Lessons

Part of The Underway Gourmet by Suzy O'Keefe

Sailing is a lot like life; We learn lessons in a variety of ways: Sometimes we learn from our own mistakes. Sometimes we learn from the mistakes of others. Sometimes, it's just an evolutionary process with one learning leading to the next. An example: First, I learned how to clean dried fish blood out of bright yellow weather cloths. Then, I learned a better way to deal with a freshly caught fish so as not to splatter blood everywhere in the first place. Whatever the process that each of us uses to learn, it is important to continue and not allow stagnation to set in.

• Always put a load handling device between you and the load.
• Correct number of wraps on the winch for the task being performed.
• Watch the other end of the string.
• Don't lose your weather gauge.
• When tacking or jibing, allow the jib to blow through the triangle then work fast to pull the sheet while there is no resistance then grind the winch to do the final set.
• Keep proper sail shape to fly both telltales. Crank in for windward and let out for leeward.
• Watch the wind vane, not the gauge. Learn to feel the wind on the back of your neck, your arm, or your face. You may find that you gain that 3 second advantage over the other boat.
• Don't try to sail to weather any higher than 32 degrees in strong winds (auto pilot is capable on only 35 to 40 degrees).
• Head off at a 90 degree angle to large traffic for avoidance. This makes your course change obvious to the other traffic and makes your intentions clear.
• Roll up some of the Genoa before it gets too difficult to do so.
• Reef the main before conditions get stinky. Anticipate. To Reef: Do the reef point at the mast first, tighten the halyard, then do the clew reef point. When sailing downwind, it's sometimes a great idea to plaster the sail against the spreader and shroud while you set the mast reef point. The sail is depowered and nothing is flogging. On other points of sail, head up into the wind (align the boom with the wind).
• Blanket the spinnaker with the main to drop.
• Use a continuous spin sheet. This is a double-ended sheet whose ends are both tied to the clews of the spinnaker. The line runs thru a couple of turning blocks aft of the cockpit (behind the driver). When you blow one sheet , the other is still under control.
• Keep the windlass clutch properly adjusted to avoid shock loading.
• Use a snubber of appropriate length for the right amount of stretch in your anchoring system.
• When the sails are adjusted properly, the wheel needs fewer adjustments. The boat is in balance.
• Adjust the traveler when there is too much weather helm.
• When sailing to weather, turn the wheel into the wind to reduce the angle of heel. "Drive up in the puffs".
• The Chicken Jibe is sometimes the best choice. This means basically going around the wrong way (or long way) so that you have time to adjust control the main without a wild movement. It's quite effective in big winds.
• To heave-to, backwind the jib, set a course so as to take the wind at about a 60 degree angle, set the wheel and lock it. Let out the main a bit more to reduce speed and for additional comfort.
• To tighten the leech of the jib, move the car forward. To tighten the foot of the jib, move the car aft. Both of these affect the twist of the jib.
• When the top of the sail isn't working, move the car forward to pull down on the leech & change the twist.
• When the bottom of the sail isn't working, move the car aft to pull back on the foot.
• Use all possible navigation aids to verify your position.
• Put the prop in reverse to prevent cavitation when sailing.
• If you can forget to open/close/turn it on or off, you will!.
• When using a 2 bladed folding prop, index it to reduce drag. (Turn the shaft manually a quarter turn or so until the blades collapse together thus presenting a tiny target to the water rushing by.) It's a good idea to mark the shaft with a magic marker so you know just where to line things up.
• Always check to be sure no lines are trailing in the water before putting the engine in gear.
• Watch the engine temp gauge.
• It's a good idea to put the transmission in both forward and reverse while you're still tied to the dock to be sure your transmission is working before you back out of the slip.
• Never allow anything (hoisting a dinghy, a person up the mast, etc.) to apply fore or aft pressure to the spreaders themselves.
• When anchoring under sail, backwind the main to set the anchor (hold the sail backwinded by hand until set).
• Put your foot on the anchor chain where it passes over the deck to determine whether or not the anchor is set. You can feel it.
• Check the bilge often. A regular schedule of using the manual bilge pump is a good idea.
• Never lose site of anyone or anything lost overboard.
• Really try not to allow the main to jibe accidentally and become backwinded.
• Radar - check various ranges when searching for traffic. Adjust the gain & the tuning and allow the sweep to occur at 5 or more times before you decide there's nothing out there.
• VHF - for distant traffic, adjust the squelch to static and turn down the volume.
• When rolling up the jib, keep enough tension on the sheet to prevent flogging and allow a smooth roll.
• Fold sails by pulling the folds tight and making both ends the same size.
• Close or at least stop up the anchor hawse pipe for upwind passage. You'll keep a lot of water out of the boat. If you can actually modify your set up so that it's easy to disconnect the chain, then you can drop it down the pipe and screw on a lid. Secure the end of the chain of course so you can find it later. If is isn't easy to do, you won't do it.
• Underway, secure the anchor without using the pin. Instead use a piece on line and pull the anchor to one side to keep it quiet.
• Flake the anchor chain for easy dropping next time.
• Hit "Auto" or "Standby" immediately when asked to do so.
• In rough seas, drive "up" the face and "down" the backside.
• As a safety while at anchor, especially if you're away from the boat for an extended period, tie off the chain where it passes around the windlass. The purpose of putting a small piece of light line around both pieces of chain at the windlass is to keep the chain from running if it slips off the gypsy. It pulls both pieces of chain together. This tactic works for rope rode as well.
• M.O.B. Quick Stop method is (1) head up into the wind and backwind the jib. Let it pull the boat around to stop. (2) Get the flotation into the water while this is happening. (3) Maneuver along side the victim quickly and luff the sails as you come close. Keep just enough speed for steerage.
• M.O.B. Rod Stop method is (1)Plaster the boom against the leeward shrouds and vang it there (2) furl or drop the jib. Try to do both at the same time.
• M.O.B. Lifesling method. While trailing the sling in the water, sail around the victim until the lifesling is within reach.
• Consider the shape of the slot formed by the shape of both sails. It should be the same at the top and bottom so that neither sail adversely affects the other.
• Use the diagram method to calculate the true wind. Make a mark to represent your boat speed. Make another mark to represent the apparent wind speed from a point at one end of the speed line. Make it approximately the correct angle to the bow of the boat and make it's length relative to the boat speed. Create a triangle by drawing in the 3rd line. The length of the 3rd line is the true speed.
• Bag (drop the sails slightly) in light winds... just shy of being all the way hoisted.
• When tacking, leave the jib just inches farther out than the previous tack to regain speed, then bring it in to the same setting.
• Don't endanger yourself or others. No human fenders!
• Don't do "IT" until the proper time. You won't be good for anything else if you set yourself up too soon.
• When in doubt, let it out.
• Don't close on (head toward) land at night.
• Don't lay your course any closer than necessary to hazards.
• Don't ever assume that you have passed a hazard that you haven't seen.
• Don't delay or hesitate in any action toward safety.
• Don't leave a ship at anchor for any length of time with no one on board.
• Don't spend your watch down below.
• Don't tackle difficult or dangerous maneuvers when exhausted if they can wait.
• Don't go to sea until qualified and prepared unless you go with someone else who is!
• Don't take passengers or crew who have never been to sea before unless they are not your primary crew.
• Don't fail to have a bail-out bag ready to go.
• Don't abandon ship until she sinks out from under you.