Sailing for Dummies

What do you do when you want to learn about something but are afraid to reveal your ignorance? In my case, I wanted to learn the basics of sailing but was SUCH a novice (had been on a sailboat exactly twice in my life) that, rather than getting on a boat or taking a class, I checked out eight books on the subject and
started reading. But I soon became frustrated with words like “jib” and “tack,” “leeward” and “port”— was I going to have to learn a new sailing language BEFORE I could learn even the basics?

Then I picked up Sailing for Dummies and felt much better. The book sticks to words I already know. gradually introduces new terms, and builds on itself in a very logical way. It talks about what to wear, how to climb aboard a sailboat, how to be SAFE in many different situations, how to put up the sails for the first time, and how to return home to anchor. Best of all, the book is easy to pick up and read for short
intervals.

It’s still too early in the season for me to have tested this book on the water, so to speak, but my confidence is high now that I understand some of the theory. I plan to use Sailing for Dummies as a reference guide as I start actually sailing, so I may have more to report in a few months!