Alright, so you listened to my last episode and you have signed up for a course! Congrats! Now what? Hopefully the sailing school that you signed up with will be providing you with some pre-course learning materials. But if that is not the case, this week I provide you with some ideas. For this episode I will assume you are signed up for a day sailing course. I'll do a different episode for liveaboard sailing.

Ok, you are getting excited and figuring out what to pack for your course. If you are day sailing, you should check the weather each day and dress accordingly. What does that mean? If there's rain, invest in rain pants and a rain jacket. Bring extra layers, spare socks, hats, etc. Unless otherwise indicated by the sailing school, you should not need to bring any person safety items to a beginner course.

Basically plan to wear active, or hiking, type of clothes. I find these work best and avoid jeans. Something comfortable, something that moves with you, something that dries quickly, etc. Footwear should be comfortable and with good tread. No flip-flops. Listen to Episode #2: New Sailor Sailing Gear for other ideas and tips.

Now I'm looking at extra items to bring to make your course fun and enjoyable. Here's a short list:

So you have decided to take up sailing! Great! But where do you start?! There are a lot of options out there so this week I'm going to dive into figuring out which course is for you. Here are some of my insider opinions on what to think about when signing up for your sailing course.

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See sailnelson.com/podcast for more show notes... 

This week I am diving into a much dreaded topic: seasickness! Arg. No one enjoys this one, but it must be discussed as it can GREATLY impact your boat! We will take a look at all facets of this lovely experience from definition, to prevention, to management!

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seasickness [ see-sik-nis ] - noun

nausea and dizziness, sometimes accompanied by vomiting, resulting from the rocking or swaying motion of a vessel in which one is traveling at sea.

Motion sickness: A disorder of the sense of balance and equilibrium and, hence, the sense of spatial orientation that is caused by repeated motion such as from the swell of the sea, the movement of a car, or the motion of a plane in turbulent air. Motion sickness is due to irritation of a portion of the inner ear called the labyrinth.

Source: https://www.medicinenet.com/motion_sickness/definition.htm

Your inner ears, in particular, help control your sense of balance. They are part of a network called the vestibular system.

This system includes three pairs of semicircular canals and two sacs, called the saccule and the utricle. They send information about what’s going on around you to the brain.

The semicircular canals hold a fluid that moves with the turns of your head. The saccule and utricle are sensitive to gravity. They tell the brain whether you’re standing up or lying down.

Your brain takes in all this data, and it usually comes together and makes sense. But sometimes your brain gets confusing signals.

On a flying plane, for example, you feel like you’re moving, but your eyes tell your brain that you don’t appear to be going anywhere. The opposite is true as well. After a long sea voyage, you can stand still on dry land but still feel like you’re moving.

The result is the same: motion sickness.

Penny

This episode is for those of you who are interested in offshore sailing. Unlike my other episodes in this Sailing Goals series, I am not going to focus so much on courses. Instead I'm going to focus on physical and mental preparation required for offshore sailing. In 2018 I participated in a boat delivery for the Vic-Maui International Yacht Race. What an adventure it was!

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I would be lying to you if I told you that offshore sailing is anything short of magical. Don't get me wrong, it can be very uncomfortable at times and is not for everyone! But if you are interested in offshore sailing it can be a life-changing experience.

When you decide to join an offshore sailing trip, make sure it is NOT your first time sailing at night! If you discover that you are prone to seasickness, cannot handle sleeping in shifts, or are just plain old grumpy when out of your comfort zone, offshore sailing may not be for you. The first thing I suggest you do is get a couple off night sails under your belt. I would also recommend that you try to do them during times when the weather may be challenging. This way you get some yucky weather sailing under your belt, and you'll start to see what you're made of. CONCLUSION: get out of your comfort zone.

Be prepared to share your bunk space with others. I learned early on that if you do not stow away your pillow and sleeping gear, it will most likely get used by someone else. Ewww. Be ready to share small spaces with smelly, snory, people who are just as uncomfortable and excited as you. It is a process. We all get to the point of exhaustion and laziness, so try to keep your space simple and clean. CONCLUSION: it's gonna get uncomfortable.

This is an area where I failed miserably on my last trip. I kept saying that I would get myself into a good routine at the beginning and end of each shift. Instead I pulled myself out of bed and put on my gear in a zombie-like state! I wish I had spent more time giving myself a few minutes to get into a better state so I could at least try to enjoy the shift changes a bit more. It may be the only time you get to spend with the other half of the crew! I would suggest picking 2 or 3 simple things you can do to ground yourself before heading out of your cabin. Feet on the floor, change into clean clothes, brush your teeth. You'll start feeling human again at some point. CONCLUSION: remember to take care of yourself!

This is episode #2 in a four-part series I am doing on sailing goals. These episodes are aimed at helping you to figure out which courses to take, habits to form, and areas to focus on depending on where you want to end up! This second episode is geared to the race sailor who wants to move into the world of racing. Whether you are looking for weekend races, or offshore races, I'll talk about how you can create a plan to get there!

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The race sailor is an experienced day sailor looking to take their sailing to the next level. They have probably already completed several introduction or basic sailing courses. They may own their own boat, or they may be crewing regularly for someone else. Perhaps you have already dabbled in the world of beer can racing and now you are curious about larger, or maybe even offshore, races.

There are a few different ways that you can expand your sail racing knowledge. Here are some of my thoughts:

This is episode #1 in a four-part series I am doing on sailing goals. These episodes are aimed at helping you to figure out which courses to take, habits to form, and places to go with your sailing depending on where you want to end up! This first episode is geared to the new sailor who wants to become the most proficient and able day sailor there is. Explore your own backyard with knowledge and head home at the end of your day feeling invigorated by your sailing adventure!

The day sailor is probably someone who is just starting out to explore the amazing world of sailing! Alternatively, you've been a sailor for awhile, and are continuing to sail while dabbling in other hobbies as well. Either way, you love to get out for a day of sailing with family and friends and may participate in occasional beer can races put on by your local sailing club.

Here is my short list of courses to help you achieve day sailor perfection:

HABIT 1  Pre-departure Check: As a day sailor this should become second nature for you and something that you automatically do prior to every departure. Don't assume that the boat is as you left it! Download my boat checklist or create your own and make it automatic.

HABIT 2 Safety Gear Check: I have decided to break out safety gear and boat check as I think they both warrant a good once over. For your safety gear you are checking the required gear, as well as recommended gear. Is your ladder still securely fixed to the transom? Does your boat hook still telescope properly? Are your flares dry and readily available?

HABIT 3 Include Your Guests: get into the habit of coaching others and including them in your boat prep. This will help them feel involved, and will help you feel a little less stressed about potentially having non-sailors onboard. Ask Uncle Rob to read the flare instructions. Teach Aunt Helen how to tie eight knots at the ends of the sheets. Teach neighbour Bob how to start and turn off the engine. These are all relatively small tasks, but if you need help from someone at some point while day sailing, you now have someone who has already been exposed to the information and your specific boat.

HABIT 4 Practice Your Crew Overboard: Regardless of whichever COB recovery method you use, you should know it inside and out as a day sailor. Especially if you often have non-sailors out with you on the boat. The last thing you want to be doing while Sally is in the water is trying to remember where to put the boat while 3 other people are asking you what to do. Make it automatic.

Alright, so my boots are not as bad as the photo above, but I have had my sailing boots way too long! I need new ones. They have no tread, and have never fit properly. I bought them on sale, and thought what the heck? So, this week I am going to take you along on a gear shopping trip.

First off I need to figure out what I need. I currently have Keen sandals for summer, Salomon runners for summer, and then Helly winter boots, so I am doing pretty good. What I really need are summer/off-season sailing boots to keep my feet dry and warm-ish. So I need basic cruising boots. My wishlist includes:

Now that I have figured out basically what I am looking for, time to start pricing things out! Here are the brands I am looking into (I have left out Gill and Helly as I already have boots/shoes from them and want to test something new!):

How did I narrow down my list you ask? Well I did a quick Google search and then I canvassed some of my Facebook sailing groups. 

Check out sailnelson.com/podcast for the rest of this article!

This week I am bringing you a shorty episode about crew dynamics and how I go about selecting a crew for offshore, or longer distance sails. I will also be moving to by-weekly episodes while I get a few things sorted out for this upcoming season! Hope you enjoy and let me know how you go about selecting your crew or how you interview your skipper! 

Penny

Following along on last week's episode about foul weather gear, this week I am diving into base layers! These layers complement your external gear. Their job is to help manage your body heat and keep sweating to a minimum. Nice and dry = warmth!

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One of the most common synthetic fabrics used for base layers is polyester. However, you may also find a combination of nylon, rayon or polypropelene. Synthetics have a bit of a spandex feel which give you a nice snug fit.

5/5 wicking             4/5 durability            3/5 odor- resistant

Merino wool is soft and has ultrafine fibers and is nothing like older wool clothing and blankets. Wool can also be blended with other fabrics, like spandex to enhance fit and flexibility. Merino wool has the following characteristics:

4/5 wicking            3/5 durability             5/5 odor-resistant

Silk is an ideal fabric for low-key activities like an easygoing fall hike or an evening concert outdoors. It has the following characteristics: