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**Learn to Sail in Ten Easy Steps**
Published 2022-12-15; Last updated 2025-01-11
"The feel is what separates a good sailor from a so-so one, and you'll never get it unless you've had a good soaking in a tippy dinghy."
-- [Skip Novak](https://www.pelagic.co.uk/ywpdfs/2015_02_Skip%20col%20YW%20Feb%2015.pdf)
Sailing is an ecologically friendly way to enjoy nature, stay fit, make friends, and have fun. The activity is available to everyone near an appropriate body of water, across age, gender, economic means, and physical ability.
Sailing can mean fooling around in bathing suits and boats only slightly larger than surfboards at a lake on a warm afternoon. Or it might mean day sailing a wide river with snacks in hand and appreciative guests. You might choose to build up to weeks spent cruising in fantasy destinations on a boat with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, a kitchen, and living room. There's also a competitive sport of sailing, where racing varies from chasing neighbors around on a Wednesday night to international competition and setting ocean speed records.
I've helped hundreds of people learn to sail in person. This article describes a process that I saw work well for many people. As written, it applicable as written for anyone:
- with access to a safely navigable body of water for a novice (mild temperature, gentle wind, low currents, small waves, low boat traffic),
- who is able to swim or at least dog paddle with a life jacket on, and
- who can perform the equivalent of pulling themselves out of a pool without a ladder.
That's all of the physical capability needed for starting sailing. You need ability for safety. You don't need to pulling hard on ropes, balance well, climb a mast, or jump around.
While experienced sailing can be very physically demanding, when beginning sailing is the rare sport where you do not have to be particularly athletic. We're talking about a sport where you spend most of your time as a begginner sitting down, can rest any time, and might end up eating lunch while doing the activity.
Now, you can still learn to sail if you are unable to reliably pull yourself out of the water due to aerobic or cardiac condition, upper body strength, body shape, or a disability.
These are cases where courses with an instructor and safety partner can be particularly valuable. They will help you get in and out of the boat on land, and stay with you in or next to the boat on the water.
There are specific "para sailing" or "able sailing" boats designed for people with disabilities. These boats are either self-righting or almost impossible to capsize, and have accomodation to not require multiple limbs. They include the RS Venture, Martin 16, and the competitive 2.4mR.
Canada has a nation-wide para sailing education program and able sailing network.
In the US, see the US Sailing Adaptive Sailing program, and search for one of the many adaptive sailing programs at a club near you.
Internationally, International Association for Disabled Sailing and Blind Sailing support disabled sailers, as well as various regional and national organizations.
Regardless of what your sailing end goal is, how fit you are, or how old you are, the absolute best way to learn is to start with a single-person small boat, a "dinghy". Every sailing instructor or world-class expert will tell you this.
I believe that for many people, the key to learning sailing both quickly and deeply is to not only start with a small boat. It is also figure things out for yourself. I recommend that you do not begin by taking a course if there are no outstanding safety concerns or access limitations to boats.
That also means don't have a friend give you detailed instructions and feedback (but do welcome them to sail alongside you in their own boat!) Definitely do not let a parent or spouse instruct you, or learn with you, until you have the basics locked in. If a couple or siblings get into a boat together, it is almost guaranteed that only one of them is going to learn.
Those other sources of information such as courses and friends are great once you have the basics. When you first start, I strongly believe that formal lessons and specific advice just confuse and slow you down.
How can you figure it out for yourself? Well, making mistakes in a small boat has little penalty and is often fun. A small boat lets you directly feel all of the forces at work and experiment with them. The systems are simple, so you can focus on the most important controls. If you approach it reasonably, the worst thing that will happen is that you'll get wet. Which is actually pretty good thing if it is a hot summer day.
As with any aquatic activity, we must always respect the potential danger of water, wear our floation devices, and stay aware of our surroundings. By adhering to those practices, any place where it is safe for you to swim is likely a good location to figure things out on your own with a boat.
Learning to sail is a simple process. Get a boat, learn to recover from a capsize, and then figure everything else out on the water yourself through experimentation. Spelled out in ten steps for your first day:
- Get a boat and everything from the Equipment and Conditions section. Probably not by buying one, although that's an option if you're committed. Bring a friend to watch you, lifeguard style, from shore or another boat.
- Launch your boat by walking it from the beach into shoulder-deep water without getting in the boat. If you don't have a beach, ride the boat away from a dock with a big shove off, and then jump in the water when it is about shoulder deep. Let go of any concern about getting wet or falling in while sailing, since you are already in the water. Aren't you glad that you got that out of the way early?
- Capsize the boat by tipping it over 90 degrees so that the sail is in the water, but the boat isn't yet upside down. Do this while you are still in an area where you can easily stand with your head above water. For example, grab the mast from the water and pull it towards you. Be careful to not hit yourself with the mast or boom or end up under the sail as you do this.
- Swim around the front or back of the boat to what is normally the "bottom". The bottom of the boat is now vertical like a wall. You should end up holding onto the big fin called the "centerboard" or "daggerboard" that is now sticking out sideways. You're wearing a PFD, so this is more like dog paddling or treading water than real swimming. Stay in contact with the boat the whole time if you can.
- Recover the boat by hanging on the centerboard from the water. You don't need to pull yourself up. Just pull the boat down towards you. It will naturally slide sideways as it comes upright and not hit you.
- Board by swimming to the back and climbing/clamboring/sliding in. Keep a hand on the boat as you go around to the back so that it doesn't drift away. As you climb in, try not to pull on the "tiller" (the stick connected to the fin at the back) as a handle. That is the only potentially fragile part of the boat. Don't try to reboard at the side of the boat your first time. It is harder to get in on the side.
- Now, go sailing! Adjust the sail by pulling on the rope attached to the "boom" (horizontal pole) until it stops flapping, and then let it back out a little until it is just about to flap around again. This is how you adjust the sail as you move around. When in doubt, let it out.
- Let go of the rope whenever you want to slow down or stop. The boat only moves because you are holding that rope in tight. It might make a lot of noise as the sail flaps, but you can stop any time you want to simply by letting go.
- Keep your head low so that when the boom swings around it passes over you. You'll figure out when the boom is going to move later. For now, assume it is always ready to swing and you can't go wrong.
- Avoid things you don't want to hit. That includes land, rocks, shallow water, other boats, animals, and swimmers. Give them at least 10 meters of room, and the more the better.
That's it! You'll figure out everything else yourself by trial and error. You already know how to stop moving and how to handle the normal failure mode of the boat tipping over. Stay close enough to land that you can swim back to shore if you really need to.
If you are physically capable of climbing into the boat but aren't willing to begin your sailing experience by first jumping into the water, then give up now and go find another activity. Seriously. You can't learn to sail without getting wet at some point. It is a terrible idea to go out alone in a small boat that you haven't already practiced recovering from a capsize.
For the second time that you go sailing, I'm still not going to tell you how to succeed at operating the boat. However, here are some tips for how to move your body that may make you more comfortable. Don't read this until you've done the first trip. It will make more sense after that.
Sit on the side of the boat, not the center or back. Face the sail and turn your head to look forward. Sit as far forward as you can be without being in front of the mainsheet (rope from the sail) attachment.
As it gets windier, move your weight further out of the boat sideways, hooking your feet under the strap if you need it for balance. The further out and forward that you sit the more room you will have to move your arms and stay away from the boom.
Hold the mainsheet and tiller (what you steer with) in front of your chest, with your thumbs pointed in and up. Never let go of either.
When you need to pull in a lot of mainsheet line, bring it from your forward hand to your back hand (which is still holding the tiller), pinch the line under your thumb, and then reach down with your forward hand to grab more. When you need to ease the mainsheet out, let it run slowly through your hand.
When you change which side of the wind the boat is on (tacking and gybing), stay on the side of the boat. Duck and wait until the sail moves over your head. Then, switch sides while facing forward, without releasing the mainsheet or tiller. Your tiller hand will end up behind your back in your forward hand and your mainsheet will be in your further aft hand in front of you. When you are settled in on the new side, switch hands behind your back. If you are tangled up trying to switch that means that you turned the wrong way and faced backwards when you crossed the boat.
Avoid the temptation to slouch. Sit with classic good chair posture. Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and head balanced over your shoulders. When you are leaning out to balance the boat, keep your shoulders back and avoid letting the mainsheet and tiller pull them forward. This will avoid an aching neck and lower back afterwards.
Once you've done the intentional capsize and recovery for your first two sailing trips, you can skip those steps in the future. Just launch by getting into the boat and shoving off. You'll be getting plenty of capsize recovery experience on the water naturally.
I've noticed that novice sailors often launch from the dock, presumably to avoid getting wet or because they associate boats with docks. Experienced dinghy sailors usually launch from a beach when they have the option. They know that getting wet is normal and that launching is easier, safer, and less crowded on a beach. If you have a choice of launching from a beach, do so. You only need to be waist-deep normally when doing this. Shoulder-deep was just for your first time capsize recovery.
The first time that the boat naturally capsizes while sailing you may feel flustered, but you already know how to recover it. After your first few recoveries from unexpected capsizes, you'll be confident that you don't need to worry about falling in the water or the boat tipping over. And on a hot day, you'll begin to consider this part of the fun.
After going out by yourself ten times, you'll be able to steer your boat around and get back to shore confidently. You will also have plenty of questions at that point, and be ready to understand the answers to them.
At that point you are ready for more research and formal learning. This is the time to explore online guides and videos, books, sailing courses, and the advice that friends and family are so eager to share.
What you need:
- A PFD (personal floation device..."life jacket"), which you'll wear at all times when anywhere near the water, even on shore.
- An old single-handed catboat dinghy, such as a Laser, Sunfish, or if you are very small, an Optimist. The boat should be sufficiently well-used so that you don't worry about damaging it a little.
- 8-16 kph (5-10 mph, 4-8 kts) of wind.
- A bailer, if your boat has a deep cockpit. Boats with shallow or self-draining cockpits such as a Laser, Sunfish, or RS Zest don't need this. A bailer is just a plastic jug with the top screwed on and the bottom cut off, so that you can scoop water out of the boat. Tie it onto the mast so that you don't lose it.
- A hat, and waterproof sunscreen or complete UV blocking clothing coverage, depending on the season.
- A wetsuit or swim suit, depending on the season. Do not wear street clothes, which will be heavy and cold when wet. Wear swimming clothes.
- A plastic or metal bottle of drinking water. This will float, but if you tie it to the mast then you won't have to worry about losing it in a capsize.
- A safety whistle, tied to your PFD and tucked in where it can't catch on anything.
- A friend to sail a separate boat near you, or to watch you from the shore as a lifeguard, if you are in a location without a lot of other people around. This person is only there for true emergencies, such as if you are struck by another boat. They shouldn't help if your boat capsizes normally and you're able to recover, or if you are simply confused and drifting in an unfortunate direction. Mistakes that do not threaten injury are your own problem and part of the learning process.
- Humility. Look, you're going to make a fool out of yourself the first few times. You'll smack your shins, drift backwards confusedly, fall in the water, and put some cosmetic scratches on the boat. We all did! In a few months you'll be zipping around proudly. Set your expectations low and have a good time in the beginning.
You might want a small paddle or be required to have one by law. In practice, you can paddle with your hands or jump in the water and pull the boat if you need to. You're be out in light conditions in a tiny boat.
You do not need sailing boots, sailing gloves, a radio, anchor, flares, life buoy, a trailer, binoculars, a large boat, a motor, or any sort of license to start with a dinghy.
You do not need to know how to tie knots, what the parts of the boat are called, which sides are starboard and port, the navigation rules, storm techniques, racing rules, or anything else. (You don't need to know navigation rules because you're staying far away from all other boats at first.)
You don't even need to know how to swim, since you are wearing your PFD at all times.
Like a bicycle, learning to sail when moving too slowly is actually harder than when going a little faster. If there's less than 8 kph of wind, hold out for a better day. If there's more than 20 kph it will be obvious to you that you aren't ready for that.
Rain and light fog are fine for sailing. Cloudy days are ideal. Do not sail if there's any chance of a thunderstorm. You are going to be sitting next to a giant metal pole that is the highest point around, surrounded by water.
Don't sail a small boat in water that is unsafe to swim in due to pollution, current, temperature, breaking waves, dangerous wildlife (such as jellyfish, orcas, stingrays, or sharks), or underwater hazards.
In my understanding, in Canada, all small sailboats are required to have on board:
- A PFD. Be smart. Wear it.
- A sound signalling device--that's your whistle.
- A manual propulsion mechanism, such as but not explicitly a paddle. I consider my rudder and my hands to satisfy this requirement for a small sailboat. I know many people who strap a small emergency paddle to their mast or boom as well.
- A bailer, which is "not required for a boat that cannot hold enough water to make it capsize or a boat that has watertight compartments that are sealed and not readily accessible", such as a Laser or RS Zest.
- 15 meters (50') of line for heaving and towing. Your mainsheet tied to your halyard or painter is probably long enough. Most small boats have 12m of halyard and 13m of mainsheet.
Boats engaged in a class or formal racing in good conditions that are also accompanied by a safety boat (which can be the committee boat) are exempted from these rules. Regardless, you should always wear your PFD and carry a whistle, and if your boat needs it, carry a bailer. It is only the tow line and paddle requirement that make sense to be exempted from when in a fleet.
To get the boat you can borrow one from a friend, rent at a tourist sailing venue, join a sailing club as a member, or buy your own (usually around $1-5k USD or CAD) and transport it on a car roof rack.
If you are a college student and your school is on a river, lake, or ocean, then there is probably a sailing club or team that you can join for free.
If you join a community or college sailing club, then they will probably require you to take an intro sailing course in order to have access to their boat. That makes sense. They don't want you to destroy their boat or hurt someone. So, take the course because you have to. Then, then forget all of the rules and theory you've half-learned. Follow through with my method until sailing makes some sense intuitively and physically. If you start with a course and just keep taking courses, then you likely will progress more slowly. Pause and fool around a lot and learn on your own through mistakes.
If you choose to buy a boat, get a used one but don't try to go too cheap. If a boat costs less than $1000 then you probably do not want it. There's a reason it is so cheap and you aren't yet experienced enough to know why or fix it. That is, unless your goal is actually to learn boat repair and disposal instead of sailing. In the worst case, if you buy a $1000 boat and hate the activity you can probably sell it to the next person for the same amount.
Also do not go too expensive. If a boat is expensive because it is high-end, then it has lots of features that will complicate the learning process and it is likely less stable--you would not want to learn to drive in a race car, so don't learn to sail in a racing boat. Or, an expensive boat might be so because it is in great condition. That's bad for learning. In a perfect boat you will be too afraid of damaging the boat to make the mistakes needed to gain experience. Regardless, you will outgrow this boat and want a nicer, and maybe larger, one after a year or two. So, don't over-invest in your first boat.
For your first boat, choose one that cannot be hand launched either from a dolly (or very light road trailer) or by carrying it to the water. Having to back a towed trailer down a ramp restricts the places and times that you can sail. Anything with a centerboard or daggerboard weighing up to 170 kg (375 lbs) can easily be hand launched from a dolly. A boat up to 60 kg (130 lbs) can be transported by car top and carried to water by two adults.
There are many single-sail dinghies. All but the highest performance ones are appropriate to learn on. Some popular first boats that you may see listed in classified advertisements are:
- Laser/ILCA. There are three sail sizes. The medium "radial"/62 ft^2 one is good for medium teens and adults; the small 4.7/50 ft^2 is for smalller sailers; and for very light wind or a very large sailor the full/76 ft^2 is fine
- Sunfish/Sailfish
- O'Pen Skiff, for children
- RS Neo
- RS Zest
- RS Quba
- Optimist, for children
- Solo
- Invitation
- Hartley 10, 12, or 12.2
- Force 5
- Sabot
- Europe
- Laser Pico
- Topper Topaz
- Portland Pudgy
- Byte, for teens or small adults
If you really want to spend a lot of money on a new boat, the RS Zest and O'Pen BIC are what many sailing clubs uses for solo learners. They are the most modern designs and very friendly for beginners. But they are also boats you will quickly level out of.
The Laser is the classic choice for learning, and it can take you all of the way up to the Olympics. The best dinghy for you is usually the one in reasonable condition that is for sale near you; focus on what is available and not the specifications or brand.
The Optimist is the classic choice for small children in classes. If you fit into one you are welcome to try it.
Avoid getting a catamaran for your first boat, because they are harder to recover from a capsize and more challenging to sail upwind.
Avoid a double-handed boat, boat with two sails, or a higher performance racing boat. Those all will have too much complexity to really learn the fundamentals, and will be more expensive.
Once you have figured out the basics on your own, taking a sailing course is a great idea.
Canada's official CANSail Dinghy program has multiple levels that are offered at clubs and schools on the ocean and inland waterways.
In the UK, the RYA Dinghy National Sailing Scheme covers small boats from beginnings through advanced racing techniques.
In the US there is no standardized small boat program, but there are many great clubs at which to take classes, and colleges often offer gym classes on sailing to their students.
For larger sailboats, there is the Sail Canada Keelboat and Cruising program. In the US there are two major sailing programs for much larger boats. These are taught at dedicated sailing schools. US Sailing has a standardized curriculum and ratings. The American Sailing Association (ASA) is a federation of sailing schools with standard certifications and varying curriculum.
CANSail, Sail Canada, US Sailing, and ASA certifications are only recognized nationally. The International Certificate of Competency (ICC Certificate) and International Bareboat Skipper (IBS) are the only internationally recognized certificates for large recreational boats, although even those are not universally accepted by charter companies.
It takes quite a lot of sailing expertise to reach the point where you need to think about international certifications, though. If you're a US sailor on vacation in France who wants to rent a Laser at the beach, then your credit card is probably the only certification that you need.
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