The three rules of sailing
The three rules of sailing are:
1. Keep the boat off the land.
2. Keep the water out of the boat.
3. Stay on the boat.
Everything else is optional.
Could sailing be this simple? Yes, people have been successfully sailing for a very long time simply by paying attention to these three criteria.
If you do the same, then everything else will work itself out and you will enjoy successful and safe voyages.
I like to keep things simple, but listening to others talk “sailing”, I quickly get confused about what is important.
With all this talk of speed and sailing rigs and safety gear and …. you can wonder where to start.
Start with remembering the three rules and pay attention if any are being threatened. If you are on the boat, the boat is off the land and there is no water in the boat, then relax and enjoy the ride, whatever that ride is at this moment.
Safe sailing
Sounds real simple. A bit too simple, isn’t it?
@ Morris
Like most things in life, it is that simple and it is not.
However I’ve always been a fan of; when in doubt, go for the simple. This can be especially useful if fear and anxiety is taking its toll.
Sailing should be simple, hence my preference for relaxing and limiting my actions to the simple next thing to do that does not jeopardize the three rules of sailing.
Many of my sailing errors have been because I was trying to achieve something when the best plan was to do nothing and sit it out.
Hence if the three rules of sailing are not in jeopardy and I’m still breathing, then all is well.
As someone who is just starting out as a sailor (and on a big trip, too), I find it relieving to hear that it can be broken down into simple stuff. I know I’ve got some serious challenges ahead of me, but it’s good advice to focus on what is really important.
Although, having just endured four days stranded in an anchorage in the wind and snow with no heat, I’ve just had a huge reminder about how important the basics are when faced with the challenges of cruising