Sailing, Boating, Yachting

and other stuff you didn’t know you can do in SL

Coco St. George

If you haven’t sailed, boated, yachted, or used some sort of vehicle to ride the Linden waters, then you don’t know what you’ve been missing all this time. Now that summer is in full effect and a heat wave is giving a new meaning to the very concept of global warming, any activity that brings you close to the water and a refreshing breeze is more than welcome.

You have probably heard that sailing is a complicated hobby, some kind of trade just for the initiated, who even have their own lingo. That is partly true: yes, you need to learn how to tell between prow and stern, port and starboard, and some other specifics of the trade. But it is also true that in the sailing community, you’ll find many people willing and ready to help you join the ranks of this fascinating sport. And right there, you’ll find an added value: you’ll meet people, make friends, and always have someone to talk shop with.

There are several learning aides that can help you master this fascinating skill; for instance, Sailing in SL is an online blog that covers every aspect of the sport. The Second Life Wiki has also a page with a lot of useful resources you may want to check. You can find tutorials in-world, like the Sailing tutorial by Jilly and om Kikuchiyo.

As you should know by now, if you go sailing, you need to go shopping first— every activity and sport requires a specific outfit. Luckily for you, in case your budget isn’t too prosperous, chances are you already have some sort of swimwear in your inventory. Besides, many places offer a very decent selection of free outfits, thus dressing up for sailing shouldn’t be a hurdle or a burden for your pocket.

There are several places devoted to sailing, boating, or yachting, but you may want to find a place where you can also purchase a boat since that’s the whole point of this exercise. Of course, you could go ahead and buy the best boat your budget can afford. But considering we’re just testing the waters, so to speak, it would be advisable to start with one of the many boats you can find for free. You won’t want to bleed your budget by buying a boat only to find later that sailing is not your thing. Although… why wouldn’t it be? You’re peacefully riding the waters; you’re feeling the saline breeze refreshing your scantily clothed body; in the distance, you hear the seagulls squawking; and you may even be able to spot a school of fish rushing underwater to their food source. Can you imagine a more de-stressing activity? That’s the question you’re going to answer after you try your hand at this exciting new hobby.

So, let’s start by getting a boat. There are several freebies around, of course, but you’ll find the Flying Fizz quite apt for beginners. You can get it at the Tradewinds Yacht Club, which also happens to be an excellent place to start. Everybody has rezzing privileges here, and there is an active group you can join to keep updated with all the activities, like cruises and races. Besides, this is home to a vibrant community of sailors who believe in human rights and their responsibility towards an Earth we need to protect. In short, it is a safe and welcoming place for everybody.

Now, rez the boat, board it, and you’ll be presented with a menu to choose the mode in which you want to sail.

We choose “Fun” mode for the time being; with practice and experience, we’ll explore the others. To start sailing, we need to raise the sails, so we say the magic word, “raise”, and the fun begins! You steer with the left and right arrows, trying to sail with the wind. How do you know where the wind is coming from? The Flying Fizz has a built-in compass that shows you (in red). You’ll notice that when the red portion is at the top, the speed decreases because you’re sailing against the wind. Correspondingly, you’ll go faster when sailing with the wind. When you want to stop, issue the command “lower” to lower the sails.

Another advantage of the Flying Fizz is that it comes with a set of thorough instructions on a notecard that will guide you to more advanced levels. And of course, as a member of the group, you’ll be surrounded by numerous people willing to help you whenever you have a question or stumble on any problem.

Want to try something different?

Let’s go to Trudeau Classic Yachts, a store where you have the chance to demo every boat in their catalog. After you click the demo board and choose your boat, it will be rezzed ready for you to board. You will get a sailing HUD and a notecard with instructions to use it. After a while of sailing the high seas, who knows? Maybe you’ll decide this is your thing and buy your own boat at the store. If that’s the case, “fair winds and following seas!”