Are you sure that your small cruising boat has what it takes to handle the unexpected? Do you know the #1 most vital thing you can do to insure your sailing safety--and that of your sailing crew. A young sailor from over 2000 years ago made a single statement that defines what it means for all of us to follow every time we set sail.
Long ago, the master historian Xenophon was walking near the wharves in ancient Greece. He came across a young Phoenician seaman. out on deck of his tiny ship with all the stores, tools, sailing gear, ropes, and blocks strewn about.
Xenophon asked the sailor what he was doing and the young man replied..."I am looking to see whether anything is out of order. There will be no time to look for what is missing or out of place when a storm comes up at sea." A storm on your boat doesn't need to be one of blustery sailing weather...
It could be...
an engine that fails as you enter a marina. Are your sails ready for instant hoisting (and not just a roller-furling headsail--you need the mainsail in case you need to sail upwind to stay clear of dangers in your path).
It could be...
an anchor that drags in the middle of the night. Where's that second anchor you've forgotten about? Still buried in the spare cockpit sail locker beneath piles of sailing gear?
It could be...
your mainsail that needed an inspection a while back. Did you notice the broken stitching near the foot? All of a sudden, it rips across the seam from luff to leech as you're sailing down the channel in a brisk wind.
It could be...
your electronic chart plotter goes on the blink after a power surge when you're threading your way through a shoal infested lagoon. Are your nautical charts pre-plotted with courses, emergency anchorages, and highlighted dangers? (you do carry and use nautical charts, right?)
How can we sailors best prepare ourselves to meet these challenges "...when a storm comes up at sea"?
Sailing seamanship begins at the dock--before you cast off that last line. Just like an airplane pilot, you need to go through a "pre-sail check-sheet" before you go sailing.
Make sure these top 10 are on your check-sheet...
1. Check your engine and its most important components.
2. Conduct a standing and running rigging inspection.
3. Reeve all tack and clew reef-point lines (1st, 2nd, 3rd reef points).
4. Inspect each part of your ground tackle from end to end.
5. Plot courses onto nautical charts. Highlight dangers and major aids.
6. Determine how wind and current will affect your undocking.
7. Know the expected weather forecast for the next 24 hours.
8. Uncover the mainsail, bend on the halyard, loosen all sail ties.
9. Strap on a knife with a lanyard at your waist for instant use.
10. Test your engine in neutral, forward, and reverse gear.
Add these vital elements to your sailing checkoff sheet. This will give you the confidence and peace-of-mind you need to become the true master and commander over your small cruising sailboat.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5953364
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Learn to Sail Like a Pro - Three Sailing Tips to Increase Your Sailing Speed!
How would you like to pump more speed into your sailing when beating to windward? If you want to learn to sail like a pro, you'll need to use three little-known sailing tips for better windward performance.
Set Your Sail Shape for Pointing
Trim your sails for the best windward shape. Pull the mainsheet in so that the sailboat boom lies close to the boat center-line.
Look up the leech (trailing edge) of the sail. The leech should show a bit of "twist" about halfway up the sail. In other words, it should not cup from the clew to the head of the sail.
Look at the uppermost batten. In moderate air, it should be parallel to the boom. In super-light air, allow the uppermost batten to cock to leeward a few degrees. In heavy-air, slide the mainsheet car to leeward and ease the mainsheet to allow more twist in the upper part of your mainsail.
Set your Genoa of jib so that the leech lies about 2" to 3" off of the tips of the spreaders. This will give a good basic shape with good drive.
Move the headsail sheet block a bit forward in light air to give a more powerful shape. Move it aft in heavy air to open the leech and keep the boat more balanced.
Learn to Sail in Light Air by Footing
Sailing in super-light air means you will be unable to point as high as you would like. Most sailboats start to point their best when the apparent wind reaches 6 knots or more. Less than 6 knots means you will start to lose pointing ability--and that means you will sail slower.
Enter the little known-art of "footing". To foot, you fall off to a close reach to build up speed. As soon as you have acceleration, return to sailing "on the edge" on a beat (close hauled). When you start to lose speed again, fall off again to a close reach, build up speed, and then point up to a beat. Continue this sequence to keep forward momentum maximized.
Check Your Progress with the Shoreline
Any time you make an adjustment to sail trim, check your progress with a reference point. You can use a speed measuring device, but sailors near land should use their eyes. Check the shoreline and watch the movement of a pier or house relative to the boat.
In super light air, look at the wake-bubbles behind the boat. Any of these references will tell you at a glance if your last action accelerated or decelerated the boat.
If you decelerated, try 1/2 of the sail trim action you just took. For example, if you pulled in the sailboat boom six inches, let it out 3 inches (1/2 of the previous action). Check the shoreline or water reference again. You'll be surprised how often an inch or two will make a big difference in boat speed and performance.
Use these three little-known sailing tips to make faster passages in a cruising sailboat or beat the competition in a racing sailboat. You will learn to sail with more power, performance, and speed--wherever in the world you choose to cruise!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6282972
Set Your Sail Shape for Pointing
Trim your sails for the best windward shape. Pull the mainsheet in so that the sailboat boom lies close to the boat center-line.
Look up the leech (trailing edge) of the sail. The leech should show a bit of "twist" about halfway up the sail. In other words, it should not cup from the clew to the head of the sail.
Look at the uppermost batten. In moderate air, it should be parallel to the boom. In super-light air, allow the uppermost batten to cock to leeward a few degrees. In heavy-air, slide the mainsheet car to leeward and ease the mainsheet to allow more twist in the upper part of your mainsail.
Set your Genoa of jib so that the leech lies about 2" to 3" off of the tips of the spreaders. This will give a good basic shape with good drive.
Move the headsail sheet block a bit forward in light air to give a more powerful shape. Move it aft in heavy air to open the leech and keep the boat more balanced.
Learn to Sail in Light Air by Footing
Sailing in super-light air means you will be unable to point as high as you would like. Most sailboats start to point their best when the apparent wind reaches 6 knots or more. Less than 6 knots means you will start to lose pointing ability--and that means you will sail slower.
Enter the little known-art of "footing". To foot, you fall off to a close reach to build up speed. As soon as you have acceleration, return to sailing "on the edge" on a beat (close hauled). When you start to lose speed again, fall off again to a close reach, build up speed, and then point up to a beat. Continue this sequence to keep forward momentum maximized.
Check Your Progress with the Shoreline
Any time you make an adjustment to sail trim, check your progress with a reference point. You can use a speed measuring device, but sailors near land should use their eyes. Check the shoreline and watch the movement of a pier or house relative to the boat.
In super light air, look at the wake-bubbles behind the boat. Any of these references will tell you at a glance if your last action accelerated or decelerated the boat.
If you decelerated, try 1/2 of the sail trim action you just took. For example, if you pulled in the sailboat boom six inches, let it out 3 inches (1/2 of the previous action). Check the shoreline or water reference again. You'll be surprised how often an inch or two will make a big difference in boat speed and performance.
Use these three little-known sailing tips to make faster passages in a cruising sailboat or beat the competition in a racing sailboat. You will learn to sail with more power, performance, and speed--wherever in the world you choose to cruise!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6282972
Three Sailing Tips for Sailing Up to a Dock
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
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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