Cruising Hands On! Jim Lengel!

Transcription

1 Cruising Hands On Jim Lengel

2 Cruising Hands On Objectives At the end of this course, you will be able to: Prepare a boat for a safe cruise. Moor, dock, and anchor a cruising boat. Navigate a simple coastal cruise. Sail a cruising boat safely and efficiently. Work safely and politely in and out of port. Requirements Successful graduation from the basic adult sailing course, or equivalent experience. Successful experience sailing, mooring, and preparing a small sailboat. A Coast Guard approved personal flotation device. A paper chart of Narragansett Bay or the equivalent. A GPS, on a smartphone, tablet, or standalone device. A hand-held compass. Binoculars. A positive attitude. Participation in all course activities on June 17 and 24, July 1, 8, 22 and 29, August 5 and 12. Not included Many aspects of cruising are not included in this short course: choosing a boat; maintaining it; planning, storing, and preparing food aboard; dinghies, outboards, and fuel; clothing and footwear; refrigeration, radar, bedding, stoves, sinks, heads, showers, and other boat systems. You may learn about these from the many cruising books available, or by subscribing to Cruising World. This course focuses on the hands-on aspects of navigating a cruising boat, that are best learned actively on the boat. Course Schedule Each Tuesday evening session will begin at 1800 at the Bristol Yacht Club clubhouse, on the second-floor porch, with a check of the homework and a briefing on the evening's activities. Then we take the launch out to the boat, and run through the cruising sequence: preparation, casting off, raising sails, sailing, navigating, and mooring. Then we reverse the sequence as we sail back to the Club. On the first night, we will demonstrate each item in the sequence; on subsequent nights you will take turns performing the items. In this way, each participant will get numerous opportunities to practice each of the skills in the cruising sequence. At the end of each lesson, we will assign you homework, to be completed by the next week.

3 For the first week, your homework is to plot a course around Hog Island (counterclockwise), locate a good anchorage in the bight on the east-southeast side, and plot the return to BYC. Each line on the plot should include heading and distance. For the second week, your homework is to plot a course to the BYC mooring at Potter's Cove and back, and estimate the time that each leg will take, taking into account predicted wind and currents and what you know of Top Cat's sailing capabilities. For the third week, your homework is to draw a diagram of Top Cat, showing where all safety and sailing equipment is located, labeling each with it's nautical term. For the fourth week, your homework is to choose an amiable cruising destination, plot a course to and from, choose a mooring option, and create a notation of all necessary phone numbers and radio channels. Homework for weeks five through seven will be assigned later. Preparing Cruising is much more fun when you are prepared. Proper preparation lowers your risk of injury, heightens your likelihood of success, and steadies your nerves. You need to prepare your boat, your route, and yourself long before you drop the lines. Safety Equipment & Procedures Cruising a sailboat in Narragansett Bay is fun, yet fraught with potential dangers. You could hit a rock and sink the boat (let's hope not), run aground (everyone does it), fall out of the boat (unlikely), slip and fall in the boat (much more likely), get your fingers caught (common), or stub your toe (happens every day). These possibilities can be minimized by following a few simple safe practices. Wear a life jacket. Until you have earned the title of Old Salt, and sailed your own boat safely for hundreds of miles, always year your PFD. This will increase your likelihood of survival, cushion your falls, and increase your confidence. Carry a first aid kit. You can't run down to the drugstore for a bandage when you cut your finger half way to Block Island. Carry a marine first aid kit appropriate to the duration and nature of your cruise. Dress properly. Cruising places you in the sun, the rain, the salt spray, and the wind, on a slippery deck, in the heat and in the cold. Your cruising wardrobe should include a hat, sunscreen, a long-sleeved shirt, a windbreaker, raincoat, boat shoes, a sweater, sunglasses, and a bathing suit. Brief your guests. Before you drop the lines, sit your guests (this includes your family) down in the cockpit for a safety briefing. Tell them where on the boat they can go as you sail, remind them to hold on,

4 explain heeling and tacking, show them the swing of the boom. Show them how the winch can pinch their fingers. Put their pocketbooks and cameras below. Keep your shipshape. Prepare you boat for safe cruising, with all the items mentioned in this guide, everything required by law, and useful devices (such as measuring tags on the anchor rode). Get the lines up off the cockpit sole, keep extraneous items off the decks and benches, and design a place for everything and everything in its place. One hand for the ship. You've got lots if things to hold onto on a cruising sailboat: lifelines, handholds, shrouds, stanchions, dodgers, winches, wheels, tillers, rails, and masts. Use them as you move about. Get used to keeping at least one of your hands firmly attached to the boat. Stay low. Keep your center of gravity as close to the deck as possible. Bend those knees. Squat. Creep. Sit down whenever you can. This way a sudden lurch will be less likely to send you careening over the lifelines and into the sea. Think and talk before you act. After you have thought through your next maneuver, explain it to the crew and passengers before you execute it. In about two minutes we are going to come about to a port tack. Peter, you need to come back into the cockpit before we do this. Those of you on the starboard benches may find it more comfortable if you move to the port-side benches. Molly, can you manage the jib sheets on this tack? Ready to come about? Slow down. If you find things are happening too fast in high winds, find a way to slow down. Heave-to. Reduce sail. Pinch up or bear off. Head for a lee. Give yourself time to think. Checklists & Maintenance On a small boat, there's not much to do before you start sailing: bail out the water, hoist the sails, drop the lines, and go. On a cruising boat, you'll find many more items to consider before you head out. And more to take care of when you get back to the harbor. Your safety, convenience, and fun will all be enhanced if you develop checklists for getting ready and putting away. On the checklist for getting ready you will find these items. Life jackets The law requires you to have a PFD for each passenger on the boat. As soon as you get on the boat, make each person find and wear a life jacket. If they are over 13, they may put them away later if you let them, but they need to know where they are and how they fit. Batteries Check the voltage in each of your batteries before you switch them on. If they need charging, do it now before you attempt to start the engine or raise the sails. Fuel

5 Check the fuel level. Make sure you have enough for several hours of motoring. Engine Check the levels of the oil and coolant. Inspect the belts. Put the transmission into neutral. Push the fuel cut-off all he way in. Turn the key, wait for the warning beep, and push the start button. If it does not start within a few seconds, let go of the button, wait a moment, and try again. Seacocks The hull of most cruising boats is pierced with a half dozen holes below the waterline. In each hole is a plug with a valve, called a seacock. Prudent cruisers close these seacocks each time they leave the boat. And open them as part of the pre-cruise checklist. Water If your cruising lifestyle includes washing your hands, your dishes, or your body, then you'll want to make sure the water tank is full before you depart. In addition, most cruisers take drinking water separately, in bottles. Sails Most cruisers cover their sails when they put the boat away, to block the sun from deteriorating the sailcloth. Uncover the sails, and put the covers where they belong. Remove any lines or bungee cords from the booms, masts, or spars. Halyards and sheets Reeve the sheets through their blocks, but do not clamp them down. Attach halyards to the heads of the sails, making sure they are running fair between the shrouds, lazy jacks, and other halyards. Weather Look at the sky. Check the forecast. Glance at the storm radar. Calculate the hours before sunset. Make sure your cruise plan is consistent with what you observe. Steering Most cruisers lash or lock the wheel or tiller to keep the rudder centered and still while the boat is moored. Just before you cast off, release the steering. On the checklist for putting the boat away you will find these items. Sails Furl them, flake them, or otherwise get them neatly and dryly stored. Secure the main with sail ties. Protect them from the sun with a canvas cover. Zip, snap, and tie the cover to keep it tightly attached even in strong winds. Spars Secure the booms so they cannot swing as the boat rocks on its mooring. Engine Let it cool down, then stop it by pulling the fuel cut-off. Turn the key off and stow it below. Cover the control panel to keep the rain out.

6 Batteries They should be fully charged if you motored into your mooring. Check the voltage, and set the battery switch to off. Seacocks Shut off all of the seacocks below the waterline, especially if you plan a long absence from the boat. Water and Fuel Check their levels, and make a note to refill them as necessary on your next visit. Lines Coil sheets, halyards, and other lines in fathom loops, about six feet in circumference. Store coiled lines off the deck, hanging from winches, lifelines, or other arrangements that keep them high and dry. Head Make sure it is clean and dry. Hatches and Ports Close them and dog them down. Supplies Remove perishable food. Leave the icebox open and dry. Steering You don't want the rudder pivoting back and forth with the waves while you are gone. So lash or lock the tiller or the wheel to secure them from moving. Planning Your cruise plan may be as simple as a one-hour sail around Hog Island, or as complex as a week's voyage to Nantucket. No matter how long, each cruise deserves some planning. Sit down with your chart and dividers (mechanical or digital) and gauge the distance of the cruise. Consult the currents. Feel the wind. Take note of any reefs, shoals, rocks, or other hazards. Imagine the buoys you will be passing, and on which side. For longer routes, or if you expect fog, jot down some bearings on the chart. Estimate how long it will take. Then add 25% to account for leeway and unanticipated events. Mooring, Docking, Anchoring We'll do more on specific route planning in the navigation section below. These are the alpha and omega of cruising, necessary at the start and finish if each voyage, and most often performed in front of curious and critical onlookers. So it's worth some practice to get it right. When you leave your cruising boat, it will be attached to the earth on one of three ways: A mooring;

7 A dock; or An anchor. Casting off No matter how you are attached, your first task is to cast off the lines that hold you. At a mooring, once your engine is started and the steering free, glance at what's behind the boat, and how far. Then walk up to the bow and release the pennants(s) from the cleat(s). If you have a pickup stick, release that first, and hold onto it as you release the other pennant. It's best to leave the pennants floating somehow, for ease of pickup when you return, and to keep them off the muddy bottom. Once released, your boat will drift slowly backward in the wind or current. As it does, walk back to the helm, put your hand to the steering and to the throttle, look to see what's ahead of you, and motor off. Don't motor over the floating mooring pennant. From a dock at a pier or a float, first start the engine and release the steering. Look up at the windex to gauge the strength and direction of the wind. Your method of release will depend on the wind. If the wind is pushing your boat off the dock and backwards, then release the aft spring (if any), then the breast line at the bow, then the breast line at the stern, then the forward spring. As you release the latter, motor forward slowly, steering slightly away from the dock. If the wind is blowing your boat onto the dock, then getting away without scratching the hull is a bit more difficult. Start the engine, release the steering, glance at the wind, and talk through the maneuver with your crew. Pull in hard on the stern line as you release the bow line, to send the bow out. Ask someone on the dock to push the bow away. Release the spring and stern lines as you motor forward, steering slightly away from the dock. Tying up In connecting to a dock or mooring, the approach is critical. Approach a mooring from downwind, so that the bow is facing directly into the eye of the wind. Estimate your momentum and the strength of the wind to gauge where the bow will come to a stop right at the mooring. Pick up the stick, grab the loose pennant, drop the stick, and run the loose pennant through the chock and onto the cleat. Relax. Now pick up the stick, and connect the other pennant. Before you approach a float or a pier, also upwind, get your fenders (at least two) and dock lines (at least three) ready. Open the lifeline gate. Approach a float or a pier at a 30 degree angle. Estimate wind and momentum to come to a stop at the desired point. Turn parallel to the float at the very last minute. When the boat comes to a stop, step off onto the float, and attach the spring line. Then attach the forward breast line at the bow, then the breast line at the stern. If you're going to stay for more than a short time, attach two long spring lines, one forward and one aft. Anchoring Anchoring is allowed most anywhere, but few places make good anchorages. A good anchorage needs to be of proper depth,, protected from wind, waves, and current, legal, and convenient. Too deep, and you won't have enough scope to reach the bottom. Too shallow, and you'll find yourself resting on the bottom at low tide. Too windy, and the boat will bounce around and drag its anchor. Too far out, and your dinghy will run out of fuel before you get to shore. Too close in, and you'll be bothered by noise and wakes and other anchored boats.

8 Scout out your anchorage in advance. Look at the depths on the chart. Sail up to your desired spot, and locate some landmarks forward, aft, and on the beam, so you can find the spot again. Get the anchor ready: open the hatch, flake the rode, loose the pins or cords that hold it to the roller. You'll want to bring the boat to a stop, headed into the wind, right over the spot where you will drop the anchor. Let the anchor down slowly with the rode, through the roller, hand over hand until you feel it touch the bottom. By now, the boat is moving slowly backward with wind or current. Let it fall back as you pay out more rode. Pay out rode at least five times the depth of the water at high tide, more if it's windy or unprotected. Then cleat the rode, feel the boat come to a stop, and watch the rode tighten when the anchor bites into the bottom. It may not bite the first time. Once the boat is stopped, center the rudder, and punch the engine in reverse. This will set the anchor in the bottom. Now sit in the cockpit on anchor watch, to make sure you are not drifting. Line up two items, such as a buoy and a landmark on shore, and make sure your bearing to them is not changing. To weigh anchor, start the engine, then go up to the bow and pull in the rode hand over hand, flaking it into the anchor locker as the boat moves slowly forward. When the bow is right over the anchor, cleat the rode, and motor slowly forward. The anchor will release from the bottom. Pull up and flake the rest of the rode; dip the anchor a few times if it's muddy; and secure it to the roller. Shut the hatch and go on your way. Putting away Before you leave the boat at the mooring, dock or anchorage, put things away. Follow the checklist above. Leave nothing loose. Stop at the pumpout station if needed. Close the hatches and ports. If you can, tie up for ten minutes and wash the boat down at the dock. Stow the fenders. Navigation Part of the fun of cruising is voyaging to new and unfamiliar places, and learning new routes. You will find few directional signs on the water, no road maps, and no turn-by-turn voice from your GPS. You'll need to plan your own route, compensate for tides and currents, and track your progress, to ensure a safe and enjoyable cruise. Planning the route Whether you're out around the bay for an afternoon, or down the coast for a week, you need to plan your cruise. You need to learn to use a nautical chart (both paper and digital); apply compass, dividers, and other tools; consult references; and take advantage of GPS tools. Charts Whether they are on paper or digital, nautical charts show you how deep the water is, where the rocks are, the location of the shipping channels, the colors of the aids to navigation, and certain essential features on the land. No cruising boat should leave the mooring without both paper and digital charts, updated and easily accessible. You can get paper charts in large formats that roll up; in spiral bound books that cover a region; or in folded format like road maps. All contain the same information. Digital charts are available for your computer, your tablet, your smartphone, or for specialized chartplotters. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric

9 Administration provides these charts in digital formats for free at ( InteractiveCatalog/nrnc.shtml). Water, Land, and in Between On most nautical charts, the water is shown in white and blue, and the land in yellow or orange. The edges, where the falling tide turns water into land twice a day, are shown in green. Rocks that stick up from the bottom are shown as asterisks. The chart shows quite a bit if information about the water, not nearly as much about the land. Depth Every cruiser I know has run aground. The length of his or her keel exceeded the depth of the water. Careful reading of the chart, and careful tracking of your course, can avoid this. The depth of the water (in feet on most American charts) is shown as little numbers in the water. These represent the depth of the water at low tide. In Narragansett Bay, the water will be about four feet deeper at high tide. But beware: once a month, the tide falls even lower, as much as a foot less than what' s shown on the charts. Aids to Navigation For centuries, governments have posted buoys, lighthouses, day marks, ranges, and other devices to guide sailors through the public waters. All of these are shown on today's nautical charts. They form the reference points that you need to track your location and avoid dangers. NOAA's Chart Number 1 ( explains how these aids appear, and what they mean. Aids are used to: Mark channels, with red marks on one side and green on the other. Indicate hazards, either red or green. Set up ranges that help you stay in safe water. Mark the entrance to a bay or harbor, generally red and white. Aids may be lit, and may make noise (bells or whistles or horns), or may be dark and silent. They may be floating buoys in the water, day marks on the land, or lighthouses. They may be red, green, yellow, or white; their lights may show any of these colors, and may be steady or blinking. Tools Charts are complemented by certain devices that help you navigate. Binoculars to help you read the numbers on the marks; a compass to get the bearing to a mark; dividers to measure distance on the chart; parallel rules to mark a course on chart; a red spotlight to find marks at night; pencils, erasers, and sharpener; a knot meter that tells you how quickly you are moving through the water. References Whether printed on paper, accessed online, or in digital form on a mobile device, certain reference works are essential to navigation. Eldridge's annual yellow book includes tide and current tables, sunrise and sunset, phases of the moon, and a collection of useful tips and information about the northeast cruising grounds. Several publishers print regional cruising guides with useful information about each harbor. Tide and current tables, available in print, online, or as digital apps, help you plan the best times to sail, estimate how long it will take, and guide safe anchoring.

10 GPS These little devices have become the norm for coastal cruisers. They combine charts, tide and current tables, and several of the tools listed above, with an indicator of your current position and your track. You can buy a dedicated GPS device for $100 to $5000, or get a GPS app for your tablet or smartphone for $0 to $50. But beware: these can break, get wet, or run out of power. Some need constant network access. Take both paper charts and the GPS device on your cruising boat. Weather Every cruiser watches the weather, using the five senses as well as online references. These report and forecast the strength and direction of the wind; the plots of storms found by radar; precipitation, and temperature. WeatherBug, Sailflow, and Intellicast are among the most popular, available as web sites or stand-alone apps. Tides and Currents The water in Narragansett Bay is almost always moving. Currents run into the bay on a rising tide, and out of the bay in a falling tide. In certain narrow spots, such as the Stone Bridge in Tiverton, the current can flow at five knots. In Bristol harbor, the maximum current is about one knot. You need to take tides and currents into account as you plan your cruise, as you sail along, and when you are mooring or anchoring. Tracking You should always know where you are as you cruise. As you range farther from familiar landbased references, the more important becomes the task of keep track of where you are. In the days before GPS, cruisers used paper charts, distance logs, and sightings of land and sea marks, as well as sun, moon, and stars to know their position. A prudent cruiser uses both the old and new methods to track progress. As you sail, keep the chart close at hand. Look around and notice every mark. Mark your estimated location on the paper chart every 10 minutes or so. Predict which mark you will encounter next, and where. The Planning Process Sit down with your chart and other tools. Consider where you want to go, and when. Then follow these steps: Estimate the distance. Set your dividers on the chart's distance scale, then walk them across the path of your voyage. Check the currents as they will be flowing at the time of your voyage. A two-knot current against you will add two miles to the trip for each hour of sailing. Estimate the wind speed and direction. If the wind is blowing from where you want to go, add 50% to your estimate of distance and time to allow for tacking. If the wind is light, work that into your calculations. Most cruisers estimate a speed of five knots when conditions are perfect - slack water, beam reach, steady 10-knot winds. Few cruisers, however, enjoy these conditions very often. Predict the weather. If your cruise is less than a week away, read the weather forecasts and use these to estimate the conditions you will face. If you're planning to sail within 24 hours, check the radar. The weather will determine in large measure how long the voyage will take, and how comfortable it will be. Calculate how long each leg of the cruise will take. Calculate when will be the best time to sail. Consider a different destination if all factors conspire against your first choice. Be prepared to follow the dictates of wind and tide rather then fight against them.

11 Plot your course on the chart. Draw lines in pencil using the parallel rule. Write the heading and distance next to each segment (such as 240 for 2.6 miles). Use aids to navigation as waypoints whenever possible. Make sure your plots do not cross shallow areas or other dangers. Review predictions of currents, weather, and wind, and then calculate how long it will take you to sail each segment. Check the time of sunset to ensure a daylight arrival. Figure out where you will moor your boat at the end of the day. Consult your cruising guide, your chart, and your fellow cruisers for suggestions. Make reservations if it's at a popular port. Sailing You know where you are going, you have dropped the lines, and headed off. Follow this sequence of events: 1. As soon as you are out of the mooring field in open water, tell your crew that you are going to raise the sails, what the sequence will be, and what their responsibilities are. 2. Motor the boat slowly into the eye of the wind. Make sure you have plenty of room in front of you to complete the maneuver. 3. Determine how much sail is proper for the wind conditions. Secure reefing lines as necessary. 4. Remove sail ties and other devices that secure sails and spars. 5. Make sure all sheets and halyards are fair and running free. 6. Raise sails from aft to forward: mizzen first, main second, jib third. 7. As the sails go up, adjust the boom from port to starboard to keep the sail in the center of the lazy jacks. 8. Keep hoisting until the luff is tight. 9. Tell the crew which tack you plan to sail. 10. Adjust sheets to match the tack. 11. Bear off and let the sails fill. 12. Inspect all sails and rigging to ensure proper operation. 13. Repeat steps 8 through 11 on the other tack. 14. Consult the course plan on your chart, determine the best tack for the first leg, announce your intentions, and sail off on the charted heading. 15. Adjust sails accordingly. Sail Trim That last item - adjust sails accordingly - is not as simple as it sounds. Proper sail trim is key to safe, comfortable, and efficient sailing. When sails are adjusted to fit the wind and the desired course, the boat will almost sail itself. If your desired course is a reach (wind from the side) or a run (wind behind), then follow these steps to proper sail trim: 1. Steer the boat by the compass on the desired course. 2. Use the main sheet to adjust the mainsail for good laminar flow -- all telltales streaming aft. 3. Use the jib sheet to adjust the jib in the same manner. 4. Adjust any other sails in the same way. 5. Feel the pressure on the rudder through the tiller or the wheel. The less pressure, the better; a little weather helm is OK. Drop the traveler if there's too much weather helm, or if the boat heels too much; raise it if there's none at all.

12 6. Assign one crew member to each sail. Tell them to watch the telltales, and adjust the sheets to achieve good laminar flow. Ease (loosen) the sheet if the leeward (outside) telltale is flopping; trim (tighten) the sheet if the windward (inside) telltale is flopping. 7. Adjust constantly. The angle and force of the wind are always changing. Use a winch handle if the wind is strong. Keep three turns of the sheet around the winch. Use two hands as you work with the sheet. If your desired course is upwind, such that you can't sail directly to it, and must tack back and forth, then follow these steps: 1. Trim (tighten) the main sheet and jib sheet as far as they will comfortably go. 2. Bear off until all telltales are flowing back. 3. Adjust the main traveler, and the jib cars, for minimum pressure on the rudder and good sail shape. 4. Steer to keep wind in the sails and all telltales flowing straight back. 5. Tack as necessary to stay near your desired course, but make as few tacks as possible. Reducing sail A little bit of heel is a good thing when you're on a reach or a beat. But too much heel is unsafe and inefficient. You may reduce heel a little bit by dropping the main traveler, but when the wind pipes up you should reduce the amount of sail you are carrying. Follow these steps: 1. Furl the jib part way. Head up a bit; ease the jib sheet (but do not let it fly); pull the furling line and cleat it off when the jib is down to half its full size. 2. Reef the main. Start the engine. Head into the wind. Ease the main halyard as you pull in the reefing line. Cleat the reefing line, and raise the halyard. Bear off and sail more comfortably. In high winds and rough seas, it's tempting to take down all your sails and motor. But you will find your boat will proceed more comfortably and steadier with a small amount of sail, perhaps motorsailing for best results. Port Process One of the joys of cruising is arriving at a new destination, mooring your boat, and taking in the surroundings. Within a day's sail of Bristol you will find hundreds of harbors awaiting your visit. This section of the course introduces you to the process of choosing, entering, and enjoying a safe (and perhaps entertaining) harbor. Choose a port You may look forward to a large bustling destination with lots of fellow cruisers, restaurants, and T-shirt shops, such as Newport or Block Island. At the other extreme, you may yearn for the peace and quiet and natural beauty of a non-commercial anchorage such as Potter Cove or Tarpaulin Cove. Or you may be forced by the weather to seek safe haven in a port you've never seen. No matter which type of harbor you plan to visit, the process is similar. Draft a Plan Plot your courses for the cruise, as suggested above. Pick a harbor for each night; this choice is always tentative, subject to wind and weather. Make sure you have time to sail there comfortably. Research the available accommodations (slips, moorings, anchorages), attractions,

13 and restaurants. Study the channels and depths within the harbor. Decide whether you will need a dinghy. Make Reservations Popular commercial harbors on summer weekends call for advance reservations. Sometimes you make these through the Harbormaster (Vineyard Haven, Sag Harbor), sometimes through the commercial marinas (Block Island, Jamestown), sometimes with with a reciprocating yacht club (Marion, Padanarum), sometimes through the launch service (Newport). At some places it's first come, first served (Block Island moorings, Cuttyhunk, Potter Cove), no reservations possible. Make your advance reservations online, by , or by telephone. But during the week, you may find a spot to moor your boat in most harbors without an advance reservation. Enter the harbor Busy harbors restrict the speed of boats and channel them into fairways to keep the traffic manageable. You may find this information on the charts, from the cruising guide, or from the signs posted on the buoys or day marks in some harbors. Use the chart to plan your passage into the harbor long before you get there. Many charts include a magnified view of the inner harbor. Douse your sails before you enter the harbor. Use the Radio Commercial marinas, yacht clubs, and mooring providers prefer you to contact them by VHF radio when you enter the harbor. Each facility publishes the radio channel that they monitor. Here' s the protocol: "Beverly Yacht Club, Beverly Yacht Club, Top Cat." "Top Cat, Beverly Yacht Club." "We reserved a mooring with you for tonight." "Let me check on that." (Silence) "Top Cat, Beverly" "Go ahead." "What's your length and draft?" "We are 38 feet long, and draw six feet." "You'll be on mooring 67, in the south end of the harbor, just east of red #4. Next to the red cutter 'Cherrybomb.'" "I see it. I'll call you if we have any trouble finding it. Top Cat standing by on 68." You won't always enjoy this level of service. At Potter Cove or Hadley's Harbor there's no one to call. At Block Island or Cuttyhunk you just go in and look for a vacant mooring - the town officials will come around on a skiff and collect the fee. The cruising guide, and your fellow cruisers, can help you figure out the situation in the harbor you have chosen. Get ashore You may be content to spend the evening and night on your boat. But if you want to go ashore, you have three choices: swim, dinghy, or launch, the first of which is advisable only in quiet secluded anchorages. Dinghying ashore is possible in most harbors, and some commercial harbors provide (for a fee) launch service. Before dinghying ashore, find out where the dinghy dock is; most harbors regulate where you may park your dinghy. To get a ride from the launch,

14 find out which radio channel it monitors, and request a pickup, using the protocol described above. Dinghy Most cruisers tow or carry a dinghy. Whether it's an 18-foot RIB with twin 60-horsepower engines, or a 7-foot pram with oars, the dinghy is your transportation to shore and your means of exploration in the harbor. We won't teach dinghying in this course, except to remind you to keep your dinghy on board or directly behind your boat when moored in a harbor, and secured with a proper bridle when sailing. Glossary aft toward the back of the boat aground bear off steer downwind a bit to get more air in your sails. beat to sail a course into the eye of the wind, requiring tacking and close-hauling. block a pulley for turning or channeling a line. bridle a set of ropes configured to attach and control a dinghy or other object. breast line a rope used to attach a boat to a pier or a float, cleated most often at bow or stern, and extending perpendicularly to the dock. Used to position the boat parallel to the float or pier. cast off to untie and unattach the lines that attach the boat to a mooring or dock. cleat a boat is aground when its keel is touching the bottom and cannot move under its own power. a hardware device on a boat or a float or a pier, often with two horns, around which a line is tied (cleated). cockpit the area of a sailboat where the helmsman steers the boat, often with a low sole (floor) and benches. dividers a tool with two legs used for measuring and plotting an a nautical chart. dock

15 a place where a boat is attached to the shore. Docks often include both piers and floats. dodger a cover over the cockpit companionway, usually made of cloth, but sometimes of plastic or metal, often with windows, and usually removable. eye of the wind where the wind is blowing from. fair a line runs fair when it is not tangles around anything. fathom the distance from fingertip to fingertip with arms outstretched. About six feet. fender a device used to protect a boat s hull from a float, a pier, or another boat, often inflated and hung from lines at the gunwales. flake lay out a line in long, untangled loops so that it can be easily let out. float 1. what a boat does when things are working well. 2. a flat structure that floats on the water, designed for attaching boats. Most floats are moored, or attached to piers. forward toward the front of the boat. furl wrap a sail around a spar or stay for safe storage. GPS Geographic Positioning System. Used to figure out where you are, and how fast you are moving. gunwale the uppermost edge of the hull on port and starboard it meets the deck. halyard a line used to raise and lower a sail. hatch an opening in a boat, usually horizontal, through which passengers and cargo may pass, usually with a flat rectangular cover. head a toilet on a boat; also the compartment in which the toilet is located.

16 heave-to set the sals and rudder to counteract each other so that the boat stays comfortably and almost still, even in strong winds. heel a sailboat heels when the pressure of the wind in the sails tips it to port or starboard. jib a triangular sail flown near the bow of a boat, most often attached to the forestay. jibe (or gybe) while sailing downwind, to steer a boat across the wind so that the pressure moves to the other side of the sails. knot a measure of speed, in nautical miles per hour. laminar flow describes the desired movement of air along the surface of a sail, or water around a keel or rudder, for best performance. lash attach with line. launch a boat that carries passengers to and from the shore, often operated by a yacht club or marina. lazy jack small lines stretched from the boom to the mast, that keep a sail from falling off the boom. lee an area of less wind, protected by land, structures, or buildings. leeward toward the side with less wind. Opposite of windward. leeway on a beat or a reach, downwind slippage of a boat caused by the pressure of the wind. lifeline lifelines run above the gunwales on stanchions. they help prevent you from falling off the boat. mizzen the aft-most a mast or sail on a vessel with more than two masts. mooring a device to attach a boat to the seabed, usually including an anchor, a chain, a float, and pennant(s)

17 pennant a line that attaches a boat to a mooring. pier a fixed platform on pilings that reaches from shore to deep water, often used for attaching boats temporarily. pinch sail upwind so close to the eye of the wind that your sails luff and you slow down. PFD Personal Flotation Device, commonly called a life jacket. plot draw a course on a nautical chart, often showing position, course, heading, and distance. port 1. to the left when facing forward on a boat. Opposite of starboard. 2. a place where vessels may enter and leave the land, often with facilities for loading passengers and cargo. 3. an opening in a boat s hull, house, or deck, to let in light and air. reach to sail with the wind at the side. reef 1. reduce the area of a sail by tying some of it off. 2. a shallow area in the sea, often built up by coral or currents. reeve to run a line through blocks, fairleads, and other devices. rode rope or chain that attaches an anchor to a boat. rudder a device extending into the water that steers the boat. run to sail with the wind directly behind you. seacock a valve in a hole in the hull. sheet a line used to train a sail, usually attached to the clew. shroud

18 part of the standing rigging, usually wire or rope, that steadies the mast from port to starboard. spar a wood, metal, or composite pole that holds a sail or another spar. spring line a rope that attaches a boat to a pier or a float, cleated amidships and extending to a cleat on the dock forward or aft. Used to prevent movement forward or aft. stanchion vertical metal posts that hold lifelines, usually attached to the gunwales of the boat. tack 1. the tack of a sail is the corner that attaches to the bottom on the mast, spar, or stay. 2. when you tack a boat, you steer it through the eye of the and bring the wind to the opposite side of the sails. tell-tale a ribbon or yarn attached to a sail or rigging to indicate the flow if the air. tiller a bar attached to the rudder, used to steer a boat. traveler a device to adjust the side-to-side position of the boom. trim 1. to tighten a sail. 2. a boat s tilt, fore and aft and port to starboard. waterline where the top of the water meets the hull. weather helm the tendency of a boat to turn upwind when the wheel or tiller is let go, as felt by the helmsman. weigh to lift an anchor from the bottom. winch a turning cylindrical device that helps you apply and release tension to a sheet, halyard, or line. windex a device for indicating the direction of the wind, usually mounted at the top of a mast. Jim Lengel jim@lengel.net