April skills quiz: How did you do?

[Phil Herring]

How did you do on this month's sailing skills quiz?Did you run the table and ace them all? Or were you shocked at how many you couldn't answer correctly? Are you now resolved to read, ask, or learn more about sailing?Did all of the questions make sense to you, or are sure there's a different answer than the one provided? Share your experience here. To view the combined scores of all participants go to:http://www.sailboatowners.com/quiz/quizresults.tpl?fno=400If you haven't taken the quiz yet paste the appropriate link into your browser:Catalina owners:http://www.sailboatowners.com/contest/index.tpl?fno=20Hunter owners:http://www.sailboatowners.com/contest/index.tpl?fno=0Beneteau owners:http://www.sailboatowners.com/contest/index.tpl?fno=40Macgregor owners:http://www.sailboatowners.com/contest/index.tpl?fno=80Owners of all other sailboats:http://www.sailboatowners.com/contest/index.tpl?fno=400

 

[Rob McLaughlin]

Question #9

I must have missed something. I read this question to be akin to a leward mark rounding, where you are on a port tack reach, and will round the leeward mark, turning 90 degrees to port (on the same tack). If this is the case, why would you "ease" the mainsheet?

 

[CDR Jeff Richards]

I agree with Rob

Same here. Rounding up, trim the main.

 

[JJHodges]

same here, what's up?

What are they really asking?

 

[David Foster]

Agree trim the main!

nm

 

[Max]

#9 Trim the main IN!

Must trim the main IN while coming up into the wind!

 

[David Hand]

Yes trim the main

You are on a broad reach and turn 90 deg into the wind puts you on a beat. Trim the main.

 

[Colin Wightman]

Maybe they were thinking small boat?

I agree with everybody else: I said to trim the main...The only scenario where the "correct" answer would make sense to me would be if you were in a small boat like a dingy or a centerboarder: if you trim the main while rounding up after a screaming broad reach in 25 knots in such a boat you're probably going over. Of course...if you're out in 25 knots in such a boat, you're probably expecting to go over now and then!

 

[Hayden Watson]

I agree with Colin

Most non-keel boats do not even have reef points.It will be interesting to see how they came up this that one!The last time I checked a broad reach is 135 degrees apparent, minus 90 degrees is 45 degrees. I will be pulling in a lot of main sheet!

 

[John Dawson]

Heavy handed

I said let it out, although I think it would be luffing where it was set anyway. In a tight turn upwind, there is a lot of heel without acceleration, and you want to stop your turning where the jib will be trimmed best. The main usually comes in faster, which makes both heeling and spin to windward worse in heavy air. So I would ease the main a little to make sure it lost power in the turn, make the maneuver as fast and smooth as the helm and jib apes can coordinate it, and then worry about bringing the main back into the equation.

 

[Wanderer138]

You may be right Colin

The clue is the single reef in the mainsail while broad reaching. If that's necessary while sailing downwind, the boat will be overpowered when it turns upwind and the apparent wind increases. Easing sheets is the first step for putting in a second reef. This is true for any size boat, not just the smaller ones.PeterH23 "Raven"

 

[Gary Wyngarden]

The Answer Will Be Revealed

Later this week. Please stand by.Gary Wyngarden

 

[Trevor Smith]

I may be wrong . . .

But when I round a mark from a broad reach to close hauled on the same tack, I'm going to trim my mainsheet. Hopefully, I won't broach.

 

[Tom Monroe]

Q. 9, reef BEFORE

Didn't like the question. If I'm single reefed at 25 knots on a broad reach, when I turn into the wind I'll be significantly overpowered, hence the "class answer." But I don't need to trim because I'll be luffing if I just leave it alone.Quiz aside, if I were racing under these conditions, I'd put in a second reef just BEFORE rounding the mark, and maybe make a headsail change also. That will all be quicker and easier just before rounding than after.Tom MonroeCarlyle Lake

 

[Steve Alexander]

GPS track course

Question 8 cannot be answered correctly without knowing the local magnetic variation. The point of the question was that a GPS receiver is not a compass. Rather, it continuously computes and displays the direction of the track made good over the ground based on continuous fix information, not the boat's instantaneous heading. However, in reality, the track direction displayed would be true, not magnetic as the desired answer indicated. If the boat were making 270M good over the ground while crabbing along that track heading around 290M, the GPS would actually display the corresponding true track direction unless it either contained a variation database and could compute the magnetic track direction, or had a built-in fluxgate compass with which to sense the local direction of Earth's magnetic field. Otherwise it knows only where you've been, where you are, and even where you're going if you've given it a waypoint, and the true (not magnetic) directions between those geographic points. But it doesn't know where you're pointing. Also, the set of the current is not usually known or needed to be known in degrees magnetic. The convention in current sailing is to solve the vector diagram in true directions, then uncorrect to magnetic or compass course to steer.

 

[Wanderer138]

You're right Steve, except...

Your response is based on the assumption that the GPS was reading true rather than magnetic track. Most GPS's can be set to read either. I sometimes set mine to read magnetic so I can check for current or measure leeway when sailing close-hauled. It can also be used to check compass deviation while under power in still water. The drawback is that you have to depend on the database in the GPS to make the conversion from true to magnetic. If you think about it, the compass only tells which way the bow of the boat is pointed, not the direction in which the boat is actually traveling.PeterH23 "Raven"

 

[Gary Wyngarden]

A6

Good question, Gerald. Most of our boats have a four position switch (off, all, one, two). The switch should be turned to isolate and load the battery you're trying to test. If your starter is totally isolated from your house battery, a manual connection would have to created. Thanks for asking.Gary WyngardenS/V Shibumi H335

 

[SailboatOwners.com]

Final results

Final results for the Quick Quiz ending April 20, 2003:How many questions did you answer correctly on sailing skills quiz? 40% 4-5 correct30% 0-3 correct21% 6-7 correct10% 8 or more correct 1,193 owners responding

 

[Brian Blevins s/v Sindarin]

Battery testing

Unless you have sealed batteries then a specific gravity est as described is the best way to test a battery.All a load test will tell you is that your battery really does need charging now after the load test.

 

[Capt. P. Kelly (100tn Master)]

GPS Heading

Actually the answer in the quiz is 100% correct and has nothing to do with mag variation. ANY GPS, unless also hooked up to an electronic compass has no idea which way your boat is pointing. It only calculates from a series of timed readings which way you are GOING. Ever notice when you are dead in the water that the desplay will show the last heading you were on before you stoped moving? I'm captain on a casino boat here in SC and in order to conserve fuel, somtimes we shut down and drift when sea and wind conditions are right. The vessel will turn broad side to the wind and begin a 1 knot drift in a five to ten knot wind, sideways. The GPS will show the course she is drifting, NOT the direction she is pointing.