How to keep new sailors happy on board

RYA chief instructor Clive Vaughan explains how to encourage new sailors aboard and keep them coming back for more with some simple steps

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I believe that as a skipper, you are responsible for your sailing companions feeling safe and having a great time, and that is especially true of new sailors, writes Clive Vaughan.

You have to put yourself in the shoes of your least experienced crew and be aware that they may find boats intimidating.

It’s down to you to help new sailors enjoy themselves while feeling secure and useful, so here are my top seven easy-to learn skills to pass on to new crew members.

1. Life on board

I have frequently witnessed guests arriving onto an owner’s yacht having had no form of pre-voyage briefing.

For novices unused to boats, it’s important to help them feel at home.

A person stepping on board a boat from a pontoon

Gentle encouragement will help new and novice crew feel at home

Being shown where you can stand or sit safely, and pointing out the dangers of booms, winches and hatch covers, helps with orientation.

Moving around using grab handles and slightly bent knees for balance, and the adage ‘one hand for you, one for the boat’, are often not obvious to new sailors.

Explaining terminology, demonstrating how to use the heads and showing where to find refreshments and lifejackets will put anxious minds at rest.

2. Setting off

Guests usually want to get involved and help.

Showing them how to tie up and untie lines and fenders (and where to stow them) is a great starting point – one which instantly gets your guests feeling they can do something useful.

Take a few minutes to demonstrate how to step off and on board safely, and where to stand as you leave or arrive.

No one enjoys feeling they have done something wrong: clear explanations before leaving and landing makes their experience safer and protects your boat.

Always avoid shouting instructions such as ‘jump!’, and try to ensure that your boat docks in such a manner that your guests can ‘step’ ashore.

3. Setting sail

Hoisting and dropping sails is another key activity – as alien to some new sailors as putting on ski boots for the first time!

Show them how to safely load and wind winches, remove sail covers or ties, and hoist and tail halyards so they feel involved.

You can of course do it all yourself to look impressive; but remember, you’ve invited them to come and experience your boat and sailing.

The trick is to keep things relaxed, taking time to explain what you’re doing, demonstrate it and let them have a go.

The more newcomers feel they are contributing and are not just a ‘spare part’, the more it helps to build confidence too.

4. Start helming

An easy way to make your guests enjoy their sailing experience is to encourage them to steer – once you are clear of traffic hazards!

It might seem counter-intuitive to give the helm of your precious yacht to a beginner, but it’s one of the easiest skills for guests to learn.

New sailors on a yacht

Putting new crew on the helm
early (with supervision) is a great
way to build their confidence

Under power or sail, demonstrate the tiller or wheel action and begin with travelling in straight lines.

Many of us learnt to steer boats by being given a point to steer towards on shore: use the same principle, and stay with them as they learn and experiment.

5. Get knotted!

Sailing, like many sports, is stuffed full of jargon and specific ways of doing things.

Go over essential terms, such as port, starboard, halyards and sheets.

We all use them by default (even when trying not to), and you don’t want guests grabbing the bed linen if you ask them to grab the blue sheet.

Tying the right sailing knots is another classic sailing jargon-fest.

However, it’s something that people can learn easily: showing guests how to tie a figure-of-eight, clove hitch and bowline can provide hours of fun and laughter, especially if it is turned into a competition.

6. Let’s get somewhere

Get everyone involved in making the boat move.

Straightforward explanations of the basics will normally suffice, such as why a yacht can’t sail directly into the breeze, without having to deliver lectures on aerodynamics.

A yacht sailing

Involving new sailors will result in a happy ship!

Demonstrate how to trim the sails and then let them have a go.

Simple instructions work best: ‘Let the sails out until they start to flap, then pull them in a bit until they don’t’ will go a long way.

Move on to changing direction and tacking.

Thinking ahead about how much sail to use with inexperienced guests on board can avoid an unplanned and stressful reefing session.

7. What happens if…?

An often unexpressed concern of novice sailors, and a very common one with partners who sail together, is what to do if something happens to the skipper.

Their safety is your responsibility. Start with showing where to find and how to use a lifejacket, and invite guests to wear them, even if the
conditions seem gentle to you.

Show everyone how to start (and stop) the engine. Talk through a man overboard procedure: just explaining the steps can help to reduce the ‘fear factor’ without having to enact the full rehearsal.

Also, remember to explain how to dial or radio for help.

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