by Episode #020: Your Pocket Sailing Instructor Podcast: How to prepare for your sailing course!
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.
Listen to Episode #020: How to prepare for your sailing course!
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Here are my most recent episodes:
#61: Sails – Finding a Sailmaker – Your Pocket Sailing Instructor Podcast
What to Wear
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.
What to Bring
Now I’m looking at extra items to bring to make your course fun and enjoyable. Here’s a short list:
- sunglasses, hat
- sunscreen
- phone/camera for photo ops
- water, snacks, lunch (make it BIG, as fresh air will make you hungry!)
- notebook and pencil if you like to write things down (wet notes work great)
- binoculars if you’d like to look around during lunch, but they could be a bit much for this type of day sailing
- any course books that were mailed to you (ie Basic Cruising Skills textbook for example)
What to Read
Potentially the sailing school that you signed up for your sailing course with may have emailed or mailed you some information. For example, for my Sailing Essentials course I provide my students with a sequence of emails pointing them to online resources. Alternatively, my Basic Cruising students receive their Basic Cruising Skills course manual in the mail to prepare ahead of time. However, not all schools will do this.
Here are a few of my suggestions for pre-course prep:
- Go through my podcast episodes. There is a lot of information in these episodes that will help you get ready for your sailing course.
- Read through my blog posts. These posts will also provide information that will help you prepare.
- Go through some of these free online courses.
- Watch some sailing YouTube channels including: Sailing Project Atticus, Sailing Uma (early episodes), Nautilus Sailing and Annapolis Performance Sailing.
In the end you have taken the first step in your sailing journey, so congrats! Keep going from there and have fun!
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