Getting worried about taking my ASA 101 exam

[Rob_P]

Bowlines.

When I tie mine, I pinch the line with my left index and thumb about a foot or so from the bitter end. With my right hand I make a little loop with the pinched bit on top of the line. The loop is to the right side of the line. Shift the pinch to have both sections of the line for the loop in between the left index/thumb to hold them in a loop. Bitter end goes through the loop in the following way; under the bottom of the loop and up through the hole, over the top of the loop, leftward behind the line and then coming around to the front, over top of the loop and down through the hole. It ends with a couple of inches of line left over sticking out from the loop.

The foot or so of slack line from first pinch to the bitter end gives me about a 4" to 5" diameter loop when the knot is tightened. Which is perfect for the Jib clew, or so they tell me.

What's "funny" about that?

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by Rob_P

Week 2 was probably me. We weren't that far outside of the surf line and I thought we could make the harbor entrance without tacking.

We did it with room to spare around the jetty, but the sail trim might have been caused by me pushing a little bit into the no sail zone and getting some weather helm effect. Well that and steering like I'm a drunken sailor.

I mean, in those same circumstances and for the same reason (avoid a tack), steering as sober as an imam during Ramadan, I'll look up and realize that I've done it, and that's after 50 years of sailing.

That's how I know how it looks!

So Week 2 isn't all that bad, especially since you can explain why it happened. Very encouraging sign for that ASA 101 test!

[Flagman101]

I'm not an ASA instructor, but I am CYA and IYT certified.
I would NEVER do a MOB by putting a student in the water.
It is unsafe, stupid.
We use fenders or a wet suit filled with rags to simulate weight.

ASA and CYA exams are very similar. Not a hard exam.
On the water I look for straight course not zig zagging. Bearing off or luffing .
I will call for the student to sail a certain angle and expect the student to keep it steady for a about 30 seconds.

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by Flagman101

We use fenders or a wet suit filled with rags to simulate weight.

That's really smart, because in addition to being safer, you're also training for encountering the dead weight of someone unconscious who can't help you get them aboard.

(Before Rob mentioned it, I'd never heard of using students. Maybe the instructor was joking.)

[Flagman101]

I almost always joke about it but only for a few minutes.
I mention the MOB exercise and then point at one student saying he or she will be the disignated MOB with a very serious face.
But after a few secondes i laugh and.say don't worry, nobody goes into the water.
I always follow with rule #1 stay in the boat. Followed by rule number 2 stay in the boat. Rule number 3 do not fall in the water.

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by Flagman101

I almost always joke about it but only for a few minutes.
I mention the MOB exercise and then point at one student saying he or she will be the disignated MOB with a very serious face.
But after a few secondes i laugh and.say don't worry, nobody goes into the water.
I always follow with rule #1 stay in the boat. Followed by rule number 2 stay in the boat. Rule number 3 do not fall in the water.

Me and some friends used to do live MOB drills when we sailed Solings. But those have 18" of freeboard. And we were expert sailors and certified lifeguards. And it was still stupid. (These days, I follow your rules 1-3 plus #4: jacklines short-tethered if you're leaving the cockpit once you clear the lighthouses in anything but daylight harbor calm.)

[ChrisJHC]

Just to add to your nervousness, if you use a cleat hitch in an RYA exam you could fail!

The RYA has a thing about cleat hitches and teaches OXO as the correct way to tie off to a cleat.

And re using live people for MOBs, I agree that it’s not appropriate for students. We do sometimes do it (with experienced crew) in very controlled circumstances when preparing for an offshore race.
You learn a lot about the mechanics of getting someone back on board that you just don’t get from picking up a fender with a boat hook.

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by ChrisJHC

Just to add to your nervousness, if you use a cleat hitch in an RYA exam you could fail!

The RYA has a thing about cleat hitches and teaches OXO as the correct way to tie off to a cleat.

And re using live people for MOBs, I agree that it’s not appropriate for students. We do sometimes do it (with experienced crew) in very controlled circumstances when preparing for an offshore race.
You learn a lot about the mechanics of getting someone back on board that you just don’t get from picking up a fender with a boat hook.

You also learn how they bruise. I have a picture (which I won't post) of how I looked after being dragged on board during one of our drills. I had a six pack of black and blue, like some true crime Halloween costume. (I was cracking up the whole time and didn't realize how badly I'd been banged up until the next morning. O, to be young.)

[Rob_P]

Dug into the books and studied my butt off over the weekend. I did some flashcards on the internet too.

I did a practice test by writing out every answer to each test question in the 101 book and checked the answers. I missed 6, all of them for stupid reasons. (Such as; I couldn't remember the 3rd method of how aids to navigation are distinguished - Color, shape, and NUMBERS. I'm an idiot.)

I have created some mnemonics to help me remember. Things like RFFLS (Riffles) for required equipment. R = Registration paperwork; F = flares; F= flags; L= light; S= smoke.

I also missed a couple of questions because I didn't pay enough attention to the letters in the "match the letters in the diagram" questions. j and i look similar in the font they used and I didn't catch that.

Will I pass? I don't know. I know that if I can "warm up" before the test, I'll do ok. But, since the test is right after my lesson, I won't have time to do that. Which means I have to be "warmed up" before the lesson and stay that way for a couple of hours until I take the test. At least that's the way it stands right now. Maybe by Thursday I'll do better.

I'm still stressing over it.

[Dave Lochner]

Originally Posted by Rob_P

Dug into the books and studied my butt off over the weekend. I did some flashcards on the internet too.

I did a practice test by writing out every answer to each test question in the 101 book and checked the answers. I missed 6, all of them for stupid reasons. (Such as; I couldn't remember the 3rd method of how aids to navigation are distinguished - Color, shape, and NUMBERS. I'm an idiot.)

I have created some mnemonics to help me remember. Things like RFFLS (Riffles) for required equipment. R = Registration paperwork; F = flares; F= flags; L= light; S= smoke.

I also missed a couple of questions because I didn't pay enough attention to the letters in the "match the letters in the diagram" questions. j and i look similar in the font they used and I didn't catch that.

Will I pass? I don't know. I know that if I can "warm up" before the test, I'll do ok. But, since the test is right after my lesson, I won't have time to do that. Which means I have to be "warmed up" before the lesson and stay that way for a couple of hours until I take the test. At least that's the way it stands right now. Maybe by Thursday I'll do better.

I'm still stressing over it.

Keep it in perspective!

What's the worst possible outcome?

Will any one die if you don't pass?

Will any one be gravely injured is you don't pass?

Will you lose your livelihood?

Will your loved ones cast you aside?

Will the world laugh at you and humiliate you?

If you answer yes to any of those questions, then being stressed may be appropriate or perhaps you should look for a new line of work and new loved ones.

If you don't pass the test, you'll either shrug it off as no big deal or you will retake the test.

Keep it in perspective.

[dannc]

Originally Posted by Rob_P

Dug into the books and studied my butt off over the weekend. I did some flashcards on the internet too.
...
I'm still stressing over it.

Stop stressing. Relax. Take a deep breath. Or three.

If you did that well answering the questions in the book, the actual test will be easy.

What Dave Lochner said is true too.

Later,
Dan

[Rob_P]

Originally Posted by Dave Lochner

Keep it in perspective!

What's the worst possible outcome?

Will any one die if you don't pass?

Will any one be gravely injured is you don't pass?

Will you lose your livelihood?

Will your loved ones cast you aside?

Will the world laugh at you and humiliate you?

If you answer yes to any of those questions, then being stressed may be appropriate or perhaps you should look for a new line of work and new loved ones.

If you don't pass the test, you'll either shrug it off as no big deal or you will retake the test.

Keep it in perspective.

Yes, me.
Yes, me.
Yes, after I die from not passing the test.
Yes, my cremated ashes will be spread to the winds.
Been there, done that. Twice already.

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by Rob_P

Yes, me.
Yes, me.
Yes, after I die from not passing the test.
Yes, my cremated ashes will be spread to the winds.
Been there, done that. Twice already.

If I were teaching you, I would have become aware of your performance anxiety and taken steps to dispel your self-imposed stress.

Pay attention to and take the lead from your instructor. S/he will be trying to get you to take it down a notch, I'm sure....

LittleWing77

[Rob_P]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

If I were teaching you, I would have become aware of your performance anxiety and taken steps to dispel your self-imposed stress.

Pay attention to and take the lead from your instructor. S/he will be trying to get you to take it down a notch, I'm sure....

LittleWing77

He tries. It's just that I'm a total drama llama.

I can physically sail the boat to acceptable standards. My problem is the nomenclature and language are "new" to me. This means that, basically, I'm learning a foreign language. My standard for that isn't as forgiving as most other peoples.

Now, about that "if I were your instructor" part. Who do I have to bribe or knife to get you to sail here by this Thursday?

[Midwesterner]

Originally Posted by Rob_P

Yes, me.
Yes, my cremated ashes will be spread to the winds.
Been there, done that. Twice already.

If your cremated ashes have been spread, I think the regulations stipulate that your are no longer eligible to take any ASA course, except ASA 102.

I took my courses through Canadian Yachting. My young instructor spent the week teaching to the test, covering every item for the test, to assure success. On the test I missed two questions, confusing "tack" and "clew". She was upset and took it as a personal failure on her part, apparently her students rarely scored below 100.