Looking to Sail? Update Your Crew Listing Profile
Are you doing as much sailing as you’d like to? There are lots of resources to help connect skippers with crew. If you’re interested in getting more time on the water, meeting more people, or finding a new boat, check out a crew listing and update / add your profile. Some sailing groups even host crew parties so that sailors can connect in person. On the Chesapeake Bay, Spinsheet compiles an extensive crew listing database; and even hosts a […]
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Sailboat Racing Trim — Part 4
In Chapter 4 of his book Racing Trim, Bill Gladstone talks about upwind boat handling. The following post shows a short summary of that chapter. Tacking (turning the bow of the boat into the wind to make way upwind) is one of the most important aspects of sailing upwind. Every tack is an opportunity for a boat to lose speed. So, it’s really important for tacks to be smooth and efficient. Different crew members serve different roles throughout a tack. […]
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Sailboat Racing Trim — Part 3
In Chapter 3 of his book Racing Trim, Bill Gladstone talks about general Trim Concepts & Definitions. The following post shows a short summary of that chapter. A boat sails downwind because it is being pushed along by the wind. However, it’s a bit different to sail up wind. A boat is able to sail upwind because of lift. If you look a the curved shape of a sail, one side is concave and the other convex. The wind piles up […]
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How to Tie a Clove Hitch
A clove hitch is a simple knot that can be used to secure fenders to a boat’s lifelines or to tie the boat off to a piling. There are a few different ways to tie a clove hitch. I’ve got information about some of them here. First, I’ll share my example of tying the clove hitch step by step. This is one way that I tie fenders to lifelines: Make a counterclockwise loop: Cross […]
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Apparent Wind
Here’s simple video that I found helpful to describe apparent wind. Enjoy!
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Sailboat Racing Trim – Part 2
This is the second in a series of posts based on Bill Gladstone’s book Racing TRIM from the North U. Series. Every few days, I’ll post about a chapter or two. This will be my short summary of what I’ve read. You can read the posts to get my abbreviated summary; or you could read through the books with me. Your comments can help point out what you find most interesting, or even poke fun at what I do and don’t know. If you […]
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Yes, I Spent the Morning Sponging the Bilge
My parents have a few boats in a boatyard nearby. One of them is the 20 foot trailer sailor that I learned to sail on growing up. My Dad was worried that water had gotten inside; but he hadn’t gotten a chance to check it out himself. It was a bright, sunny, and warm (for the Mid-Atlantic) weekend. So, I decided to go out and give the boat a check. We were afraid that the trailer needed some additional blocks under […]
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Safety at Sea Seminar 2012 – You Need This
Are you planning to do any offshore racing in the next year or two? Do you want to increase your proficiency, safety skills, and confidence on the water, even if you’re not racing offshore? Then the Safety at Sea seminar is for you. For boats competing in the Newport Bermuda race this summer, it is required that 30% of the crew have completed this course within the last five years. But, all the rules aside, I have a lot of really […]
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Let’s Talk About Sailboat Racing Trim
North Sails has a series of books, CDs / DVDs, and seminars in their North U. Series. I have found two books particulary useful. They are Racing TRIM and Racing TACTICS by Bill Gladstone. For a winter refresher, I thought it would be good to go through each of these books. I’ll start here with the Racing TRIM book. Every few days, I’ll post about a chapter or two. This will be my short summary of what I’ve read. You can […]
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Hey, What’s in Your Bag?
Different skippers and crews have different beliefs about what and how much gear should be brought onboard for a race. Here, I’m going to talk about a typical windward / leeward racing on a keel boat and what I put in my gear bag on any given day. Overall, I try to keep the gear as light as possible. But, I also want to know that I have enough with me to feel prepared and have a comfortable day […]
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