7 Dinghy Sailing Tips All Beginners Need To Know

Not many activities provide the same sense of freedom and adventure as dinghy sailing. You can sail all year round worldwide, exploring lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the open seas.

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? However, if you’re a dinghy sailing novice, there are a few things you need to know before getting started.

Here are our seven dinghy sailing tips for beginners.

1. Clothing

It can be difficult to know what to wear when you’re dinghy sailing, especially if you’re new to it. Plus, there are so many factors to consider when you’re buying dinghy clothing, such as your budget and the time of year. However, there are a few essential garments you’ll need, whatever the weather.

A wetsuit

A wetsuit is made from a synthetic rubber called neoprene and keeps you warm by trapping water between the neoprene and your skin, effectively forming a layer to keep you from getting cold.

You’ll need a full wetsuit to keep you sufficiently warm most of the year. However, if you’re dinghy sailing in the height of summer, you may want to opt for a shortie wetsuit without arms or legs.

Buoyancy aid

This piece of kit helps you stay afloat if you capsize – and you’ll most likely capsize numerous times to begin with! Your buoyancy aid should fit your physique and shouldn’t feel too loose or too tight.

Other items

Dinghy boots, sailing gloves, and waterproof spray tops are among the other items you’ll want to invest in before going dinghy sailing.

2. Sailing Terms

One of the most challenging aspects of dinghy sailing for beginners is getting to grips with the lingo.

Whilst you’re not expected to be an expert in this area if you’re just starting, knowing some of these key phrases will improve your understanding of dinghy sailing:

Aft: the back of the boat (also known as the stern).

Bow: the front of the boat.

Port: the left-hand side of the boat when you’re facing the front (bow).

Starboard: the right-hand side of the boat when you’re facing the front (bow).

Windward: the side of the boat which the wind blows onto.

Leeward: the opposite side to the windward side.

Boom: the boom is the horizontal pole that extends from the bottom of the mast. Adjusting the angle of the boom to the wind is how the dinghy harnesses the wind power.

Rudder: connected to the tiller (steering stick) sits at the back of the boat and is a flat piece of wood, fibreglass, or metal used to steer the dinghy.

Helm: where you steer the boat. Usually, this is a big wheel, but on smaller boats it can be a tiller, which is basically a long wooden stick. Either of these can be used to control the boat’s rudder.

Jib: the smaller triangular sail attached to the bow (front).

This is just a selection of phrases that are used by seasoned dinghy sailors. If you fancy taking your knowledge to the next level, check out this comprehensive list of nautical sailing terms.

3. How and where to practise

If you know your dinghy sailing terminology, it’s time to put this into practice by finding a sailing club near you.

Sailing clubs offer a wide range of training courses covering different aspects of dinghy sailing, whether you want to learn about cruising, racing, or a bit of everything. They also provide the opportunity to network with other boat owners and practise sailing in a safe and fun environment.

The RYA (Royal Yachting Association) is the sport's governing body for sailing, and its courses are respected the world over. Simply enter your location details on the RYA website, and you’ll be shown the clubs and training courses near you. Ideally, you want to train at a centre which offers various courses so that you can broaden your skillset as much as possible.

There are other ways in which you can practise dinghy sailing. The Dinghy Cruising Association (DCA) welcome beginners on their cruising rallies and the best part is that you don’t need to own a dinghy to take part.

However you choose to sail, don’t try and learn everything at once. Be realistic about what you can achieve in your first few sessions, and don’t get too down on yourself if you capsize a few times!

For more information on the basics of dinghy sailing, check out this instructional video from the RYA below.

4. Buying a dinghy

Once you’ve gained some knowledge and experience of dinghy sailing, it’s time to buy your first dinghy.

You should consider several factors first, though, as buying a sailing dinghy is an important investment.

How and where you’ll use your dinghy

This is the main thing you need to consider. Will you be using it for recreational sailing, cruising, racing, or a combination of all three? Will you be going out on inland waters, the sea, or both?

Your budget

Your budget is another key consideration. The amount of money you’ve got to spend will dictate whether you buy a new or second-hand dinghy – there are pros and cons to both – and how much you can afford to spend on maintenance and accessories later down the line.

If you buy second-hand, make sure you buy from an experienced dealer. This way, you know the boat you’re buying is of the highest quality and has passed comprehensive checks by professional technicians.

How you’ll buy your dinghy

There’s also the question of whether to buy through a broker or buy privately. If you buy privately, you won't be legally protected if the craft has a hidden history or faults, so you need to ask the right questions and ensure the boat is in a suitable condition.

We would always advise you to try before you buy if you see a dinghy you like. If it’s sailed at a club, ask a member if you can try their boat. Some manufacturers will let you try a boat before you purchase it.

Finally, it helps to have a second pair of eyes. If you know a seasoned dinghy sailor, take them along to your boat viewing. They might spot certain potential issues that you won’t.

5. Check conditions

Before you set sail, you must check the weather conditions and any other information you can get on the tides. Doing this will help you decide if you’ll feel comfortable and safe with the weather conditions while sailing. It can also influence which equipment and clothing you decide to take with you.

The Met Office website is one of the best online sources for weather and tide information. The Met Office also offers an app so you can even get the latest information on the day’s weather when you’re out on the water.

6. Your surroundings

While this may seem like a rather obvious consideration, it is an important thing to keep in mind. Depending on the time of year you’re out on the water, you may encounter a lot of other crafts.  One false step could result in a collision.

Even if you consider yourself an expert, make sure that you always maintain a safe speed on the water. Doing this will give you more time to react to any potential hazards.

7. Sailing etiquette

Much like when you’re driving a car, you need to follow certain rules when you’re sailing in a dinghy. For instance, who should give way on the open water and who has right-of-way. These rules are based on the size of your craft, whether you’re planning to overtake, and which way the wind is blowing, among other factors.

Here are some of the more basic rules:

• Power boats must always give way to sail boats.
• If both boats are sail boats, a boat on port tack gives way to a boat on starboard tack. If both boats are the same tack, the windward sail boat has to give way to the downwind sail boat.

There are exceptions to the above rules, however. As such, you must get to grips with the various rules so that you can set sail knowing the rules of the road.

Get specialist dinghy insurance

If you’ve bought a dinghy, you need to protect it with specialist dinghy insurance. Without this insurance, you could hit the rocks financially, and your dinghy sailing days could be over.

At Insure4Boats, we provide Boat (Hull & Machinery) & Third Party Liability Dinghy insurance to protect your dinghy against theft, accidental damage, malicious damage, and salvage charges. We’ll also cover you for races that are organised by your sailing club, as well as those organised by other local clubs.

What’s more, we provide up to £3 million Third Party Liability cover as standard on all our dinghy insurance policies. This cover protects your liability if you have an accident that damages another boat, property or injures a person.

And the great thing about our insurance is that it is underpinned by our Ripe Guarantee, which is our blueprint for how we treat you, our customers. It’s all about great cover and exceptional service, at the right price.

Find out how our dinghy insurance can protect you and get an instant online quote with us if you’re ready to get covered.

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