From Small Craft to a Bigger Boat or Ship

Familiar Dinghy Sailing Skills in a Different Setting

The wind works its magic in many different ways, you may have sailed a dinghy with many different types of sails, Pico or RS Series, a Moth or Wingfoil, they all catch the wind and propel you along. But in all those cases you angle the sail to get the best advantage from the wind. That is exactly the same principle traditional boats and tall ships use.

No Previous Sailing Experience Required.

Your dinghy sailing experience gives you a head start, but no previous tall ship sailing experience is required. See our articles on Absolutely No Previous Sailing Experience Required.

Most dinghies and all our vessels have mainsails, back in the day they would have been bermuda or gaff sails.

A Wingfoil is surprisingly related to a square sail. The sail area is supported by a wooden beam on a tall ship and inflatable tube on a wing foil. The sail material in both cases is attached to either the yard or the inflated tube. On a tall ship the square sail yard swings from side to side. On a Wingfoil you have a huge flexibility to set the sail in many wonderful ways. Now there’s a novel thought for you.

Competition and Cooperation

You are probably used to solo sailing or a very small team which is fine and works well for competitions and club events. Our boats are bigger and they need crews from 7 to 70 and so much more emphasis is placed on cooperation and working in selected teams. Often on a watch rota ensuring everyone gets a chance to try their hand at all tasks. To begin with the teams will have a leader to guide you but your team may be given the chance to organise itself if the professional crew are happy you know what you are doing. As sailors you are already aware that your actions have results and know the responsibility that goes with that.

Skills Dinghy Sailors Bring to Tall Ship Sailing

An important skill you bring with you is wind awareness. Our ships are not so twitchy but setting the sails to best advantage is exactly what we want to do. Looking at the sails you will be able to see if they are working well. There will be some quirks you are not used to, but you will know to ask and then to understand the reasoning. That is a huge step to working a tall ship. One of the great pleasures is to take the helm and steer to the best point of sailing for the set of the sails. The professional crew will be well impressed if you can do that.

Coming onboard you will bring with you a knowledge of what it is like to be on the water, heeling won’t be a surprise and moving about on a slanting deck will soon be second nature. You will know the bow from the stern and many more nautical terms, picking up the tall ship jargon won’t be difficult.

All in all joining in will be quick and simple for you. Size or strength are not as important as the desire to join in.

Where the Social Life Happens

Sailing Dinghies and the Like

Sailing on your own or with a small crew is the exciting part of small craft sailing. That’s what it is all about and it’s great fun. When you get ashore the social side takes over and you talk about the sailing, how it went, what you need to do, how the wind messed up, how to sort the rig out and the close quarter moments. Good pleasant times ashore maybe over a pint or meal together before you all go your separate ways.

Living and Sailing Together Aboard a Tall Ship

We do both together, you could be hauling up sails and then watching how they catch the wind and chatting about the techniques involved. You could be having a meal but the sailing is still going on.

Overnight Versus Part of the Day

One of the big differences is that apart from day sails you get to live, sleep and eat onboard. You could be in your bunk as we sail overnight or there may be watches to keep and a different pattern to your day. Watch the sunrise, look out for wildlife, take the helm and keep close to the wind. So much to do and so much to enjoy. It’s all different and it’s all exciting.

Accommodation is provided in a variety of different ways from shared communal living and sleeping space to cabins for two or more. Personal space will be limited but you will have privacy where you need it.

Where’s the Excitement?

Classic Sailing at first sight may not be so exciting. Think about this; tall ships have to be able to cross oceans and take in their stride all strengths of winds. When small craft stay ashore that’s when tall ships come into their own.

The excitement comes from the wind and sea state. Hang out on the bowsprit and watch the bows pushing through and separating the waves. It really brings it home to you how all those sails exert such pressure on the ship to power it along. There is an expression that you need to see to understand, it’s ‘with a bone in her teeth’ the white wash foaming as it passes down the sides of the ship from the stem of the bows. That’s excitement, climb the rigging and you can feel the power as you hold on. Going aloft is voluntary but do it if you can. Training and permission is required before you are allowed to go out on the bowsprit or climb aloft and always in a safety harness.

Traditional and Tall Ship Sailing at Any Age

You could be in your late teens or your late 70s it doesn’t matter. A watch, the team you work with will have a variety of ages, talents and genders. What matters is a keenness to join in and have a go. Going aloft is what hooked me and it still does.

Mutual Respect

You have a lot to offer as a crew member on a tall ship and the ship has a lot to offer you. Plan a voyage today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do dinghy sailing skills transfer to tall ship sailing?

Yes. Wind awareness, sail trim, balance, helming and an understanding of how a sailing boat responds are all relevant. The scale, equipment and terminology differ, but the underlying sailing principles remain familiar.

Do I need previous tall ship sailing experience?

No tall ship sailing experience is required. The professional crew explain the vessel, safety procedures and methods used aboard. Dinghy sailors will already understand many of the reasons behind those instructions.

Will I be treated as a complete beginner?

Not necessarily. The crew will assess what you know and help you apply it aboard their vessel. You must still follow the ship’s procedures because traditional rigs, heavy equipment and larger crews require different working methods.

What new skills will a dinghy sailor learn aboard a tall ship?

You may learn to handle several sails as part of a team, work within a watch, steer a larger vessel and use traditional ropes and rigging. Depending on the ship, you may also help with navigation, anchoring and going aloft.

Is tall ship sailing exciting compared with dinghy sailing?

The experience is different rather than less demanding. Dinghies provide immediate speed and responsiveness. Tall ships provide power, offshore conditions, night sailing, watchkeeping and the experience of driving a large vessel under sail.

Author

Adam Purser co-founded Classic Sailing in 1996, a past tall ship bosun, and a former RYA Yachtmaster Instructor. He has spent 36 years sailing traditional boats and helping people join tall ships as working guest crew. His advice comes from practical experience as a sailor, bosun, skipper and voyage organiser.