What Happens When Things Go Wrong?

Every experienced sailor has been pointing the wrong way, stuck head-to-wind or wondering why the boat has suddenly stopped.

There is a moment in learning to sail when everything seems to be going surprisingly well.

The boat is moving.

The sails look approximately right.

You are beginning to understand the tiller.

You have even completed a couple of tacks without hitting anybody with the boom.

And then, quite suddenly, nothing works.

The boat stops.

The sails start flapping violently.

The tiller appears to do absolutely nothing.

You are pointing in completely the wrong direction.

Or perhaps there is an unexpected crash as the boom flies across.

Maybe the centreboard hits the bottom.

Something falls overboard.

Or, in the most memorable version of events, the entire boat turns upside down.

Welcome to sailing.

None of these things necessarily means that you have done something terribly wrong.

And they certainly do not mean that you "can't sail".

They mean that you are learning.

Sailing Is Not About Never Making Mistakes

One of the biggest differences between beginners and experienced sailors is not that experienced sailors never make mistakes.

They do.

The difference is that experienced sailors have usually seen the situation before.

They recognise what has happened.

They know what caused it.

And, most importantly, they know what to try next.

That experience only comes from actually sailing.

You can read about sailing.

You can watch videos.

You can learn the names of every rope, fitting and point of sail.

But sooner or later you have to get into a boat and discover what happens when the wind, water, boat and sailor don't quite agree with one another.

Fortunately, most common beginner problems are surprisingly easy to solve once you understand them.

Problem One: You Get Stuck Head-to-Wind

This must be one of the most common things that happens when somebody begins sailing.

You try to tack.

The bow turns towards the wind.

The sails begin to flap.

And then the boat simply stops.

You are pointing directly into the wind.

This is sometimes called being in irons.

The problem is simple.

A sailing boat cannot normally sail directly into the wind.

If you remain pointing there, there is very little useful force from the sails to drive the boat forwards.

Worse still, once the boat has almost stopped, the rudder becomes much less effective.

So you move the tiller.

Nothing much happens.

You move it more.

Still nothing happens.

At this point beginners sometimes conclude that the steering has broken.

Usually it hasn't.

You have simply lost the water flow across the rudder that makes steering effective.

How do you escape?

The important thing is to stop trying to force the boat forwards.

Let the boat begin to move backwards slightly.

As it does, the rudder starts working again — but because the boat is travelling backwards, its effect is reversed.

A small movement of the tiller can help push the bow away from the wind.

Once the bow falls far enough onto one side, the sail begins to fill.

The boat starts moving forwards again.

And suddenly the steering returns.

It is one of those beautiful sailing lessons where something that appeared to be a disaster becomes completely understandable once you know the physics.

Problem Two: The Sails Are Flogging

Flogging is the rather dramatic noise made when a sail is flapping in the wind.

It sounds much worse than it often is.

A flogging sail is telling you something.

Usually it is saying:

"At the moment, I am not properly filled by the wind."

There are several possible reasons.

You may be pointing too close to the wind.

The sail may be eased too far.

You may have just completed a tack.

Or you may deliberately have released the sheet because you want to reduce the boat's power.

The important skill is learning to distinguish between a sail that is flogging because something is wrong and one that is temporarily flogging because you deliberately depowered it.

Remember the simple sail-trimming rule from earlier in the series:

Ease the sail until it starts to complain, then pull it in just enough to make it happy.

If the sail continues to flog even after you pull it in appropriately, look at your direction of travel.

You may simply be trying to sail too close to the wind.

Bear away slightly and see whether the sail fills.

Problem Three: "I've Lost the Steering!"

This can feel alarming the first time it happens.

You move the tiller.

The boat barely responds.

Move it again.

Still almost nothing.

There are several reasons this might happen.

The most common is simply that the boat is moving too slowly.

A rudder needs water flowing across it.

If the boat is stationary, the rudder has very little authority.

The solution is often not to make ever larger tiller movements.

It is to get the boat moving again.

Get the sails filled.

Allow the boat to gather a little speed.

Then make a small steering correction.

This also explains why enormous tiller movements are rarely helpful.

A rudder turned too far can act almost like a brake.

So when the boat starts responding again, remember:

Small movements first.

Let the boat tell you whether more is required.

Problem Four: The Boat Starts Drifting

Sometimes you discover that you are not really sailing anywhere at all.

The sails may be loose.

The boat may be almost stationary.

And gradually the wind or current begins carrying you somewhere you didn't intend to go.

This is drifting.

Drifting itself is not automatically dangerous.

In plenty of situations it is perfectly normal.

But it matters enormously what you are drifting towards.

Open water?

Probably not a major concern.

A riverbank?

Worth paying attention.

Another boat?

Time to take action.

A weir, obstruction or shallow bank?

Definitely time to act.

This is one of the habits experienced sailors develop almost unconsciously.

They don't only ask:

"Where am I going?"

They also ask:

"Where will the wind and current take me if I stop?"

That awareness becomes particularly important on rivers, where the available sailing area may be quite narrow.

Problem Five: The Unexpected Gybe

We looked at controlled gybing earlier in this series.

But accidental gybes happen.

Usually the boat is sailing downwind and the wind crosses from one side of the stern to the other.

Suddenly the mainsail changes sides.

The boom crosses the boat rapidly.

That can be startling.

Sometimes very startling.

The immediate priorities are straightforward:

keep everybody's heads down,

keep control of the boat,

and avoid panicking.

Then work out what happened.

Often the boat has accidentally turned too far.

Sometimes the wind direction changed.

Sometimes the helmsman was concentrating on something else and simply didn't notice the boat wandering across the wind.

This is exactly why experienced sailors become so aware of the boom when sailing downwind.

The boom is not something to fear.

But you should always know roughly where it is and which side of the boat it might cross to next.

Problem Six: The Centreboard Hits the Bottom

There is often a particular sound associated with this.

Clunk.

Sometimes followed by a puzzled expression from the helm.

You have found the bottom.

In a dinghy with a lifting centreboard or daggerboard, shallow water can suddenly stop the board.

Depending upon the boat and its design, the board may kick up, or you may need to lift it yourself.

The first rule is simple:

don't force things.

If the board has hit something, ease the load and lift it if necessary.

A partly raised centreboard may allow you to sail or paddle into shallower water.

The same applies to the rudder on boats fitted with lifting rudders.

The important lesson comes slightly earlier, however.

Start learning to recognise shallow water before you reach it.

Look at the shoreline.

Look at the colour and texture of the water.

Watch what other boats are doing.

And listen to local sailors.

Every sailing club has areas of water where somebody will eventually tell you:

"Don't go too close to that bit."

There is usually a reason.

Problem Seven: Something Goes Overboard

It might be a hat.

A drinks bottle.

A glove.

A paddle.

Occasionally something considerably more important.

The natural reaction is immediately to reach over the side.

That is not always the best reaction.

First, keep the boat under control.

Second, keep looking at the object.

Small things disappear remarkably quickly among waves and reflections.

If there are several people aboard, one person should keep pointing towards the object while the helm manoeuvres the boat.

If conditions allow and it is safe, you can then return and retrieve it.

This little exercise also introduces one of sailing's most important safety principles:

If a person falls overboard, never lose sight of them.

Recovering a floating hat can therefore actually be useful practice.

It teaches observation, boat handling and approach speed without the urgency of a real emergency.

And Then There Is the Capsize

Eventually, if you sail dinghies for long enough, you are likely to capsize.

For beginners, the idea can sound terrifying.

In practice, in suitable conditions, with the correct safety equipment and proper instruction, learning how to recover a dinghy from a capsize is an important part of becoming confident on the water.

Many sailing dinghies are specifically designed to be righted after capsizing.

The important word here is learning.

Your first capsize recovery should not be something you try to teach yourself from an article.

It should be practised with an instructor, coach or experienced sailor in suitable conditions.

What Normally Happens During a Capsize?

The boat heels further than intended.

The sail approaches the water.

Eventually the mast and sail reach the surface and the boat lies on its side.

The first priority is always the people.

Check that everyone is safe.

Stay with the boat unless there is an exceptional reason not to.

A boat is much easier for rescuers to see than a person swimming alone.

The typical recovery procedure varies between boats, but broadly involves:

releasing sheets if necessary,

positioning yourself appropriately,

using the centreboard for leverage,

bringing the boat upright,

and getting the crew back aboard.

Some boats may invert completely.

Some recover very easily.

Some require particular techniques.

That is why practical instruction is essential.

The Centreboard Becomes Your Lever

The interesting thing about capsize recovery is that the centreboard suddenly acquires an entirely different purpose.

Normally it resists sideways movement through the water.

During recovery, it can become a lever.

The sailor climbs or pulls on the centreboard.

Their weight provides a turning moment.

That turning effect begins rotating the hull back towards upright.

In simple terms:

Turning effect = force x perpendicular distance

The further your weight acts from the boat's pivot point, the greater the turning effect you can generate.

It is a wonderful example of classroom physics becoming very real indeed.

Don't Immediately Try to Climb Over Everything

One common beginner reaction during a capsize is to scramble frantically.

That can make things more difficult.

Instead, slow the situation down mentally.

Where is your crew?

Where is the boat?

Where is the mast?

Where are the sheets?

Where is the centreboard?

What is the wind doing?

Once everyone is safe, capsize recovery becomes a sequence rather than a panic.

That is one of the reasons controlled capsize practice is so valuable.

The first experience becomes:

"The boat has capsized!"

After some practice it becomes:

"Right. We know what to do."

That change in thinking is enormously important.

Sometimes the Best Action Is to Stop Doing Things

This is a surprisingly useful sailing lesson.

When beginners become worried, they often make more and larger movements.

Pull the sheet harder.

Push the tiller further.

Swap sides quickly.

Turn again.

Then undo the turn.

Very soon nobody is quite sure what the boat is doing.

Sometimes the best response is:

ease the sail,

stabilise the boat,

look at the wind,

look around you,

and decide what you actually want the boat to do next.

A sailing dinghy often gives you more time than you imagine.

Learn to Ask: "Why Did That Happen?"

This is perhaps the most useful question in sailing.

Not:

"Who made the mistake?"

But:

"Why did the boat do that?"

If you ended up head-to-wind, why?

Perhaps the tack was too slow.

Perhaps you didn't turn far enough.

Perhaps you turned too far.

If the boom gybed unexpectedly, why?

Perhaps the boat wandered downwind.

If the rudder didn't respond, why?

Perhaps there wasn't enough boat speed.

If the boat kept heeling, why?

Perhaps the mainsheet needed easing.

Each mistake teaches you something about how sailing boats behave.

Experienced Sailors Still Get Things Wrong

Spend enough time around sailing clubs and you will discover something reassuring.

Very experienced sailors still run aground.

They still misjudge tacks.

They still get headed by wind shifts.

They still occasionally end up somewhere they hadn't planned.

They may even capsize.

Watch racing and you can sometimes see extraordinarily skilled sailors make mistakes at considerable speed.

What experience gives them is not immunity from mistakes.

It gives them better recovery.

They recognise what is happening earlier.

They respond more calmly.

And they usually learn something from it.

Confidence Does Not Mean Believing Nothing Will Go Wrong

This distinction matters.

Real sailing confidence isn't thinking:

"Nothing will go wrong."

It is thinking:

"If something goes wrong, I probably know what to do."

And if you don't?

Ask somebody.

One of the great advantages of learning through a sailing club is that there are usually experienced sailors, instructors and coaches nearby who have already made almost every mistake you are capable of making.

Quite possibly several times.

Ask them what happened.

Ask them what they would have done.

Most sailors are remarkably willing to explain.

Before You Panic, Try This

When something unexpected happens, mentally work through a very short checklist.

People: Is everybody safe?

Boat: Is the boat stable?

Wind: Where is the wind coming from?

Sails: Are they filled, flogging or overpowered?

Speed: Is the boat actually moving?

Direction: Where are we pointing?

Hazards: What are we drifting towards?

That tiny pause can transform confusion into a solvable problem.

Mistakes Are Where Sailing Starts to Make Sense

Reading about tacking teaches you the sequence.

Getting stuck head-to-wind teaches you why the sequence matters.

Reading about sail trim tells you where the sail should be.

Hearing it flog teaches you what poor trim feels and sounds like.

Reading about gybing teaches you that the boom crosses the boat.

Experiencing an unexpected gybe teaches you why you should always know where the boom is.

And practising a capsize teaches you something even more important:

the boat going over does not necessarily mean the adventure is over.

You recover it.

You climb back aboard.

You sort the sails out.

And you carry on sailing.

That may be one of the best lessons sailing teaches.

The Sailor You Become Is Built From the Mistakes You Recover From

Nobody steps into a dinghy for the first time already knowing instinctively how it will respond.

You learn by steering slightly too far.

Then slightly less.

You learn by pulling the sail too tight.

Then easing it.

You learn by making a poor tack.

Then making a better one.

You learn what being head-to-wind feels like because one day you accidentally stop there.

And at some stage you may find yourself standing on a centreboard wondering how what had been a perfectly respectable sailing boat thirty seconds earlier is now lying on its side.

That is sailing.

The objective is not perfection.

The objective is gradually replacing surprise with understanding.

The first time something goes wrong, you may think:

"What on earth just happened?"

The second time:

"I think I know what happened."

And eventually:

"I know how to fix this."

That is when confidence starts to appear.

Not because mistakes have disappeared.

But because they no longer frighten you.

My name is Philip. I started sailing when I was 65. 

I joined a club and because my son had already been part of a club for many years - borrowing all types of boat. He knew what we needed and the type of boat I would require. 

So we did by an RS Toura - a virtually unsinkable dinghy which has given me the confidence to experiment and learn and take my RYA exams and become a competent sailor and then to move up to the boat of my dreams - the A-Rater.

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Coming Next in the Beginner Sailing Series

Once you realise that mistakes can be recovered from, something rather interesting happens.

You stop concentrating entirely on keeping the boat moving and begin thinking about where you actually want to sail.

That is when sailing starts becoming not just a physical skill, but a tactical one.

Return to https://pmrsailing.uk/Lessons.html