This afternoon the cadets got their hands on their boats and started getting them assembled for sailing. The boats are unrigged and disassembled for the winter, and we need to get the masts up, the standing rigging adjusted & fastened, and if we get them cleaned up a bit that would be nice too.
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Work is off to a slow start... that's OK we'll get it done
The New Bern NJROTC is lucky in having this fleet, we have been donated 6 Flying Juniors (called "FJs" and they're the standard high school and college racing sailboat) and 3 Oday Javelins, which we bought new sails for last fall.
Step 1- carry the stored parts of the boat from the shed to the launch area. At the same time, we are (hopefully) learning terminology for parts of the boat... what's the name of this thing again?
Although we have a good-sized class for this spring semester... 22 students... there enough masts and booms and rudders and boxes of rope so every cadet got to carry something, some made 2 trips. Obviously it takes TEAMWORK or we could not do it. And all these hands and all this material needs to be organized, maybe LEADERSHIP plays a small part too.
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The advanced students worked on the FJs, they are stored upside-down over the winter. The hull (wait, what is that funny word -link-) makes a nice roof for animals, another lesson is to always be careful!
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Meanwhile the beginners are working on the Javelins with Coach Murphy
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Everybody gets a turn climbing into the boat, but it takes teamwork to get the masts up and rigged.
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It's shocking to think how quickly this sailing class goes by. We've had 2 sessions, so it is more than 10% done. We have barely scratched the surface. The beginner sailors have made a good start on learning the names of basic parts of the boat, and they are beginning to see how it goes together. But the whole point of this class is SAIL, to have the on-water skills of making the boat do what it is supposed to.
We don't drift along with the wind, we make the wind takes us where we want to go!
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Our new coach, Chris Davies, is helping one of the advanced cadets "remember" how to tie a bowline.
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These guys look like boat-rigging pros!
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Okay, we haven't -quite- gotten all the rigging work done, but it was a windy chilly day... most of the cadets found out how difficult it is to work shackles and cotter rings... with cold numb fingers. We did not go out on the water, or get wet. Think how much worse that would be!
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Taking a short break to warm up. Coach Murphy teaches a little about how to properly handle ropes... a neat coil is not as easy as it looks. Meanwhile, these advanced cadets are recalling the lessons on hypothermia!
We have our first written assignment out, if you get it done early then go ahead and turn it in. This class has to move along if these beginners are going to be skippering their own boats within a few sessions! We are also planning to take the advanced sailors further this semester, with some new challenges.
... photos by Chris Davies
... posted by Assistant Sailing Coach Douglas King
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