By the time I arrived, the sailing club had grown. At weekends, we would work on her all day, cleaning and painting her, and collapse into sleeping bags on the floor at night. Then came the big day when a school sailing trip was announced. Its destination was Saint-Malo. But it also meant that we had to refit the ship by removing every piece of ballast (压舱物)and replacing the bilge water (底舱污水) before we were allowed to sail.

And I did learn the ropes on that school trip. I learned how to operate a ship in the high waves. I learned the meaning of teamwork and became a better team player. I also learned that the best fish is the one that you have caught and cooked yourself from a boat that you have rebuilt and sailed yourself.

What does the underlined phrase “learn the ropes” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Learn to cook.

B．Master useful skills.

C．Ensure sailing safety.

D．Use ropes properly.