Training Boat: J24
The J24 is one of the most popular keelboats for day sailing in the world (5,200 hulls have been built). The sail plan is generous, yet forgiving. This boat goes well in both light and heavier breezes and is easily handled by two people. It is tiller steered as opposed to wheel steered which greatly enhances the boat's reaction time to a person's movement of the tiller. This is of paramount importance when learning how to sail, i.e. the faster a boat reacts to your action, the quicker you will know that what you did was correct.
Two and Three Day Basic Keelboat Course
Our two day Basic Keelboat course is structured around a schedule which challenges every level of person and rewards each with the objective and subjective know how to command a boat of this size. This course is offered every weekend as well as weekly: Tuesday & Wednesday or Thursday & Friday. The format combines classroom time and on the water training each day. The classroom portion is one hour concentrating on terminology, parts of the boat, knots and theory. This time is also spent focusing on translating what you have read in the book into the simple dynamics of sailing.
On the water you will spend 3 1/2-4 hours each day practicing what you have read and what you have been taught.
Course Curriculum
Day 1
Classroom
Parts of the boat
Bowline, cleating,clove hitch
Points of sail
Standing and running rigging
Tacks and jibes
Basic sail trim
Irons(how to go in, how to get out)
Mooring balls
Rights of way
Commands
On The Water
PFD's and safety gear
Outboard operation
Dock line and fender handling
Sail raising and leaving dock/anchorage
Using tell tales
Going head to wind, bearing away
Tacks and jibes
Sail to dock
ID all standing and running rigging
Straight line steering
Points of sail
Proper boat put down
Day 2
Classroom
Square knot,slip knot,rolling hitch, stopper knot
Apparent and true wind. Headers and lifts. Veers and backs
Sail shape and sail trim
Sail controls (backstay,vang, Cunningham, sheets, halyard, outhaul etc.)
Reefing
Slot effect (Bernoulli principal)
Anchoring
On The Water
Windward Leewards
Zig zags with sail trim (heading up, falling off)
Mooring balls under sail
MOBS
Heave to
Reefing
Anchoring
rudderless steering
Day 3 (optional)
More time on the water (with or without instructor) practicing and refining learned skills
Registration
You can register for your course and preferred dates through our online book system on this page or if you prefer to register by email: sail@swainsailing.com .