- LOOK ROUND AND MAKE SURE YOU WON'T GET IN ANYONES WAY AS YOU TURN
- Place the mainsheet under the thumb on the aft hand (that's holding the tiller) to effectivly cleat your mainsheet (don't use and actual cleat). Now you have the tiller in your back hand with teh mainsheet trapped under the thuimb and the other hand is free. (Note that as a beginner, it is often recommended that you do not cleat your mainsheet, as in the event of a capsize, after righting the boat, it can sail away before it is manned or become very difficult to right).
- Push the tiller away from you and put your front foot across the dinghy. Crouch while you are doing this. You will be now facing backwards.
- As the boat truns place your free hand onto the tiller and lioft the mainsheet free in the hand that prevously held the tiller (remember you tucked the sheet under your thumb) Still crouching, step over to the other side of the boat. Sometime now the boom should come over your head.
- As the sail starts to set stop turning and sit down.
- If you di this righty you are now sat down with the mainsheet in your front hand and the tiller in the back hand (effectively you swapped hands during the process).
Tips
Get in the habit of giving commands (i.e. Ready about, Lee-oh), even when you are alone. It makes it much easier to remember when others are with you. You don't want to make any major course corrections that effect the rigging without letting everyone aboard know what your are about to do. In most dinghies tacking or jibing creates a great deal of movement. Besides, you always want your passengers on the windward side to help level the boat. Your passengers should also know what they are expected to do before you maneuver the boat.
Warnings
Make sure you duck and crouch, otherwise the boom will hit you in the side of the head and possibly knock you out of the boat, or at least give you a bad headache!
Rememeber you must alwasy be weariing a buoyancy aid.
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