You don’t need to be a strong swimmer to sail on a yacht, but you should be comfortable in the water and always wear a lifejacket. Many dinghy courses ask that you can swim a short distance, because capsizing is part of dinghy sailing.
Plenty of people sail without being strong swimmers. What matters more is that you wear a lifejacket, stay calm if you end up in the water, and sail in a way that keeps you aboard in the first place.
That said, being able to swim is a real advantage, and on some kinds of boat it is expected:
- Dinghies capsize as a normal part of sailing them, and you need to be able to stay with the boat and help right it. Many dinghy courses ask that you can swim a short distance in a buoyancy aid and are happy with your face in the water. Ask the course provider what they require.
- Keelboats rarely capsize, and most crew never go in the water. But people do fall overboard, usually when moving around the deck, and the water is often colder than you expect.
Even good swimmers are at risk in cold water. A sudden fall into cold water causes an involuntary gasp, which can make you breathe in water, and within ten minutes or so your arms and legs may stop working well enough to swim. Around Auckland the sea is below 15 degrees through the winter, and it is colder further south. A lifejacket keeps your head up while that happens, which is why it matters more than swimming ability.
If you can’t swim, tell your instructor or skipper before you go out, wear a properly fitted lifejacket at all times, and keep one hand for yourself and one for the boat when moving around. Learning to swim, or at least to float calmly in a lifejacket, will make you a more confident sailor.
More in the book: Chapter 11, Safety on board