Untitled Document 
Great Tips for All Boaters
Springing On and Off a Dock
For this scenario picture trying to get your boat into a mooring (parking) place that has just about enough room for your boat. Unlike what you learned in auto driving school for parallel parking, you do NOT pull alongside the forward boat and back in.
Remember the Seinfield episode where George was backing in and another chap was pulling in? They had a standoff for the whole show.., blocking traffic, etc.
Well, in docking a boat, George loses.
Assuming you are landing port side to the dock, pull the bow in and use a
spring line from forward on the boat to a cleat or piling aft of that point. Then the helm should be put hard right and given power. That will swing the stern into the dock. That is the art of springing your boat into the dock because you are using a
spring line.
To spring off the dock, use the same spring
line from the forward on the boat (bow) to a cleat or piling aft. Now turn the helm hard left and apply power. Once the stern kicks out, release the
spring line and back out.
(
Note on the spring
line:
Assuming there is no one on the dock to help, use a "clean"
spring
line. That means there can be no knots, loops or anything that will catch
on a cleat, dock or whatever. The
spring
line goes from the boat, around the cleat and back to the boat. Once the
boat is sprung off the dock, release the bitter end and pull the clean line through
the block and back to the boat. You are then clear to move about the country.)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Having Great Starts (Part 2.5)
What if...
You are getting ready for start. What is there to do?
In the last issue I talked about “homework” you must do for each and every start.
There are four items of that homework. They are:
1) The favored end of the line (v. favored side of the course)
2) Time the line (knowledge of the length of the line)
3) Get a transit (know where the line actually is)
4) Check for current
In
the last issue we more or less defined what a Favored End was and pointed out
the advantages of starting at that Favored End.
However, there are some other
considerations. The Favored End might just be very crowded, as many of the
boats will want to start there.
If you are a great boat-handler and can pull
off the perfect start next to the pin, then go for it.
On the other hand, if
you are not that Rock Star sailor, then at least consider starting NEAR the
favored end where there will be less congestion.
See Diagram 1.
Stay
tuned for the next issue. We will delve a bit deeper into Item 1 of the four
pieces of homework – The Favored End of the Line.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Are you tired of throwing money at your boat, buying "GO-FASTS", and you still
are in mid-fleet or worse at times? Getting sick of the jib sheet jamming
on every third tack? Upset because every time you tack, you tack onto a header?
WE HAVE SOLVED THIS!
For 20 years the Rick White Sailing Seminars ran
racing/sailing clinics throughout the world. They also had nearly 50 World
Class sailors come in as guest experts. Rick says, "I listened to every thing these guys said. I let it all go in one ear.., then plugged the other one!"
Consequently,
there is wealth of racing/sailing knowledge in Rick's Sailing Seminar DVD.List
price is $149.95, but the price has been slashed to only $99.95, a 33% reduction
and a saving of $49.80
Learn 1. Total Boat Handling; 2. the Catamaran Roll Tack; 3. How to have Great Starts and Finishes; 3. How to have Great Mark Roundings; 5. Get Fast Downwind.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Dear Capt. Noah,
You know I really get sick of your constant
avocation of drinking. My boyfriend and skipper on our Hobie 16 keeps quoting
you all the time. Why don’t you give it up?
I personally drink only a few times a year and even then find it distasteful. And it certainly is bad for your health.
Why don’t you wise up and tell the facts of how bad drinking is for you?
Maybe then he might quote you on something that makes sense.
Sick of Drunks
Dear SOD,
As Ben Franklin said:
"In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria."
In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. Coli) -- that is bacteria found in feces. In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of manure.
However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila, rum, Whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.
Ergo: Water = DooDoo; Wine = Health
Therefore, it’s better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of you-know-what.
There is no need to thank me for this valuable information: I’m doing it as a
public service.
Capt. Noah Tall
Thought of the Month:
Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
How many times have you had something break or tear on your boat? And how many time have you needed to repair it replace it? And how many hours have you spent trying to find a part, or a new gizmo? And with little or no luck after many hours?
PROBLEM SOLVED!
The Folks at OnLineMarineStore.com have
over 17,000 items from over 45 suppliers, all in one place, so this is where
you want to go first. Everything is listed in Categories and there is a strong
Search Engine for their store. Think of them as a little Amazon!!!!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SHOP OUR STORE – READ OUR BLOG – FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK
(You are receiving this newsletter because you are subscribed to the Catsailor.com Forum, or to the OnlineMarineStore.com Blog. To ensure you do not miss future emails from us, please add [email protected] to your safe sender list. This informative newsletter is only sent twice per month and will not clog up your inbox…we promise!) To unsubscribe click here.