Just to add to all the good information above...
Invest some time learning some techniques on how to rig in water with, say, a broken mast/boom, or torn sail.
Earlier this year I went out (by myself, as I frequently do....helmet on), and snapped my mast in half, I did this a year ago as well, and one of the replies then was on how to stay calm, slide the mast into itself and rig up a make-shift sail to get home with....it took me about 15mins in the water, but had enough sail rigged (about 2.5m ht, with the top of the sail flapping around) to get back in, if I hadn't read the info on how to do it, it would've been a 2-3hr swim!
Safety first! (but if you're like me, and NEED to get out by yourself, have some knowledge on how to handle breakages!)
If in trouble, consider your predicament early, and rationally. Preserve your energy; you become irrational when fatigued. In particular, don’t overvalue your rig - you can always buy another one.
Years ago, when learning on a Wally in the sanctuary of Merimbula Lake, I was caught by the outgoing tide. The rip took me 1K out to sea, with the wind offshore. As a beginner, these conditions were foreign to me. I fought for an hour. Somehow, I made it back, but half-way to Pambula . I was lucky. I didn’t sail for months after that.
I should have made an early decision to abandon the rig, and paddle to safety. Instead, being stubborn, . . .
(This, my first post, is dedicated to Stewie)
