Jaunted

Why ASA?
The benefit of an ASA course is that all the material is standardized. So if you take a course in NYC, you can easily take the next level in, say, Belize. (Despite the name, you'll find association-approved schools all over the world.) It also gives you an easy way to communicate to others--like, say, boat charter companies--how much you know about sailing. In other words, your ASA certification level works like an international driver's license--or in my case, an international learner's permit.

Preparation:
Before I went down to the North Cove Marina in NYC to start sailing, the school sent me an instructional book on sailing and a pamphlet about boat safety. They recommended I read up before coming to my first class, which I did. It only took a few pages before my eyes glazed over at terms like "boom vang," "shrouds" and "masthead fly," but I did my best to power through. Though I didn't feel too comfortable with the material, at least I had read it, right?

Day One:
The first of my three classes at the school was a throwback to college lecture hall, held on a Thursday evening. Our instructor, who was quite knowledgeable and friendly, basically regurgitated all the stuff we were assigned to read. While I was a little miffed about that at first, I soon realized that it would take rote repetition to learn the ridiculous vocabulary of sailing. At the end of the two-hour session, all the students looked about as burnt out as I did when we packed up to head home.

Day Two:
On Saturday morning, I got down to the docks at 9 am. Four students, including me, would crew our J24 with one instructor. Before setting out, we all had to review our terminology--what's a boom topping lift again?--and talk safety and knots. We then rigged our boat and set out into ominous skies and light winds.

Thanks to the weather, we didn't do too well for the first hour, but it was a thrill to finally be on the water. We were excited enough to be clumsily trimming our sails that a mid-morning downpour didn't dampen our fun. After about three hours, we came back in for lunch--and to warm up.

In the afternoon, we shoved off again, this time to do more drills trimming the sails to the wind. Sailing is basically a combination of knowing where the wind is, knowing where your sails are and knowing where you want to go. Our goal was to get all three in harmony, and by the end of the day--amazingly--we were starting to figure it out. As for all those terms, they were slowing sticking in my head as I used them more and more.

Read on for day three...

Related Stories:
· American Sailing Association [Official Site]
· Unexpected Travel: Learn to Sail in NYC [Jaunted]
· Sailing coverage [Jaunted]

Where: 385 South End Ave. [map], New York, NY, United States, 10280

Tags: Sailing / Boats / Active Travel / Outdoor Travel

by pbb