Are you new to sailing? Here are some sailing tips for beginners and instructions that every beginner needs to know.

As a beginner, you need to practice in good weather conditions. It does not matter how much experience you have; some safety guidelines should not be overlooked. As a sailor, you should always be prepared for anything that could happen on the water so you need to pack for any circumstance.

Basic sailing terms everyone should know:

• Stern – the back of a ship
• Bow – the front of the ship
• Port side – port is always the left-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow.
• Starboard side – starboard is always the right-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow.
• Leeward – the side of the boat away from the wind.
• Windward – the side of the boat closer to the wind.
• Mast – a tall pole on a boat or ship that supports its sails.
• Boom – the boom is the horizontal pole which extends from the bottom of the mast.
• Rudder – located beneath the boat, the rudder is a flat piece of wood, fiberglass, or metal that is used to steer the ship.
• Tacking – this basic sailing maneuver refers to turning the bow of the boat through the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the boat to the other side.
• Jibing – this basic sailing maneuver refers to turning the stern of the boat through the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the boat to the other side.

There are different types of sails that are on a sailboat namely:

• Mainsail – It is behind the mast and is attached to the mast and the boom.
• Headsail – It is the sail between the forestay line and the mast. It is either a Spinnaker, Jib or a Genoa, there are many sizes of headsails: A genoa gives you a lot of power in light winds and a working jib is smaller and it is between the mast and the forestay and is used in strong wind conditions.
• Spinnaker – When sailing downwind, the spinnaker is your best option. It is a balloon-type sail which is attached to the mast and the bow of the boat.

Different parts of a sail:

• Head – the top of the sail.
• Foot – the bottom of the sail.
• Tack – the lower front corner of the sail.
• Clew – the bottom back corner of the sail.
• Luff – the forward edge of the sail.
• Leech – the back edge of the sail.

The basics of sailing also mean being familiar with essential right-of-way rules as well. Here is a helpful overview of basic sailing rules:

1. To avoid collision with other boats you should always have a proper lookout with sound and sight.
2. You should always sail at a safe speed to ensure that you always have control of your vessel.
3. When it comes to assessing the risk of collision you should always use common sense.
4. When you are approaching another sailboat and the wind is on a different side of both of you, then sailing rules state that the boat that has the wind on the port side should always give right of way to the other boat.
5. When you are approaching another sailboat and the wind is on the same side of the both of you, then sailing rules state that the boat that is to the windward side (the direction of the wind) must give right of the way to the boat that is on the leeward side (the opposite direction of the wind).
6. If there is a risk of collision with another vessel and you can’t use rule four and five, then the sailing rules state that the boat that has the other boat on the starboard side must give right of way to the other.
7. If you are overtaking another vessel then you should always stay out the boats way.
8. If there is a risk of collision with another vessel and you can’t use rule four, then the sailing rules state that the boat that has the other boat on the starboard side must give right of way to the other.
9. If you are overtaking another vessel then you should always stay out the boat’s way.
10. As a sailor you should always keep out of the way of any boat that is a)not under command, b)has a maneuvering restriction, c)is fishing.
11. Sailing rules state that you should always keep as close to the outer edge as possible when you are going through a narrow channel.
12. A sailboat should always stay out of the way of large vessels and ferryboats because it is harder for them to slow down or change direction, especially if there isn’t a lot of space but they usually give way to sailboats.

In the sailing world, there are many things to take into account in order to ensure the safety of the crew and the boat itself.

Weather:

You don’t need strong winds and rough seas to get experience. First, learn to completely control your vessel in tranquil waters. Always check the weather forecast before you leave the port. The one thing that you should never forget is that practice makes perfect. With your first sailing trips always get an instructor to help with your route. It is for your own safety to have someone with experience onboard while you are still learning.

Navigation:

Beginner sailors usually have trouble navigating around. Always have your route completely planned out before you leave the port. Most vessels have Hi-Tech equipment onboard and they usually have the latest in navigation instruments. Consult your instruments constantly. When you are a beginner be sure to sail in familiar waters. If you’re are a beginner, then it is better if you start by learning on a lake or a dam with a dinghy. A training boat is a dinghy that is specifically designed for training, they are safe and simple and offer stepped levels of learning. Single hander dinghies are designed for one person which makes you think on your feet because you must handle the boat by yourself. A double hander is designed for two people which is also a great way to learn how to sail because you have someone who can help you with your learning process and they can give you very useful advice.

In short, please stay safe on the waters and be cognitive of other boats and the changes in weather conditions.

Happy sailing from Ullman Sails!