SAILING THEORY & BACKGROUND
Telling someone ashore

Before you go afloat for the first time at a coastal site, seek local advice. The Harbormaster, Coastguard, local sailing club members or fishermen will be glad to warn you of possible dangers. A chart of your sailing area will indicate sandbanks, rocks, shipping lanes and other hazards.

In popular harbors and estuaries you are certain to meet other craft, so be sure you know the Collision Regulations.

Tell someone where you are going and when you intend to return. Don't forget to tell them when you do get back, too, as nobody will be pleased if an unnecessary search is started.

International Regulations

As with every other form of transport, there are accepted rules governing your behavior near other boats. They are called the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.

Your principal duty is to avoid hitting anything; as a beginner it is always better to slow or stop the boat by letting the sheets go and turning into the wind, rather than to turn away from the wind which will cause it to gain momentum. If you hit anything at speed you will cause considerably more damage than if the boat is slowing.

Port / Starboard
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When meeting other sailing yachts, there are two important rules to remember:

1. Boats on port tack must keep clear of boats on starboard tack.
2. If you are on starboard tack you have a duty to maintain your course to allow other boats to keep clear.

Port is the left hand side of the yacht facing forwards
Starboard is the right hand side of the yacht facing forwards

Windward Boat
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When boats are travelling together or converging on the same tack, the boat that is to windward must keep clear of the other boat.

Windward - The side from which the wind is blowing
Leeward - The side away from the wind direction (pronounced loo'ard)

Power / Sail

When meeting motor yachts of similar size, you will be reassured that the old adage about "steam gives way to sail" is true for much of the time. It does not apply, however, if you meet large power-driven vessels in rivers or estuaries where they must keep to certain channels to avoid running aground.

That is equally true whether the power driven vessel is a ship following a buoyed channel in a large estuary or a yacht proceeding under power in a narrow channel leading to a marina.

There are also rules for following or crossing channels. Whenever possible, you should follow a channel by keeping to starboard and cross a channel at 90 degrees, keeping clear of any vessels which are following the channel as outlined above.

Overtaking Boats