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Basic Crewing/Sailing Course - Tacoma, Dock Side Training Session - Eleven, Tacoma Yacht Club

Field trip: Basic Crewing/Sailing Course

Basic Crewing/Sailing Course - Tacoma, Dock Side Training Session - Eleven, Tacoma Yacht Club

Dockside training session / first training sail for students of Tacoma's Basic Crewing/Sailing Course.

Contacts

Placeholder Contact Profile
Bill Jenks
Primary Leader
  • Easy
  • For Beginners (Getting Started Series)
  • Mileage: 15.0 mi

We will meet just inside the main gate entrance of Tacoma Yacht Club at the head of the ramp leading to B Dock at 5:30pm.  Call Bill at 253-370-3176 one hour before the start time to make sure it is still a go.  Please show up on time.

Please bring a PFD (personal floatation device) if you have one. We will leave the dock rain or shine - please bring appropriate clothing.

Feel free to bring a snack

This is the first of four sails included in the Tacoma Branch's Basic Crewing/Sailing Course.  Students of the course should only sign up for one Training Sail #1 activity.

An outline of topics that will be covered during this training sail is under the "Required Equipment" tab below.  Please review the related material in your course text book before the sail and make sure you ask any questions necessary for you to understand the concept being covered.

Sail activities will take place rain or shine.  The activity may, however, be canceled due to high wind.  Call you skipper 1 hour before the start of the activity to make sure it is still a go.  Please show up on time.

Route/Place

Eleven, Tacoma Yacht Club

Roster
Required Equipment

Required Equipment

At The Dock

  • Demonstrate safe proper boarding "permission to board”.
  • Safety and boat review.  Walk through boat, cover safety rules, don PFDs.
  • Quick review of parts of the boat: bow, stern, hull, deck, cockpit, keel, rudder, tiller(helm), mast, boom, lifelines, stanchions, bow pulpit, stern pulpit, masthead fly, port, starboard.
  • Standing Rigging (keeps mast standing); forestay, backstay, shrouds, spreaders.
  • Running Rigging (moves); halyard, sheet, cunningham, boom vang, furling line.
  • On Board; rig boat, tiller/wheel lesson, cleat lesson, winch lesson.
  • Knots demo: bowline, round turn and 2 half hitches, clove hitch, figure 8
  • Undocking; stress difference in "prepare" and "do" cast off.

Under Power

  • Steering - boat turns around keel.
  • Basic powerboat right of way.
  • Discuss onboard, water and land signs for identifying true wind direction.
  • Observe masthead fly through 360 degree turn.
  • "Prepare to hoist main”: main sheet off and free to run, vang off, head to wind. 
  • "Hoist"

Under Sail

  • True wind vs apparent wind; head up, head down.
  • Rough trim for points of sail. 'When in doubt, let it out’ 
  • Practice tacking, rotate crew.
  • Trim to Telltales for close and beam reach.
  • Drive to Telltales for close hauled.
  • Terms; head, clew, tack, foot, luff, leach.
  • Demonstrate; halyard tension, cunningham, outhaul
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