The lessons below are presented roughly in the order you would need to learn them in order to sail from the MIT Sailing Pavilion. These, and the videos on the video page, are presented as a reference for anyone looking to learn or improve on these skills.
| LESSONS | DESCRIPTIONS |
|---|---|
| Rigging the Boat | Find and zip on a comfortable life jacket. Choose any tech dinghy sail and any rudder. Smaller storm sails are located in the lobby area and full sized sails are located in the sail bins inside boat bays one and two. Pick out your tech dinghy to rig and place the rudder and sail in the bilge Place your sailing card up on the rack in the lobby. Rig the sail. |
| Rigging the Sail and Tying a Stuns’l Tack Bend with the Halyard | Untangle and choose the halyard running freely from the aft side of the mast head. Pull about 12-18" of the halyard through the hole in the head of the sail. Go across the front, around the back and back across the front a second time while spiraling downwards towards the sail. After going across the front, turn the halyard back towards you through the triangular shape. Snug the bundle up so it can slide down along the halyard until it is firmly wedged against the top of the sail. Feed the top of the sail into the track on the back of the mast and pull the sail up 2 or 3 feet with the halyard. Secure the halyard on either cleat on the sides of the mast. Cleating may be done properly by wrapping the halyard once all the way around the outside of both horns. Then, cross once over the middle, around the horn, and secure by twisting a loop or hitch so you have 2 lines parallel under one. |
| The Stuns’l Tack Bend Reviewed | Untangle and choose the halyard running freely from the aft side of the mast head. Pull about 12-18" of the halyard through the hole in the head of the sail. Go across the front, around the back and back across the front a second time while spiraling downwards towards the sail. After going across the front, turn the halyard back towards you through the triangular shape. Snug the bundle up so it can slide down along the halyard until it is firmly wedged against the top of the sail. |
| Launching the Boat and Securing it with a Bowline Knot | Liberally wet the dock down beneath the back of the boat as well as between the back of the boat and the edge of the dock with your bailing bucket. Immediately go to the bow of the boat and wrap the ‘painter’ or bow line around your hand. Using both hands lift the front of the boat up until the back of the boat goes down on the wet dock. Push with your hip and the boat will slide right in. Let the boat hang naturally with the wind and tie it up so one is not banging into other dinghies alongside. Secure painter to dock with bowline knot. Make a loop in the painter so the loop is on the right side as you look at the front of the boat and the part coming towards the dock is on top. Hold the loop by pinching it with your left hand. Take the end of the line and pass it through the tie off on the dock. Go back UP through the loop, go around the back of the line going to the boat (from right to left) and then go back DOWN through the same loop. Snug up by pulling on the line going to the boat. Do not pull hard on the bitter end. |
| Preparing the Boat to Sail | Be prepared to step in all the way to the center of the boat right away. If the sail is in your way, push it over to the far side of the boat so you will be able to get your center of mass over the center of the boat immediately. Step in with both feet over the side of the boat just aft of the side stay. Remove the bungee from the top of the centerboard handle and put the centerboard down by pulling the handle aft until it parallels the bilge. Walk aft and pick up the rudder/tiller assembly and unfold the tiller over the top of the rudder. Place the rudder into the water and push the assembly out into the river until you can pull the tiller back underneath the traveler line. The traveler is the rope going from side to side across the back of the boat. Line up the pintles onto the gudgeons and push down until they are well seated against each other. Turn the latch above the bottom pintle so your rudder will not accidentally pop off. Remove the extra slack from the traveler line and secure the line in a cam cleat on the top of the back floatation tank. Before raising the sail think about where the wind is coming from. The sail will luff in the wind and you want to position yourself so you are not on the same side of the boat that the sail will be on. Check your tell tales. Raise the halyard and pull firmly before securing it on a cleat on the side of the mast. Thread the downhaul line through the grommet at the lower front corner of the sail and tension it through the clam cleat (aluminum with molded teeth inside on the port side of the mast). Tension the down haul line just barely enough to pull the wrinkles out of the leading edge of the sail. Next, check your sail camber so that there is a gap between the middle of the foot and the side of the boom of about a closed hand width. Adjust with the outhaul line which is located on the bottom side of the boom up near the mast. As a beginner you should check to make sure that your boom vang (black 3 part line that pulls the boom down toward the base of the mast) is LOOSE. As you become more experienced you can try more and more tension on this but it is best to not tension it until you develop a bit of self confidence. |
| Leaving the Dock with Two People | The skipper should be seated on the side of the boat opposite the dock with the tiller in their aft hand. The tiller should be able to move freely back and forth without touching the skipper’s body. The crew will push the boat forward along the dock to get the boat flowing through the water. The crew can then push the boat out into the river and step in. They should be seated on the bench seat facing forward. The skipper will steer the boat out into the river and be seated on the side of the boat opposite the sail. |
| Leaving the Dock Solo | The skipper will push the boat forward along the dock to get the boat flowing through the water. They shall then push the boat out into the river and step in forward of. They should be seated on the bench seat facing forward. The skipper will steer the boat out into the river and be seated on the side of the boat opposite the sail. |
| Steering and Trimming with Two People | The skipper should sit far enough forward to be able to move the tiller from side to side without it hitting their body. The crew needs to sit facing forward and trim the sail directly from the boom. Pull the sail in as you begin a tack turn or if the sail is luffing. Ease the sail out con tenuously while making sure that the forward edge of the sail NEVER luffs. The exception to this is if the boat is over powered by a gust of wind and both persons are having difficulty balancing the additional pressure on the sail despite moving their bodies to windward. Survival instincts should prevail and you might ease - don’t just let go - the sail until balance is achieved. The skipper must fight the additional pressure on the tiller to keep the boat going in the same direction. If both sailors are being dynamic with weight placement then the boat will remain well balanced. NEVER, ever let go of the tiller. |
| Tack Turns with Two People - Crew Trimming | As the skipper pushes the tiller towards the sail, the crew should trim the mainsheet in tighter. This will keep the sail filled with wind longer and significantly increase your chances of executing the turn completely. After the sail goes over your head, cross the boat with your aft foot first while facing forward and switch hands behind your back. Sit back down on the new windward side of the boat and focus on pointing the boat in the direction which you want to go. |
| Tacking with Two People - Skipper Trimming | Before the skipper pushes the tiller towards the sail, they should trim the mainsheet in tighter. This will keep the sail filled with wind longer and significantly increase your chances of executing the turn completely. When it is time to push the tiller, the mainsheet needs to be in your forward hand only. After the sail goes over your head, cross the boat with your aft foot first while facing forward and switch hands behind your back. Sit back down on the new windward side of the boat and focus on pointing the boat in the direction which you want to go. The crew should balance the boat and keep it from tipping even though the skipper might fall down. |
| Tack Turns Solo with Tiller Extension | Slide your hand out along the tiller extension until it is almost at the end. As one pushes the tiller extension towards the sail, the mainsheet might be trimmed in tighter. This will keep the sail filled with wind longer and significantly increase your chances of executing the turn completely. Wait on the old windward side until the sail fills with wind on the new tack. Cross the boat with your aft foot first while facing forward and switch hands behind your back by sliding your hand along the mainsheet behind your back. This will ease the mainsheet so it will be easier to flatten the boat on the new tack. Sit back down on the new windward side of the boat and focus on switching hands to trim the mainsheet in your new forward hand and pointing the boat in the direction which you want to go with your aft hand on the top of the tiller extension. The extension should be held like a microphone in front of your body instead of behind your body like you are frying eggs. |
| Jibe Turns with Two People | As the skipper pulls the tiller away from the sail, the crew should balance the boat to keep it perfectly level and keep their head down. Do not trim the sail to assist it changing sides. Let the wind blow the sail over to the new side. BEFORE the sail switches sides, the skipper should face forward and switch hands behind their back. Just as you sense the sail swinging over your head, straighten the tiller to keep the boat from turning too far up into the wind. Again, do not let go of the tiller. |
| Jibing with Two People and using Tiller Extension | Skipper should remain seated on the windward side of the boat. Turn the boat slowly by pulling the extension towards you. Slide your hand closer to the tiller along the extension and point the extension to the other side of the boat. The crew will slide their weight towards the windward side of the boat and this will assist turning. When your tell tales point away from your side of the boat, it is time to quickly trim the mainsheet with your forward hand as fast as you can. As you cross the boat, stop turning. The sail will come over and you need to cross the boat facing forward. Stop turning the boat as soon as you sense that you have turned the boat enough for the sail to come across. The crew must be ready to help flatten from the roll and quickly compensate back towards the leeward side so the boat doesn’t remain heeled to windward. The skipper should switch hands behind their back, settle down and point the boat in the new direction. |
| Jibe Turns Solo with Tiller Extension | Remain seated on the windward side of the boat. Turn the boat slowly by pulling the extension towards you. Slide your hand closer to the tiller along the extension and point the extension to the other side of the boat. When your tell tales point away from your side of the boat, it is time to quickly trim the mainsheet with your forward hand as fast as you can. The sail will come over and you need to cross the boat facing forward. Stop turning the boat as soon as you sense that you have turned the boat enough for the sail to come across. Switch hands behind you back, settle down and point the boat in the new direction. |
| Woman or Man Overboard Recovery | If you can’t find a room mate or victim to help you practice this in reality try using an old fashioned ‘horse collar’ lifejacket instead. Practice out in the middle of the river well away from shore and other boat traffic. While sailing along close hauled comfortably drop the lifejacket into the river. Let your mainsheet out a bit and sail away on a beam reach for about 5 boatlengths. While doing a jibe turn let the sail all the way out so you can approach your victim slowly with the sail luffing. Retrieve them over the windward side of the boat with the boat hardly moving forward at all. The boat should not be pointing straight into the wind. |
| Returning and Docking with Two People | Pick out a suitable place for the boat to land at the dock and while approaching begin to let the sail out so the boat loses some speed. The skipper shall turn the boat into the wind and remain seated on their side of the boat. Guide the boat along the edge of the dock so the side of the boat touches the dock first. Just as the boat is about to touch the dock, the crew may push the entire sail against the wind and that will dramatically slow the boat down. The crew may step out and hold onto the boat by the sidestay. The skipper may then walk forward in the boat and lower the sail. Be sure to refasten the halyard to the cleat so the top of the sail can not come out of the mast rack. |
| Returning and Docking Solo | Pick out a suitable place for the boat to land at the dock and while approaching begin to let the sail out so the boat loses some speed. The skipper shall turn the boat into the wind and remain seated on their side of the boat. Guide the boat along the edge of the dock so the side of the boat touches the dock first. Just as the boat is about to touch the dock, the skipper may push the entire sail against the wind and that will dramatically slow the boat down. The will walk forward along center and may step out and hold onto the boat by the sidestay. The skipper may then tie the boat up to the dock and lower the sail. Be sure to refasten the halyard to the cleat so the top of the sail can not come out of the mast rack. |
| Lowering the Sail and Unrigging | This should be performed in exactly the opposite order of rigging the boat. Lower the sail. Secure the halyard. Loosen the traveler line over the tiller. Secure your tiller extension onto its bungee. Remove the rudder and fold the tiller over the top of the rudder and place the whole assembly under the thwart on the bottom of the boat opposite the dock. Push the sail and boom over to the side of the boat opposite the dock and walk forward along center. Raise the centerboard and secure the handle with the bungee cord. Step out of the boat just aft of the sidestay. |
| Pulling a Dinghy onto the Dock | Untie the bowline knot securing your boat and walk the boat while holding onto the sidestay to the place where you’d like to pull it out. Lift up on the front deck of the boat and place the bow of the boat onto the dock. Then lift as high as you can in order to keep lifting up until the thwart gets about even with the edge of the dock. Then pull forward until the boat is sufficiently far enough up on the dock for other folks to land behind you or walk safely along the edge of the dock. |
| Folding the Sail | Carry your sail over to any of the hooks on the door frame casings along the dock and place the top of the sail over a hook. Stand back and get tension on both edges of the sail. While pulling tension on those edges make a couple of bed sheet folds. Roll the sail up from the bottom to the top and place the sail into any available cubby inside the boat bays at the west end of the dock. |
| Rudder and Tiller Clean Up | After neatly stowing your boat by coiling the mainsheet and securing the halyard remove the rudder and tiller from the bottom of the boat. Secure the tiller extension with the bungee and fold the tiller over the top of the rudder. Hang the rudder by its top pintle on the rack beneath the sail compartments in the boat bays. |
