If you are anything like me, you want to know the best sailing tips that put you in command of your small cruising or racing sailboat. Forget the iron genny. Turning on an engine won't increase your sailing skills. Use the main propulsion your boat came with--the powerful mainsail--and become the true master and commander of your boat--under sail!
Prepare before You Enter
Sailing seamanship means being prepared to change your planned docking side in an instant. Better prepare now when you have time. That means fenders on both sides. Docking lines on both sides. Boat hook out on deck, extended all the way, and ready to use in an instant. And don't forget to have a small, "throwable" anchor, attached to a light, small diameter line. Attach the anchor line to a stern cleat. This gives you an emergency anchor to use in an instant if you need to put the "brakes" on.
There are some that say you can use a roller-furling headsail to make an easy docking. While that may be true, it also adds unnecessary complexity to this maneuver. More than one furling unit has failed just when you need it the most. And, the headsail gets in the way of the sailing crew on the bow. They need a safe, clear area without the clutter of sheets or flapping canvas to get the docking lines over right away.
So, for this article, we will discuss how to use just the mainsail--your "main" propulsion unit. For best control, make your landing with the bow pointed into the wind. This insures that the mainsail will luff and help stop the boat. Use just enough sail to give good control and minimum speed. Reef the main as necessary, or slack the halyard to de-power the mainsail as you make the approach. At all times, you must keep sailing speed to less than 2 knots.
1.Wind Blows OFF the Dock
- Approach the dock under close reach.
- Ease the mainsheet to slow down. Tighten the mainsheet to speed up.
- Let the mainsheet out all the way when within 2-3 boat lengths from the dock.
- Drift up to the dock with the bow pointed into the wind.
- Put over the bow line first to prevent the boat from drifting aft.
2.Wind Blows ON the Dock
- Approach with just enough mainsail for good control.
- Spin up into the wind when within 2-3 boat-lengths from the dock.
- Let out the mainsheet all the way to luff the mainsail and allow the boat to stop.
- Stop faster when you push the boom out against the wind (called "backwinding").
- Drop the mainsail and allow the boat to drift sideways to the dock.
- Put over the bow and stern lines.
Some boats will "sail" without any sail up with a wind on the beam or aft of the beam. Use this technique in light winds when your speed can be kept to less than 2 knots. That way, you will be able to stop the boat once alongside the pier, without damage.
3.Wind Blows from Astern
- Use this approach in light air. You must be able to keep sailing speed to less than 2 knots.
- Approach with just enough mainsail for good control.
- Lower the mainsail as you make your entrance. Any amount hoisted will create enough windage for steerage. You may also sail in under bare poles as long as you keep speed to a bare minimum.
- Haul down the mainsail when within 3-4 boat-lengths of the dock.
- Put over the stern line first to stop forward momentum.
Use these three sailing tips to gain the confidence and skills you need to learn the art of sailing control. You will join that small percentage of sailors who are the true masters and commanders of their small sailboats.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5844640
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Thursday, 10 November 2011
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Monday, 24 October 2011
Learn to Sail Series - Holding a Straight Course
Holding a straight course is an imperative skill to master as you learn to sail. As an experienced sailor - nothing is more distracting to a good day out sailing than a novice helmsperson swinging the boat in all directions. What I've found is that often a new sailor has been taught to "fly the telltales" too early in the learn to sail process. Telltales are short pieces of ribbon mounted on the sails. When they fly backwards along the sails it means that the airflow there is flowing smoothly and in turn means the sail is set correctly.
It's no question that all sailors are keen to introduce and teach others to sail. What a great community of passionate people. So whether you're a novice sailor learning to sail or an experienced sailor who loves to teach, this article is for you. As a sailing instructor and having owned my own practical sailing school, I have have taught many people to sail. I've discovered that teaching to fly the telltales too early almost inherently invites the novice to be sailing all over the map. The reason being is that the sailor is spending too much time watching the sails and not enough time looking out of the sailboat.
The issue really lies in that there is a delay between a course change and the telltales. So the new sailor tends to wait until the telltales are flying correctly before looking up and straightening the helm out. But by the time the sailboat is straightened out, the new correct point of sail has been overshot. The novice then tries to bring the sailboat back but overshoots again. And thus there is a constant s curve of trailing wakes out behind. A good thing to do is to point out the curvey wake to the novice so they can see what they have been doing.
The biggest mistake occurs when adjusting back up wind to a close haul position. If this is over stood, the boat can auto tack over to the other side. An auto tack occurs when the wind catches the headsail on the opposite side pushing it through the wind and causing a involuntary tack. It's an extremely common occurrence with new sailors and creates a lot of confusion as to why this happened. It also creates a lot of calamity and is a pretty embarrassing thing to do as the helmsperson. And you'll find that you're resorting to saving face by blaming the wind for a big change in direction. LOL. The term is called "the wind clocked". But in reality the wind doesn't clock. You just over stood the wind and got auto tacked.
So lets fix that shall we?
Introducing Rule A thru Z, 1 through infinity - Keep your eyes out of the sailboat.
When you drive a car and you want to speed up to 50 miles per hour (80kph) you don't do the following: Set your car going straight then watch the speedo intently until you reach 50 then look up to make sure every thing is ok. No what you do is: you keep your eyes out of the car watching the road and traffic and making small steering adjustments to stay between the lines. You flick you eyes to the speedo for perhaps 0.5 seconds every 5 seconds or so. When you reach 45 you lift your foot slowly and if you're a good driver you'll probably land right bang on 50 having stayed between the lines all the way.
Lets bring that concept over to sailing.
What you don't want to do is the following: hold you eyes on the telltales (speedo) until they are flying right then look up. No! What you want to do is keep your eyes out of the sailboat watching your heading and traffic and flick check your eyes to the telltales for 0.5 seconds about every 5 seconds or so.
With this simple revelation, you'll never auto tack again and your wake will be straight.
Now, here's how to make adjustments for wind changes. You're sailing along towards a distant hilltop on a distant island and see that you need an adjustment to lee. As you begin to learn to sail better and your experience increases, you'll be able to determine from the telltales how much of an adjustment is needed. For now a 5 degree adjustment is a good starting point. First, make the adjustment with your eyes. Pick a 5 degree change on the hilltop and turn the sailboat towards that new point. Wait until the sailboat straightens out on that new point then check the telltales. If more adjustment is needed, repeat the process. Note that you're not watching the telltales. You're just checking them when the boat is heading straight. Using this method you'll reduce or stop any over standing on the points that you want to sail to.
When teaching this, I always get the question, "umm durh, what if I'm not heading towards an island"? Well there is always something and if there's not something, there is a cloud. I doubt very much that you'll be learning this in the middle of the ocean with out land in sight. Even if land is not directly ahead there is land to the side. Make your adjustments according to the relative position of land on a shroud line or something on the boat. The point is that with your eyes out of the boat you can see your boat turning. Once you're an experienced sailor you won't have to worry about holing a straight course, it will all be inherent. But for now - get out and learn to sail and learn to hold a straight course.
Using this process by watching a compass instead of land (cloud) is also not a good idea. Compasses lag like the telltales, as do wind meters. Get your eyes out of the sailboat.
So the secret to sailing a straight line is always be aiming at something in the distant or have a relative bearing on something in the distant against something on the boat so that your eyes are telling you if you are turning or not. When making adjustments to your heading, keep you eyes out of the sailboat so that they are telling you how much your boat is turning. Make small adjustments according to those distant objects and flick check your eyes for ½ second to the telltales or wind meter (or compass if you're turning onto a new compass heading).
Keep your eyes out of the sailboat. And besides it's safer, you're keeping your eyes out for traffic at the same time.
And if you can't remember "Keep your eyes out of the Sailboat" remember this one.
Your'e a sailor if you can...
hold a drink
hold a conversation
...and hold a course.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4663052
It's no question that all sailors are keen to introduce and teach others to sail. What a great community of passionate people. So whether you're a novice sailor learning to sail or an experienced sailor who loves to teach, this article is for you. As a sailing instructor and having owned my own practical sailing school, I have have taught many people to sail. I've discovered that teaching to fly the telltales too early almost inherently invites the novice to be sailing all over the map. The reason being is that the sailor is spending too much time watching the sails and not enough time looking out of the sailboat.
The issue really lies in that there is a delay between a course change and the telltales. So the new sailor tends to wait until the telltales are flying correctly before looking up and straightening the helm out. But by the time the sailboat is straightened out, the new correct point of sail has been overshot. The novice then tries to bring the sailboat back but overshoots again. And thus there is a constant s curve of trailing wakes out behind. A good thing to do is to point out the curvey wake to the novice so they can see what they have been doing.
The biggest mistake occurs when adjusting back up wind to a close haul position. If this is over stood, the boat can auto tack over to the other side. An auto tack occurs when the wind catches the headsail on the opposite side pushing it through the wind and causing a involuntary tack. It's an extremely common occurrence with new sailors and creates a lot of confusion as to why this happened. It also creates a lot of calamity and is a pretty embarrassing thing to do as the helmsperson. And you'll find that you're resorting to saving face by blaming the wind for a big change in direction. LOL. The term is called "the wind clocked". But in reality the wind doesn't clock. You just over stood the wind and got auto tacked.
So lets fix that shall we?
Introducing Rule A thru Z, 1 through infinity - Keep your eyes out of the sailboat.
When you drive a car and you want to speed up to 50 miles per hour (80kph) you don't do the following: Set your car going straight then watch the speedo intently until you reach 50 then look up to make sure every thing is ok. No what you do is: you keep your eyes out of the car watching the road and traffic and making small steering adjustments to stay between the lines. You flick you eyes to the speedo for perhaps 0.5 seconds every 5 seconds or so. When you reach 45 you lift your foot slowly and if you're a good driver you'll probably land right bang on 50 having stayed between the lines all the way.
Lets bring that concept over to sailing.
What you don't want to do is the following: hold you eyes on the telltales (speedo) until they are flying right then look up. No! What you want to do is keep your eyes out of the sailboat watching your heading and traffic and flick check your eyes to the telltales for 0.5 seconds about every 5 seconds or so.
With this simple revelation, you'll never auto tack again and your wake will be straight.
Now, here's how to make adjustments for wind changes. You're sailing along towards a distant hilltop on a distant island and see that you need an adjustment to lee. As you begin to learn to sail better and your experience increases, you'll be able to determine from the telltales how much of an adjustment is needed. For now a 5 degree adjustment is a good starting point. First, make the adjustment with your eyes. Pick a 5 degree change on the hilltop and turn the sailboat towards that new point. Wait until the sailboat straightens out on that new point then check the telltales. If more adjustment is needed, repeat the process. Note that you're not watching the telltales. You're just checking them when the boat is heading straight. Using this method you'll reduce or stop any over standing on the points that you want to sail to.
When teaching this, I always get the question, "umm durh, what if I'm not heading towards an island"? Well there is always something and if there's not something, there is a cloud. I doubt very much that you'll be learning this in the middle of the ocean with out land in sight. Even if land is not directly ahead there is land to the side. Make your adjustments according to the relative position of land on a shroud line or something on the boat. The point is that with your eyes out of the boat you can see your boat turning. Once you're an experienced sailor you won't have to worry about holing a straight course, it will all be inherent. But for now - get out and learn to sail and learn to hold a straight course.
Using this process by watching a compass instead of land (cloud) is also not a good idea. Compasses lag like the telltales, as do wind meters. Get your eyes out of the sailboat.
So the secret to sailing a straight line is always be aiming at something in the distant or have a relative bearing on something in the distant against something on the boat so that your eyes are telling you if you are turning or not. When making adjustments to your heading, keep you eyes out of the sailboat so that they are telling you how much your boat is turning. Make small adjustments according to those distant objects and flick check your eyes for ½ second to the telltales or wind meter (or compass if you're turning onto a new compass heading).
Keep your eyes out of the sailboat. And besides it's safer, you're keeping your eyes out for traffic at the same time.
And if you can't remember "Keep your eyes out of the Sailboat" remember this one.
Your'e a sailor if you can...
hold a drink
hold a conversation
...and hold a course.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4663052
Thursday, 20 October 2011
Monday, 17 October 2011
Florida Sailing - Become Your Own Pirate of the Caribbean!
If you want to discover some of the best sailing and cruising areas in the world, then you must head to Florida. Florida sailing boasts so many good features you will never want to sail anywhere else again. Be it the lovely fishing villages or sheltered coves to moor, the open blue-water sailing or convenience of the Caribbean sea; there is something for all sailors to experience and enjoy!
Whilst offering so many great locations to sail, sailboat rental in Florida also allows you to pick exactly the type of sailing you want to match your sailing experience. Florida sailing allows you to go:
•Skippered sailing (sailboat rental with a skipper or a full crew)
•Bare back sailing (sailboat rental without a crew)
•Flotilla sailing (sailing within a group of yachts led by a professionally crewed lead yacht.)
•Day sailing
•Short haul sailing
•Long haul sailing
•... In fact any type of sailing you can think of is offered in Florida!
And you won't be alone in your Florida sailing adventures, you can guarantee that you will be joined by dolphins, rays, sea turtles and endless tropical fish, all wanting to make your Florida sailing experience magical!
With so many great locations, choosing where to go sailing in Florida is probably the most difficult decision! Here are just a couple of suggestions that may help you decide;
Charlotte Harbour Area
Charlotte Harbour provides diverse sailing opportunities to keep everyone happy. You can island-hop, day sail or head off shore. And for those non-sailors there are plenty of opportunities with Burnt Store Marina offering a fine restaurant, store, swimming pools, golf course and tennis courts.
Fort Lauderdale
Sailing from Ft Lauderdale allows you to experience the Florida Keys, where there is a national and state park, and then onto the Bahamas. For the more experienced, Ft Lauderdale offers a great spring board to sailing the Gulf Stream to Bermuda and then onto the Caribbean.
Fort Myers
Often described as the best place in America to charter a sailing boat, Fort Myers has impressive natural scenery and is renowned for its navigation simplicity. Everyone can enjoy something in Fort Myers with so many stunning areas to discover from Marco Island in the south to the Venice inlet in the north.
Tampa Bay Area
This area offers a great mix of coves and beaches on which to anchor. There are plenty of services and facilities to use; this is sailing in Florida at its most convenient! Head out to Tampa Bay and you will find a group of barrier islands with idyllic white sandy beaches beckoning you to stop. For the more adventurous, head out into the Gulf of Mexico for open water sailing.
Miami Bay and Key West
The Miami Bay area or Key West area, 4-5 hours drive away, are both great areas to start sailing. Biscayne Bay is a particularly good area for novice sailors to start. Seven miles offshore from Key West you will find North America's only living coral reef, home to more than 350 species of tropical fish as well as snails, jellyfish, crabs and lobsters.
With so much variety, sailing in Florida can never be called 'mundane'. It offers something for everyone with amazing experiences to be remembered for years to come. With year round sun, consistent temperatures and stunning scenery why not experience your own Florida sailing adventure?
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6136562
Whilst offering so many great locations to sail, sailboat rental in Florida also allows you to pick exactly the type of sailing you want to match your sailing experience. Florida sailing allows you to go:
•Skippered sailing (sailboat rental with a skipper or a full crew)
•Bare back sailing (sailboat rental without a crew)
•Flotilla sailing (sailing within a group of yachts led by a professionally crewed lead yacht.)
•Day sailing
•Short haul sailing
•Long haul sailing
•... In fact any type of sailing you can think of is offered in Florida!
And you won't be alone in your Florida sailing adventures, you can guarantee that you will be joined by dolphins, rays, sea turtles and endless tropical fish, all wanting to make your Florida sailing experience magical!
With so many great locations, choosing where to go sailing in Florida is probably the most difficult decision! Here are just a couple of suggestions that may help you decide;
Charlotte Harbour Area
Charlotte Harbour provides diverse sailing opportunities to keep everyone happy. You can island-hop, day sail or head off shore. And for those non-sailors there are plenty of opportunities with Burnt Store Marina offering a fine restaurant, store, swimming pools, golf course and tennis courts.
Fort Lauderdale
Sailing from Ft Lauderdale allows you to experience the Florida Keys, where there is a national and state park, and then onto the Bahamas. For the more experienced, Ft Lauderdale offers a great spring board to sailing the Gulf Stream to Bermuda and then onto the Caribbean.
Fort Myers
Often described as the best place in America to charter a sailing boat, Fort Myers has impressive natural scenery and is renowned for its navigation simplicity. Everyone can enjoy something in Fort Myers with so many stunning areas to discover from Marco Island in the south to the Venice inlet in the north.
Tampa Bay Area
This area offers a great mix of coves and beaches on which to anchor. There are plenty of services and facilities to use; this is sailing in Florida at its most convenient! Head out to Tampa Bay and you will find a group of barrier islands with idyllic white sandy beaches beckoning you to stop. For the more adventurous, head out into the Gulf of Mexico for open water sailing.
Miami Bay and Key West
The Miami Bay area or Key West area, 4-5 hours drive away, are both great areas to start sailing. Biscayne Bay is a particularly good area for novice sailors to start. Seven miles offshore from Key West you will find North America's only living coral reef, home to more than 350 species of tropical fish as well as snails, jellyfish, crabs and lobsters.
With so much variety, sailing in Florida can never be called 'mundane'. It offers something for everyone with amazing experiences to be remembered for years to come. With year round sun, consistent temperatures and stunning scenery why not experience your own Florida sailing adventure?
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6136562
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
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