Last Sailing Day of Spring 2013... Javelins + Wind + Qualified Sailors = FUN!!!

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Another windy day... the Neuse River Live Weather Buoy (link) says we had winds in the 15~20 knot range... and we reefed the Javelin mainsails for the first time.

 "Reef" means a shallow spot in the water but it also means to make a sail smaller. Here you can see how, along the boom of this Javelin. You can also see that this nervous beginner skipper is not comfortable with the tiller extension just yet!






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Reefing the mainsails was partly to see how the boats would perform, and partly because we still have 2 basic sailors who need to finish their qualifications. The advanced sailors normally turn their nose up at the Javelins since they are so much heavier than the FJs -but- when the wind and chop kick up like this, the Javelins are fun too!







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 Playing Baby Ducks (link) again

Who has the Right-Of-Way here?

answer- the white boat has Right-Of-Way over the yellow (gold) boat, which is why the yellow boat is turning to miss them.







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 Another of the drills today was practice starts. The coach/rescue boat gave a 1-minute signal by flag & sound, then gave time at 10 second intervals (50, 40, 30, etc) and a final 5-4-3-2-1 until GO!

Here we see 'Boats' (the new sailing squad commander) a few seconds late but definitely hauling the mail... I'd call this a good start!




CONGRATULATIONS and 'Bravo Zulu' (that's Navy talk for "well done") to the cadets who completed their Basic Sailing Qualification today.


... ... ... posted by Assistant Coach Douglas King

Excellent excellent day for sailing... not bad sailing either

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NOTICE- our next sailing day will be next Tuesday May 21, not Monday!

After several Mondays of bad weather, we had an absolutely beautiful day with some real wind. The average wind strength was around 10 kt (what is the difference between a knot and a mile per hour? (link)) but we had gusts up to 18, which is enough to more than get your attention.


The Javelins do not have hiking straps! However these cadets are getting more power by getting their weight up & out as far as safely possible.



Today we sailed all 3 Javelins, plus Coach Murphy generously used his own boat again. The advanced cadets (did anybody bring their blue book?!?) were not enthusiastic at first, but in the strong winds that kicked up for much of the days sailing, they did manage to get some thrills anyway.







Here is one of our beginner skippers, learning how to hold the tiller extension. This photo shows one of the good ways to NOT hold it! This cadet did quite well for most of the day's sailing, however.







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Right-Of-Way situation! Here is Coach Murphy's personal boat, a Montgomery 15, with a Javelin headed right at it.

Which boat has the Right-Of-Way? The yellow Javelin has the wind coming over it's port side, the Montgomery 15 is on the opposite tack.

Both cadets in the yellow Javelin are advanced sailors, and the skipper is doing the right thing by letting his mainsail luff. This slows the boat down and makes it easier to bear away and pass safely astern of the Montgomery 15.







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Which is exactly what he is doing! We teach 'when in doubt, pass the other vessel's stern' and that is what happened here. A nice safe interaction between two boats in close quarters, despite the gusty winds.



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Baby Duck Drill!

Everybody GO!!!

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more Baby Duck Drill

Everybody STOP!

This was well done, even by our two beginner skippers in the two Javelins behind.







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Here is another of our beginner skippers, learning to work the mainsheet & steer at the same time. He is doing well at holding the hiking stick and steering on course, although his crew has the jib pulled in too tight (as shown by the "telltale" ribbons near the leading edge of the jib).







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Time to go in... sailing is over for today.

In the lee of the dock, it is deceptively calm. There is also a strong current running down the river (left to right in this photo) which makes it easy to stop short of the dock.


Next Tuesday will be our last scheduled sailing day this semester. Several beginner sailors missed todays session, and several beginner sailors HAVE NOT completed the qualification they need to become Basic Skippers. However we sailing coaches understand that exams are coming up and STUDYING takes priority. Generally our sailors do very well academically and we encourage that.

...posted by Assistant Coach Douglas King

UPDATE- Sailing & Workday this Saturday

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Yesterday was another episode of weather blues. Gusts up to 25kt kept -most- of our sailors ashore since the beginners are not ready for this kind of stress.

However we had workday on the boats. Unfortunately, we did not get ALL the boats cleaned and waxed, but we did get 5 of the 7 FJs spiffed up, they look much better now. Wax?!? Yes, preventative maintenance is an important lesson... it applies not just to sailing but to pretty much everything. With sailboats, a coat of wax helps the hulls resist water incursion, and it keeps them looking cleaner. The effort of compounding & waxing is repaid more than double!

Okay, gotta have at least one picture. This is from eariler in the spring:  two of the advanced cadets sailing an FJ in good breeze and showing how to do it right.



Some of the advanced sailors did get out on the river in rough conditions. Coach Murphy, who is not intimidated by wind, sailed his boat over to Bridgeton and several cadets sailed his boat. The advanced sailors learn about REEFING  (basically, making the sail smaller for strong wind) and other ways of coping. The beginners practiced a sailing drill on the lawn (easy to tell which way the wind is blowing) and also attempted to practice TACKING in a tethered Javelin.

...posted by Assistant Coach Douglas King

Chillin'at the pool.... not really! Capsize drill at the YMCA

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Today was the day for our Capsize Drill!
Thanks to the Twin Rivers YMCA, we can practice in a calm & controlled environment.

Here, our Cadet Sailing Team Commander is still holding the hiking stick properly, but he's wondering if his crew is going to be OK


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 Here's a link to the lesson on Capsize... we all need to know & practice this!
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These two cadets are already wet! Did they fall in by accident? No, this is actually their 2nd attempt at capsizing.

Part of the fun is that the advanced cadets get in the pool to handle the boat and help with the tipping over...  yeah thanks for the HELP!









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Here's the last phase of capsize recovery... getting back in. We use the "scoop" method, where the crew rolls up inside the boat as the skipper pulls it upright, but then the skipper has to climb in over the gunwhale. This is generally not a dignified procedure.

These cadets did very well, the crew helped the skipper in while balancing the boat, the skipper came up using knees and a sideways roll instead of doing a straight-in face plant.






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Coach Rezab (far right) stays out of splash range. Here is part of the group getting ready for another practice capsize... practicing getting into & out of the boat from a slippery low "dock" is a learning process too!


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Next!

Every sailing cadet, beginners and advanced, got a turn practicing the capsize drill both as skipper and as crew

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A good crew not only helps his skipper in, he is prepared to heel the boat to make it easier, to move his weight for balance... and does it with a smile too!



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Now the crew becomes skipper.

Here, his job is to hold the boat from turning "turtle." Soon the crew will be ready, and he pulls the boat upright.




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Who said we lack adult supervision?!?

Top takes this seriously, like all drills. The cadets' safety could depend on the skills they learn today. LCDR Clark is witnessing his first capsize drill.




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Hey!
CAPSIZE means the boat is supposed to tip over! Here we see two cadets who left the boat a little too early, and the boat snapped back right-side up without them. This is why we teach keeping a grip on the sheet(s) and hiking straps!


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 Here comes the "righting line." The crew takes the tail of the bow line (painter) and tosses it over the gunwhale to the skipper. Some times it is not needed, but it is always helpful and gives the skipper something to hang on to so the boat doesn't float away.










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Fun time is over! Coach Rezab, the Cadet Sailing Commander, and one of the newbies (wait, can we still call him that after today?) put away FJ#4.

You can see the pool enclosure, which is a good thing because today was cold & blustery... but it means more work because we have to break down the boat and carry it out thru the air lock.

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We give a tremendous THANK YOU to our local Y
Twin Rivers YMCA (link)

....  photos by Coach Mike Murphy
....  posted by Coach Douglas King



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Light winds ... basic practice

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Today we had some bright sunshine, nice temp... OK some clouds too but no rain... the wind was light and shifted steadily from WNW to SW. However there was enough to get the boats moving.

Rigging up... One of the basic sailors (no longer newbies, please!) has advanced to sailing in the FJs. When will the rest be ready to take that step?







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FJ sailing, another cadet coaching... in this case, an advanced "Blue Book" sailor but only her 2nd time skippering an FJ. Sails are properly set, balance is good, -but- why is the skipper sitting so far back in the boat?














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Here is one of our basic sailors, steering properly with the "hiking stick" (also called the "tiller extension" but that's too long to say).















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It's been said before, those who do not learn will hear it again.

This is the POINTS OF SAIL. In order to sail a boat, you must know them. Then you must learn the maneuvers to go from one Point Of Sail (link) to another. No cadet will pass basic sailing without knowing this (plus the knots, plus the terminology (link), plus Right of Way rules (link), plus the Capsize Drill (link) ).





There is a BIG difference between being a SAILOR and being just a passenger!

Coach Murphy's Javelin sailing wing-and-wing in light wind. This can be frustrating but the cadets did get the boat moving.









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... posted by Assistant Coach Douglas King.

Underway! ... 1st sailing day spring 2013

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This afternoon was the first day of real sailing. Most of the class had never been out on the river before, much less under sail, but fortunately the coaches and the "old salt" experienced cadets were there to make it go smoothly. The weather was bit grey but the cold of winter has lost it's grip, there was a nice breeze, and the boats were REALLY SAILING !!


Coach Gormley on the tiller, steering the boat out of Bridgeton Harbor. With new (fall 2012) sails, the Javelins have good power and hustle right along... when the sailors knows how!


The advanced cadets set out in the Flying Juniors, carrying out a variation of the Clock Drill (link) and refreshing their skills. Most have not sailed for a couple of months, even though the sailing clubs on the Neuse River are active thru the winter, our sailing program stands down to give the students time to study for exams.

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Wind from the SSW makes the river a bit choppy and makes the railroad bridge into a potentially disastrous "lee shore."


Coach Hittner and his crew of newbies just getting out into the river.



If a cadet was sailing this close to the bridge, the coaches would be very unhappy. Coach Hittner sails this Javelin close-hauled and tacks to get the boat a safe distance upwind of the RR bridge.


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Coach Jackson and two cadets in our third Javelin. The sails are eased out and the boat in on a BEAM REACH point of sail.
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For today's sailing exercise, Coach Murphy brought his own boat. At 15 ft it is only slightly longer than the 14' Javelins, but obviously with a ballasted keel, a cabin, and motor, it is a much bigger boat in other respects.












Now let's see what the advanced cadets are doing. Looks like a gybing duel!

Who has Right-Of-Way here? What maneuver are they doing? How do you get your boat going a little faster, so you can pass the other boat?

By the end of the sailing semester... hopefully before then... the newbies will know these answers, and will be sailing almost this well!








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 Here's why the FJs are the sports cars of our little fleet. They are faster, can sail very close to the wind, and very responsive.

These cadets are good but not perfect: sit a little further forward in the boat, match the trim of the jib sheets to the main, and HIKE the boat flat.

Looks like a lot of fun!






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After a bit of coaching, the FJ sailors got in the groove sailing CLOSE-HAULED. Note where sails are: pulled in tight but not too tight. The mainsail in just inside the transom corner, the foot of the jib is on the foredeck.

Although it feels good & exciting to let the boats heel 'way over, it is faster & easier to control when held flat, as you see here. This photo was taken during a lull in the wind, for most of the afternoon these cadets were hiking out.


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Just after a tack... skipper is hiking out, crew is still getting organized... get those sails IN and get going, FJ#1 is getting further ahead!









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 Newbies putting their Javelin away after an excellent time sailing.





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The advanced cadets put their FJs away.

You can see that all of this; getting underway, handling the boats skillfully, and putting the boats & all gear away properly; takes a strong team effort.




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... posted by Assistant Coach Douglas King

First day in the boats... what did we learn?

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This afternoon the "old salts" put in some work getting their FJs ready to sail; the newbies were introduced to Oday Javelins and continued to learn basic boat stuff.

You Gotta Know The Ropes (link) ... One of the things we learned is HALYARDS pull the sails up/down and SHEETS pull the sails side-to-side.


None of us actually went sailing today, it was planned as a ground-level lesson in the basics. Not only that, but every beginner had the chance to learn & reinforce his/her new knowledge in a calm & safe & controlled environment. It's important to become familiar with the basic actions before throwing the cadets to the lions out into the real river.




Navy sailors will be familiar with the phrase "milling about smartly." Well this mob just got off the bus, a few moments later they were turning to.

Today was a good experience of how much work it is to go sailing. Everybody had to carry sails or spars or gear, everybody had to help rig up the boats.



Every sailing session, every lesson, includes SAFETY. Almost all of our life jackets have whistles attached, today we learned why (and the coaches need to put a whistle on one more PFD). What's another safety lesson we put into practice? Think, you can probably come up with several.

Sailboats are relatively simple, but they do take some work to get ready. And everything has to be put together properly, which means you need to learn how.

Getting ready to put on the sails, but first we need to lower the centerboard and put on the rudder... better pump out the bilgewater too. So we'd better know a little about the HULL and the stuff that goes with it (link).

This is a lot of fun, but it's also a serious class. Today we gave out a written assignment (you could call it a TEST if you like, yes it will count for a grade) and the class is moving forward quickly. In fact, in two sessions we have covered the first 3 basic lessons (our sailing lessons on-line (link)).

Next week, we will get underway for the first time... really sailing!

... posted by Assistant Coach Douglas King



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