Responsibility to Your Students As a US Sailing Certified Instructor
Safety, fun and learning are the three major directives for every sailing instructor. If your students enjoy themselves, return uninjured, and learn something new and interesting you will have met your primary responsibilities to your students. Safety People expect to be safe while in the care of an expert. As a sailing instructor you are…Read More
Small Boat Sailing: Teaching Sportsmanship
When you’re trying to teach sportsmanship in competitive sailing, there are no proven methods to follow. You need to try different approaches because every group you teach will react differently to the request to “act sportsmanlike.” Practice sessions can fall apart if your team isn’t getting along and all you can is, “Will you please…Read More
Teaching Fundamentals: Stress Management
Stress gradually takes its toll when an instructor feels overwhelmed by job pressures. Frequent pressing deadlines, long hours, conflicts, high expectations, insufficient resources, emergencies, sudden setbacks, financial constraints, and preoccupying personal problems are only a few of the things instructors may face every day which contribute to stress. Stress management is particularly important during a…Read More
Sharing the Seas: Safe Boating for Sailors and Whales
Did you know that collision with vessels is one of the leading causes of death among whales, such as the endangered North Atlantic right whale? Collisions can also cause thousands of dollars in damage to boats and injure crew. US Sailing, the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, New Bedford Whaling Museum and Whale and Dolphin…Read More
Case Study: An Emergency Action Plan Report from OCSC
When a Life Hangs in the Balance – Emergency at the Club By: Rich Jepsen and Steve SaulAll sailing instructors and program directors are trained in the ‘what ifs’ of safety and risk in our jobs teaching kids and adults how to sail, while providing them opportunities to enjoy their new found skills.We all know…Read More
Implementing an Offshore Safety and Preparedness Plan
By: Chuck Hawley & Sally Lindsay HoneyHere are some items to consider when creating and implementing an offshore safety and preparedness plan:1. Start with a safety ethos for the event2. Implement pre-departure training3. Select an equipment list4. Identify skipper/crew/yacht qualifications, if any5. Pre-departure inspections – make them useful6. Communication plan appropriate for the event7. Emergency…Read More
Start Windsurfing Right: Understanding Wind
Wind speed and direction never stay the same - they are constantly changing. While these changes are often small and subtle, they can be substantial. You will, with experience, develop a skill called wind sensing or wind feel which helps you detect the wind and anticipate its changes. How can you tell the direction of…Read More
Quick-Stop Rescue
All sailors must know how to react quickly to a crew overboard situation. The hallmark of the Quick-Stop Rescue method is the immediate reduction of boat speed by turning in a direction to windward and thereafter maneuvering at modest speed, remaining near the PIW. This rescue requires these steps: 1) As soon as a crew…Read More