Sharpening our skills

[Ross]

We have posted 5 pages of picture of our boats. Some of these are quite large and some are more modest. But all of them require that we have the skills to keep them and to sail them well. What skill(s) do you plan to learn or sharpen between now and spring when the migration begins from land to the water again? After the last plotting question that was posted I know that it is time for me to pull my piloting books back out and read them again. I need to splice new dock lines, mine are looking at their seventh season. The eyes and chafe points must be served. That means worming ,parceling and serving two bow lines, two stern lines and two springs. Waiting until the weather is warm will just waste a good winter.

 

[Warren Milberg]

This is a great question

and points out how, no matter what we sail or how long we have been sailing, sailing continues to be a learning experience. While I have many skills that need to be sharpened, or relearned, my primary plan is to learn how to use more of the the other 95 per cent of the functions my little GPS can do. And while I can hand-sew pretty well, I've never learned how to use a machine. I'm looking for a local course to learn that skill.

 

[Ross]

Warren , Jo-Ann fabrics stores often have classes

Also the community colleges sometimes offer these as non-credit courses.

 

[Ross]

Warren, My mother taught me to sew, starting with

draw string bags for all the junk little boys collect. The simplest way to make a bag is from a worn out pair of pants. Cut the legs off below the holes in the knees, turn them inside out and sew across the cuff. Next you turn a hem in the other end, carefully lay in a piece of cord and sew the hem almost all the way around(don't sew through the cord) leaving about an inch that you finish by hand so the corn cah exit the hem knot the cord and you have a draw string bag.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Finding more time to go out

is the only skill needed to improve upon (the rest is "just" sailing - where everyday we learn something new and enjoyable).

 

[Jeff Bacon]

A dodger....

.... in the $3,000 to $4,000 range, and that being 95% labor, has taught me that I need to learn to sew at least a straight hem.I may be the only male at JoAnn fabrics, but I'm going to give it a shot.Jeff

 

[r.w.landau]

I just made a ripstop nylon boom tent.

Material from JoAnn Fabric.I have been honing sewing skills for the last 12 years on boat projects. They weren't alway pretty but the goal is to build a sail. I have reworked two so far and this winter's project is cutting down an oversized main. The first sail that I messed with was a 150 genny for $50 bucks. I now use it on my furler.The nice things about sails, is you can rip out the stitching and do them again.Warren I used my wifes circa 1950 singer until last winter when I bought a Tuff Sew zigzag for a little over $300. It looks identical to the Sailrite top of the line zigzag (about $800). The hardest thing to learn is thread tension. The sewing part is easy. One thing I have learned to use to insure a good seam is a product called seamstick. Sailrite sells it. I connect all my seams with it first, then sew. Good luck. r.w.landau

 

[Moody Buccaneer]

Long list ...

I'm restoring my C30 ...All the systems will be upgraded to current standards. Bulkheads tabbed and glassed to the hull, all new fresh water system, conduits and support every 16-18" for all wiring harnesses and piping ... My list of skills to re-learn and practice is near endless this year.The two I'm looking forward to most are some fancy rope work for interior hand-holds, and learning to use Radar when the boat is re-launched in March.I'll probably give doing my own canvas work a try also.

 

[Manny]

Lets see...

I am learning how to use fiberglass matt and roving to repair a soggy core under my mast step, rebuilding a transmission without breaking too many vital components, replace a shaft log hose, repack a stuffing box, repair a fuel tank, and hopefully (if time and money permits) brush up on my seacock replacement skills and put a fresh pair of seacocks in. Did I forget anything?Zen and the art of sailboat maintenance?????Manny

 

[Larry Wilson]

Rough weather sailing

Ross,Because I single hand the majority of the time, I haven't had a chance to really take the 8.7 out in rough weather. I'm hoping to do a Bermuda cruise in the not too far future, and want to see how the boat and I would handle nasty circumstances. So the answer to your question is : learning to sail in all types of conditions. Of course this means finding crew that would be willing to risk life and limb. Any takers out there?

 

[Ross]

Larry, doing the Delmarva 500 is good

experience. Had a friend crew on one last summer for a couple of legs. They started in Northeast thru the C&D Canal and picked Dobbs up in Lewes, Del. South on the outside to hamptom area and the back to Northeast.

 

[Dan Johnson]

Hey Ross...

I was supposed to crew a leg on that DelMarVa venture but the boat's skipper was unable to get the boat ready to do so (a 37 foot cutter) in time to make the trip so I'm waiting for the next one.

 

[Al]

Standing rigging

I'm going to redo all the standing rigging on my 87 Newport 30, with the help of a friend that was a rigger at one time. We'll be using Sta-loc fittings, the rigging is the original. I'll also be adding some teak work to the cockpit,floor grate and hand hole trim. I have a new VHF radio and have to reread the entire manuel to set it up. I would like to learn fancy knot tying, so I can inlay it into some of my woodworking projects, like a Spanish Cedar dock box.

 

[Benny]

Them winter Doldrums must be bad

to have grown, seagoing men, talking about the finer points of sewing and stiching. Thank God I can sail all year. Even ice fishing sounds more promising.

 

[Ross]

Poor Benny, if he rips his jeans he must

wander around with his a$$ hanging out until he can find a woman to sew them for him. There are NO gender specific tasks on a boat.

 

[Ross]

My son in upstate New York has a picture of

aliens from a space ship that has landed on an ice covered lake populated by fishermen. The aliens are saying "I guess that we can rule out finding inteligent life here!"