Being a Beginner

[Captain Smollett]

I saw a post on a different forum yesterday where someone was 'ragging' about a comment someone else made from a position of ignorance.  It was a technical detail - the kind of thing that does not really matter to anyone but a pedant.

Several folks called him out on it, and made the point that those kinds of details take a while to learn, and no real harm is done by not knowing it during that learning curve.

This 'episode' got me to think about sailing and some of the criticisms we get for use of terminology and the way the sailing community responds to 'mistakes' others make.

So, here are a couple of thoughts.

• I am of the camp that I think terminology in sailing is important; in trying circumstances, very clear, rapid communication is necessary.  There is not time to explain or clarify.
  
  That said, however, I think it *IS* important to distinguish more 'urgently needed' terms and what can be picked up along the way.  We don't have to throw it all at new sailors all at once.  I am perhaps a bit guilty of doing that, but I've also found that when used consistently, new sailors pick up the new "language" pretty quickly...especially if they understand why it's needed.
  
  
• Oscar Wilde said that experience is the name we give our mistakes.  I think that is a very important concept to understand.
  
  We don't need to ridicule new sailors for the mistakes made, but I think we do have some responsibility to make sure the "lessons" are seen.  My opinion is that this can be done (and needs to be done) from a perspective of being constructive rather than nastiness.
  
  
• Around here somewhere, we had a thread with some wonderful sayings and quotes, and Zen posted one I've always remembered: Fall Down Seven Times, Get up Eight.
  
  I've passed that along to a lot of people since reading it here.
  
  
• We had some good discussions about getting experience here: How Much Experience Is Enough
  
  The context of that question is "How much is enough so that we don't get criticized if bad things happen," but there was some good general discussion on the topic.
  
  
• Another good saying I read on a fishing site is that information that I've been taught does not belong to me, it belongs to the next person that needs it.
  
  
• Seen on a wood working site: "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you are right."
  
  
• As we get 'better' at something, it is too easy to fall into the trap that the way that we learned and what has worked for us is not the ONLY way to do things.
  
  We see this a lot in boating discussions in some variation of "My Boat Is The Best."  I guess the biggest problem is "the best" is too limiting...best for who?  best for what?  best for where? are all legit questions, and all suggest that there is no transcendental "best."
  
  

So, that's some of my musing on the topic of how we treat beginners in our community.

[sharkbait]

It doesnt matter if one is using "nautically correct" terminology as long as you communicating effectively.
I was doing introduction to sailing lessons for some extra cash a few years ago.It was my feeling that my
students were paying for sailing not vocabulary lessons.Port was drivers side, starboard passengers side.
There was a red rope, a green rope , and a white rope.Within an hour I would have them tacking up the
Mare Island straight like Joe Sailor.

[Kettlewell]

Like in many things the terminology serves a purpose and if one wants to get good at anything you learn the terminology. When trying to speak Spanish it is much more effective if I use the Spanish word for something, even if the English equivalent may be understood. That doesn't mean you have to insist that everyone onboard calls the sitting area down below the "saloon," as some advocate. But on my boat it does mean that when I say "starboard" it has a meaning on the vessel that is distinct from saying something like, "It's on your right." Same with bow and stern, jib, mainsheet, jib sheet, and many others. It really isn't hard. I never understand the reluctance of some to embrace this tradition that makes tremendous sense, and may some day be the difference between life and death. One small example. My wife and I have been sailing for a long time together (34 years). However, when switching watches in the middle of the night we still deliberately go through a routine of establishing the course to be steered, any upcoming waypoints, notes on when to wake the off watch, etc. We use terms to make it clear what is going on. Like I might say something like, "We're on a course of 315 magnetic to buoy R4, depths should be good all the way, watch for fish traps, you should see the buoys in about 4 hours since we are making 5 knots." Takes a minute, might save a lot of hassle later. One situation that has happened to us numerous times is somebody sees something in the water that requires an immediate course correction, and even my kids are trained to shout something like, "Turn hard to starboard now, lobster pot!" It helps if everybody on board is on the same page. Down in the Caribbean my daughter would climb the mast steps to sit up on the spreaders (at 10 years old) to pilot us through coral heads in places, and it was much less confusing with her giving me directions using port, starboard, bow, stern, etc.

[Captain Smollett]

It doesnt matter if one is using "nautically correct" terminology as long as you communicating effectively.
I was doing introduction to sailing lessons for some extra cash a few years ago.It was my feeling that my
students were paying for sailing not vocabulary lessons.Port was drivers side, starboard passengers side.
There was a red rope, a green rope , and a white rope.Within an hour I would have them tacking up the
Mare Island straight like Joe Sailor.

That's true enough as far as it goes, and I've heard others do this.

The problem arises when they get on another boat that does not use their "custom" terminology.

i was at a Coast Guard base the other day, and a comment was made about the patrol boats being set up EXACTLY like every other patrol boat the CG.  The justification was given that say a crewman has a death in the family and must take leave for a few days or week or whatever.  They can fly in a crewman from WA State (or where ever) and he can take over, and do his job, without missing a beat.  No, "That's not how WE do it" or "That's not what WE call it."

In the Great Age of Sail, the Royal Navy was like that, too, and for the same reason.  Every single sailing vessel in the RN led lines to the same place or pin.  Not all vessels had the same lines, of course, but what was common was done the same.

Part of learning sailing is learning what is needed to sail ANY boat...with any crew. 

That said, as I pointed out, it does not all have to come all at once.  Teaching someone to tack to a destination by steering to "driver's side" and "passenger side" works for the first day or first few lessons, but that is not a long term view.

Couple of thoughts:

Rules of the Road are not written in terms of "generic terms," they use port and starboard and other nautical terms.

How would someone thus trained respond if they had to call for help, and the CG ship approaching them said, "We are going to approach you from port" and they had NO IDEA what that means?  I've heard marinas tell skippers which side to tie fenders on and which way to come alongside as another example.

At some point, to communicate effectively with other mariners requires speaking the common language of "boating."  And that may need to be done without delay.

It's also why I don't like "color coded" lines on a boat rather than understanding "main sheet" or "lazy jib sheet" etc.  Not all boats use the same (or any) color scheme.

[Godot]

When with new sailors, I tend to use both terms at the same time...

Steer to port, your right. Get ready to release the stays'l sheet, the line to the little sail. I'll be in the head, the bathroom.

My girlfriend roles her eyes a bit now; but there is no confusion and she knows the terminology.

[CharlieJ]

"In the Great Age of Sail, the Royal Navy was like that, too, and for the same reason.  Every single sailing vessel in the RN led lines to the same place or pin.  Not all vessels had the same lines, of course, but what was common was done the same."

From which came the expression "knowing the ropes".

I try not to be overbearing about it, but I DO tell new folks the correct names for things, and I use those names on board. I'll explain several ties if needed,, but a Mainsail clew outhaul is a mainsail clew outhaul.

I also try to use the correct names online in forums, because it's REAL hard to point to "THAT". Such as a vessels "topsides" being that section of hull between deck and water line.

[CapnK]

My comments should be read while keeping in mind that I was taught to teach sailing in the "Mistral Certified Windsurfing Instructor" system (yep, had to go to classes and such, even got a fancy diploma ;D), and that I also taught much less formally for 6 or so years on beach cats. We had ~30 minutes to teach folks just the basics of what they needed to be able to go out and get back before their 2 hours were up on an Aqua Cat (the cat equivalent of a Sunfish)... :)

I'm of the mindset to go ahead at the beginning and introduce "the right way" at the same time for the very most important concepts, in an 'as easy to understand way as possible'. Mnemonics are helpful for this.  Only later on will I explain to them why boats don't have ropes, and other such pedantry. :)

So, in a teaching situation, I point out first *why* mariners don't use right/left (like because the people communicating may be facing different directions), so that now they know and have an understanding why different words are used. I think that makes it easier for them to accept that they need to learn the new words.

Then, to help them remember 'port' is the left side of the boat when facing forward, I point out that both 'port' and 'left' have only 4 letters and end with a T.

With that in mind, it becomes easy for them to remember (another of my standard mnemonics here) that 'right' and 'starboard' both have more than 4 letters...

Usually, with simple small techniques like that, I would have students doing things 'the right way' in less than 30 minutes, pretty much effortlessly and without having to think about it.

As has been pointed out, this can make a huge difference at a time when it really matters.

I also then try to come back to these concepts several times early on to further impress them into the thinking of the students, by doing things like stopping teaching for a few minutes to make a game out of recalling the new terminology they've learned. Switching gears like that, and making it a bit of fun, further embeds the concepts so that they become second nature very quickly.

Thanks to sailing, I may be the only person you know who was a college professor and student at the same time. ;D Thank heavens that back then having extra-class "associations" with your students wasn't such a big thing...  :D

[Kettlewell]

You have to be a bit careful with mnemonics, because they don't work for everyone--like me! I struggled in school when teachers insisted we learn some mnemonic for something or other--my brain just doesn't work that way. Instead, I am the type of person that needs the reasoning explained behind the terminology and then I get it. I'm one of those odd people that looks up the origins and history behind words using a dictionary or now the Internet and then the word sticks with me. I'm also the type of person that would do much better on a test if you just gave me the book and told me to read it, assuming it is a good book, then if I sat in class for a week. My main point being that one learning style does not fit all. I find with newbies onboard it is helpful to start out with some basics that relate mainly to keeping everyone safe, then gradually adding more terms as we go along: "this is called an anchor windlass, that is the starboard jib sheet, etc." Don't try to teach everything at once prior to it being used. Teach when something is happening that illustrates what the item is used for. Plus, I don't plan on anybody remembering anything, until I know they know it. In other words, don't shout something like "jibe ho!" when running downwind in a brisk breeze and expect that everyone will know to duck their heads, even if five minutes previously you warned them about it.

[Travelnik]

Who you callin' a ho?




Sorry, I couldn't help it!  :D

[Grime]

If a person is really interested in learning to sail they will learn the language used. Most of the time its the partner/guest that goes out with the captain that could care less learning a new language. They are there for the relaxation. 

I don't force my wife to learn any names. If I did I would drive her away from the boat. She will learn it in time at her pace. I want her with me and I'm not interested in pleasing someone else.

I've only crewed on 2 different boat and both captains have different words for the same thing. I think it has to do with the part of the country you learn to sail in or maybe the captain you sailed under. I don't think its wrong just different. 

[Captain Smollett]

I've only crewed on 2 different boat and both captains have different words for the same thing.

I'd be really interested in knowing what that thing was.

I think it has to do with the part of the country you learn to sail in or maybe the captain you sailed under. I don't think its wrong just different. 

Hmmm, don't think so,  The terminology for sailing has been laid down and (mostly) standardized for many centuries.

There ARE differences..."cross trees" in England for our "spreaders" and the like.  I once read a book about a young Irish midshipman sailing on a Royal Navy vessel for the first time, and he got very confused by the terms..til the First Lt. realized what was going on and helped him bridge the gap (and learn the "proper" English words for things).

But, within one language, the differences should be the exception, not the rule, and certainly no 'regional' differences to speak of.

Do you happen to recall what that thing was specifically?

(If I had to make a blind, speculative guess, I'd say one of the skippers was using the correct, 'standard' term and the other was not, but in the absence of more info...who knows).

[CharlieJ]

I've only crewed on 2 different boat and both captains have different words for the same thing.

I'd be really interested in knowing what that thing was.

I think it has to do with the part of the country you learn to sail in or maybe the captain you sailed under. I don't think its wrong just different. 

Hmmm, don't think so,  The terminology for sailing has been laid down and (mostly) standardized for many centuries.

There ARE differences..."cross trees" in England for our "spreaders" and the like.  I once read a book about a young Irish midshipman sailing on a Royal Navy vessel for the first time, and he got very confused by the terms..til the First Lt. realized what was going on and helped him bridge the gap (and learn the "proper" English words for things).

But, within one language, the differences should be the exception, not the rule, and certainly no 'regional' differences to speak of.

Do you happen to recall what that thing was specifically?

(If I had to make a blind, speculative guess, I'd say one of the skippers was using the correct, 'standard' term and the other was not, but in the absence of more info...who knows).

\Well, ONE of the boats was Tehani ;D

[Grime]

The term had to do with tacking. I remember what one said but not the other. I do know they were different.

"Hmmm, don't think so,  The terminology for sailing has been laid down and (mostly) standardized for many centuries."

Just because you were not there doesn't mean it doesn't happen.   The term for the living room in a sailboat is said differently all the time. One is like an old time bar and the other is like a beauty parlor.

[Godot]

Possibility:

"Ready About!"

"Hard A-lee" vs. "Helm's a-lee"

[Kettlewell]

Helms-a-lee is better because it tells you what is going on, but there will always be slight differences between vessels, regions, skippers, accents, pronunciation, etc. This particular command is easier to understand when you are using a tiller, which many boats don't have, so I don't use it as much as I used to. Instead I might say something like, "Ready about, hard to starboard." That's why it is most important to teach someone why something is done and what it means along with the term for it. Just memorizing a bunch of terms is not much help.