# Do I have to know swimming to sail?



## rishi851 (Dec 29, 2013)

Hi everyone.

This is my very first post on this forum. I have a peculiar query.
I am a complete newbie at sailing. Just took an open sea course and plan on getting the beginner's certification as the next step. Step by step I plan to reach my ultimate goal- reach Hawaii from mainland(LA or San Fran) sailing alone. I don't care if it takes me 3 or even 10 years from now, but I want to be fully prepared- for obvious reasons. But there is one problem as of now....I am petrified of the Ocean.

I am a competent enough swimmer in a swimming pool. I thought if I could swim in the pool I could do it in the Ocean too. So while on a trip to Thailand I decided to jump right in. And it was a nightmare. 

Even though the sea was calm it was much much harder to swim. I ducked in(the water being crystal clear) and upon seeing the depth my heart stopped beating for a few good seconds. 

I felt as though the Ocean was pulling me away from the boat. And we were barely a few meters away from the mainland. I felt out of control. Like how a fish would feel on land. And I can swim in pools very well.

So my query is this: Do I have to be a very good swimmer if I want to learn and sail my own boat someday?

How good can you swim? Like if you fall overboard somewhere between Hawaii and California with 2000 miles of (probably) rough sea on either side, then what?

Should I first master my fear of the Ocean, become a very good swimmer and diver(as opposed to just competent) and then take sailing?


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## PaulinVictoria (Aug 23, 2009)

> Like if you fall overboard somewhere between Hawaii and California with 2000 miles of (probably) rough sea on either side, then what?


Then unless you are extremely lucky, you are dead and no amount of swimming ability is going to help you. Sailors traditionally never learnt to swim, there was no point, if you went in the ocean you were dead anyway.
Happy happy 

No need to be a swimmer to sail, try to stay on the boat is more important.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Most of the British Navy couldn't swim, when they ruled the waves. It was considered to be a very good thing, since it encouraged the men to make sure the ships would stay afloat.

Swimming in the ocean, in salt water, is physically easier than swimming in fresh water because you are more buoyant. Salt water is denser than fresh.

Swimming in waves and against currents is more difficult than swimming in flat water, but that's a matter of learning not to waste your energy against things you can't control. Like you hear every day in coastal areas, folks drown in "rip tides" which are actually "rip currents" and they are perfectly harmless--if you know what to do and don't panic.

Sounds like your problem is one of anxiety and possible panic, and for some people you can work that out with either a good swim coach or a therapist (shrink or hypnotherapist, etc.) while for other people the answer is skip the boat and go to Hawaii in a skinny metal tube made of 100,000 parts each supplied by the lowest bidder and maintained by overworked underpaid begrudging maintenance crews. 

The sea doesn't care if you live or die, it has little interest in reaching out to grab you, despite all the horror movies. But getting comfortable in or on the ocean? Some people are, and are fools. Others never will be, and are perhaps equally foolish. The only way to find out is to seek professional help (swim coach, scuba instructor, therapist, whatever) and see which way it goes for you.

Jumping overboard without being prepared or trained, without any help at all? Not such a good way to find out.


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## PaulinVictoria (Aug 23, 2009)

Oh and it's quite common to have a fear of swimming in the ocean, or deep water. I would treat that as good motivation for not doing so.


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## rishi851 (Dec 29, 2013)

hellosailor said:


> Most of the British Navy couldn't swim, when they ruled the waves. It was considered to be a very good thing, since it encouraged the men to make sure the ships would stay afloat.
> 
> Swimming in the ocean, in salt water, is physically easier than swimming in fresh water because you are more buoyant. Salt water is denser than fresh.
> 
> ...


Yes, I do suffer from social anxiety and a few mental disorders. I can't even drive!!! But I am working on it, seeing a therapist currently.

I don't want to just take a cruise or whatever. The way I see it, maybe sailing will help me get rid of anxiety, make me feel more in control. And there is a philosophical romantic element to it as well. Crossing a sea would make me feel like I have accomplished something real in this existence.

I will take baby steps. Couldn't swim a few months back but now I am a pretty decent pool swimmer. I'll do it. Live like Sonny Crocket on my own boat someday


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

In that case, the therapist is the one to ask. If they're not familiar with sailing, they may have to do some homework before they can answer you.

Most of us would say that a day on the water (good day or bad, either way) is better than a whole day in therapy. Of course, Captain Nemo had his own views about the therapeutic value of "sailing", too. (G)


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## mattt (Aug 26, 2013)

Get a comfortable type v inflatable pfd with a built in harness. You'll never need to swim. Though if you want to have more fun in the caribbean it helps to know how.


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## seabreeze_97 (Apr 30, 2006)

Being a good swimmer in the scenario you pose probably means if you go overboard, you'll just die tired.
Live like Sonny Crockett? Afraid of the ocean? How about alligators? ;-)
The trip could be very therapeutic, or you'll have a breakdown (you wouldn't be the first). Either way, if you survive, you'll be a different person on the other side.


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## davidpm (Oct 22, 2007)

Sailing is a great way to build confidence. Several people have written books about how they were more than a little timid as but after some significant sailing experience it changed how they viewed life and they become more courageous in everything.

Only you can decide if you can be comfortable on a boat but I sailed for years before I learned how to swim so you could certainly work on the swimming and sailing seperatly.

Also their are coastal areas where the water is no deeper than a pool but get deeper as you go further out so you could get used to the deeper water gradually.

Also a stand up paddle board even if you only sit on it is a good way to have something to hang onto when in deeper water.

Even a sit-a-top kayak my help you. Learn how to get in it an out of it in shallow water then try it in deeper water.

I am very impressed that you are not letting your fears diminish you life but are working on them in an intelligent manor. 

Keep up the good work and welcome to sailing.
Where are you from?
Maybe some sailnetter will be willing to take you out sailing just so you can see if you like it?


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

I couldn't imagine not being a good swimmer and owning a boat, though there are many out there who are not.
You would miss the snorkeling in the warm tropical waters of Hawaii, the SoPac or the Caribbean, swimming from the boat to a deserted beach on some tropical island. Checking the bottom of the boat, clearing a line wrapped around a prop or a problem with the rudder would all be facilitated by being comfortable in the water. Even the California coast offers interesting diving and snorkeling, though it's not nearly as pleasant as warm tropical water, wet suit or not.
Sure, anyone can sail without being a good swimmer, but why would you want to miss all the great fun that being a good swimmer offers?


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## rgscpat (Aug 1, 2010)

Wearing some sort of PFD may help you feel more comfortable aboard, especially if you can try the life preserver out in a pool and learn how it really works. There are also lots of things you can do to make darn sure you do stay on board ... harnesses with crotch/leg straps and tethers to attach to pad eyes, jack lines for going forward, having someone else on deck or on the helm when doing sail changes, etc. 

If you take a small-boat dinghy sailing class, these generally do require a capsize recovery drill and basic swimming and floating ability -- this might be tested in the deeper part of a pool or in moderate depth water near shore. Some classes also have a drill where you swim/float, then put on a life preserver/PFD. 

If you fall overboard at sea, you'd best hope others on the boat see you and get the boat back to you rapidly. Even good swimmers often lose the ability to swim very shortly after falling in if the water is at all cold, but a PFD/life preserver will give you much more survival time/time to be rescued, and even more for something like a float coat. Couple a good life preserver with a portable transponder/alarm that can be read by crew using special equipment on the boat, or with a personal locator beacon (PLB), and with a strobe light or similar, and you'd have a decent shot at rescue.


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## aeventyr60 (Jun 29, 2011)

Look at learning how to swim as one of the basic competencies of seamanship. You'd be surely remiss in not being able to do so. Usually the YMCA or your local AAU swim clubs have programs for beginners. maybe mix it in with your USCG class, ASA sailing school etc. Next time your in Thailand take the PADI discover scuba or openwater class, you will need to know how to swim for this.


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## weinie (Jun 21, 2008)

Dennis Connor couldn't swim.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Overcoming ones fears is one of the greatest feelings of accomplishment. Congratulations for taking it on. Sure sounds like some professional guidance is in order, so I hope you have access to some.

For most, the more time you spend immersed (pun intended) in whatever causes anxiety, the easier it gets. But you don't jump in like you did. You slightly push your comfort level a bit at a time.

Good luck.


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## Group9 (Oct 3, 2010)

Not if you are one hundred per cent sure you will never fall into water deeper than your head without a life jacket on.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

My SO was in the USCG and spent his entire time on two cutters, one in Alaska and one in the Caribbean. When we first met and he putzed around in my pool I commented that he couldn't swim and yet he was in the CG on the cutters. His response:

"We didn't have to know how to swim. We just had to know how not to drown. Besides, I can do a mean doggie paddle."


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## aeventyr60 (Jun 29, 2011)

DRFerron said:


> My SO was in the USCG and spent his entire time on two cutters, one in Alaska and one in the Caribbean. When we first met and he putzed around in my pool I commented that he couldn't swim and yet he was in the CG on the cutters. His response:
> 
> "We didn't have to know how to swim. We just had to know how not to drown. Besides, I can do a mean doggie paddle."


good to know he met his life saver...wooof wooof!


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## aeventyr60 (Jun 29, 2011)

I don't want to perform CPR on anyone (non swimmers) ever again, 3 times is enough. Learn to swim, for your loved ones at least. I still get a note on July 23rd every year from the one that survived......


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## flyingwelshman (Aug 5, 2007)

I used to do a lot of diving with a great group of people. One of the group had a pathological fear of diving, being submerged etc. She took the diving course in order to overcome her fear. We were all so proud of her as she joined us on some memorable trips and made attempts at each of our dives. 

She never did overcome her fear but continued diving regardless.

As time went on she would spoil the dives of her buddies by panicking and racing to the surface. This not only put herself in jeopardy, but also put her buddy - who was obliged to stay with her - at risk. It soon came a time when only either the most generous amongst us, or one who believed her 'tall tales' and thought she was a competent diver, would buddy up with her. Being her buddy guaranteed a short, panic-ridden dive.

One would think that someone with this level of anxiety over an activity would realize that it was time to take up another sport. Not so with this 'brave' soul. In fact she progressed through the PADI training to get qualified as a Rescue Diver.

One of the skills required of a rescue diver is that you are comfortable breathing through your regulator without wearing a mask. To demonstrate this the instructor approaches you under water and signals for you to remove your mask. You are to do so immediately and demonstrate your comfort until you are given the signal to replace your mask. This is a great skill to have as, when rescuing a panicked diver it is very likely that your mask will be knocked off.

When it came time for our 'heroine' to demonstrate this skill, it took ten minutes of the instructor's convincing before she removed her mask, at which point she surfaced and raced to shore in deep distress. Once convinced that this was a required skill she eventually was able to demonstrate it to the minimum standard.

I don't know if this person is still involved in diving. I certainly hope that she is not as she poses an extreme hazard to herself and those around her.
She had made a valiant effort to overcome her fear, but it got to a point where she was at best spoiling the experience of those around her, or, at worst: endangering people.

With regards to your ability to swim, as others have said: it is not a requirement of sailing. Your inability might be an asset as it will give you the incentive to stay aboard.

With floatation equipment (PFD's) etc. that are available today you should feel confident that going overboard in benign conditions will give you an excellent chance of being rescued.

But if your fear and anxiety may put you or your rescuers in jeopardy take up another pass-time.


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## aeventyr60 (Jun 29, 2011)

One of the skills required of a rescue diver is that you are comfortable breathing through your regulator without wearing a mask. To demonstrate this the instructor approaches you under water and signals for you to remove your mask. You are to do so immediately and demonstrate your comfort until you are given the signal to replace your mask. This is a great skill to have as, when rescuing a panicked diver it is very likely that your mask will be knocked off.

Wrong. That is a basic skill taught in the open water class. Are they dumbing down the PADI courses now?


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## UncleJim (Jul 27, 2009)

I learned to dive through a YMCA class back in the 1970's. You had to know how to swim and much more, it was a much harder course than what is given by PADI these days. Both my wife and daughter went through PADI and nothing against them it's just a different world with the moden equipment. By the time I finished the course I felt comfortable underwater no matter what happened I could handle it. 

Learning to sail with out know how to swim is possible by you should be comfortable out on the open water. By all means take all of the courses and then crew with others on short day trips extending your comfort zone in small steps


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## flyingwelshman (Aug 5, 2007)

aeventyr60 said:


> Wrong. That is a basic skill taught in the open water class. Are they dumbing down the PADI courses now?


Chill out Cousteau.

I did my open water under NAUI in '77 and can't remember if this was one of the skills.

I did my rescue under PADI in 2000. I thought the course was very good, although I always have thought that PADI was more interested in the $ than the standards (Put Another Dollar In).

The point of my parable wasn't about the standards of training between different dive-training agencies, it was an illustration of how ones attempt to overcome ones own fear might a) be fruitless, b) spoil the enjoyment of others and c) put oneself or others in danger.


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## UncleJim (Jul 27, 2009)

aeventyr60 said:


> One of the skills required of a rescue diver is that you are comfortable breathing through your regulator without wearing a mask. To demonstrate this the instructor approaches you under water and signals for you to remove your mask. You are to do so immediately and demonstrate your comfort until you are given the signal to replace your mask. This is a great skill to have as, when rescuing a panicked diver it is very likely that your mask will be knocked off.
> 
> Wrong. That is a basic skill taught in the open water class. Are they dumbing down the PADI courses now?


True but there is more than just masks being knocked off, regulators get pulled out air needs to be turned on ( yes after hunderds of loged dives I have jumped in without turning on the air), they called these drills harssments at the time. the instructor would pull your mask or you regulator out and you had to recover. These were done in the pool and then in open water. 
The point is to train for as many situations as possible, to be comfortable that you can over come them in an emergency, in the OP case just being out on the water in a controled situation would be helpfull in over coming fears of the open water. Small steps


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## zack4512 (Dec 27, 2013)

take up scuba diving you'll learn to love the ocean and everything in it I was the same way you were I was an excellent swimmer in a pool but I was terrified of sharks and other big fish but I took up scuba got in with them and learned that the ocean is amazing you can't keep me out of it now a days


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## flandria (Jul 31, 2012)

For anyone to believe that his or her swimming ability is making them more secure is totally erroneous. All of us who sail know that the first rule is: stay on board! That means, use safety lines (not lifelines) and a harness if you have to leave the cockpit to go anywhere else to do whatever. It means, wear a harness, hooked up to something that will take the load of your weight and extra pressure, when inside the cockpit. And, should you fall in the water, anyway, only a survival suit or good life vest (depending on the temperature of the water) is the only way to have a chance of survival, assuming your boat is not sailing away from you. 
I can swim, but not for very far or very long, all things considered, and this has never come up in my own mind as an issue.
Now, if fear of the ocean is the issue, that has not much to do with your ability to swim. I think everyone must overcome that and, speaking for myself, it takes time to build up experience and becoming more confident in less than ideal weather conditions. In the end is the (well-placed, not wishfully tought) readyness of your vessel and confidence in your own ability to deal with emergency situations that will tell you that you are ready for the voyage you intend to take. 
Good luck with that!


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## PCP (Dec 1, 2004)

flandria said:


> For anyone to believe that his or her swimming ability is making them more secure is totally erroneous. ...


It depends on the situation but swimming well is always an advantage even if there are a lot more other factors in what regards personal safety in a sailboat.

Around here you cannot get even the most basic licence for sailing without proving you know how to swim. Kind of basic requirement to learn the rest.

Regards

Paulo


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

Since you shouldn't leave your boat (unless it sank or is on fire) because it's a larger target for rescuers to see, shouldn't the emphasis be on survival floating? Knowing how to float and conserve body heat? Swimming somewhere will definitely rob your body of energy and the heat you need to survive, even in warm water.

I dive and I'm not sure why that's part of the conversation since in order to be rescued, you want to stay above water as much as possible.


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## capttb (Dec 13, 2003)

Sounds like you can swim, you just do it poorly when panicked.


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## Slayer (Jul 28, 2006)

Joshua Slocum sailed alone around the world alone and didn't know how to swim!


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## Ded reckoner (Feb 17, 2013)

If you know how to swim in a pool, then it sounds like you have some basic skill. It's a good skill to have for anyone spending time on or near the water, and I would encourage you to keep at it to develop your skills better and to improve your conditioning. You don't say whether you are accomplished at drownproofing, but that is an important related skill. Depending on the circumstances, it might be more important than swimming. As was mentioned, you might be reassured if you sail with a pfd. Also, there were several mentions of diving. I would encourage you to get a good diving mask, snorkel, and fins and try them out. Try them out first in the pool and then in a dive off your boat. This skin diving equipment gives you visibility, eases breathing, and improves your power in the water. It might change your whole attitude about swimming in the ocean!


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## mad_machine (Dec 16, 2012)

PaulinVictoria said:


> Oh and it's quite common to have a fear of swimming in the ocean, or deep water. I would treat that as good motivation for not doing so.


I would rather swim in deep than shallow.. I hate touching the mud


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## harmonic (Sep 10, 2013)

No you dont have to know how to swim its handy to know though as nearly all of us back over our dinghys painter and wrap it round our prop shaft when anchoring at least once in our sailing career,its like running aground if you havent done it one day you will.


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## PCP (Dec 1, 2004)

DRFerron said:


> Since you shouldn't leave your boat (unless it sank or is on fire) because it's a larger target for rescuers to see, shouldn't the emphasis be on survival floating? Knowing how to float and conserve body heat? Swimming somewhere will definitely rob your body of energy and the heat you need to survive, even in warm water.
> 
> ....


There are many situations were swimming can be required. I never fell of my boat but I had once a girl overboard:

Perfect day in the winter, no waves, the boat doing 6k and a 18 year girl asked me if she could see if the water was cold? She seated herself in the transom and touched the the water with a feet. I asked if it was alright and she put the two feet in the water....and was dragged to the sea Well, funny story because she was a good swimmer and did not panicked. I even took photos!!

Personally I never fell of the boat but I have fell already from the dinghy...again, funny story because I feel at ease in the water.

On our boat we are not always wearing PDFs or have the harness on. We use them just in bad weather but accidents happen and they can be just funny accidents if you know how to swim.

Again, even in what regards sailing solo, I do not wear a PDF at all time. I am very careful but sometimes freak accidents happen even if very rarely. I can be on high sea but I can be also near a shore. A very good swimmer can swim for many miles, depending on the water temperature (I sail in warm waters). Some have crossed the British channel, I am not that good but I used to do 70 swimming pools, not fast, just for exercise and I did not do more because that was boring. I guess that under survival pressure I would be able to make several miles, maybe enough to be rescued or to reach land.

The more important thing is staying aboard...but swimming well and be completely at ease on the water is an advantage and can in some cases be a big one.

Regards

Paulo


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## Frogwatch (Jan 22, 2011)

Skip the therapist, you don't need one. What you need is to go swimming at a place with deep water that is not a normal swimming area to acclimate yourself to the idea.
My wife is from up north where thye always swam in pools (What a weird notion, swimming in a cement pond). As soon as she went into any natural body of water, she gets very anxious and visibly stiffens up. I do that when I swim in pools as I have no idea of the "proper" way to swim and think everybody will think I'm having a seizure instead of swimming whereas I really can swim a mile in any swamp water or salt water. My wife has never gotten over her anxiety over natural bodies of water and no amount of therapy will work. She wears a life jacket even though she can actually swim in a pool. I also wear a life jacket all the time while sailing.


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## gamayun (Aug 20, 2009)

Cripes, it sounds like you know how to swim. You're having a panic attack. Phobias take a lot more work to figure out than freestyle. Next time you get that feeling, roll over on your back, scull the water so you don't feel like you're sinking, keep a lung full of air in your chest so you float well and continue to breath deeply till your heart stops racing. Then roll over and see how you feel. Repeat as often as necessary. Please don't stick a regulator in your mouth till you have that panic response under control.


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## rishi851 (Dec 29, 2013)

seabreeze_97 said:


> Being a good swimmer in the scenario you pose probably means if you go overboard, you'll just die tired.
> Live like Sonny Crockett? Afraid of the ocean? How about alligators? ;-)
> The trip could be very therapeutic, or you'll have a breakdown (you wouldn't be the first). Either way, if you survive, you'll be a different person on the other side.


I just started watching Miami Vice. Is Sonny afraid of the Ocean? I like his boat though. Its more of a fantasy to live on my own tiny boat for just a few days. Like you said...for therapeutic reasons.


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## rishi851 (Dec 29, 2013)

davidpm said:


> Sailing is a great way to build confidence. Several people have written books about how they were more than a little timid as but after some significant sailing experience it changed how they viewed life and they become more courageous in everything.
> 
> Only you can decide if you can be comfortable on a boat but I sailed for years before I learned how to swim so you could certainly work on the swimming and sailing seperatly.
> 
> ...


Thank you David for that response.
I am from India but will be in Canada soon. I am taking a basic sailing course right here and plan to continue there.

My father was a merchant mariner for 30 years. Sailed every sea imaginable and I spent 9 months onboard a ship as an 8 year old boy. Sailed the bay of biscay and a roundtrip of Africa. 
Like most fathers who are almost too aware of the shortcomings of their profession he did not want me to become a sailor and spend 8 months at sea away from family. He always said my wife is the Atlantic Ocean. The Pacific my mistress, Indian...fine for a quickie

He never sailed the Antarctic ever.

Do you have any great recommendation on sailing books-fiction or non fiction.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

rishi851 said:


> ...
> Do you have any great recommendation on sailing books-fiction or non fiction.


This thread will help expand your library:

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/apps-authors/18184-recommended-reading.html


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

gamayun said:


> Cripes, it sounds like you know how to swim. You're having a panic attack. Phobias take a lot more work to figure out than freestyle. Next time you get that feeling, roll over on your back, scull the water so you don't feel like you're sinking, keep a lung full of air in your chest so you float well and continue to breath deeply till your heart stops racing. Then roll over and see how you feel. Repeat as often as necessary. Please don't stick a regulator in your mouth till you have that panic response under control.


Not really a phobia if there are really are sharks and other 'eats everything' are coming at you with big pointy teeth.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

Boasun said:


> Not really a phobia if there are really are sharks and other 'eats everything' are coming at you with big pointy teeth.


It's my understanding that sharks don't like the taste of human flesh. But they don't know that until after they take the first bite. Which, of course, could kill you.


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## MikeGuyver (Dec 13, 2008)

No, just notify your next of kin before you go,you'll be ok,just put some rocks in your pocket so the corpse won't float up and bother the rest of us, geez,where do these people come from?


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

Boils down to two things:
1. No you don't need to know how to swim while sailing.
2. If you do fall over board, you really need to be a fast learner on swimming.


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## Scallywag2 (Feb 9, 2010)

If you are sailing you should wear a life jacket.

Many use a tethering line to keep attached to the s/v in case of being jolted overboard, either by your mate or s/v. You may not be able to swim back to the s/v due to wind, current, or your s/v sailing off without you.

Hitting the water is a shock to your system. If you are too hot, the water is cold. If you are cold, the water feels warm. Think of the way you feel when the outside temperature is different the temperature in a store as you walk in.
Sometimes you begin feeling sleepy walking in from the cold to a warm store. When you walk in from the hot outdoors to a cold food store you are chilled.

Many people drown thinking that they can swim ashore from a vessel that is disabled. I am talking about calm water and not rough seas in an ocean, gulf, or river.

Some people are now wearing thin wet suits when working on the deck in the rain. Keeps the warm in the cold rain.

Have fun sailing

Dot and John


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## PCP (Dec 1, 2004)

Scallywag2 said:


> If you are sailing you should wear a life jacket.
> ...
> Dot and John


Just curious: Do you sail with a life jacket all the time?

Regards

Paulo


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

rishi851 said:


> Hi everyone.
> 
> This is my very first post on this forum. I have a peculiar query.
> I am a complete newbie at sailing. Just took an open sea course and plan on getting the beginner's certification as the next step. Step by step I plan to reach my ultimate goal- reach Hawaii from mainland(LA or San Fran) sailing alone. I don't care if it takes me 3 or even 10 years from now, but I want to be fully prepared- for obvious reasons. But there is one problem as of now....I am petrified of the Ocean.
> ...


unless you are sailing dinghies which flip and fall over, no.
i know many cruisers who do not swim. 
know how to float and keep head above water. easy


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## Scallywag2 (Feb 9, 2010)

PCP--What is wise and prudent? I require all to wear a life jacket because I boat in currents that can run 5 knots. Yes it is hot in Florida in the summer. Booms have knocked sailors over the side.

Dot and John


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## arknoah (Oct 31, 2010)

hellosailor said:


> Most of the British Navy couldn't swim, when they ruled the waves.


Gee, I hope you don't have to swim well to sail, or else I've chosen the wrong hobby!

There's a great young adult book series by L.A. Meyer with the main character a young woman named Jackie Faber, who is a sailing woman from early 19th century England. To make a long story short, one of the features of the stories is she is one of the few sailors on her various ships who swims well.

Who woulda thought it....


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

DR-
I think diving got mixed in because divers tend to be literally more immersed in the ocean and dive training emphasizes comfort in the water. Or at least, it used to.
Which could be deceiving. I remember the first time I went to a beach (I'm a waterbaby but not a beachbunny) in just swim trunks after a couple of years of avid diving. I stopped at the water's edge and hesitated before going in. Something felt wrong.
Then I realized, I had gotten used to going in with a full set of armor (wetsuit), vision (mask), life support, knife, fins, and now I was going to go into the same ocean without any clubs or fangs? Um. Yeah. Different mindset when you're all geared up, isn't it?

Speaking of folks who didn't know how to swim, I'm told that when Napolean was being transferred in or out of Elba, he fell overboard and would have drowned, but for being rescued by a Newfoundland dog. It wasn't just sailors...gentlemen really didn't need to swim, and couldn't be properly attired for the sport anyway could they?


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

zeehag said:


> .......know how to float and keep head above water. easy


This is what one should know, while you wait for rescue, if there will be one. You'll never swim to shore anyway.

It's not hard to learn and generally only requires one doesn't panic, keeps a full lung of air (which come naturally in the water) and arches their head back. Done properly, it requires nearly no other movement. Flailing arms and legs will exhaust you quickly.

Of course, a pfd does the work for you. But, aghast, the popular inflatable pfd's may not inflate; I've personally seen this happen. Worse, they may puncture. Good to know how to float.


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## Don L (Aug 8, 2008)

rishi851 said:


> So my query is this: Do I have to be a very good swimmer if I want to learn and sail my own boat someday?


Heck you don't have to ever be good at sailing in the long run.


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## ImASonOfaSailor (Jun 26, 2007)

Well i bought my first beach cat in 2011, i have been sailing since i was 7 years old. my dad use to throw me in the water, i use to get stuck in mud and hit rocks and cry and hate things touching my feet! I dont like to swim or care to it is a great exercise i do do a mean doggy paddle i still have fear of things in water. I also sail on a Man made Lake NOT the OCEAN. I wear my life jacket when it is very windy, my boat can flip over if i let it! I have sailed the boat in 25+ winds doing 18 knts on this lake, i did almost flip her my first year i had a gust of 30mph scary as hell! I refuse to get in the water but as i launch from the beach or come back in i do jump off and catch my boat and stop it ! Oh I do wear water shoes  If you love the wind and sailing and the sound of water wear your life jacket and be the captain, the captain goes down with the boat!


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## flandria (Jul 31, 2012)

PCP said:


> .
> 
> Around here you cannot get even the most basic licence for sailing without proving you know how to swim. Kind of basic requirement to learn the rest.


I am not saying at all that we should not be able to swim. When we learn to sail in dinghies, on lakes, near shore etc..., when we have to capsize and turtle and all that stuff, swimming ability is important, and that is why it is a prerequisite for that kind of sailing. Once you venture out on the ocean, however, no one should rely on their swimming ability, lest it gives a false sense of security. Just think of the most likely conditions that may toss you in the water: not flat water and benign wind, but something more fierce, with a nasty chop. Even staying afloat when small waves are around you is a challenge.... But, in the end, I think we all agree - swim if you must, never swim (for survival) if you can...

And Happy New Year to all...


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

not everyone learns to sail in dinghies.
i learned to sail in a 36 ft clifton crane designed gaff rigged sloop. 
i didnt sail a sailing dinghy until 47 years AFTER i learned to sail. 
we all knew how to row, however.

many learn to sail in bigger boats than dinks, and for that one need not need to swim. is called comfortable sailing.


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