Help. For several years I have looked for a compatible soul to take on as crew and finally found such a person. Unfortunately my crew is a total novice when it comes to sailing. While I'm not a teacher nor experienced trainer, I advised my crew that the first step in learning to sail was to learn the vocabulary as it makes giving and receiving directions much easier and less confusing. We've now been sailing about a dozen times and while the interpersonal communication is very easy, there remains many problems caused by a lack of sailing vocabulary. As an example, on our last sail I asked him to "release the mainsheet" and he gave me that deer in the headlights look. Since we were in close quarters, I just returned to the cockpit and did myself, which I hated to do.
How do you "professional" teachers and trainers handle this problem. I remember that the initial part of my sail training was in the class room and homework assignments that focused on terminology and understanding the simple dynamics of how a sail boat works. How can I accomplish the same thing but not insult my new crew with homework assignments?
How do you "professional" teachers and trainers handle this problem. I remember that the initial part of my sail training was in the class room and homework assignments that focused on terminology and understanding the simple dynamics of how a sail boat works. How can I accomplish the same thing but not insult my new crew with homework assignments?