You will never feel totally comfortable at jib or tiller until you know how well you can handle your sailboat in foul weather. Whether you are on a J21 or a 45-foot six-sleeper, the fundamentals are the same. Keeping the variables of main sail, jib, tiller, and navigational information working together to stay safe and to stay on course can be the ultimate challenge, especially in rain, high winds, and freezing ocean spray.

A top sailing school will be eager to teach students the very real and necessary skill of staying calm and competent in foul weather. "Heaving to" and "lying a hull" are two important skills sets that prepare for heavy weather. These techniques need all hands on deck to work together, following skipper's orders and racing against the elements.

Learn Heavy Weather Sailing Skills

There is nothing like a sunny, breezy day for heading down to Key Largo or other balmy ports. However, all sailors know that even the best laid plans can go awry. Weather can change in an instant, and having the skills to handle yourself in all types of weather is a better bet than simply trying to predict a perfect day.

Heavy weather sailing skills are taught in an Advanced Coastal Cruising class, along with fuel gauging, distress signals, and launching and towing a dinghy. After you have mastered these skills, you can move into the Offshore Passagemaking class. You can never have too much sailing knowledge, since the ocean can throw up an infinite number of challenging situations.