Whoa,

I really didn't like to let teh lines slide through my hands, but with only 2 crew aboard, lots of wind, and a tightly packed harbor you need one crew to control the boat and the other is left to drop the sails. As you know you need to keep the gaff at a certain angle for the sails to stay organized. We were left with little choice but to lower both the throat and the peak simultaneously with only one crew.

Everyone, on the subject of gloves. You don't have to have them. People have been sailing for centuries and didn't have fancy sailing gloves for most of that time. But, for $10 - $20, you can get a decent pair. Why not try them and decide for yourself if you prefer to wear them. I thinkn the intension of that suggestion was that for most people gloves have become standard sailing equipment and they are trying to save newcomers from any bad expereinces they had.