Bum scoot

So, I'm really new at this and still trying to sort out how to sail these little fishies. I've made it thru the last 10 hours of tiller time without dumping over, but here are my newbie questions which I have googled and youtubed and found no answers. So, you're sitting on the side of the boat, you tack or jybe and you have to get over to the other side of the boat, change hands on the mainsheet and the tiller, without letting go. That's not working out so good. As an accountant who gets paid to sit motionless for days on end, and being of a certain age, I'm finding the bum scoot very difficult. I've seen some youtubes where you stand up, hopefully after the boom as already crossed, but that seems like just another way to go swimming. Maybe install an rolling abercizer, or some puppet strings to pop me back up and down, and then there is that whole changing hands dance, I ended up sitting on the tiller with my fingers underneath, Ouch and I can't tell you how many times I've let go of the tiller. So what tips and tricks do you have for me to try out? I've been practicing the crab walk much to the amusement of my little dog -- there has to be a better way.

there was a pretty good discussion on this recently - see the thread here. a few videos are posted there as well.
look it over and see if that helps with your questions!

cheers,
tag

Sounds like you need a universal tiller extension instead of the old wooden extension.

I have a thread on aluminum ski pole tiller extension.

Minas man

Throwdown said:

So, I'm really new at this and still trying to sort out how to sail these little fishies. I've made it thru the last 10 hours of tiller time without dumping over, but here are my newbie questions which I have googled and youtubed and found no answers. So, you're sitting on the side of the boat, you tack or jybe and you have to get over to the other side of the boat, change hands on the mainsheet and the tiller, without letting go. That's not working out so good. - there has to be a better way.

Click to expand...

More experienced sailors/racers hold on to the tiller extension with the 'old' hand all the way through the tacking maneuver. This includes sitting down on the 'new' side and holding the extension behind your back for a while. Only then do we move the extension to the other/'new' hand.
You may have to learn steering the boat with one hand behind your back, a skill that is easily mastered.
Here is a link to a nice video:

All in all, it will take some time to learn how to tack a Sunfish like Shirley R; it didn't come that easily to me

So, I watched the videos and today was light air day. Found out I am waiting too long to start my move to the other side, that I need to start before I tack, not after and that I can sort of do a knee down pivot bum, rather than a squat push if that makes sense. Also learned that I can make my way back into the boat by grasping the inner rim of the cockpit,and slithering on up, no video please...