Updated on June 16th, 2021
When Andy and I sat down to plan our vacations for the year, it became apparent quickly that I was going to end up with at least one solo trip. Not a bad problem to have but what in the world should I do? After a few days of brainstorming, there was only one idea that I was getting super excited about. I wanted to take an ASA Sailing Course.
You, like many of our family and friends, might be asking “but Gwen, haven’t you been sailing forever?!?”, and you would be correct. I have been lounging, reading, napping, cooking and taking the helm while motoring on a sailboat for a third of my life. However, when it comes to sailing, I have practically no experience, and it has become a major obstacle to our dream of cruising full time. It would be pretty hard for us to do even a single overnight passage without me being able to handle the boat under sail.
Because our sailing season in Vermont is so short (May-September), I decided to fly down to Maryland and take a week-long course at the Annapolis Sailing School. I received both my 101 and 103 American Sailing Association certifications in five days. If you have any inclination to try sailing I cannot recommend the Annapolis Sailing School enough. I want to say a huge thank you to all the instructors, especially Paul who answered my 500 million questions with patience and the perfect balance of technical know-how and relevant anecdotes.
Reason #1: Confidence Builder
The first day I pulled into the school parking lot, took one look at the white-capped waves, and nearly had a panic attack. What in the world was I thinking?! I couldn’t do this! I have failed at exactly this so many other times in a much more comfortable setting. Where the person teaching me loved me, and on a boat that I had spent whole weeks of my life. What made me think that trying again with strangers, on a boat I had never even heard of, was going to be any different.
I called Andy immediately after finishing my first day and spewed for 15 minutes about how great the day had been and how much better I was already feeling about my abilities. After. Day. One. Here is a sampling of my proudest moments from the week:
- Tying My First Bowline Knot without Help
- Intentionally Jibing Without Screaming
- Getting 100% on My 101 Exam
- Sailing a Rainbow 24 in 12-15 Knot Winds, Surfing Down Waves Without Panicking
- Laughing Instead of Crying while Dipping Rails on the Beneteau in Heavy Wind
- Docking a Boat Seven Feet Longer and Four Feet Wider than Ours Perfectly in Heavy Wind
- Executing Perfect Man Overboard Drills on Both Boats
- Understanding Sail Trim Enough to Know Not Only When to Trim But How!
- Getting 98% on My 103 Exam
- My First Picture Smiling at the Helm
Everything we did in the classroom and on the boats was at the perfect pace. Just enough to challenge without being overwhelming. I was certainly pushed out of my comfort zone but nothing ever felt out of control or scary. Words cannot express how much my confidence on the boat grew in the course of five days. I did things I never thought I was capable of and did them well. We had talked about selling our Lightening this year but I asked Andy if we could keep it so I would have something closer to home to practice with all summer! I cannot wait to show Andy everything I’ve learned!
Reason #2: Professional Instructor–AKA Not Your Significant Other
Andy has been trying to teach me to sail and failing since our first summer together. There is a saying that husbands should not teach wives to drive and it appears that this, at least in our case, applies to sailing as well. Marriages are already hard and complicated enough without adding lessons about sail trim and knot tying to the mix.
There is no weird power dynamics in the student and instructor relationship. They are being paid to teach you what you need to know. They have a ton of experience sailing and a ton of experience teaching sailing. Andy is great at explaining things. He has managed to explain to me how an electrical outlet and diesel engines work! However, every time he tried to explain anything to me on the boat, all I heard was “blah blah blah, Gwen you’re awful at this!”. That isn’t his fault, I was just so overwhelmed and he had never taught anyone to sail before.
Reason #3: The “Right” Way
Did anyone else have teachers who would say: “this is how the book says you should do it, but I’m going to show you an easier way”? Every sailor in the word has “their way” of doing things. Instructors do as well, but instead of just telling you their way, they are going to tell you the “right” way too. I think it is super important to know how to do it “right” before you skip to shortcuts. This is especially true when it comes to safety. Is a 5398 point step by step paper safety checklist absolutely necessary every time you step on to a boat? Maybe or maybe not. Should you know what the Coast Guard requires you to have aboard before leaving the dock? Absolutely!!
This also pertains to why things are done a certain way. A perfect example: I know that we combine our batteries whenever we start the motor and un-combine them whenever we turn the engine off. I do it automatically and without being asked. Did I have any idea that was because you need to combine to charge house batteries and un-combine so your electric fridge doesn’t drain the starter battery? Nope! But I do now!
It is also a great place to unlearn bad habits that you may have picked up during previous sailing experiences. I certainly learned that we don’t use our traveler enough. Also, when I asked Andy where our Boom Vang was he sheepishly admitted that it has been attached in years. I don’t blame him for his bad habits! He essentially has been single-handing the boat for the last ten years!
Reason #4: Expanding Your Sailing Network
There is so much to learn from other sailors. Everyone has different experiences, different stories, different mistakes not to repeat. During my week at sailing school, I was lucky enough to sail with four different instructors and two other students. Everyone added to the experience in different ways. I came away with a whole lot of gear recommendations, two new weather apps, four new books in my Amazon cart, and five new sailing blogs/vlogs to follow.
Where we currently keep our boat there aren’t a lot of other sailors, and it’s been hard to feel like we are part of a community. It was so nice to be able to talk “shop” with like-minded people, ask questions, and get advice. It really made me realize we need to do a better job of finding some sailing friends.
Reason #5: Sailing Resume
I hate to even add this one to the list because all the others are much better reasons for taking a course but it cannot be escaped. Many charter companies are requiring proof of ASA Sailing Courses prior to letting you bareboat (rent a boat without a professional captain) a charter. This is especially true in the Mediterranean where certifications up to ASA 104 are typically required to bareboat charter.
While we would really like to charter on a vacation in the near future, this honestly wasn’t something I considered a reason. I also feel like taking classes “because I have to” never means as much or sticks as long. Having a dream to vacation on a sailboat in the Caribbean is awesome! I hope you can find a reason other than “the charter company says so” to motivate you to take a sailing course.
I cannot wait to get out on the water this spring! We are only a few weeks away from splashing in Ecola, and I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited for a season!
Have you taken an ASA sailing course? We’d love to hear about your experience! Drop us a comment below!
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