experience

My guess would be two problems you had. the first was probably no centreboard (and maybe not much rudder), this makes steering difficult plus if you try and sail anything higher than a beam reach you will slide sideways (leeway) at an alarming rate and then when you try and tack will find the boat won't respond. You would also have the tide to contend with, again this might make getting where you want to more challenging.

If you want to gain more experience quickly I would suggest attending an RYA Seamanship course. You could also try try raising the centreboard fully (somewhere with plenty of room) and see how the boat responds - this is invaluable if you go anywhere with extensive shallows.

Originally posted by dics Mobile phones are useless as there aren't any masts at sea! (amazing how many people do not realise this!) Also a DF can be placed on a VHF signal to give a bearing to the person broadcasting.

Actually in most areas you can get a mobile signal a lot further out to sea than most dinghy sailors are likely to venture and as others have pointed out, emergency services have the capability to "triangulate" (locate) mobile phone pretty accurately. Mountain rescue do this a lot, as do the police. In fact there is a commercial service you can subscribe to which allows you to locate your children's or employees' mobile signals. 

Edited by Stefan Lloyd

Didn't know you could DF a mobile - learn something every day!

Originally posted by tack'ho Their always watching you know

Its a government conspiracy I tell you

Wet towels and tin foil around the head - is stops the signals getting in you know.  They cannot communicate with you then

I learn't to dream in swahili cause the man in the cornershop is one of them!!!