Ghosting

[Lysle Seelig]

I hate to motor.

My wife and I have spent many hours on the lake (Texoma) just drifting around waiting on the wind, and in most cases, it finds us before the day is done. Once however, when we were new to sailing, we had been out for an hour or more without even the hint of a breeze. So, we decided to just jump overboard and take a swim. Since there was absolutely no wind, I left the sails up (we had a tow line out.) We were on our floaties soakin' up rays and drinkin' margaritas. When my wife looked up said "Honey, does that look wind to you?" And sure enough, there was a puff starting up across the lake about 5 miles away. She asked if I thought we should get back in the boat and in my infinite wisdom, I said, "Nah, we got plenty of time." The next words out of my mouth were "OH SHIT!" as I watched the sails fill. I pulled for all I was worth to get back on the boat and at the helm. My wife was doing the same but as she was climbing up the ladder, she lost her float and jumped back in after it. Well, I dropped the sails, turned around, and picked her up and we sailed the rest of the day and well into the night. Every once in a while we would chuckle and my wife would ask "Honey, Does that look like wind to you?...) We don't ever leave the sails up anymore unless someone is at the helm but my wife loves to tell the story of how I just looked up and said "Nah, we got plenty of time" and then the next thing she saw was my eyes about the size of golf balls and a water spout coming from behind me as I scrambled back on the boat.But to get back to the subject... We just love being out on the water whether we're doing 6 knots or registering 0.0.Regards,Lysle

 

[WastinAway]

Peace & Quiet

Some of my favorite days sailing have been with no or very little wind. Being almost still in the water is a great time to relax and get away from the real world, my reason for sailing.

 

[Jason]

Slow going

I used to just fire up the engine and motor, however, since I purchased a roller furler and use my Genoa, I try to coax the breeze for all it's worth. Roller furling is great and Shaefer Marine is a really great company that stands behind it's products (story behind the last statement... not a plug).

 

[stefan oetter]

I'll float

I'll pull the sails down and just float with a beer and without a care...

 

[Campy]

Birds

While returning from Swiftsure (Victoria, BC) festivities about 8 years ago, and while nursing a terrible hangover, we were crossing the Straits of Juan DeFuca in an absolutely windless glassy sea. So beautiful!  About half way across, I looked up from my drowsy sick stooper to notice several hundred white birds on the horizon. Don, our resident local knowledge expert, said "Aint that something..." and drifted off again. Mike, the skipper, was below snuggling up to the deisle heater and couldn't care any less. The soft pur of the motor, flup flup flup of every square available inch of sail and mechanical squeek of the autopilot had lulled me and everyone else back into the most peaceful feeling of... 10 minutes later we were getting creamed with 45 knot winds, knocked over and sea spray (white birds) in my face. Much rather be mowing the lawn than doing that ever again! Ghosting is tops for me!

 

[Trent Skille]

Bad day of Sailing better than a good day at work

It was a warm fall day, the wind was blowing at 0 knots as we set sail to sail around our favorite weekend gettaway Lake Monroe. I had turned on the GPS just to see how far we would go for the day and monitor our average speed. About 3 hours later we had drifted all the way across the lake, the speed was so slow that the GPS couldn't track it and never updated our position at all. I think the only reason we moved at all was because of the little bit of current from the river. It was still a great day of sailing (or I should say drifting, It still beat going to work.

 

[Rick D]

Jerry's Kick-Off Comments Were On The Mark

in that I think ghosting is a lot more fun in a light boat, usually smaller, that will respond to the wind more quickly. My old 26' T-Bird was a killer in light air and most enjoyable in pretty fall warm days. My 40.5 is a slug unless there is some air. Merit 24's love the light air and will eat your lunch on overnight races when the light air in SoCal is the rule. I think light air is far more challenging in which to sail well. Rick D.

 

[SC]

I can think of many words to describe sailing

...but boring has never been one of 'em. I prefer 10-15, can handle 20, but still will sail at 5!

 

[Pete]

It depends

When it is hot and powerboat wakes are everywhere, sailing at much less than 3 knots isn't fun. That is the time to anchor and swim or go home.On the other hand, at night, under a full moon, without a powerboat in sight, sailing at 1/2 a knot can be quite satisfying.Cooler weather sailing is likely to be pleasant even with light winds. I sailed less in August last year than any other month (including Winter). During the hotter months, night sailing can be nice though.

 

[Steve Dion]

.....backwards....

When you sail in the California Delta it is usually feast or famoine. We have 20-25 kts of breeze or nothing. When you have one of these zero wind days we sometimes throw out a line with a few loops tied in it with a fender on the end of the line. Then you just jump ship for a cool, refreshing dip. Depending on which way the tide is going you can be sailing backwards. But who really cares? The worst day of sailing always beats the best day of work! (sounds fishy to me)

 

[Captain Kimo]

How slow is slow sailing

> But how slow do you go?If the sails (150% Genoa, and Main with battens) don't at least cause some movement through the water, I would heave to and go for a mid day swim. > Imagine a quiet, sunny day, with no time pressures, when you're singlehanding. There's just enough wind to fill the sails and move you along.Look for "cat paws" ripples on the water and motor to them to SAIL AGAIN.>No wakes from power boats (can you imagine that?).Impossible on Lake Mead!!!! > Your boat is totally upright and ghosting through the water at a couple of knots. The hull makes a gentle burble, the only sound other than the scree of the gulls.Only thing missing is a Jimmy Buffet CD. > Is this boring or do you see it as enjoyment? Are you challenged to see how much speed you can coax out of a gentle wind?If the boat is moving at all, I would just sit back and enjoy the "journey" and not the time or destination. > How slow do you go before you drop sails and fire up the engine?When the sails hang limp and the windex spins with the rolling of the boat, and the sun is too high and hot. Oh, and no wind anywhere on the lake within motoring distance.  Just purchased a 150% Doyle Genoa for my 96' Mac26X. It makes all the difference in picking up the whisper of wind. This is aided by the shifting of crew weight to the leeward side of the boat to assist catching the air current near the water surfac flowing over the foredeck. During this condition I have been know to sail into the courtesy dock at the various Marina's on Lake Mead.

 

[Chris Gonzales]

A rare day on SF Bay

Back in early November we left our Richmond slip at about 11 am. In 60 degree temp and light winds we headed toward Raccoon Strait and the Golden Gate bridge. We went around Angel Island in only 10 or so kts of wind with a flood tide. We were making little way over the ground but it was like a a fantasy watching the water move past and behind us as we inched forward at probably 1.5 kts. Quiet except for the ripples all around us from the flood current. No ships, no ferries, few other boats. No flapping sails, no creaking sheets on the winches, no commands from the skipper to reef or sheet in or ease out or duck!Across the slot and toward the city front. The wind quiets down even more. Before long we were heading back to Richmond on a broad reach in so very little wind. The water was calm. No whitecaps! There I was, on the starboard stern perch seat, a pretty glass of slightly chilled Chardonnay in my left hand. My right arm was resting lazily on the starboard lifeline and a big toe on the wheel, steering effortlessly.It was a wonderfully relaxing sail. One rarely found on SF bay and one to remember.Chris

 

[Dale Wells]

Mundane midday sail

I have gotten caught out in the middle of the lake when the air gets still and sun gets going. I feel like a steak on the grill. I will do anything to coax a bit of air in the sails. I will do just about anything to put off cranking up the old OB. Noise shatters the moment and a day of sailing has become just another day on the freeway going to work. The magic is gone.

 

[Kelly]

Drift & Drink

NEVER START THE MOTOR UNLESS IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!!! Divorce is final in 9 days...I got the kids and the Catalina, he got everything else! Priorities....smooth sailing ahead!

 

[Philip Harris]

Unless it's less than one knot...

I'm out there. Speed isn't important. Just being on the water, enjoying nature. Having to move and "get somewhere" is a land-based activity. Relaxing and enjoying the sights is what sailing is.

 

[Doug T.]

Kelly

Congrats on getting the two most important things: the kids & the boat -- you have your priorities in order!

 

[BILL ROBB]

CRUISING, OR JUST HAVING FUN?

I think I'm missing the point of this forum question. If you're just out for an afternoon on the water - and have no particular place to go - who cares how fast you're going? But - if you're cruising - you can't just sit there. You usually have to make the next port within a reasonable amount of time. In that case, if I'm doing less than 2-3 knots, I'm firing up the hated iron genny.

 

[larry w.]

sail or power, that is the question

If I'm racing or cruising with the guys, I'll sail in barely a whisper, as long as the boat has headway, but if the Admiral is aboard, it's a different story. She doesn't like the motion at the slower speeds, so to keep her happy I fire up the iron genny if speed falls below 3 knots or so.

 

[Al Nash]

IT DEPENDS

upon the situation. If it looks like the calm before the storm, we're gettin' out of there. But if we're just out with no schedule to meet, just sitting there for a while ain't bad.

 

[Capnrmorgan]

I take it slow..

It is nice to be out and not fight the wind. To set and drift with no particular place to go ....After work is my best sailing time... Sunset and hardly any wind. They call it Morgan wind in my club....Slow to no...and I still may not use the motor...I've even paddled from the bow....Capn'