Here at The Beach Company we can’t get enough of the glistening waters, tropical heat and feni-ilicious cocktails of Goa. Does that mean we have any idea on sailing a boat? Not really no… but we’ve done our research and have come up with some important know-hows, where to sail and even caught up with sailing extraordinaire and bona fide yacht skipper Harry Sweeney.
LEARN THE LINGO
Say What? Sailing a boat has a whole language of its own, which is dangerously misinterpretable…
‘Watch the boom’ – no you’re not stuck at sea with someone who’s lost their marbles, and double no, there is not about to be an explosion. The boom is merely the thing that holds/extends the base of the sail.
‘Coffee-grinder’ – if you catch this over the wind, the man from the boat-charter company is not about to make you a coffee (and probably doesn’t fancy you). It just means winch, yes we know, far less appealing.
Daggerboard – no prepping for a pirate attack will be necessary; this is simply a retractable fin that prevents the boat from drifting sideways, (far safer than it sounds).
Fathom – there’s nothing to understand here, besides the common measure of depth aka Fathom…
Fast – don’t rush (no one is to rush in Goa), you know that knot you are currently tying? You’re merely being asked to tie it ‘securely’ (brainwave).
PLAN PLAN PLAN
Stick to the plan and whatever goes wrong, man-over-board and all that, you’ll keep your cool.
Harry provides three simple instructions:
Plan your trip for the day on your GPS/charts. Harry points out that to ‘sally forth into the great unknown hoping for a romantic experience’ is not a plan and will result in getting lost. What if the rum runs out? You’re lucky we think of these things…
Check the weather, it’s not stupid, top notch sailors have to do it too…
Know how much your boat draws (how deep in the water it sits) and the depths of the water.
Harry kindly pointed out, ‘it’s best to leave your boat afloat’. Cheeky.
JOIN A YACHT CLUB
Of course, if you look the part you’re halfway there. The rest (we’re pretty sure) you can pick up by joining a Yacht Club and soaking up the atmosphere whilst sipping on a cocktail in a pair of boardshorts. The Colaba Sailing Club in Mumbai, has everything covered, from training & rentals and organised sail around the best locations in & around Mumbai.
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