Fall 2011... newbies get underway in Javelins!

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. . Here we GO!

Everybody got a chance to sail one of our Javelin sloops this afternoon. Winds were light, but most of the time the boats kept moving right along.

Here are 2 fledglings leaving the nest... umm, dock...

So far we have learned some basic terminology, names of parts of the boat, and practiced capsizing in the FJ... actually, the capsize lesson gave us a good familiarity with how small boats behave (or mis-behave) on the water.

This sense of coordination & familiarity is very important to learning the next steps... how to take control of the boat & make it go where you want!

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Today, the green buoys were anchored at the windward side of our sailing area. Here is a cadet skipper & crew sailing up wind (how is that possible? link)... obviously they have made good progress under the eye of Coach Jackson.











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Here is our recently donated Javelin, given to us by the son of the late Jimmy Cox of Trent Woods. Mr. Cox was a Navy veteran of World War 2 and loved to sail.

These cadets with Coach Murphy are doing well... the boat is close-hauled (going upwind) and weight is centered, jib & main are trimmed properly for this Point Of Sail.







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OK, one more close-hauled pic... here's our original Javelin, the USS Craig-Bob, with Coach Dillinger relaxing. Looks a little stern-heavy but the tiller is straight & the sails are full., boat is moving.



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By now, all sailing cadets should have their textbooks and their first assignment. Today we practiced sailing on several Points Of Sail, steering with the tiller, and tacking... all these things must be mastered before moving on to the next skill level. The text should explain today's practice and help get us ready for actual sailing drills!







What's wrong with this picture? Who's not wearing a life jacket?!?

Actually, we do not currently have enough life jackets SO for now, some of these cadets have permission to not wear PFDs.

Here is Coach Cornford teaching knots & rope skill to the cadets who were not in the first group of Javelin sailors.





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But they DID get to sail! Here's Coach Jackson again, with his 2nd group of sailors.

This Javelin was donated by the Myers family of Pennsylvania
Here's another safety rule- long hair should be tied back, it is too easy to get caught in lines or blocks... makes a great indicator for wind direction though!

BTW what about SHOES ??!?





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This boat is moving well, not surprising because it has 2 experienced cadets sailing it now!









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Coach Dillinger says, "Steer the boat toward that green buoy, come close but don't hit it."

Piece of cake, right?

In the background you can see the two orange buoys which were anchored at the leeward (downwind) side of our sailing area.







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OK, we've done the sailing thing... what happens when 2 boats get close together? There are a set of 'Right-Of-Way' rules to guide boats around each other safely.

These 2 Javelins are ON the same TACK (being "on a tack" is not the same thing as "tacking" sorry)... note the jibs on the same side of the mainsail... so what rule(s) should they follow to avoid a collision?

That was not part of today's lesson BUT it is part of the upcoming lesson(s). Think ahead!

Review- By now, we should know basic boat parts (which one is the SHEET, which one is the HALYARD); we should know some boat procedures including boarding & capsize procedure, 3 knots (bowline, figure-8, cleat hitch), how to steer with a tiller, how to set the sails, and how to steer & adjust the sails in combination for the different POINTS OF SAIL, and how to TACK.

Next week we will build on all this knowledge & all these skills; hopefully we can begin the basic sailing drills... remember we have only 9 sailing sessions through the fall. This class is learning quickly and has much to be proud of, but we also have a long way to go!

... posted by Assistant Coach Doug King

The Capsize Drill

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Your textbook (handout) discusses BOUYANCY and STABILITY. These two must be understood, if you want to predict how a vessel will react in a given situation.


But right now, let's go with the understanding that any vessel can capsize. How are you going to cope when it happens to your FJ?



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Here are the basic steps:
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1- ensure that your skipper/crew are OK.




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2- get control of the boat... keep it from turning turtle (skipper holds the centerboard)





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3- when ready, pull the boat upright (crew does the "scoop"). Start sailing again!


(note- this shows the crew already in the boat... the proper SCOOP method will be detailed later)




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These 3 simple steps should be easy to remember. Unfortunately, real life usually gets a bit more complicated. Before going into complications, let's look at what NOT to do!

Do NOT abandon your crew or skipper

Do NOT leave the boat, attempting to swim to shore

Do NOT attempt to pull the boat upright until ready, and you are sure you can keep control of it
(note- this is important, because capsizes often occur due to circumstances that make the boat difficult or impossible to control, such as violent squalls)


Do NOT climb up the cockpit, or stand on the rig.


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Now let's go into some more detail about each of those steps. In theory, it will go just fine as long as you follow the simple procedure. In reality, we all know that stuff gets complicated.

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1- Check on each other's safety, make sure each person on board is OK.

This is pretty straight forward. It obviously requires that you look after your own safety too. If you sit in the right place on the boat, you are less likely to be entangled or struck.

This is one time where it is OK to yell... make sure you can be heard! However, be careful to not contribute to panic

If a person is not OK, then obviously your new top priority is to help them. Get their head above water and make sure they're breathing. Signal for help from the coach boat (4 long blasts on your whistle).

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2- Get control of the situation... yeah, this is where it can get complicated. Don't get wrapped up in petty details, though!


A primary concern is to prevent the boat from turtling. For one thing, the Neuse River is not deep enough and the mast will stick in the mud. The skipper can swim quickly around the stern & grab the centerboard, just holding it.


What if you are hiking out when the boat capsizes, and you're sitting on the high side? This is OK, if you're careful you can swing around to the bottom of the hull & place some weight on the centerboard easily & quickly.


This pic shows a perfectly acceptable position... if you end up there naturally. Just don't try to climb there! Also, the hull is slippery, so be careful to not fall.



In strong winds and/or choppy waves, it may be necessary to have the crew swim to the bow of the boat & hold it into the wind. Also, if necessary you can lower the sails while the boat is on it's side. Try to roll them up neatly & tie them into place securely, you'll want them in good shape later!





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You may have been told "Never bounce on the centerboard" which is correct. It's strong but it is possible to break the centerboard. A broken 'board leaves you in a MUCH worse situation!







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Another problem can be sheets. If the sails are pulled in tight & the sheet tangled, you can see that the sails are going to try & hold a LOT of water, making the boat difficult to pull upright. The crew should make sure that both sails are free. What could be worse? Pulling the boat upright with the sheets tangled, so that it immediately capsizes again... harder this time!





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OK, everything is under control! The boat is held steady on it's side, the crew has finished trouble-shooting everything that can go wrong, the skipper is ready to pull the boat upright, the crew is ready to 'scoop' aboard...

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So, how do we SCOOP?
This is a method of bringing the boat upright with the crew already on board & ready to keep control, and also able to help the other person(s) back aboard promptly.


The key is to NOT impede the righting of the boat. In this picture, one person is pulling the boat upright (and the sails are already rising out of the water freely), and the other is ready to "scoop" by holding securely (the hiking strap is a good hand-hold) BUT is still floating or treading water.



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Note that if the FJ is handled properly through the capsize drill, it will come up without any water inside.


As the boat continues to turn upright, the crew pulls/swims up into the boat. Be careful of metal points & hard edges. When the boat is fully upright, the crew should be securely inside & ready to help get the skipper aboard.



When you consider everything that can go wrong, the capsize is daunting. However if you follow the simple steps in order, and troubleshoot problems within the sequence of following these steps, you should be able to get the boat under control, keep it under control, and resume sailing.



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CAPSIZE !! on purpose this time

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Any vessel can tip over. Here is the SS Normandie, one of the world's greatest ocean liners.

The first photo shows how majestic & powerful she was. Many people consider her the most beautiful ship ever built. For years the SS Normandie crossed the Atlantic Ocean carrying thousands of passengers in safety & luxury. No question of her stability.





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The second photo shows how, after a seemingly minor accident, she capsized at the dock.

(link to history of the SS Normandie)

Our handout shows a Royal Navy (British) destroyer laying on her side after a battle. So, we know for sure that any vessel can be capsized.




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By this time, our cadets have all experienced a capsize too. Small boats may actually have a greater range of stability, but they are also more likely to be overcome by sea & weather conditions. The ability to cope with a capsize is an important skill for any sailor.

A big "Thank You !!" to the Twin Rivers YMCA (link). It's great to have a calm & controlled environment to practice this skill.







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Here are two beginner sailors... their very first time afloat in an FJ, actually... ready to show what they've learned. Don't they look dry? That's about to change!

Part of the fun is the advanced sailors get to handle the boat in the water. It's not just dunking your fellow cadets in the pool, it's serious training! All kidding aside, the two 'Blue Book' sailors who handled the FJ from the water did a great job. It's not as easy as it looks to keep the FJ centered and not hit anything with the hull or mast.



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Everybody got to take a turn. When under stress, we do what we've drilled. This is why we practice the basic steps in order, the same way every time. Only a few New Bern cadets have capsized on the river, but when they did, they recovered quite well thanks to this practice.

This photo shows the last step, crew helping the skipper aboard. It can be surprisingly difficult to climb aboard a boat!







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Here we see another basic lesson: DON'T STAND UP IN AN FJ!

But these two newbies did OK in the actual capsize drill.












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Anybody can make a mistake, especially at something you've just begun. Here the crew looks rather nervous even though they've watched several other crews do the capsize drill first. But that's not the mistake... the skipper is not steering properly! How should the skipper be holding the tiller?










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But all is well in this photo, the skipper & crew are in their places & doing their jobs.

The skipper has control of the boat by holding the centerboard. This prevents it from drifting away or turning all the way over "turtle." The crew rigs the righting line (orange rope laying over the rail) and then prepares to scoop into the boat as the skipper pulls it rightside up.







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"All aboard !!"

The key to doing this: let the boat heel toward the person in the water. This lowers the side they have to climb over, and makes it easier for them to get a grip on the hiking strap to pull themselves in.








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Here's three of our advanced sailors, two are practicing the capsize drill and one is handling the boat.

What, you expect one of us coaches to get in the water? Relax, we've done it a thousand times, now it's your turn!

This skipper & crew are just finishing up Step 1... makes sure that everyone on board is OK. They did a fine job.








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Capsize drill completed smoothly, time to head back to port.

Remember how we said anybody can make a mistake? Well, this skipper has forgotten to hold the tiller at all, much less do it the right way!









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Now all the fun is over. You can hear FJ #3 heave a sigh of relief! We unrig the boat completely, which is not a step we normally do... boom comes off, mast comes down, boat goes on trailer...

All is ready for Monday! Hope you're ready too!

... posted by Assistant Coach Douglas King

1st session for Fall 2011

We had a GREAT start to the fall sailing season today. Enthusiasm was high, everybody was prepared (nobody showed up in sandals!) and we did not skid off the learning curve.

This was a day to learn the basic parts of the boat, and familiarize with how it all works. We learned some terminology, the names of some of the ropes & where they go, and lots of other funny boat words.

Why is it important to learn all this strange talk? Does it make sailing more complicated? Is it just a blind tradition to confuse newbies?

The answers are no, and also no, then for the last one, no again.


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Every specialized field of knowledge has it's own language. Lawyers, doctors, engineers, even plumbers, have words for thing that they deal with all the time and none of the rest of us ever think about (or even know about).

It's the same principle as the Eskimos having 125 words for "snow." The distinctions between different types of snow (for example it's relative hardness and the strength of underlying ice) is something unimportant to us; but Eskimos need to communicate this information quickly & precisely to each other.


You would probably want to get a second opinion if your doctor talked about "those airbag thingies" instead of saying "lungs," (or more likely referred to pulmonary).



If you want to be a sailor, you must be able to talk to other sailors!

FJ #5 draws a crowd. Is it Coach Gormley's magnetic personality? (don't stand near the compass!)

Our lessons today were somewhat interrupted by a thunderstorm passing close by. This gaveour advanced cadets a chance to practice their weather-reading skills, and put some urgency into the new sailors learning how to handle the HALYARDS.

Everybody was assigned to a boat, and all got a chance to practice hoisting the sails, handling the sheets, steering, and of course tying knots.


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And, once everyone had tried getting their feet wet (just an expression, none of the boats were launched into the river today), we practiced capsizing! This is what attracted a crowd to FJ #5!

Coach Rezab observes the capsize drill, far left. It's important to practice the steps correctly & in order, so that when we are in deep water it will not be too difficult.




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When sailing, the FJ has only 2 on board: the skipper & crew. However, for ground lessons, we team up in larger groups and all learn. Here are 2 advanced sailors showing 2 beginners how to tack, and also what the hiking straps are for.

The FJs are very sensitive to where the skipper & crew sit. The boat must be held stable by their weight placement to the side or center; and also it is important to not sink the bow or stern too deep by sitting too far forward or aft.

Thanks to Coaches Gormley, Dillinger, Murphy, Cornford, and Jackson (link- Meet The Coaches) for coming this afternoon and helping to get our fleet back into action! We are lucky to have survived Hurricane Irene so successfully, and lucky to have such expert help in teaching.


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Remember, capsize drill IN THE WATER this coming Thursday, even though we have 8 "old salts" returning from spring sailing, only 2 out of our current 29 sailors have done capsize drills! Thursday Sep 15 at 6 pm at the Twin Rivers YMCA in New Bern

...posted by Assistant Coach Douglas King

R-r-ready to start Fall Semester 2011 sailing season!

Last year we had a close brush with Hurricane Earl (link), this year we got hit pretty hard by Hurricane Irene. Here's a predicted track for Irene from about five days before impact. Woould you be worried to see a Category 2 hurricane hitting your town dead-center? This prediction proved very accurate, the Irene's eye passed Cape Lookout and about 30 miles east of New Bern.

We had ~90 mph winds (generally we measure wind in knots, but for now we'll use more common terms) and a 7+ foot storm surge.

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Our new Sailing Squad Commander, Cadet Andrew Ferree, made plans & worked to secure the boats before the storm. All the boats' masts were taken down & secured, gear was removed from the hulls, ground anchors checked and everything strapped down.

Our hosts, Bridgeton Harbor Marina, had a dock severely damaged and the shop flooded; they were still without electricity as of this posting.





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Almost done securing the boats before the storm!

This is a good example of a little work (or perhaps a medium amount of work) saving a HUGE amount of trouble. Our boats were not damaged by Hurricane Irene, and with some work to re-rig them, we will be sailing! Contrast this with the amount of work needed to make repairs, or worse yet, to raise funds to replace the boats... that could take years.




... posted by Assistant Coach Douglas King