The Dinghy Bible: The complete guide for novices and experts

By Rupert Holmes

The Dinghy Bible is the complete, user-friendly, hands-on manual packed with detailed step-by-step diagrams, lively action photos, and helpful advice on getting the most out of dinghy sailing whatever your skill level. Whether just learning the basics or wanting tips on sailing with the best, this is the book that provides all the answers in an easily accessible visual presentation.

It's all here!

- Choosing your dinghy
- Launching, helming, trapezing and capsizing
- Racing tips, techniques and tactics
- Knots and ropes
- Sailing etiquette
- Rules of the road, safety and emergencies
- Boat maintenance and repairs
- Trailer maintenance
- and much more...

The Dinghy Bible is an ideal companion to enjoyable sailing for every skill level.

Praise for The Sailing Bible:
'A first-class introductory text' - Yachting Monthly
'It's a beautifully designed book, with glossy photos, diagrams and clear text, and a great read whether you're just starting out or looking to improve your skills' - Practical Boat Owner

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Jun 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781472907110

Rupert Holmes

Rupert Holmes’s New York Times bestseller, Murder Your Employer (the first volume in his new McMasters Guide to Homicide series), was also a Top Ten on the Indie Bestseller List, the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Houston Chronicle, and Associated Press. Holmes has received two Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America, and multiple Tony® and Drama Desk Awards for his Broadway mystery musicals, including Curtains and his Tony® award–winning Best Musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood. His first novel, Where the Truth Lies, was nominated for a Nero Wolfe award for Best American Mystery Novel, was a Booklist Top Ten Debut Novel, and became a motion picture starring Colin Firth and Kevin Bacon. His second novel, Swing, included his own original, clue-bearing musical score. His stories have been anthologized in Best American Mystery Stories, On a Raven's Wing, A Merry Band of Murderers, Dead Man’s Hand, and Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop. Holmes has adapted Agatha Christie, John Grisham, and R.L. Stine for the Broadway and international stage. His lyrics have been published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and EQ anthologies, and he is also the writer/vocalist of several Top Ten hits, including his Billboard #1 multi-platinum classic with a memorable twist-ending: “Escape (The Pina Colada Song).” 

Book preview

days.

Where to sail safely

Launching off a sandy beach onto smooth water with a fair wind and warm sun sounds like sailing perfection. But everything is not always as it appears. The sand may be too soft to push your boat to the water, the water may shelve steeply from the shoreline, rocks may be hidden beneath the surface, or perhaps there’s no one to help if things go wrong.

Sailing clubs

Join a sailing club and enjoy the following benefits:

Learn to sail on holiday

Beach club holidays with organised dinghy sailing provide great opportunities. You can learn to sail in a warm location with tuition from professionals. You can try a wide range of equipment, with a safety boat on hand. Be aware, though, that what different holiday operators offer can vary greatly. For instance, a specialist sailing company will provide top levels of equipment and tuition that is suitable for all standards. Beach club holidays, on the other hand, cater to a broader recreational market and are not likely to have the same choice of dinghy or catamaran sailing gear.

Warm weather and a relaxed atmosphere can give a great introduction to sailing. Dinghy sailing back home may be different and more challenging, with tidal waters and difficult weather, but you can rest assured it will be just as much fun.

Safety cover

Always sail with safety cover when you are learning (see Common-sense seamanship), and, if possible, when you are experienced as well. Safety cover should be provided by a qualified safety boat driver who knows how to handle a rescue boat in close proximity to a dinghy, which may be capsized with crew in the water. Beware of rescue by a well-meaning but inexperienced motorboat driver: people who are experienced will be able to manage the propeller and the movement of their boat without inflicting injury.

Most facilities have slipways and pontoons.

A shallow slipway with a smooth surface that is clear of seaweed or slime is the easiest place to launch and retrieve a dinghy.

GOLDEN RULES FOR SAFETY BOAT DRIVERS ARE:

There’s nothing better than sailing where it’s sunny and warm. These sailors are waiting for the afternoon breeze in the Med.

Safety boat cover

You should find quality safety boat cover:

Avoid sailing without safety cover – you never know when it might be useful!

Inland and coastal sailing

You can sail a dinghy inland (such as on a lake or reservoir) or on the open sea. Sailing inland has the benefit of fresh water, but wind may be unpredictable. Sailing on the sea can provide unlimited space, but tide and waves make conditions more challenging.

Sailing on inland waters

Advantages:

It is very pleasant to sail on clean, fresh water. It gives the boat and its equipment a free wash instead of leaving it covered in a sticky, salty residue.

No sandy beach also means no sand in your boat or in your sailing equipment.

A small lake or reservoir is comparatively safe, with a compact area for safety cover. If you get into trouble and can’t make it back, your boat will be blown to the nearest leeward shore.

The water level won’t drop and rise due to tides, and there won’t be tidal flow. (This isn’t the case when sailing on a river, which may have a strong tidal flow and rise and fall.)

Lakes and reservoirs used for sailing are often in beautiful areas. The English Lake District, Lake Garda and Lake Como in Italy and Canada’s Lake Sharbot can provide great sailing as well as stunning scenery.

With limited space, inland sailing locations are often excellent for tactical racing.

If you live inland, the perfect stretch of inland water may be close to home.

A big advantage of inland water is that there is no tide. The water will be at the same level when you sail back to shore!

Lake Garda is one of the world’s great inland sailing venues, providing a huge area in a stunning location.

Disadvantages:

You may run out of space. High-performance dinghies need large areas of water to perform on.

Unless you are sailing well away from the lake shore, the wind will be affected by hills, trees, buildings and any other obstructions on the windward shore (where the wind is blowing from), which may create a gusty, shifty pattern.

A small lake surrounded by trees will have rapid changes in wind speed and direction, but many sailors enjoy that for tactical racing.

There may be a muddy shoreline where you launch. The water may not be perfectly clean, with the chance of there being algae and other growths.

In winter, freshwater lakes and reservoirs can become very cold. Drysuits should be worn; capsize is best avoided – if possible!

TIP

Sailing on fresh water is cleaner but can be colder than salt water! Make sure you remember to wear suitable clothing.

Sailing on coastal waters

Advantages:

There are no limits on how far you can sail, apart from common sense and practicality.

There is also plenty of space without being hemmed in by other boats.

Sailing in a harbour, bay or along the coast provides plenty of variety and interest.

The challenge of tides will spice up your sailing.

Open water with waves is very enjoyable for the more experienced, high-performance sailor.

Sandy beaches can be beautiful places when you launch and land in a boat.

Disadvantages:

Sand and salt spray get in your boat and in your clothes.

Tides can provide a major challenge. When there is a large tidal rise and fall, sailing access may be limited. If you get the timing wrong, there may be a very long way to drag your boat over sand or mud.

Sea conditions will change with the tide. At high water, there may be tricky waves breaking on the beach. You may not be able to sail against strong tidal flow, which will sweep your boat in the wrong direction.

An onshore wind will pile up waves on the beach, making it difficult to launch or land. An offshore wind can be dangerous: light and fluky inshore, but blowing hard offshore.

Safety cover will be limited, unless you are sailing in a club event or you are with an organised group.

Salt spray can be corrosive, and so should be washed off your boat and out of your clothes when you come back to shore.

Clothing

Sailing has a tendency to be a surprisingly chilly sport wherever you are and you need to make sure you dress for the weather. In addition, when you get wet, evaporation results in rapid cooling – wet skin loses heat 30 times faster than dry.

Personal buoyancy

Buoyancy aids are available in waistcoat or pull-on styles and should be a close fit that does not obstruct your upper body when sailing. If you capsize and are in the water, the buoyancy aid should stay secure around your body, without floating up over your head.

The main advantage of a lifejacket over a buoyancy aid is that all lifejackets are designed to float an unconscious person face-upwards in the water, whereas a buoyancy aid is simply a swimming aid. A lifejacket is therefore more appropriate for anyone who is not a particularly strong swimmer.

Choosing an effective wetsuit

How effective a wetsuit is at keeping you warm depends on several factors:

A wetsuit with full-length legs and arms plus a back zip provides the best compromise for dinghy sailing – these are generally called steamers. A ‘convertible’ has removable Neoprene arms – a useful feature. A ‘shortie’ wetsuit is good for performance sailing in warmer weather, but leaves your knees unprotected. A wind- and waterproof dry top can be worn over the wetsuit, providing increased protection in colder weather. Make sure it is a loose fit so you can move easily.

A drysuit is a totally waterproof, loose-fitting one-piece suit and can be worn with thermal base and midlayers – it’s therefore a top choice for winter sailing.

Boots or shoes?

Dinghy boots should feature a tough and grippy moulded rubber sole combined with a Neoprene sock to protect your ankles. Dinghy shoes use the same Neoprene and rubber and are more comfortable in hot weather, but give no ankle protection.

Full protection

It is important to protect your extremities from the cold when sailing, so choose a good hat, gloves and footwear. Gloves need to protect your hands from the ravages of handling ropes – short-finger gloves with a reinforced palm are the best choice for dinghy sailing, enabling greater dexterity than full-finger gloves. You also need to protect your skin and eyes from the sun.

Trapeze harnesses

If the boat you sail has a trapeze, you will need a trapeze harness, which is worn over the wetsuit and under the buoyancy aid. The harness has a hook or spreader bar, which must be adjusted so that it is pulled in as close as possible to your body. Beware of using an older harness – it may not be of a type that readily releases you from the boat in the event of a capsize.

Wind and water will cool you down, so always dress to stay warm!

The trapeze harness is normally worn underneath the buoyancy aid. Sailing shoes are vital for good grip on the deck.

Common-sense seamanship

Respect for the sea, or the inland waters on which you sail, is a key part of staying safe. Stick to these essential principles, make sure you understand the basic rules of the road and keep a constant lookout for other boats.

Tides and weather

Winds are stronger over water than on land and the weather can change quickly, even on apparently balmy days. Get an up-to-date weather forecast – a coastal waters one if sailing on the sea – before launching (see Weather). In tidal waters you also need high and low water times, plus the direction and speed of tidal streams. This is especially important if tides will sweep you away from your launch site, or if ‘wind against tide’ conditions could kick up a rough sea. Beware of sailing too far downwind of your base – otherwise you’ll have a slower, more tiring and colder sail back.

Clothing and lifejackets

Even if you stay dry, it’s much colder afloat than on land, and if you get wet, body heat drains quickly away. Proper clothing suitable for all the conditions you may encounter is therefore essential (see Clothing). There’s always a risk with dinghy sailing that you will end up in the water, so wear a well-fitting buoyancy aid or lifejacket at all times.

Safety cover

Ideally, when learning to sail, you shouldn’t go out without a safety boat manned by a trained crew. On a sailing course, and during organised club activities, there will always be one of these in attendance. If you do sail without backup, make sure you tell someone ashore so they can raise the alarm if you’re late returning. You should also make sure you have ways to attract attention if you get into trouble, such as distress flares and a handheld VHF radio. It is good practice to always carry an anchor, paddle or oars, and a compass, too.

Stormy skies with wind building are no problem if there is safety cover close to hand.

Stay with the boat!

If you have a problem always stay with the boat – it has enough buoyancy to stay afloat even if inverted or flooded, and is a large target that’s easy for rescuers to find, unlike a person in the water.

Proper clothing suitable for all the conditions you may encounter is essential.

Rules of the road

Remember who gives way

Buoys and channel markers

Starboard tack boat (foreground) has right of way over port tack boats when beating to windward. Get it right! You must know the rules.

System A buoyage – when entering a harbour, the port-hand marker (red) is on the left and the starboard-hand marker (green) is on the right.

In the USA the buoyage system (system B) is different from other parts of the world: port-hand buoys are green and starboard-hand buoys are red.

Keep out of the main channel – between the buoys – when entering or leaving a harbour. This will help you keep out of the way of bigger boats.

Dealing with emergencies

It’s essential to be fully prepared and equipped to deal with any emergency situation that you may face, and also to be able to call for help if necessary.

The huge range of dinghies and different ways in which they are used makes it impossible to be prescriptive for every situation that might be faced. However, as well as common-sense seamanship (see Common-sense seamanship) there are a number of fundamentals that must be observed.

Those who race dinghies, whether inland or on the sea, should find that their class rules or the notice of race or sailing instructions for each event they compete in will specify exactly what they are required to carry. On a sailing course, and during organised club activities, there will always be a rescue boat in attendance, but experienced sailors who sail on coastal waters without the backup of organised rescue cover need to ensure they are properly prepared with the safety equipment outlined below. This will enable you to deal with common problems such as becoming becalmed and bailing water out of the boat following a capsize or swamping. If necessary, you will also be able to summon outside assistance from other boats or via the coastguard.

Essential safety equipment

Basic safety equipment includes an anchor, oars or a paddle – to get you back to shore in a calm, or in the event of gear failure – a bailer, appropriate clothing and lifejackets or buoyancy aids. You should also have a means of signalling distress, indicating that you need to be rescued. The classic way of doing this is with distress flares – these are typically orange smoke for daytime use, or a red handheld for inshore use at night – don’t forget that if you’re planning to sail in the late afternoon