Spring Winds--Rehearsal Time

[Christian Williams]

By August we will be drifting languidly with cool spritzer in hand, but it is spring that gives the gift of testing gear and crew.

We don't really know our boats until the breeze rises above 25 knots, and when all the rigging compromises and put-off jobs of last season reassert themselves anew.

Apologies if you've already seen this video, and I promise to get out there too and not just armchair the lessons spring winds always have in store.

Click YouTube for high definition.

 

[Pete the Cat]

Good idea to practice before you need it and to know how long it takes and check gear--thanks for the reminder. I generally avoid 30+Kts if possible. Have learned through sad experience about the costs of delaying putting in a reef. I second dog bones and a powerful downhaul and reef lines led to the end of the boom--too bad Kenyon went out of business. I reeve them into the clew only when I have some possible idea the wind is going to be somewhere in the neighborhood of needing them. Good reminder to be ready. We had some very unusual wind shear right down on the water last weekend here in SF Bay. I have sailed here for 50 years and never seen anything quite like it. It would be 24 kts at the mast head and blowing about 11 from a different direction at deck level and constantly oscillating from all points. Weird.

 

[TKBLACK]

By August we will be drifting languidly with cool spritzer in hand, but it is spring that gives the gift of testing gear and crew.

We don't really know our boats until the breeze rises above 25 knots, and when all the rigging compromises and put-off jobs of last season reassert themselves anew.

Apologies if you've already seen this video, and I promise to get out there too and not just armchair the lessons spring winds always have in store.

Click YouTube for high definition.

Wonderful web site to learn from others! Thanks for this post
Karin Black

 

[Bolo]

By August we will be drifting languidly with cool spritzer in hand, but it is spring that gives the gift of testing gear and crew.

We don't really know our boats until the breeze rises above 25 knots, and when all the rigging compromises and put-off jobs of last season reassert themselves anew.

Apologies if you've already seen this video, and I promise to get out there too and not just armchair the lessons spring winds always have in store.

Click YouTube for high definition.

Christian, My first mate and I were just talking about getting “out there” and sailing…..soon. Time to shake off the winter dust and do some spring sailing. My last few videos have been about boat maintenance and improvements but that’s not why we own a boat, to work on her, we own her to go sailing! So bring on those spring winds, reef the sails down and get out there to enjoy and challenge ourselves.

 

[Mr. Scarlett]

In my profession this is "Broken down Season". People put the boat to bed in October and can't wait to get out in the spring. Almost to a boat the answer to "First time you've had it out this year?", is "Yes".
Remember that engine.

 

[bsangs]

Went on our winter shakeout sail yesterday. Was gonna be a quickie, but once we realized all was well, it turned into nearly 30 nautical miles as the weather and winds were sublime. Course, when it came time to dock, the wind had shifted in a way it never had last season while docking. So we had some extended time to "practice" what happens when you need to abandon docking plans and try again. And again. Was great to be back out there.