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 […]
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. […]
By November, a bunch of sailing friends were already looking forward to warm weather. So, the discussion started — Who wants to go on vacation? Where should we go? Who’s in? Discussion started out with trying to organize a sailboat charter in the Caribbean over New Year’s. However, we were never able to get the right group of people together at the same time for the right vacation budget. If you haven’t chartered a boat before, make sure you know who […]
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 […]
Even though it’s been a mild winter on the Mid-Atlantic coast, it’s still winter. There’s less sailing going on right now. So, that makes it a great time to take advantage of the off season and brush up on your first aid and CPR skills. I write this post after having completed first aid and CPR training earlier today. Even though most certifications are good for more than a year, I feel better about taking a refresher every year. If […]
This weekend, I was looking for some ways to bring new life into my gym work out. After raiding my bookshelf, I was reminded of a favorite from a few years ago — The New Rules of Lifting for Women by Lou Schuler with Cassandra Forsythe, and Alwyn Cosgrove. This book that was recommended by my personal trainer at the time. I liked it because it makes a lot of sense to me. Please note: this book is NOT written specifically […]
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 […]
Here’s simple video that I found helpful to describe apparent wind. Enjoy!
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 […]
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 […]