Quiz answers, sources, and discussion
1. The correct answer is three degrees. With 700 quiz responses in, 48% got this right. Why have any weather helm? Rousmaniere says it provides a frame of reference and feel to have a little helm pressure that helps the helmsperson steer a more consistent course. Much more than the minimum amount induces drag off the rudder which slows the boat down and stresses the steering gear. 2. The correct answer is the third one, measure with your boat out of the water and mark your wheel or cockpit sole. 25% got this right. The difference between your compass heading and gps course made good will measure cross current. The angle of deflection of turbulence off your rudder is a reasonable indicator but would be hard to accurately measure underway. Dennis Conner's recommendation is the answer given. 3. All of the above is the correct answer. 78% got this correct which is good news. 4. All of the above is also correct for this one and 75% got this right. 5. The correct answer is low voltage in the power supply. Only 30% got this right. Terminology first. The pump that circulates water from outside the hull through a heat exchanger to cool your engine is usually referred to as a raw water pump. The pump that circulates potable water from your tank through your plumbing to the galley and the head(s) is usually referred to as a fresh water pump. Nigel Calder says "the number one cause of DC motor failure is low voltage. . . the major causes of unwanted voltage drop are poor connections and inadequate wiring." So if your freshwater pump stops operating (or any other DC motor), look for low voltage. How do you do that? Use a multimeter! More on this later. 6. The correct answer is to use a Bahamian Moor technique. 47% got this right. A Bahamian Moor requires two anchors and one particularly long rode. Drop you first anchor upwind, pay out your normal scope and set your anchor. Then back down an equal distance to your initial scope, drop a second anchor off the stern, and set it. Finally return to your initial anchored position (halfway between the two anchors) and lead the stern anchor rode to the bow. This will permit the boat to spin 360 degrees with whatever wind shifts in pretty much a fixed position and with very limited swing room requirment. A fore and aft anchor technique will leave you beam to the wind if the predicted 90 degree wind shift happens. I will never recommend cheating on scope. And with the Bahamian Moor technique, there's no reason to miss out on this beautiful anchorage by leaving to go elsewhere. 7. The correct answer according to the ASA is to use your depth sounder and follow a depth contour on your chart. 57% got this right. Using your last estimated position and following a magnetic course may work if your estimated position was accurate and there's no current or leeway going on. Dropping the hook leaves you vulnerable to getting run over by other boats with no opportunity to move out of the way. If you don't know where you are, the Coasties probably won't be able to help you, and you should be self sufficient in these situations anyway. 8. The correct answer is five short blasts which is the danger signal. 65% got this right. 9. The correct answer is a poorly designed or constructed boat. 71% got this right. According to Rousmaniere, the problems usually stem from bad decisions and/or lack of preparation on the skipper's part, not the boat's designers or builders. (This is not to suggest we take our production sailboats to the Southern Ocean to test the theory!) 10. Well of course it's the multimeter! Only 24% got this right. Specifically Calder says "In fact given a knowledge of how to use it, I would go so far as to say that it's possibly the single most important tool on a boat!" A few points of clarification. My first boat was an O'Day Day Sailor on which I had a huge amount of fun but which had nothing electric on it. Obviously a multimeter would have been of no use. However, with a larger and more complex boat with electronics, batteries, motors, etc. understanding how to diagnose and correct electrical problems becomes extremely important. The question didn't say if I could take one tool, what would it be. You obviously need a whole lot of tools and spare parts depending on what kind of sailing you do. If you've read Calder, you know he's not given to exaggeration. If someone of his stature makes this kind of recommendation, it behooves the rest of us to seriously consider buying and learning how to use a multimeter. As always, I hope you had fun with the quiz and maybe learned something. Gary Wyngarden S/V Shibumi H335
I don't wear shoes on my boat.