough, both of which could prevent them from scrubbing

off enough speed to stall the keel. I'd try teaching this to students against an

imaginary dock rather than a real one, but it's good for them to understand

the physics well enough to work out how to slow the boat down while going

straight down wind, and how stalling the keel can be done on purpose.

Drill 9: Man-Overboard

The man-overboard drill is conceptually simple, and similar to the

landing, but a few students struggle with it. A chalk talk can help. I like to

get the student to think the thing through, and not simply complete a set of

pre-determined moves, because circumstances might make a given

maneuver wrong when they actually need to pick someone up. I tell them to

get downwind of the man overboard, (I call the fender or cushion we’re

using Bob, since it does) come up to him, and stop. Additional students in

the boat can participate by continuing to point to the man overboard from the

first call, and picking him out of the water.

This only works if I have them practice stopping the boat. Otherwise,

even if they can describe how to stop the boat, they won’t get far enough

down wind.

So, 1) tell them how to do the drill. 2) have them practice stopping

the boat 3) throw the man overboard and let them do it. Sometimes they will

spend a lot of time thinking about what to do, even if you’ve discussed it

beforehand. Remind them that Bob is getting cold, and is not a strong

swimmer. This might seem to put pressure on them, but thinking of the

cushion as Bob adds sufficient levity to take it back off while making the

exercise a little more concrete. It matters, of course, how you remind them

about Bob; deadpan humor, no stress in your voice, works for me.