Roger Long wrote:
"Ryk" wrote in


As an alternative, consider sailing low and loose while cruising, as
much as that goes against the grain.


My 1980 E32 is a wide sheeting base boat with a fairly shoal draft so
I'm already doing that whether I want to or not; even with everything
strapped as tight as I can get it

What you need is a clubfoot stays'l so you can self tack with
impunity! When I had Nonsuch catboat I always tacked out of Boston
Harbor, through the anchorages, or even up Nubble Channel.

Your BHSC story reminded me of a near miss I had in Boston Harbor,
when a club Pearson 26 started calling "Leeward" as a group of us were
on the layline to pass the Super Scoop, the world's largest dredge,
used for the Big Dig. I tacked quickly, and then realized the
"leeward" boat's jib was luffing and his outboard engine was running,
as he tried to pass to leeward while outpointing us by about 20
degrees! Rather than back off, he bumped into one boat, which had to
bump another. He was absolutely convinced he had right of way!

http://www.massturnpike.com/html/big...ent/dutra.html

Curiously, while looking for a picture of the Super Scoop, I found
that most references concerned the recent ruling where the Supreme
Court decided last year that the Scoop was a "vessel" for the purposes
of the Jones Act.

http://www.olemiss.edu/orgs/SGLC/Nat...r/4.1scoop.htm