Sailing

Henery Archie asked:


Go sailing your boat and enjoy your hobby but repair your favorite boat at the first sign of danger. See to it that your water body companion remains in perfect shape. It is one of your priced possession after all. Any shortcoming, once inside the water, might prove to be dodgy. As they say, prevention is better than cure. With a range of boat maintenance and repair material available online, you can now float and flaunt your boat in style.

Your boat may not be a regular used one but before placing it in water check it for reliability. All you need to do is a regular run through check of your boat and procure maintenance material accordingly. Look for the problem areas like damaged surface, infected wood patch, corrosive area, leakage etc. Routine checks of your boat brings out many risky issues, take a note of them. Now, start dabbling in online shopping stores to find out adequate material for boat maintenance. A quality mending stuff purchased will refurbish your boat towards a new look. The materials, which you may need generally, are sealants, epoxy, cleaners, polishers, tapes, paints, furnish, fillers, battens, glues, lubricants, resins, solvents, clothes, gloves, mixing containers, paints, pigments, brushes and other refinishing substance.

Treat each of the contagions affecting your boat’s performance. You can also shop for sail repair kits for regular touch ups on your boat. Remember that a restoration done in time will avoid you from falling into a menace. Those, very passionate about their boat, may keep on adding new colors to it, which is also part of boat maintenance. Just arrange all the add-ons and convert your dinghy into a piece of appreciation. Keeping your sail boat faultless comes easy with an attitude of care about it. After all, your sail boat or dinghy gives you a pleasurable sailing time and safety must not be compromised.

Simon White asked:


Sailing Boat Hull

A hull is the body of a sailing boat. It provides the buoyancy that prevents the vessel from sinking.

Traditional sailboats are monohulls, but multi-hull catamarans and trimarans are becoming more and more popular.

All sailing boats have keels – it’s the backbone of the hull. Even multihulls have keels. On a sailboat the word keel is also used to refer to the area that is added to the hull to improve its lateral plane. Keels use the forward motion of the boat to generate lift. Sailboats have much larger keels than non-sailing hulls.

Most monohulls require ballast, depending on the design ballast will be 20 to 50 per cent of the displacement. The ballast is often integrated into their keels as large masses of lead or cast iron. This secures the ballast and gets it as low as possible to improve its effectiveness. A monohull keel is made effective by a combination of weight, depth and length.

A keel does not provide a stabilising effect but instead applies a capsizing force. This capsizing effect needs to be offset by hull design.

There are many types of fixed keels, including:

Full keel, ong keels, Fin keels, Winged keels, Bulb keels, Bilge keels and Monohull.

A monohull is a type of boat having only one hull, unlike multihulled boats which can have two or more individual hulls connected to one another. This is the most common form of vessel.

Monohull boats usually rely on ballast for stability, and are sometimes called displacement hulls. This gives the monohull a degree of sluggishness, making it less manoeuvrable and reducing its speed. It also makes it more likely to sink if filled with water.

A multihull is a vessel with more than one hull. Multihulls are faster than monohulls because the absence of ballast reduces their weight. Designed to be as lightweight as possible, yet maintain structure, they are also built with flotation chambers. This means that, if every crew compartment becomes filled with water, the hull itself has enough buoyancy to keep afloat. This absence of ballast also results in a higher performance vessel, in terms of speed and manoeuvrability.

Multihulls are popular for racing and for cruising. Until the 1980s most multihull sailboats were built either by their owners or by boat builders on a semi-custom basis.

One disadvantage of a multihull is the width, especially when docking.

search rankpros asked:


As the entire country collectively draws breath in preparation to sigh with disappointment at what will probably be a spectacularly disappointing 2012 Olympic Games, I can’t help but feel the temptation to take part this time round!  Seriously; instead of being one of the millions – nae, BILLIONS – of people watching the Games at home, maybe this time I round I should take part and earn the world’s respect, instead of their pity at being a British citizen for what will no doubt be the least-organised and underwhelming Games in modern history.

Alright so maybe three years isn’t quite long enough to reach Olympic-standard at anything, but I am definitely feeling inspired to get myself into some kind of sport before the Games come around to make me feel even more guilty for being a couched potato.  The thing is, most the sports that you see in the Olympics – let’s be honest here – are aching boring! Running?  Whether it’s for long or short periods of time, running is essentially just fancy walking that is done very quickly indeed.  So quickly is running done, in fact, that there’s no time to even take the scenery – which is the only point to walking in the first place!  Other Olympic events involve swimming, which is like running but harder; throwing things, for which you have to be exceptionally large; and jumping – the popularity of which defies explanation.

What is also uninspiring about these events is that we, Britain, rarely do very well at any of them!  Americans can run fast, Kenyans can run far, Australians can swim and Eastern Europeans can throw – what is left for us that doesn’t involve two wheels and legs that defy every shape of jeans?  For the answer to this question, I turn to history; what, may I ask, do we declare to rule?  I think you all know the answer; it may not be the track, the pool or even the balance bar, it’s a long cry from the shooting range and it certainly doesn’t involve tossing anything over distance!  No my friends, what this isolated island is good at should come as no surprise at all – Britannia rules the waves!

The art of Olympic Sailing has been around since 1900 and we have been the best at it in 2000, 2004 and 2008!  The general idea is to use technique and strength to guide your boat around a special Olympic course in as short a time as possible, making it immediately more interesting than running in a straight line for ten seconds!  What’s more, the huge variety of different sized craft you can learn to sail means that there will be ten different classes of sailing in the 2012 Games!  You can’t need much more incentive to get involved, but I haven’t even told you the best bit yet!  Although the true art of sailing takes a lifetime to learn, the basics can be picked up in a couple of weeks!  Take a few lessons in tacking, learn your port from your starboard and you’re away on your path of Olympic glory!  If ever there was a sport to get stuck into at the next Games, or even just for fun and recreation, it has to be sailing – it takes strength, skill and determination in quantities that jumping-people can only dream about!  What’s more, if you learn to sail you are making available a host of potential stories – far more than anything offered by all the other popular Olympic events put together!  They can wear all the shiny lycra in the world but, at the end of the day, throwing is throwing, jumping is jumping and running is stylish fast-walking – sailing is a whole world of new and exciting experiences, as well as being a constant mental and physical challenge!  How much thought can really go into a 100m sprint?  If Britain is going to bring anything to the 2012 Olympic Games, it will be an element of class – that is what sailing offers and that is why we are the very best at it!

Marc Fredmen asked:


Your windsurfing performance largely depends upon the quality of your windsurfing kit. However, just buying good windsurfing equipments is not enough. It is essential to maintain the equipments in top condition to generate maximum performance from them. One of the most crucial elements in a windsurfing kit is the sail. To keep the sail in prime form, regular cleaning and revamping is mandatory.

Tips for Sail Cleaning

Keeping your sail spotless and free from dirt is the first step in sail maintenance and key in extending the life of the sail. Usually, windsurfing sails are made of Dacron or nylon and can be cleaned in the following way:

1. Choose a clean and smooth work area to spread your sail for cleaning.

2. Do not use very strong soaps or detergents as they can be harsh on the sail cloth. It is recommended to use mild soaps like ivory soaps or detergents with neutral ph factor would remove the dirt and sand gently. While scrubbing, remember to scrub along the seams with a soft bristle scrub/brush. This would help in removing the dirt without damaging the sail.

3. Always use fresh water to rinse the sail. Using warm water is also a good idea, especially if the sail has some hardened sand or salt residue.

4. One of the most common problems that plague windsurfing sails is mildew, a fungal growth. Sails are often damaged by mildew if they are stored without removing the dirt and are not completely dried. To remove mildew, soak the sail in a solution of bleach (1%) and cold water for two hours and then scrub the stained area with a soft brush. Rinse with clean water and then leave it to dry in a sunny spot. Yet another great way to remove mildew is to soak it in a solution of bleach and water and then rinse and dry it. Then again apply lemon and salt on the stain and leave it to dry for sometime and then rinse it with warm water.

5. It is also a good idea to use disinfectants to remove mildew on Dacron and nylon sails.

6. To remove tougher stains like oil, grease or wax, scrub the stained area with acetone and rinse it. Again scrub it with mild soap or detergent and again rinse it with warm water. Acetone is a great cleansing agent and very effective on tough stains. However, make sure that all the acetone is rinsed out while cleaning the sail.

7. If you have not used your windsurfing kit for a long time, the sail can develop rust stains, which can be difficult to get rid of. For such stains, it is recommended to use oxalic or hydrochloric acid to thoroughly cleanse the sail area. Soak the sail in a solution of warm water and hydrochloric acid (2%) for sometime and then rinse thoroughly with clean water. If using oxalic acid, soak the sail for 15-30minutes before rinsing it.

8. After washing the sail, make sure that it is completely dry before storing it away.

These few simple guidelines can go a long way in keeping your sail clean and in supreme conditions for several years to come.

Chesapeake Bay Magazine asked:


by Jane Meneely

It occurred to me that I might faint. Watching my only son climb the rigging onboard the Pride of Baltimore II as we sailed for Norfolk was so overwhelming I was afraid I’d swoon like a B movie diva and hit the deck hard. And if that happened, my son would be mortified, undoubtedly scarred for life. But this was a test for both of us. I looked away as Stewart scampered up the rigging after the crew to furl the main course. And I didn’t faint.

We were headed south full tilt, hoping to whip every other boat in the schooner fleet during the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race last October. Sixteen-year-old Stewart had grudgingly agreed to participate in what I at his age could only have dreamed about—there was no Pride of Baltimore then. But he’d gotten over the grumps and bent to with a will that was a joy to behold—well, except when he scurried up the mast. You see, I’m deathly afraid of heights. Deathly, knee-knockingly afraid of heights. Just looking at the masthead of a ship like the Pride gives me the willies. God forbid I should look up and see my baby perched there like he’s leaning against a corner lamppost. No matter, I told myself, studiously peering at the compass in front of me and keeping my hands hard on the helm. This was why I’d wanted him to come.

When Stewart was born, his father and I had promised him to Jan Miles, one of the Pride’s co-captains and a friend of mine from high school days. Jan could have him for a year, we’d said, before he goes off to college. Naturally, Stewart grew up detesting everything about traditional tall ships. He liked the mechanical advantage of winches, for starters, and he thrived on the fumes and roar of internal combustion. Sailing on the Pride of Baltimore, he announced as high school graduation approached, was for the birds. I tried to convince him that our signing aboard the Pride for the Great Schooner Race was the chance of a lifetime, but he didn’t believe me. He said he’d rather go to school; that missing his calculus test would be an unspeakable hardship; that considering what his father and I pay for tuition it was criminal to even suggest that he miss a few days (I’ll admit, this last argument was pretty convincing). But I played the Mom card and signed him up anyway. It was only four days, not a whole year, I said, and if he really didn’t like it, that would be the end of it. He could join the rat race like everyone else.

And so his father (who gets mortifyingly seasick and thus had begged off ) tumbled him onto the deck of the Pride of Baltimore way too early on the morning of the race. And Stewart sputtered and spit and fumed and generally poisoned the air around him: a child’s revenge, masterfully delivered (no slouch he). And I actually wondered if I’d made a mistake in “forcing” him to come along.

So began our voyage together.

My voyage had actually begun the day before, on Wednesday afternoon. Probably half the fun of the schooner race is the Parade of Sail and the dock party in Baltimore, so I arrived in time to climb aboard the Pride with the full contingent of the A.G. Edwards Baltimore office, Pride’s guests for the parade. (The Pride offices are in Baltimore’s World Trade Center and had been doused into oblivion by Hurricane Isabel. A.G. Edwards, a financial consulting firm, had graciously offered temporary office space, and now the ship was saying thank you.)

Unfortunately the wind was too blustery, so the Parade of Sail was cancelled. But Captain Jan set out anyway. After all, a boat like the Pride is built for wind. Whitecaps sparkled across the Inner Harbor. A bright sun slanted from behind Fort McHenry. The sky was a deep cobalt blue, with just a smudge or two of clouds. We motored past Fells Point and the crew wrestled the ship’s cannon into the gun port. “Fire in the hole!” We plugged our ears as a geyser of flame and sparks shot from what is, literally, a hole in the back end of the cannon. Then, kaboom! We’d just put a shot into the Spirit of Massachusetts’s bow—figuratively, of course. She was the Pride’s main competition in this race, and she’d been put on notice.

With such a breeze, the boat hardly needed sails to move through the water. The wind was abeam full bore as we slid past the green ramparts of Fort McHenry. I looked behind me and tried to imagine Baltimore’s harbor without the tall buildings, without the wharves stretching along the shoreline below the fort. I tried to picture the time when Fort McHenry stood at the harbor’s gate and effectively controlled the shipping up and down the Patapsco River. If I squinted just a little to make things fuzzy and out of focus, I could turn the slope rising from the Canton wharves into a hill of small houses where the laborers for the Fells Point shipyards lived. What a view they must have had from their dormer windows.

The crew had put up the jib and it was enough to pull us toward the Key Bridge. A tanker was coming in from the Bay, and the tugboat Maria Krause idled nearby in the channel. Now that we were at the bridge and looking back at Baltimore, the town seemed smaller, more to scale with my imagination. Steeples poked into the sky. The downtown skyscrapers were hidden.

Our afternoon sail done, the crew retired to the party held beneath Bohager’s giant canopy in Fells Point. A crowd of schooner crew, captains, support staff, assorted significant others and hungry strays had gathered here to eat great quantities of food and drink prodigious amounts of beer. To gain admittance, I was told, I had to wear my official Schooner Race shirt, a long-sleeved affair with a John Barber schooner scene printed on the front. It was cold enough, though, that I was wearing a sweatshirt over it, so coming through Bohager’s door, I was told to peel. Mind you, I hadn’t had any amount of beer yet, prodigious or otherwise, but—transported back to the days of my wayward youth—I felt highly flattered. It had been a long time since anyone had asked me to peel, and I said so. It was like being carded—at my age (a squinch past 50), always a compliment. Turns out they only meant that I had to lift up my sweatshirt so they could verify the shirt. Oh well, you take what you can get.

Sidling up to the bar, I ran into Bill Oliver, once a partner in the nefarious China Sea Marine Trading Company, formerly of Fells Point (where the Fells Point Maritime Museum is now), and now brewer of Oliver’s Ale and proprietor of the Wharf Rat pubs. Not surprisingly, the biggest spigot behind the bar tapped into a keg of his special Ironman Pale Ale. This was a good thing, because Oliver’s Ale is like mother’s milk. You’ve just gotta have it in order to live right. And tonight it was flowing free for the asking. It took me a while to get my first swallow—I wasn’t the only one in line.

Then I was on stage singing with Ship’s Company chanteyman Jim Rockwell (sea music, of course) and the evening took off. More music, more food. And finally the crowd broke up and we walked over to Lane Briggs’s tugantine, Norfolk Rebel, at the Broad Street pier and sang some more. A lot more. Then the sun came up and we staggered back to our boats, some to sleep it off, some to be greeted by surly teenage sons.

Breakfast this morning was a simple meal of strawberries and bagels. Laura Morrissey, the cook, was already about, and I’d offered to help out in the galley. One of my fantasies is to be cook aboard a tall ship. I wouldn’t mind being a deckhand, but hauling on halyards and braces and sheets in the wee hours of the morning could get tedious. And truth be known, I couldn’t, just couldn’t, climb the rigging. The heights thing. Cooks, on the other hand, get to work “normal” hours and aren’t expected to go clambering around on deck unless they particularly want to. At least that’s the drill aboard Pride, according to Laura, who was now supervising me as I put away groceries and generally made myself useful. I was trying to stay as far away from Stewart as possible. Let him fester.

Stewart and I weren’t the only guests onboard. The Pride keeps several guest cabins open for thems that are willing to pony up for the privilege of sailing the ship from here to there—generally speaking, the short legs between two ports of call on the Pride’s hectic agenda. The price of the guest ticket pays for room and board and chucks a little into the boat’s operating coffers. In return, guests are expected to join the crew and work their butts off before the mast. Fun, eh? For the schooner race, Stewart and I were joined by John MacIver and Mac MacIver (fast friends, but no relation), and Ron Shurie and John Menocal. All of them had sailed the Pride in the schooner race before. Nothing to it, they said. Gluttons for punishment, I thought.

As the Pride headed out to the starting line, Laura told me I could make the soup for lunch. Nothing to it! She had what I needed for five-finger lentil stew: an ingredient and a cup of liquid for each digit. In this case, one carrot, one onion, one celery stalk, one bay leaf, one cup of lentils and five cups of water. Saute the dry ingredients for a few minutes before adding the water, then. . . . Oops, I didn’t get it started early enough, so it was a bit chewy at eight bells. (Way to go, Mom.) But the crew was very kind—those that weren’t related to me, anyway. They made their own sandwiches, adding diplomatically that under cooked was usually better than burnt, and it would save Laura the trouble of making soup tomorrow.

I joined the port watch, with Stewart, to work the boat. Even though I was the cook’s helper, I wanted to work the deck when I could. Laura gave me an alarmed look. It’s a slippery slope, said she. Help them once, they’ll come to expect it. But I reminded her that I was here for the fun and the experience, so I wanted to help sometimes. We’ll see, she said ominously. Stewart’s surliness had washed off, thankfully, and he was jumping into the fray, hauling on lines and generally looking lively. I found it a lot easier to stay out of the way and watch, especially after I ripped off half my finger hauling on a wayward halyard. But alas, Laura was right. I was soon perceived as one of the grunts and put to learning the ropes with the rest of the “guests.” I could hear Captain Jan snigger from the helm.

It was like this: Three or four of us picked up a line about half the thickness of my wrist. When the mate (or whoever) yelled haul, we all hauled. Or maybe we yelled haul ourselves to get a rhythm going. Or maybe nobody yelled haul and we just bloody well hauled anyway. For all we were worth. And when we thought we’d hauled enough, the mate yelled haul again, and we bloody well hauled again. And so on, until someone said, “That’s well,” and we could make the line fast. I had blisters before we even got the damn sail up. Before my nervous system could even register the news, the blisters ripped open and any remaining surface skin abraded away. I was a hurting puppy. (Stewart had brought his sailing gloves, smarty-pants.)

It dawned on me that this was not going to be a Sunday sail. The Pride actually needed every muscle the crew could muster. There was a brisk wind, and it was on the nose from Norfolk. We would have to tack over the starting line, then beat down the Bay. So it was all hands on deck, just like in the songs I like to sing. And just because I gouged a big hole in my index finger at the get-go didn’t mean I could weenie out. Jan knew me too well for that. Cook’s helper, hah! I cradled my wound with a moleskin doughnut and wrapped it with black electrical tape. My black badge of courage. I was a real deckhand now. It was like having a tattoo. If only I’d had a knife strapped on my belt.

I headed down below to wash up the pots and pans in the short stints between tacks, but I ran up on deck at the “Ready about!” to haul on lines. And I reminded myself that I’d withstood the rigors of childbirth twice, so a dinky little blister wasn’t going to get me down. Besides, how long could it possibly take us to get to Norfolk? Were we there yet? The warning gun went off—five minutes to start—and all hell broke loose aboard the Pride.

I’ve known Jan Miles for most of my life. In fact, he was my first crush. I met him when we were both in high school. He’d just returned from his first major ocean voyage—to Tierra del Fuego and back—and he carried the swell of the ocean like a sea chest slung across his shoulders. My mother said a girl could go anywhere with Jan. And I thought, first Tierra del Fuego, then . . .

My crush went the way of Clearasil, but Jan went on to crew and captain some of the finest tall ships in America. He’s one of the most laid-back people you could ever know. Years of sailing tall ships has honed his instincts and built a rock-solid confidence. But out there at the start of the schooner race, a change came over my mild-mannered friend. When that warning gun fired and all the schooners pirouetted into position, his eyes blazed, his cheeks flushed and he became absolutely focused on the task at hand. “All right, you sons of whores, get that jib in!” he bellowed (he’s a big guy, and can he ever bellow). And we sons of whores hopped to and tried with all our might—which, in this instance, wasn’t quite enough—to get that jib in. And Captain Jan noted our efforts and allowed as how we were a bunch of lily-livered lumps of lard—or words to that effect—and we did our damnedest to show him that by golly we weren’t. And so it went as the Pride flew across the starting line and the race began with the final bang of the starting gun. This was to be no sedate around-the-buoys affair. This race would be won on the windward leg (aren’t they all?), but with the wind screaming from the south, it would be a long windward leg. And Captain Jan suggested that this pack of puckered prunes had better shape up and get with the program. Which meant getting the blinking jib in when the captain said “in.” Or else. At the rate we were going, if the British had been on our tail instead of the Spirit of Massachusetts, we’d have been toast. But we got better, and by the seventh or eighth tack, we’d gotten a lot better, and the mild-mannered Jan Miles came back and we were making good time. At least, at this point, there weren’t any other schooners nearby, so the competition wasn’t exactly lapping up our bow waves. And the Spirit of Massachusetts had fallen behind.

It’s hard work tacking a topsail schooner. At the moment, running down the Western Shore opposite the mouth of the Choptank River, we had eight sails up: the jib topsail, jib, fore-staysail, foresail, fore topsail, topgallant, mainsail and main gaff-topsail. And they all needed some kind of major adjustment at every tack—releasing sheets, taking in sheets, slacking braces, tightening braces. The only sail we didn’t have to manhandle was the mainsail, which behaved like any proper mainsail and obediently tacked itself. The only sails that weren’t up were the studding sails (stunsails) and the ring tail. But stay tuned. At this very moment one of the studding sails was being checked and patched and readied for rigging in the event the wind came around and we could bear off. The ring tail, I was told, wasn’t worth the bother. Too much work for too little oomph. And oomph counted for a lot in this race.

Night came on with winks and nods, like a fawning deckhand unsure just where to go. The sun blazed down, leaving a puff of color in the crease between land and water. The stars switched on against the dark of the sky. No moon yet. Stewart and I sat companionably on the deckhouse, breathing it all in. He’d worked the kinks out of his system and was ready to acknowledge that I was a fellow traveler. (This is pretty cool, Mom.) I showed him how to find Polaris, the North Star, and we monitored our progress through time by the turn of the other stars around it, and we checked our progress down the Bay by the way it hung astern. The half moon rose like a golden whale’s eye, defining the leviathan sky. We were moving along at eight knots, creaming through the water. There was no phosphorus, but the bow waves spilled away like milk, and moonlight paved the Bay with golden flagstones leading east. It was dark on deck. Even in the glimmer of moonlight, it was hard to see underfoot. It was easy to trip on lines and tackle that in daylight are relatively benign but at night behaved like rambunctious puppies nipping at our heels. At midnight Stewart and I were off watch and the boat had just slipped below the Patuxent River.

We were awakened at 5:30 a.m. to get the studding sail up. The wind had dropped and we were ghosting along on a whisper. Two of the crew were already up on the course yard setting the studding sail boom—running it out from where it normally lies against the yardarm. Moonlight poured down behind them, silhouetting them in a golden haze. The studding sail sat on the foredeck; someone had already carried it up from below. We rigged the halyard and the sheets and hoisted the spar up to the windward yardarm. Sail set, we could go back to our bunks. It was close to 7 a.m. now, and Friday morning was easing up on one elbow with a smudge of cheap rouge smeared across her cheeks. She, like me, had been too long at the fair. Laura was up, though, so I hastily brushed my teeth, washed my face, took off my woolie underwear, smeared on another layer of deodorant and grabbed a cup of coffee.

We were back on deck at 8 a.m. and down came the studding sail—gravity helped. And morning came to the Chesapeake. We could see Gwynn’s Island and Wolf Trap Light, which put us well below the Potomac. And there was no wind to speak of. The morning doldrums had us ambling along with plenty of time to look around and see—no one! We were as solitary on this Bay as Wolf Trap.

The finish was an imaginary line extending east from Thimble Shoal. The wind had picked up and Jan gave me the helm to take the boat across. I was honored. I could feel the boat surging under my hands. The helm was surprising. When the boat was balanced, she sailed a straight line, and for a moment or two I thought that Jan had switched on the autopilot and only pretended to give me the wheel. She didn’t deviate a hair from her compass course. But then we crossed the finish line and Jan told me to bear off, and I stayed on the helm as we tacked and began to work our way west. Full and by, Jan said. Just sail her. And I felt the wind across my cheek and looked at the sails, and I turned the wheel and the boat responded. To me! It doesn’t get any better than this. And then Stewart went up the rigging to furl something and I thought I was going to faint.

The race was over and Jan did some quick calculations. In 21:20 hours we raced a total of 139 nautical miles, at an average speed of 6.53 knots on a rhumb line of 127 miles. We hauled 12 long tons per person. (No wonder I was stiff.) We finished at 10:59:58 a.m. First in class. The Spirit of Massachusetts couldn’t touch us.

Stewart was back on deck and I asked him if sailing tall ships might be in his future. No way, Mom. Yes, he’d remember this sail for as long as he lives. But think about it, said he: He’s spent every minute of his waking life trying to invent his way to easy street. Without getting out of bed, he can turn on his bedroom light, switch on his radio, adjust the window fan, even close his door, using clever labor-saving devices of his own design. He understands the concept of mechanical advantage. Sail a traditional tall ship without winches? Why?

He is my son with whom I am well pleased, and I told him so. When he grows up (sometime next week) he’ll build fast engines for race cars, or maybe engineer the breakthrough for a mainstream hydrogen fuel cell. His house will be wired with buttons and switches that make things open, shut or turn off. Exerting minimum effort he will effect maximum change. If it weren’t for brains like his, we’d all be sailing tall ships—and not for the fun of it. Meanwhile, we headed for the party: roasted pig, awards, more singing. Then home to study calculus.

Simon White asked:


hilarating sailing experience which is easy to begin and full of fun, there is no better way to enter the sport than with dinghy sailing.

Where to Start

You’ll find many dinghy sailing clubs around the lakes and rivers of the UK coast. Always keen to take on new members, especially families, you’ll find them welcoming and friendly.

Cost

Fees vary depending on the level of facilities, but a good club will cost around £150 per year for a family and may include a dinghy parking place. Individuals joining on their own will expect to pay around £50 per year. There are no fees to use the water but you will need insurance. This should cost a further £50.

Equipment

There are two vital pieces of equipment that you will need. A buoyancy aid or life jacket and a pair of non-slip shoes. Trainers are fine to begin with but they offer no protection from the water. You’ll also need to invest in a good waterproof jacket in the summer and a wetsuit for the winter months. Wearing layers of clothing is always advisable.

Buying a Dinghy

Some clubs will lend you a boat and a sailing centre will provide a boat as part of a course. It’s a good idea not to rush in and buy a dinghy straight away. It’s best to start with a used dinghy while you’re new to sailing. Beginners to the sport will normally start with an older boat and after a few months, when you’re sure you want to continue, you can upgrade to something to a newer boat.

Types of Dinghy

- Car portable such as Toppers. – Fixed keel dinghies. – Performance dinghies such as Catamarans. – One person dinghies like the One Man Lasers. – Two person such as Fireballs. – Family dinghies like Wayfarers.

Courses

Dinghy sailing is always taught by RYA qualified instructors starting with beginners courses. Courses are designed so that the skills you learn in one boat are transferable to the next. And you can complete courses in stages, so you can finish one section and continue with the next when you are ready – on holiday for instance.

Learning to Sail on Holiday

Learning to sail a dinghy on holiday is a great way to enter the world of sailing. With better weather and time on your side, you’ll feel more relaxed and possibly learn to sail much faster. With warmer waters you’ll almost certainly feel more confident when you capsize the dinghy.

Inshore Lakes or Costal Waters

Dinghy sailing on an inshore lake is generally considered safer. You’ll be sailing within easy distance of a rescue boat, making it popular with families. It’s also easier to lean this way. Without the distraction of the tide and avoiding other craft, you’ll feel more comfortable able to concentrate fully on your sailing. With stronger winds and greater challenges, coastal sailing is for the more experienced dinghy sailor.

Start Racing

It won’t be long before you feel ready to start racing and most clubs run novice courses. Boats designed for one or two people, and even high performance dinghies with a crew, can be raced without any official qualification. You will, however, need to learn to handle the dinghy and have a good grasp of the basics for your own safety.

Cruising

There is the option to cruise rather than race and there are clubs for people who simply wish to sail with others and discover new waters. Smaller boats for cruising are slightly different in that they are not designed for speed but for comfort. This means they handle easily in all weathers and are safer when away from shore with no rescue boat. Larger and heaver dinghies are known as day boats. You will also need to complete a course for cruising and have a good understanding of the basics.

Buying a Dinghy

Before you buy a dinghy you must bear in mind that your requirements will change as your sailing develops. You should also consider whether you want to sail alone or with a crew, if it needs to be portable and if you need a faster performance boat more or one more suitable for cruising. Newer, high performance boats will come at a higher price but there are bargains to be had with older boats.

Paul Hata asked:


These days, more charter companies have opened up making it easy for people to see various destinations by sea. If you are planning to go to Europe, why don’t you see what a Tuscany sailing vacation has to offer?

Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of 22,990 km and a population of about 3.6 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes and its artistic legacy. Six Tuscan localities have been UNESCO protected sites : the historical center of Florence, the historical center of Siena, the square of the Cathedral of Pisa, the historical center of San Gimignano, the historical center of Pienza and Val d’Orcia.

A Tuscany sailing vacation will take you to 7 different islands that will let you see ancient ports, beautiful coastlines and vast sceneries. The Mediterranean waters are rich in marine life and one of the biggest in Europe.

The largest island is the Tuscan archipelago of Elba which at one time was the site where Napoleon was exiled. Next to this is the island of Gilio that has both fine sand and pebbled beaches for those who want to set foot on dry land.

One of the things you should not forget to visit is the island of Monte Cristo. You better get there as fast as you can because it is limited to 100 visitors on any given day.

If you have scheduled a guide tour, you will be able to visit Gorgona. For those who don’t mind walking 200 steep steps, you will be rewarded by the breathtaking beach of Cala Palombaia as well as the magnificent sea-grotto with deep blue stones called sassi turchini.

Your next stop will be Portoazzuro on the Elba Island that has beautiful crystal clear waters matched with picturesque bays, islets and coves. Next, you will cruise onto the magnificent sandy beaches of Portoferrio and Fetovaia, Calanova, Biodola and Costa del Sole.

You will enjoy a day excursion to Marciana Marina, an old colorful village with a vibrant nightlife giving you time to drink and party with the locals.

For those who want to go scuba diving, you can do so by sailing to Capraia Island near Portoferrio. Afterwards, you can head down over to Saint Florent, an extremely attractive small town with its beautiful ancient citadel.

Other places you will get to see on your Tuscany sailing vacation includes the port of Marina di Carrara where visitors will enjoy the magnificent views of Corniglia, Manarolia and picturesque Riomaggiore before heading further up the idyllic coast to Vernazza.

You will once again walk on land and be able to explore the historic township and local traditions and culture of Portovenere.

There are different charter companies to choose from should you decide to go on a Tuscany sailing vacation. You can choose to use bareboat yacht charters, yacht rentals, skippered, catamarans, sail boat charters and luxury super yacht charters.

When you book with any of them, this already includes the insurance deposit, gas, water, meals, outboard motor, inventory, end cleaning, local taxes, ports, linen and towels. Refreshments are not included in the package so you have to bring your own.

More information that will help you decide which one to choose can be found in magazines and the internet. You can also book for your trip online.But before you do make any booking, find out how much it costs, how long will the voyage last and what else is included in the package. After all, you want your Tuscany sailing vacation to be perfect and memorable.

Dan Roulston asked:


“Welcome to the Whitsunday Islands

Vacation Australia welcomes you to the wonderful Whitsunday Islands. Our team are able to help you organise your sailing adventure or accommodation and create a memorable and unique holiday. The Whitsunday Islands are situated 20° 4′ South and 148° 5′ East and are on the same latitude as Rio de Janeiro, Mauritius and Tahiti. The superb climate is tropical with an average daily temperature of 27°C. January is the warmest month averaging 30°C and July the coolest month averaging 23°C. The wet season is from December to March. The water temperature remains a pleasant 23 – 27°C, the average year round water temperature being an enticing 24°C.

Deluxe Sailing Holidays:

Deluxe Sailing vessels are superior vessels offering the passenger comfort and privacy a in small or large group. Most deluxe vessels offer private cabins with ensuite’s and are perfect for honeymoons or romantic getaways. So why not spoil yourself whilst in the Whitsundays and enjoy your holiday in style. Please visit here www.sailingwhitsunday.com.au for more information.

Adventure Sailing Holidays:

Adventure Sailing includes all different vessels which offer a degree of comfort combined with an exciting and adventurous sail or cruise. Friendly crew, scuba diving, snorkeling, hiking or maybe even a paddle in the sea kayak provide for great entertainment and memorable experiences. Usually cater for group numbers around 12-18 passengers of all ages. Please visit here www.sailingwhitsunday.com.au for more information.

e and rainforest tours we have something for everyone. The Whitsundays offer a diverse range of activities to entertain you whether it be an adrenaline pumping skydive or a relaxing rainforest walk. Please visit here www.sailingwhitsunday.com.au for more information.

D. Browall asked:


The best sailing area is on the south coast where Algarve provides a perfect 150 Miles of interesting sailing coast.

The Portuguese have been a maritime nation for a long time, and the sea is ‘in the blood’ of the locals. It’s such a compact area yet enjoys such an extended coastline. Hardly any wonder, then, that sailing has played so large a part in the area’s history. This is a great sailing location as the winds are usually light northerly. With plenty of anchorages, the clear sparkling warm Atlantic water invites you to take a swim.

The west of Faro consists of small bays and coves mixed by striking rocky outcrops and interesting grottoes. East of Faro the coast comprises sandy offshore islets, which have created protected anchorages and the most wonderful quiet beaches that continue for miles.

Portugal is part of the southwest Europe. It’s also close to the Iberian Peninsula, Atlantic Ocean, and Spain. Besides the towns and villages that make up the mainland, there are two more islands that belong to Portugal. These are Azores as well as Madeira. Sailing in Portugal is a well-known activity in this country because of its mild Mediterranean climate.

Algarve is one of the renowned tourist destinations in Portugal, primarily because of its excellent weather. As a matter of fact, some who have been here for their holiday vacation decided to buy real estate properties. Moreover, there are a lot of interesting places to visit and beautiful beaches to swim or cruise. Alvor is one of them. Besides the long coastline, you can also enjoy the village, filled with narrow streets, bars, and restaurants. There is also a old fishing village, which has been preserved very well by the municipality. Walk farther and you can find a beautiful lagoon. You can dare to go too in the sandy beach and coves underneath the cliffs.

Whenever you’re sailing in Portugal, make sure you can stop by the quaint town of Faro. Apart from finding a good temporary home in its villas and holiday resorts, you can also find a variety of artifacts and historical sites. For example, the Milreu ruins depict third-century homes of the Romans. There’s also a parish church that was built hundreds of years ago, Palacio de Estoi or manor house and the Bronze Age fort found in Santa Barbara de Nexe. West of Faro are more developed areas like Vale de Lobo and Quinta do Lago.

Disembarking from a yacht charter, you can visit Monchique, a rustic and usually-unexplored town in Portugal. Bordered by the hills of Picota and Foia, Monchique is proud of its cobblestone streets and dark doorways, which eventually lead to small artist shops. There are also plenty of religious places here, such as the Franciscan monastery and the parish church, which dates back to the fifteenth century.

And if you think that these are the only things you can get from sailing in Portugal, wait until you can get to the Bucaco Forest. This quiet area actually contains several grottoes and chapels that was built by monks that lived hundreds of years ago.

Thanate Tan asked:


For many people all around the world sailing is the main mean of relaxation. For them nothing is better than the feelings they experience in their confrontation with the untamed nature. Even if sometimes there might encounter some dangers the passion for the sea is more powerful than anything.

When asked what the reasons for which they love sailing are, the sailors usually respond that is the feeling of freedom that takes them further into the seas and oceans. They say that nothing can be compared to the feeling that you are the master of your own boat and of your own destiny.

Because the seas and oceans are the places where people get less into contact they can be considered the most quiet and peaceful environments. Few things, such as the sound of the waves and the birds’ songs, can interrupt the quietness of the sea. That is why many people choose sailing as a way of relaxation and meditation.

Yet, all these pleasures involve some knowledge in this field and also financial in order to purchase all the things needed for a perfect adventure on the water. The first thing that a sailor should do is choose correctly the type of boat he wants to sail.

Two main types of sailing boats can be distinguished: the sailing dinghies and the yachts. There are two differences in these two types of boats. The first one is that the dinghies have a centerboard, while the yacht has a permanent keel. In yachts the ballast is built in the keel, while in the dinghies the human crew should perform as ballast. There are many types of yachts and dinghies, too, so a sailor must ponder well all the advantages and disadvantages of any boat.

For the sailors that love the adrenaline brought by racing special regulations were formulated by International Sailing Federation. Racing Rules of Sailing are the set of regulations that should be respected by all the participants in sailing competitions.

For many people sailing is like a second life, where they can enjoy the quietness, peacefulness, fresh air and serenity of the sea, but at the same time experience the adrenaline when fighting the furious waves and untamed wind. Find more information about Sailing Cruise.