This page collects the videos and notes that helped me learn to sail FJs off the water. It’s meant to be a quick visual reference for new sailors as a starting point.
When I first joined SBU Sailing, there wasn’t a single place that collected everything — tips from coach, teammates, lessons on the water, Chalk Talks, and small things you only notice after a few practices. So, I started building this as a living guide from my own learning journey.
The hope is that we can all keep adding to it and help each other out. ~Khai
| Bow | Front of the boat |
|---|---|
| Stern | Back of the boat |
| Starboard side | Right side of the boat (Starboard is used so sides are not confused with direction you are facing) Easy Way to Remember = Skipper on the right facing front of the boat = Starboard Tack |
| Port side | Left side of the boat |
| Centerboard | Pivoted fin in the center, underneath the boat (Needs to be lowered in the water before sailing) |
| Tiller | Steers the rudder |
Note: For sailing in shallow water, holding onto the boat while it turtles (flips upside down) can push the mast straight onto the bottom, making recovery harder.
How to Sail - Capsize a 2 person sailboat
How to rig a Flying Junior (FJ)
Start the video at 2:16
Use this knot to secure the main and jib halyards to the cleats
When tying down the boat cover, loop the line from the back of the boom through the hole in the cover and tying down the line coming down from the mast.
Clove Hitch: You cross the line over itself once, making an “X” around the tiller. Then you tuck the working end under the middle of that X. Pull tight and it cinches snugly against the object. (This is great for tying the rope to the tiller to secure it after you put it through the cleat!)
For more kinds of knots: Animated Knots by Grog | Learn how to tie knots with step-by-step animation