Hmmm... is sailing over for 2012 ??

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This afternoon, the New Bern NJROTC sailing coaches... with the assistance of a select few cadets... pulled the Javelins out of the water and unrigged all the boats. We will still have scheduled SAIL CLASS on Monday afternoons.

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Here are the coaches working on a Javelin hull & centerboard. These boats stay in the water for our sailing semester, and have anti-barnacle paint on their bottoms. However the hulls must be cleaned & inspected and the centerboards checked.

Fall 2012 has been a great semester for our sailors. We've had over 20 cadets come out on the river, 7 returning skippers including 2 cadets who have now -almost- completed their advanced qualifaction (the "Blue Book"), and 16 new sailors. Many of the new sailors are looking like they'll pass the basic sailing qualification this semester. This has been fun but it's not an easy class.

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Lowering the 5O5 mast... this boat has been a blast, and presented a challenge for the advanced sailors... next semester, how about getting the spinnaker into action?


 
What do we learn?
The New Bern NJROTC is quite frankly the best basic sailing course anywhere. We cover the fundamental knowledge & skills (link) to handle a small boat safely, to travel open water and reach a destination. First, there is the terminology and the parts of the boat. This is a big lesson in itself. Next comes points of sail and basic maneuvers. The first two sections -must- be learned before any of the 'real sailing' makes sense. Students get time on the water to demonstrate their mastery of each section, starting with being able to rig the boats & get underway. When underway, skippers & crew must each know their tasks, be able to communicate, and work as a team. They must know and follow the Right-Of-Way Rules for all vessels, and maneuver in close quarters.

Sailing is a lot of fun, even though it is a lot of work. By the time we hold our last sailing session, it has all happened so smoothly that the cadets skippering their way to a windward goal, and bringing the boat to a smooth stop at a given destination, that it seems like they must have always known how. Is there more to learn?  YES !!  But for now, the coaches are satisfied with having done a good job.

Note- sailing class will be held at the normal time on Dec 3 and Dec 10

... posted by Assistant Coach Douglas King

Not-Quite-Final Exam.... sailing practice

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Yesterday was a bit chilly and sunset was earlier than ever (this semester) -BUT- we still need to get in as much sailing time as possible! So we took out the Javelin fleet to demonstrate our skills.

The drill was simple, similar to "The Pipeline" but with only two gates... upwind and downwind. Can you sail well enough to make progress towards a goal directly against the wind? The boat certainly won't do this by itself! To accomplish this, the cadets need to know how to sail close-hauled and how to tack; how to control the boat well enough to steer it through the pairs of buoys forming the gates; not only this but also know the Right-Of-Way Rules and handle their boats accordingly

Here are the 3 Javelins at the downwind gate. One boat is tacking. 


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So, this was a sort of Final Test of practical skills on the water.

Each cadet took a turn as skipper, and in addition to sailing the upwind-downwind gates, they had to demonstrate the ability to stop the boat under control... ie docking.  It's like landing a plane!






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Here are the three Javelins at the upwind gate.

Success! The sailors also demonstrated gybing, sailing on various points of sail including wing-and-wing... and nobody froze, either (of course, it's not all that cold by some standards).

Here's the part where we just show you some nice sailing pictures.

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Right-Of-Way situation!
1st, what Point of Sail are the two boats on? Which tack are they on? What is their relationship to the direction of the wind? Now, if you know all that without having to count up on your fingers & toes, you probably know which boat has the Right-Of-Way... which these two skippers did...





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A race: two sailboats on the water, going in approximately the same direction

Just a hint of autumn color!










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Here we have a not-so-rookie skipper landing a pla... err... sailboat. It's better to come in a little too slow than a LOT too fast!

The coach has done a good job teaching these cadets. We have reached a level of skill where they can assemble & rig the boats, sail the boats under control (which is a bit different than letting the boat go where it wants to), stop when needed, and bring the boats back to the dock safely.



There is always more to learn. Now we can work on communications, weather, navigation, and also continue to work on sailing skills!
Ready?

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...posted by Assistant Coach Douglas King

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Basic Maneuvers & Evolutions 1... TACKING

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When we go sailing, we have to DO a bunch of stuff. In order to get things done, we need to KNOW how to do them, which entails knowing the words for the things we do and things we do them with.

Let's assume you already know at least a dozen funny boat words and you've already been part of the sailing action. Let's make sure that you know what we are trying to DO so you can take a better part in the action!

the TACK
The very first time you sail, unless you sail all the way across the river and stop at the shore over there, you will have to turn around.

"Tacking" is a turn, but a sailboat is not tacking everytime it turns.

This boat is turning but it  is NOT "tacking."

Don't be confused by the various ways the word 'tack' is used... a boat is on a tack (in this diagram, on starboard tack because the wind is on it's starboard side). This boat is turning, but it is not tacking. It's not using thumb-tacks either !!

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In order to TACK the boat turns into the wind, and keeps turning until it is sailing with the wind on it's other side.

The first step is to make sure everybody is ready, so the skipper gives the preparatory command "Ready About." (translation: this boat is going to tack, so get ready and report back). The crews' jobs including acting as lookout, and in small boats, keeping the boat as level as possible. When TACKING the crews' job will be to shift the jib sheets (link), also.

The crew reports "Ready" and the helmsman (the skipper on small boats) will put the tiller -towards- the sail. The boat turns bow-to-wind or head-to-wind and will stop if it does not continue to turn until the sails fill on the new side.


 Let's look at TACKING in real life

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With a fixed reference point, it's easier to see the boat turning. Here is one of our Javelins sailing along, close-hauled on starboard tack (make sure you know what that means!).

The wind is blowing from right to left in this photo. At this point, with a dock close ahead, the crew should be ready to tack.







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The skipper tells the crew "Helm is a-lee" meaning that the tiller is over and the boat is beginnning to turn into the wind

If the boat stops turning at this point, it will coast to a stop and then drift out of control



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The boat continues to turn.

At this point, the skipper & crew should be shifting sides. The crew should also be getting ready with the new jib sheet, having already released the old jib sheet

If the boat stops turning at this point, or if the sheets are not being handled correctly, it will coast to a stop and drift out of control. How do we know this is what will happen? Because we have done so, many times!



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Sails are full on the new tack... boat is sailing again, now close-hauled on port tack.





Congratulations! You have now TACKED a sailboat.

This is one of the primary skills of sailing, and we are looking forward to practicing for real, out on the water!