Feeling very humble today :(

[RussC]

The wife and I have been sailing for the better part of three years now, and I was thinking I was getting pretty good at this sailing thing , however for the first two years we were frequenting a more "urban" lake (Lost Creek) due to low water levels at the historic "sailing lake" (Howard Prairie). On the rare occasions when another sailboat happened to be out on LC when we were, I felt pretty confidant that I could shame them with my superior sailing skills . Now turn the page to a brim full "sailing lake" where sailing has had a strong history of racing and recreational sailboats for many many years, and I'm a duck out of water again . We always try to go sailing on weekdays to avoid the big pb and fishing crowds, but even mid-week there are always at least a few others out sailing for us to play with. yesterday was the last of three such days for us this week. conditions were less than stellar compared to the usual superb winds, so I got a really good afternoon workout each day in 10-20+ winds. one day there was a (I think) Cat 22 Mk2 that wanted to play, so I "let" him chase me for a wile . As we headed North on a port tac I was a bit puzzled by his sail trim because it appeared that he was allowing the jib to luff most of the time, to the point of being powered by the main only. I surmise this may have been his way to depower due to the rather strong gusty winds, but I felt ok with full sails and a firm hand on the main sheets. we were running up a shoreline, which was getting uncomfortably close, so I tacked off to gain some room to work, thinking he would have to do the same.....

But was left holding the bag..

I always felt I could run pretty close to the wind, but even after I tacked and gave myself some room from shore, and he passed me, I couldn't hold the line that he was . he never did have to tac away from the shore line, and I was unable to run him down.
It was getting late, so we played around for another hour or so as we worked our way back to the quiet boat ramp at the South end of the lake and packed her up for the drive home. As usual we stopped by the marina for a burger, a cold drink, and a recharge before the drive home. it's a nice place to sit and watch the boat ramp action and the very active marina traffic also.
As we sat enjoying our burgers I happened to notice a Cat 25 raising his main sail at his slip deep in the pack. his row has a rock jetty about 1 1/2 boat lengths behind the slips, so this caught my attention as he calmly backed out of his slip, made a 90* turn and raised his jib as he sailed out along the pier as if it was a no big deal.
Man have I got a lot to learn. I should have started this about 50-60 years earlier .

 

[JohnVTX]

We've all been there. Keep pushing it and you should practice some docking with no power. You will need the skill some day

 

[dlochner]

The joy of sailing is that you are always learning and there is always a problem to solve. Helps to stave off the Alzheimers.

 

[RussC]

The joy of sailing is that you are always learning and there is always a problem to solve. Helps to stave off the Alzheimers.

I couldn't agree more. I've always had a passion for learning what makes things work in certain ways, and sailing is providing me lots of mental exercise to keep the gears oiled.

 

[Joe]

It is a good bet that all those "good" sailors you mention started out in small boats or dinghies... no motor and ballast sensitive... (ballast being crew weight and position). Also..... local knowledge is the rule. Your buddy may have been luffing up into an unseen current or wind eddy to help him clear the obstacle. Lake sailing can be very challenging in that regard. Since it seems like you are avidly committed to improving your skills... why don't you seek out a few of the lake regulars and pick their brain.... see if the local yacht or race association is something you might enjoy. It's all good....

 

[RussC]

It is a good bet that all those "good" sailors you mention started out in small boats or dinghies... no motor and ballast sensitive... (ballast being crew weight and position). Also..... local knowledge is the rule. Your buddy may have been luffing up into an unseen current or wind eddy to help him clear the obstacle. Lake sailing can be very challenging in that regard. Since it seems like you are avidly committed to improving your skills... why don't you seek out a few of the lake regulars and pick their brain.... see if the local yacht or race association is something you might enjoy. It's all good....

I started off in a dinghy (several) also, but only for a year or a little more, so yes I learned a lot of very valuable basic lessons by doing that, but not enough .
I'm the quintessential anti-club guy , but yes, I was just telling Jennifer yesterday that it might be time to seek out an experienced club/racer guy for an "intermediate" lesson or two. I'm at a point where that could really boost my knowledge to the next level.

 

[Leeward Rail]

To me, a major part of the enjoyment of sailing, is the need to always keep learning. That and enjoying the solitude

 

[Roadking Larry]

I learn something every time I leave the slip. Sometimes it's something new.

 

[jssailem]

A Plus 1 on the benefits of small boat / dinghy sailing to learn the skills. In warm water it is a terrific way to learn. It is more play. You hear the instructions and then you venture out and demonstrate how much did not sink in. And there is no hiding the mistakes cause your wet from head to toe. Then come the confessions and the smiles. It is a great way to learn.

 

[RussC]

I started with this 12.5' AMF Puffer (not counting the Snark ) Only went swimming once, but had many daily close calls

 

[Kings Gambit]

.As we headed North on a port tac I was a bit puzzled by his sail trim because it appeared that he was allowing the jib to luff most of the time, to the point of being powered by the main only. I surmise this may have been his way to depower due to the rather strong gusty winds, but I felt ok with full sails and a firm hand on the main sheets.

Perhaps he was feathering. A technique used to gain ground to windward w/o tacking and w/o giving up much speed. It's when the boat is headed up in strong gusts to a point where the headsail just begins to luff, and the boat begins to lose some of its heel. This is done in addition to taking the usual lift supplied by a gust. Do you know about "taking lifts"? Does your boat have a Windex atop the mast?

During a gust the apparent wind the boat experiences clocks aft, allowing the boat to briefly head more toward windward on its existing trim settings. This is called a "lift." If the shore is leeward, it allows you to move away from it, etc. Feathering in a strong gust allows you to push the lift a bit further although the headsail will begin to luff some and the boat will flatten some; so, it is effectively depowering but is also keeping its speed, more or less. An experienced sailor using the technique can maintain a tight line against a lee shore if that is what s/he wishes to do. Of course, the sails have to be properly trimmed. When a strong gust arrives the boat lifts and feathers more to windward. After the gust passes the boat resumes it original heading to its sail trim (close-hauled), but it has gained a boat length or two to weather---away from the lee shore. Do this with each gust, i.e., many times, "to work your way to weather."

 

[RussC]

Perhaps he was feathering. A technique used to gain ground to windward w/o tacking and w/o giving up much speed.

Fascinating.
now that's one I've never heard of before and does sound like exactly what I was observing. I'll be very anxious to try that out on our next time out.
I do often use "lifts" to good advantage, although I've always just called it heading up in the gusts. It depends on what my desired heading is, when a gust hits, weather I head up or let out the main sheet and maintain my current heading. Howard Prairie has 6-7 permanent bouys placed by the yacht club for races, so I use them to force myself to a line, rather than just wandering around the lake wherever the wind takes me. educational + provides great self-entertainment as well .
I do have a windex atop the mast, but generally just use it to verify wind direction when things get squirrely. both legs had been broken off or removed when I bought the boat however .
Thanks for the food-for-thought KG. my gears have been needing a shot of oil like that

 

[jssailem]

King's description is very good. The idea is at play in all water and is a common racing tactic that local knowledge of currents and wind patterns lends help to the the sailors who pay attention. Try it and you will be amazed. Tree lines, rocky bluffs, even large ships anchored near a shore can provide a reflective surface to give the sailor a little lift.
Helps to also know the wind shift patterns that often occur during the day in any given local. Good timing can put you in the right place at the right time to ride a shift all the way to the next mark, while the competition is off tacking away from the mark as the wind shifts against them.

Never hurts to find the local who is always competitive and follow him/her around the lake.

 

[walt]

Feathering sounds similar to something I do all the time - but dont/ didnt know the name of it. I will set both jib and main for a general reach I want to be on. For example, if this is going upwind as fast as possible, the jib might be fairly tight the main traveler set to windward.

I then just do all sail triming by only steering the boat. One way to do this is to maintain a fairly constant and optimum heel angle. Heel increases, head up. Heel decreases, head down wind. What its basically doing is following the apparent wind shifts created by changing wind speed or actual wind direction changes. It seems a good way to get upwind as fast as possible.

 

[Meriachee]

One of the advantages of small lakes is that the wind is far from equal, ever. We regularly see over 100 degree differences, and a lot of times there are pretty nice breezes really tight to the shore and anybody in the middle is having a nap. Sometimes though, close to shore is too close to digging in the keel.

 

[RussC]

One of the advantages of small lakes is that the wind is far from equal, ever. We regularly see over 100 degree differences, and a lot of times there are pretty nice breezes really tight to the shore and anybody in the middle is having a nap. Sometimes though, close to shore is too close to digging in the keel.

I hear that! I was getting pretty familiar with the lake we sailed two years prior to this year, and found many times I could gain a couple knots by staying close to a lee shore in one particular area of the lake, for example. I know this puzzled more than a few others who were parked in the middle of the lake in nil wind . Venturi effect and similar compression phenomenon was a great education from my 18 yr of flying hang gliders, and has come in very handy now that I sail a different type of craft . Now if I could just figure out this sail trim thing, which we didn't do much of wile flying .

 

[Meriachee]

From an input perspective, have somebody steer the boat to the Windex and you concentrate on trim. We have the wind input to the AP, and I'll tell you, the ability to set the AP to track a wind angle is like having another person steering.
Even when I'm steering the boat, I'm spending a large percentage of time watching that display, as the input from it arrives before the sails react to it.
Not that im making a case for more toys, a Windex and lots of tells will tell you what you need to know.

 

[Kings Gambit]

People may wish to debate the "difference", if any, between pinching and feathering. To me, feathering is a gust response that is the continuation of taking a lift to the point of slight luffing of the headsail and the resultant reduction of heel, especially in strong gusts, to work the boat to windward without excessive heeling and loss of speed, and where the proper trim course is resumed after the gust has passed. Pinching is sailing higher than a proper close-hauled course in more or less steady wind and is not a gust response. It may be true that the goal of each is the ultimately same (to get more up wind), but with pinching the skipper is accepting a lower speed over a longer period to achieve a "shorter" course, and is not sailing efficiently, etc.

 

[SFS]

That's what I was taught, KG.

 

[Kings Gambit]

If you do not wish to work more to windward, your gust response from a close-hauled course would be to ease the headsail and mainsail to keep your speed, and lower the traveler to further reduce heeling if needed. Of course, you'd have to reset the original trim after the gust has passed, etc., if you wish to sail efficiently. This could be a lot work for your crew on a long course.