This post shares lessons I learned while sailing in a new area and on a new (to me) boat. I recently started sailing and racing again after moving from the Caribbean to the US. I met some people over the summer and got invited to race on different boats. So, here are some lessons I remembered and learned during my first season sailing in a new area.
The Location
I’m sailing in the Long Island Sound, mostly on the eastern end. Nearly everyone I’ve met has commented that this must be a major change compared to sailing in the Caribbean. They’re always surprised when I tell them that the conditions here in LIS are almost identical to those in Trinidad.
Most Caribbean islands resemble tourist brochures: blue seas, clear water, trade winds, and open sea swells. Trinidad is the exception. Sailing there happens in the Gulf of Paria, an almost fully enclosed body of water between Trinidad and Venezuela. The water’s relatively shallow and similarly colored to LIS. Strong tides, currents, relatively fresh seawater from rivers, and short, steep chop appear when the wind blows. No constant trade winds due to surrounding landmasses, so varying wind directions and strengths are normal depending on the time of year.
During summer, sailing on LIS felt exactly like many days spent sailing in Trinidad. The big difference came in the fall when winds picked up and temperatures dropped. I suspect spring will bring the same. First lesson learned: Get the right sailing gear for the conditions. Cold weather is something Caribbean sailors aren’t used to!
The Boat
I posted my name on a couple of crew boards on yacht club websites. This taught me a valuable lesson because I didn’t know anyone in the local sailing community. As a result, I got invited to sail in a Wednesday evening race on a 44′ cruiser-racer, and it went from there. I’ve since sailed on several older IOR-type race boats as I’ve gotten to know people. For the purpose of this blog, I’ll focus on the boat I sailed on the most: an Ensign.
The Ensign, designed by Carl Alberg and built by Pearson Yachts, is the largest class of full-keel sailboats in North America. It’s 22 and 1/2 feet long and weighs about 3,000 pounds. Since 1962, about 2,000 have been built!
Lessons for being Crew
Here I am, sailing an Ensign for the first time, having never seen one before or even known about them. I remembered another lesson I’ve used throughout my life, especially when sailing with new boats or people: “Eyes and ears open, mouth closed.” This lesson works for all sailors, whether newbies or experienced.
Every boat and crew have their own ways of doing things. I always find it easier to learn their system than try to change it. This helps you fit in more easily and become part of the team. This is especially true during a race with other new people aboard. Take your cues from the skipper or owner. For newbies, ask questions when you don’t understand a task. For experienced sailors, volunteer to rig the boat or handle other tasks that need doing.
I generally stay quiet unless asked for my opinion or until I get a feel for the culture on the boat. The most important thing about sailing is to have fun. You can usually tell after one sail whether you had a good time and want to go again or if it wasn’t enjoyable or comfortable. Honestly, I can count on one hand the number of times I haven’t had a good experience on boats—compared to the countless times I’ve really enjoyed it and the people I’ve sailed with.
Racing Lessons
Luckily, I meshed with the owner of the boat and ended up sailing a five-race series. It’s always a steep learning curve when you get into an unfamiliar boat and try to get it up to speed. The lessons here are the same no matter what boat you race. First on the list is the crew. The boat can be raced with 3-4 crew members. Not using a spinnaker means you can race with just 2 crew members, but you’ll suffer in heavier winds. Unfortunately, we had only 2 crew for half the races and a different third crew member for the others. The first lesson and goal is to secure 3 regular crew members for next season.
For the first couple of races, we sailed the boat as it was set up. We learned a lot about crewing, especially since we were short-handed. We compared our speed to our competitors. We were slow and finished last in the fleet, but we learned a lot! The most important lesson here was identifying the fast boats. In a new class, it’s always helpful to see the set-ups of the consistently fast boats and race winners. Imitation is a shortcut to a good starting point. We adjusted our rig tensions to match the other boats more closely, and in the process, we found a stripped turnbuckle.
With the new rig tune, we sailed faster and kept up better in the next race. The wind was strong, and with only 2 crew members compared to 3-4 on the other boats, we faced more challenges. The outhaul, backstay adjusters, and traveler were difficult to use. An off-season project is to upgrade some of the deck hardware to make it easier to operate and reach while sailing. Small adjustments like these will yield big rewards. We broke the mainsheet block during the last and windiest race, which reminded me to inspect all fittings and fastenings before next season.
The sails were in good condition, but the Genoa and mainsail came from different sail makers. This meant I had to put more thought into using the tuning guides. The sails were still good enough while the crew learned the boat.
Tactical Lessons
Sailing in a new area with numerous government marks presents challenges. Having only one person aboard who knew the locations wasn’t ideal. Learning the tides and currents as we transitioned from the river to the sea is another crucial lesson. I plan to study harbor charts with the markers, determine their relative bearings, and gather current information for the area. I’ll also get sailing instructions and courses laminated for onboard use. Another lesson I remembered: Some boats can get very wet. Paper, even in plastic covers, was destroyed. Laminating all information will be key.
Conclusion
The hardest way to learn the area and how the different wind directions affect it is through experience. This process will take the most time. However, we can do much more to make the boat easier to sail. With proper hull preparation, learning the mast tune and rig settings, and having a regular crew, we can begin the process. It’s always rewarding to see things come together. After finishing last in the race series, the only way to go is up! I can’t wait…