Adversity builds character! Boy oh boy that sounds like fun Katy. Hankons it
is!
"katysails" wrote in message
...
I'd like to hear about hankon advantages. Remember I'm still learning
He loves standing out on the foredeck grabbing down yards of sail in 9 foot
seas with the wind blowing the snot out of your head while you stuff the
sail down the hole before it goes in the water and then when you finally
have that one taken care of for the moment, you have to unbag the next as a
wave catches you smack across the gullet and your wool cap drips down into
your eyes. By this time, even though you have on Gortex gloves, your hands
are stiff and cold and you're fumbling with the hanks as you bounce around
because your boat needs the jib for balance and right now its' bobbing along
on main alone. You have the halyard in your left hand while you hank on
with your right and you run up a few feet at a time because if you try to
hank them all on first and then raise the sail you'll drown from the water
coming over the bow. You finally get the sail raisaed and then you have to
get back to the mast with the halyard to tie it off. By this time you're
soaked through and are really relieved that you have to go below to bag up
the other jib, except you realize that you stuffed that wet sail down the
v-berth on top of your dry bedding...which isn't dry any longer. So you bag
up the jib and by this time, the guy on the tiller is getting a bit worn and
wants some relief so he yells at you to get your butt up topside and steer
for a bit. The only consolation is that he might make better coffee than
you do. Oh, and did I mention about how lovely it is to straddle the bow in
big waves, bouncing around, and hitting a cleat or pad eye every other wave?
Great advantage says I.
--
katysails
s/v Chanteuse
Kirie Elite 32
http://katysails.tripod.com
"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax
and get used to the idea." - Robert A. Heinlein