I once worked with a captain who used the famous hunt-and-peck typing method:

As you can imagine, he hated the admin pieces of the job.

I’m lucky enough that I learned to type in school, using the “touch typing” method, which is basically a fancy way of saying that each key on your keyboard has an ideal way to be reached:

I know that diagram can feel like a lot to take in, especially all at once. But if you rest your fingers on the row beginning with the letter A (called the “home row”), you’ll find that from there, the keys above and below it are a little easier to access.

Just like when you’re helping someone with touch-and-go’s, so much about learning to type is simply getting your reps in. I’ve found this website to be helpful when it comes to learning the keyboard. Do it enough and I promise you’ll be able to type without even looking down.

The fun part
Once it feels like you’ve got the keys under your fingers, I think you’ll enjoy this game. It’s called Z-Type and it’s basically space invaders, except you type to shoot.

Let me know if you end up playing, I’d love to know how far you got. Personally, I turn the music down because it starts to feel pretty ominous, but I hope you have fun with it.

Until next time!

Dom
Admin Consultant
USCG 100-Ton Captain