Guests

[Don Guillette]

I enjoy having non sailing guests on my boat. Most just want to go for a boat ride and enjoy a day on the water. I try to generate some interest in how the boat sails but if I see none I just drop it and do my own thing, which is to enjoy our guest, sip on a "tinny (aussie for beer)" but always keeping one eye on the sails. On the other hand, if I do see some interest from the folks as to how the boat works I encourage questions. Oddly, but not surprisingly, most interest comes from the gals. I guess guys are too macho to ask questions. Some guys tell me they have sailing for 20 years - I've been playing golf for 20 years and up until a while ago I never hit the ball to the same place twice!! - then they ask me how the topping lift is used to trim the main.To further the interest in how the boat works I ask the gal if she wants to drive the boat. Most are reluctant but when I tell them I'll be standing right next to them they go for it. With many of them they like it so much I can't get the wheel back!!Here are some of the questions that are commonly asked. How would you answer them?Is the only use of the halyard to raise the mainsail?How do I know when the halyard is properly set?What is the top batten used for in addition to stiffening the sail?Is the front part of the sail (luff) set differently for upwind and off wind and what are the settings?What is the main use of the traveler and what is its normal range of motion?What do telltales indicate?Lets say there are quests on your boat and you have given the wheel to to a gal and she asked you these questions how would you reply. Remember to keep the explanation simple!!

 

[Paul Ouellette]

Ship's Articles...

Hi Don :About this "guests aboard" business...I always make sure they are familier with our "ship's articles".Have a look here http://www.winpipe.ca/shipsarticles.htmRegards, Paul.www.winpipe.ca

 

[Alan]

My mom used to say...

...when children ask questions, always answer with short truthful answers. If they need more information they will ask more detailed questions.I try to answer with short general answers and wait for the next more detailed question.1 no2 watch the wrinkles3 it varies for different conditions4 yes, it varies from tight to loose5 to adjust angle of attack, from full out to just above center6 air flow over the sails

 

[LancerDude]

Just say "Uh-Oh!" ...

Just say "Uh-Oh" in a moderate voice and look around kinda silly..REAL SAILORS will feel if something is wrong..those "WannaBes" will be the ones looking nervous and asking whats wrong. My other favorite means to generate interest and (fun) unrest is to ask if anyone has seen my pet Tarantula "Henry"..I know he's here somewhere. lol

 

[r.w.landau]

Don, You know your stuff. You don't need to

Jam it!.Don, chill! I know you are a perfectionist! Your friends/ company will not be.Take that as an opportunity to teach. You are knowledgeable and you may have a problem allowing people to make mistakes. Heck, you are on the boat and you are trying to entertain FRIENDS. It is ok for your boat to carry poorly trimmed sails for a day or two. Ok, they may not make the best of headway at the helm. Take this as a chance to teach. Don, you are a sailor and sailors are patient! teach them the peace you have on your boat. Remember when the eyes glaze over, you have done one of two things wrong (or right). First, you have feed them toooooo much sailing info that that they need to digest before taking on more. Second, you have fed them to much alcohol!This is the good or the bad thing. If they are good friends and want them to learn, it is a mistake. If you want to tell them what they are doing is wrong, feed them more alcohol!Don, NEVER request the presents of anyone one including children for more than three days.Fish and any visitor start to smell after three days!best to you!(then again if they are inlaws....ok, submit to the wife! r.w.

 

[gpd955]

Good thread

Good questions to think about, Don.I enjoy having guests on the boat. Answering their questions and going over the basics of sailing and safety with them are a great refresher for me.The best thing about it is when I answer their questions, they don't know whether I'm right or wrong....all they know is that I am really smart! It's great to let them take the wheel or work a sheet. The more hands on they get, the more they enjoy the ride and I can convert them to sailing! The only downfall is, the more they sail, the more they learn, the less smart I look! *grrNice site, Paul!Jack Mannings/v Victim of FateAtlantic City, NJ

 

[Rick D]

Hi, Don...

...I have a friend from the mountains who isn't a sailor (yet) but will be joining my crew for the Ensenada race. Anyhow, he is a pilot and soarer, so he understands a lot. I ordered your book for him and he had a couple of days to read it. Today, I took him out and had him do all the sail trim and we sorta used your book for mini-quizes. He's doing great and will probably use more sailtrim knowledge than some of my other crew who have been sailing for decades. Anyhow, he asked if you were a pilot too since a lot of the descriptions you used were very similar to his pilot training. Hope AZ is treating you well. Have you gotten out on the big lake? Rick Dinon

 

[Don Guillette]

Jam It!!

RW: I wake up in a good mood, get a coffee and turn on the computer to see if my post generated any traffic, since there wasn't any for a week, and then when I receive messages from people like you I wonder why I bother with running this forum at all. You do not know me and I don't need your comments or observations regarding alcohol, how I handle guests or anything else. If I was standing in front of you I'd tell you to keep your comments to yourself - I'd say it differently but you'd get my message very quickly. You must have missed the second sentence in my post - read it again.The post was actually a test but that probably went over your head.

 

[Alan]

Don, ;D

...thank goodness you said it because I had to bite my tongue. But then I'm told I speak too frankly.If this discussion board is not made specifically these things then what the hell is it here for?

 

[r.w.landau]

Sorry Don, I was in no way making harsh comments

to or about you. I am sorry you read them that way. I will remember not to reply to your posts.r.w.landau

 

[Ross]

Among the many members of this forum

are some very knowledgable people and we tend to take ourselves a little too seriously some of the time. Many are by nature teachers or instructors and consider our knowledge valuable and tend to be offended when someone asks a question just to make conversation and won't wait for or listen to the answer.To make matters worse we recognize this trait in each other but not in ourselves. So when you ask me for the time and I tell you how to make a clock and someone else says the time. I get my back up and wonder why you didn't like my answer. We are like a family here and I know that I don't get on with my siblings nearly as well as with my friends, my friends tend to be more patient with me.

 

[Alan]

Don, I sympathize.

I've tried to start and answer threads only to sometimes get kicked in the teeth!It's not a good feeling but think of it in these terms. There are plenty of sailors out there that admire and respect you. I for one enjoy these interludes of sailing talk mid winter. One never knows what tit-bits of information there are to be had. ...and besides its almost as much fun as sailing. So my friend, don't take what a few miscreants might say to heart, there are many more that want to hear from you.

 

[Don s/v Tellico]

Geez guys, relax, spring is coming.

I've been here a long time, and yeah, lots of threads get hijacked and go weird. If someone can't handle that, maybe it's not the place to be. On many occasions, I've read a post/response, then posted a reply, and on re-read realize that I missed the issue altogether. I try to delete them. It's also easy to post a new topic and write something that doesn't read exactly as one intended. Happens to me all day long in my profession.I personally read the problem response here as one of respect and somewhat tongue-in-cheek. That's just my take. But, however you read it, I don't think it's necessary to call someone out on the street for something they might say.now back to the regularly scheduled postings...44

 

[carina]

OK Back to the Guest

This is what we are here for, to think about/imagine we are sailing--OK it's 3am.I too will encourage guests to question and I'm happy to review things for myself too. But, if they aren't interested, I'm not going to waste my breath about that--time to open the cooler and I can sail the boat.Questions:The main halyard (on my boat without a downhaul) is also used to tension the luff.The halyard is set right when the sail is smooth, usually.The top batten holds the roach out (but all the battens do that) and guides me on main sheet tension.The main luff is usually tighter upwind and looser off the wind.I wish I had a traveller but positions the main relative to the boat centerline without compomising sail shape. Moved to windward in light air, centered in moderate, and to leeward in heavy air.The telltales indicate smooth air flow and guide most of the above adjustments.Now I need the beer.