Teaching tidiness—how sailing can help

If you ever step onto a sailboat, you’ll notice ropes neatly coiled and everything in its place. A sailor will tell you no job is ever complete until every tool has been put away. That’s because on a sailboat, if you need something in a hurry, you need to be able to put your hands on it pronto. Otherwise you could be courting disaster. Similarly, you don’t need twisted or knotted ropes. They’re not much use in an emergency. So, one of the first things we teach is tidiness. Not because we want to behave like nagging parents, but because order is an imperative when you’re sailing. A mess left behind is a job unfinished. And if you don’t finish what you start, you have a character issue that could cause problems down the road—if it hasn’t already.