you have become thoroughly accustomed to this, when you know how to
sail and handle your simple boat and sail under all conditions, then and
not until then, you may try your hand at craft with more sails and
rigging.

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                               CHAPTER V

                        HOW TO SAIL A SMALL BOAT


The first thing you should learn to do if you expect to use a boat, is
to learn to swim. A sailboat, properly rigged, well built and
intelligently handled, is as safe as a rowboat or a launch and is far
safer than any canoe ever built, but under the best of conditions and
even with experienced sailors, accidents will at times happen and then
the fellow who can swim stands a far better chance than the chap who
cannot.

Excellent swimmers are drowned it is true, but that’s in spite of their
knowledge, not because of it. Even if you are never upset, never have an
accident and are never called upon to save yourself or others, yet the
knowledge of how to swim will be mighty valuable. In the first place it
will give you and your companions greater confidence, and confidence and
self-reliance are big assets when sailing a boat, especially under
trying conditions.

But because you _can_ swim it doesn’t follow that you should take to the
water whenever an accident occurs. A good sailor always sticks to his
ship and you should _never_ forsake your boat, no matter what condition
she’s in, until compelled to desert her by her actually sinking under
you. A water-logged or capsized boat will float for hours or days and
will support several persons and when clinging to an upset or wrecked
boat you stand a much better chance of being seen and rescued than when
swimming.

Many a man has been drowned by leaving his upset boat and attempting to
swim ashore when, by clinging to the craft, he would have been saved.
This was the case with two friends of the author. There were three in
the boat, all splendid swimmers, and they were capsized in a sud