Sailing Phrase's
- Thread starter Don Guillette
- Start date
Before I trim my sails I note the boat speed. After my expert trimming, using everything I know, if I have only lost 0.1 K I call it a success!
"Helms A LEE..."
I just love it. The words just roll of the tongue and sound so nautical and seaman like.
I just love it. The words just roll of the tongue and sound so nautical and seaman like.
One of the most important sayings is, "Red right returning." When you have to remember that phase you know your trip is ending successfully.
- Will (Dragonfly)
- Will (Dragonfly)
Even when we had non sailing friends on board, who only cared about a fun day experience and a few drinks, I always had one eye on them and the other on all aspect of sailing the boat safely & efficiently. My wife would start ragging on me as we left our driveway to drive to the marina about I should RELAX, be sociable and DON'T talk about sail trim -- I heard what she said but I didn't pay any attention to the relax part. I'm sailing a 10 ton boat in a crowded harbor and I'm supposed to let the thing sail itself.[/QUOTE]
I think your wife is right. If it is that taxing on you to take friends (non sailors) don't take them out. By the way if your Cal 30 is 10 tons you must be carrying a lot of GROG.
Whenever I put a new person on the helm when we are close hauled, I tell them to turn away from the naughty tell tail. If the leeward tell tail lifts you need to point higher and if the windward lifts you need to fall up but turn away from the naughty tell tail is much easier to remember.
I think your wife is right. If it is that taxing on you to take friends (non sailors) don't take them out. By the way if your Cal 30 is 10 tons you must be carrying a lot of GROG.[/QUOTE]
It's a Catalina 30 and I should have said pounds not tons but I do stock a lot of grog. It's not taxing to me but it's more fun for me to take friends that are slightly interested in how a sail boat functions -- let them steer the boat, watch me do some basic sail trim adjustment - but sometimes I get stuck running a tour boat and serving drinks/snacks. If I can get away with it I don't even hoist the sails. I just motor around the harbor.
[/QUOTE]It's a Catalina 30 and I should have said pounds not tons but I do stock a lot of grog. It's not taxing to me but it's more fun for me to take friends that are slightly interested in how a sail boat functions -- let them steer the boat, watch me do some basic sail trim adjustment - but sometimes I get stuck running a tour boat and serving drinks/snacks. If I can get away with it I don't even hoist the sails. I just motor around the harbor.
"Whenever I put a new person on the helm"
Hayden: You made me remember something. Years ago I was conducting a "on the water" seminar for students at Marina Sailing Charters in Long beach, Ca. A couple had attended my 4 hour classroom seminar and decided they'd do the "on the water" even though they told me they were ready to give up sailing because they felt it was too complicated. Anyway, the "on the water" piece is 4 hours and each person goes through EVERY position on the boat for every point of sail. The wife told me after the classroom session she'd do everything but drive. I thought I have a surprise for you tomorrow. When it became her time to drive she balked so we all sat there until she took the wheel. After about 10 minutes behind the wheel we had to almost beat her to get her off of it!! When we got back to the dock the couple just jumped off the boat and ran to the office. I thought "crap and oh well I wonder how this is going to go over with management". About 10 minutes later they came running down the dock to tell me they renewed their membership and had chartered a 30' for the weekend.
Hayden, thank you for helping me remember that experience because it sure made my day.
Hayden: You made me remember something. Years ago I was conducting a "on the water" seminar for students at Marina Sailing Charters in Long beach, Ca. A couple had attended my 4 hour classroom seminar and decided they'd do the "on the water" even though they told me they were ready to give up sailing because they felt it was too complicated. Anyway, the "on the water" piece is 4 hours and each person goes through EVERY position on the boat for every point of sail. The wife told me after the classroom session she'd do everything but drive. I thought I have a surprise for you tomorrow. When it became her time to drive she balked so we all sat there until she took the wheel. After about 10 minutes behind the wheel we had to almost beat her to get her off of it!! When we got back to the dock the couple just jumped off the boat and ran to the office. I thought "crap and oh well I wonder how this is going to go over with management". About 10 minutes later they came running down the dock to tell me they renewed their membership and had chartered a 30' for the weekend.
Hayden, thank you for helping me remember that experience because it sure made my day.
I always try to get all of my guests involved with some aspect of sailing the boat. I consider it a perfect sail if I don't need to do anything but instruct. 
How many sailors do you see here? That’s my crew last weekend. The captain has a Goat-tee. And the Admiral, and guests have smiles or are taking selfies. We use words like rope, pulleys, left side, right side, and color coded sheets, to get things done. Never talk about sail trim in sailor-eze when this type of guest arrives. They just get the fire extinguisher and PFD seminar. I can’t imagine how a MOB drill would go, so I don’t do it on calm days.
The trick to relieve any stress is to always have an A-team crew member on board to handle the Epics. That would be the Tarzan-like dude in the back, Carl, we’ve been through all the harrowing lake and sea adventures together. So many stories, so little motivation to share.
We carry copious Grog on board as well. RELAX, no stress...unless the weather forecast changes drastically. Don’t be a DUKW in Missouri.
This is my approach with non-sailors, too. I may slip up and call them lines instead of ropes occasionally, but I trim the boat from the tiller using their labor. I just say "grab that red rope over there on the left and when I tell you, pull it in and don't wrap it around your hand."
If first timers catch the bug and want to go out again they always want to start learning the proper terminology the second time out. Then it's "red, left, port 4 or less; green, right, starboard 5 or more."
"Red right returning" might put you on the shoals in some parts of the world, notably--in most of it.
We prefer to split the uprights, dependent on traffic. But Red on Right Returning is the mantra.
Well whadda ya know? In the Army, an "Irish pennant" was a stray piece of thread hanging from your uniform, making you look less than 100% squared away.
I never knew it meant anything else!
I always thought that stemmed from a bit of jealousy, when in the pub the Irish would drink the Royal Navy under the table and go home with the Lasses.
It always works if you are returning to the US. ;-)
Sorry for the old style emoji, but the new ones I put in did not display.