Continuing Education

[Gerald Davies]

Main Sail

I finally listened to my wife and replaced what she consisdered to be a "blown out" main sail.After spending the cash and getting over the cost I now have a boat that sails too it's true potential and is so much better in all points of sail. If you think you need a new sail you probably do.Did I say the wife was right, (yes she was and I told her so).Gerald

 

[steven]

non-sailing spouse

don't buy a boat thinking your wife "will enjoy sailing if she only gets a chance to experience it". Expensive lesson...

 

[R.W. Landau]

Steven, I know that feeling...

I owned my last boat for 4 years with constant conflict from my wife. She knew it was something that I liked but she wanted no parts.I sold that boat (23 paceship) which was fast and I liked it.I bought a boat that my wife can walk through. That she liked! the biggest plus. She joined me for 3/4 of the weekends that I spent on the boat this year. It may have helped that I shop, cook, am the helmsman, jib and main trimmer, dock hand, and anchor person.I think the dinners and breakfasts that were made just for her helped. I also was the dish washer and porta-pottie dumper. She enjoyed the down time. Yes, I busted butt but I would rather be on the boat than elsewhere.r.w.landau

 

[Ken]

Currents

Normally I'm faced with a timing problem comming or going in the San Juans. This summer do to a mechanical problem we left late but with the current. We used the current atlas for the Islands and made a 9 hour trip in 6, just by chooseing the right chanels to go down. I'm sold on those atlas's now.

 

[jeribelle]

Since our Cal is getting rigging, mast, and soon interior work, I hope, and Trimhorn has been working way too many hours, I was stumped as to what I've learned. How can a new sailor narrow that one down...well, I am sure you all can remember back to when you knew absolutely nothing about sailing. As a full-time student, I had the opportunity to take an astronomy course for a science requirement. We had a research paper assignment, which was our own topic. I researched and learned quite a lot about GPS - satellites, radio waves, technology behind it, etc. Astronomy related, and sailing related also. jeribelle

 

[Ron DeLaere]

sturgeron

I can not find a place that will ship sturgeron to USA. Can you enlighten us.

 

[Steve Dion]

Ron De:

Ron:Do a little research before you worry about Sturgeon. It is NOT the most effective treatment for sea sickness.Do a search on 'MAL DE MER' and make you own decision on the product. Sope is still the prefered treatment if it works. There are other products but every body is different.

 

[Rick D]

Lesson 1,Check your mooring,

Had a great summer sailing our Oday 20 around Narragansette bay, did alot of solo sailing in windy condistions, had a blast all summer.I check my riging weekly, always check my bildge, always check my mast, always checked for any chaf on my mooring line and would tape it up always checked......... BUT NEVER CHECKED THE SHACKEL UNDER MY MOORING BALL( it was inspected) luckly my niegbor saw it break loose and the boat only drifed 20 feet into the mud.Could have been real bad, could have damaged alot of boats. I was very luckly and will check my mooring weekly

 

[SailoboatOwners.com]

Final results

Final results for the Quick Quiz ending 11/11/2002:My most important lesson this year was regarding: 35% Boat maintenance30% Sails and sail trim26% Stretching my sailing limits10% Navigation

 

[Jack]

Navigator beware

This summer we plotted a course to safely miss Whaleback shoal in Green Bay. The shoal is marked 3 feet in two spots. The water was 1 foot above chart datum, leading us to expect that the shoal would have 4 feet of water over it. We were very glad that we had given it a safe berth as there were seagulls standing on two exposed spots. A 4+ foot depth error on a shoal near a shipping lane was a surprise. We always try to keep a theoretical 10 feet under the keel and this rule is now cast in concrete.

 

[Tim]

Get a horn and a good jacket!

I have sailed regularly (lakes and ocean) for over 15 years and had never had a close-call until this summer. While sailing to weather, on clear day, in my catalina 27 (at about 5 knots) I noticed a power boat appoaching from starboard. The boat was moving very fast and at first it appeared that he would pass well in front of us. A few second later I notice that the operator of the boat was looking down at some thing between the seats and was on a collision course with my boat. Incredibly he had not seen us. We were the only two boats on the lake and I was under full sail. I had three passengers on board, life jackets out, but not on and my horn was stowed in a locker under the seat of one of my passengers. The power boat was closing too fast to reach the horn. I turned hard to starboard and his board "kissed" the port side of my boat. He did not see me until he was 20 feet from my boat and he was going at least 35-40 knots. We were very very lucky. He swerved at the last second, almosts flipped over and then continued on. He never looked back but he did slow down. Lessons learned: 1)nerver assume that a quiet day at the lake will be a safe day, 2) make sure that your horn is with in arms reach. If you really need it you will only get a few seconds to react. I had always worn my life jacket when sailing alone or at night. I now wear a life jacket all the time and so does my crew. Buy good life jackets that people will wear.

 

[Tim Davis]

Reef Mail While Under Way

To reef the main I close haul her and put someone else at the wheel. I let the traveller and mainsheet out until the main luffs. I then drop the main halyard to the reefing cringle, hook it, and retighten the halyard. I then pull in the reefing line, put in the reefing ties along the boom, check the boom vang for adjustment, and trim the main. It takes about 3 minutes and I have lost very little hull speed.

 

[Don]

Heaving to.

I usually reef like Tim does. Last summer, I was single handing when the wind started to build and my autopilot decided to quit. I had read about the process of heaving to, but had never tried it. I tacked, but left the jib sheet cleated causing the jib to backwind. I countered the bow turning by putting the helm over and locking it. The boat just sat there about 25 degrees off the wind while the mainsail luffed. It was like putting the boat in "Park". After the main was reefed, I centered the helm and let the bow come around on the new tack. Released the jib sheet and sheeted in on the new tack. It was so easy. This technique should be in every sailor's bag of tricks.