Thursday, October 19, 2006
I always get this question from my colleagues; sailing looks difficult and there are some many ropes which makes sailing complex. Really, it is not difficult and complex. when you are on the dingy, there are only two parts of the dingy that you need to handle. They are the main sheet(rope that controls the boom) and the rudder extension. Depending on the direction you are sailing, the left hand holds the main sheet and the right hand the rudder extension(or the other way round). There are two maneuvers that you need to master and you can sail all single-handed dingy. First, is tacking. Tacking means moving the dingy across the wind. Jibing happens when you sail with the wind from behind. When jibing, the boom will swing from one side to the opposite side. Beginners need to remember to duck under the swinging boom. A lot of new sailors learnt the hard way nursing a bruise on the head being hit on the boom. Mastering these two basic moves will enable you to sail any dingy and later even the keelboat.
