I sailed ECHO into her slip at the dock today. On the way out of
the harbor, 25 minutes of fighting some head winds and current, the
engine over heated. I restarted it after it cooled and found there was
no water coming out of the exhaust. It was working fine at the dock
I tested it for 15 minutes before my crew showed up and the problem
I had last week seemed fixed. I wonder if I sucked up some plastic
or something in the harbor, or perhaps the impeller went--I'll find out
tomorrow.

I was planning on running the engine just long enough to dock.
However, conditions were perfect to sail in. It was the first time I
sailed a big boat into a narrow slip. I've sailed big boats into end tie
situations many times, but never straight into a slip under sail or in this
case bare poles.

Winds were light and nearly straight into the slip until I was three boat
lengths away and then the wind suddenly backed 60 degrees and built
from a breath of wind, to a steady 7 knots from nearly abeam. I though
I'd have trouble with it, and I steered to windward a bit as a precaution,
but it didn't seem to matter much--the boat tracked nicely. I had enough
momentum to coast right in. It was fun.

My crew were not sure what to do. I briefed my two key players on what
to do ahead of time, and one was out of position. I told my crew not to
flake the main, and they went ahead and did it anyway, and then dropped
the sail and did it again. I had to sail past the dock and then back to it
to
give them more time. A bull horn next to me at the helm would have
helped, or a little forceful yelling would have been in order.

My main lesson learned was I should have put my #2 sailor on the helm
and I should have been in the middle of the boat directing the show where
everyone could hear me. There were a few small problems that were
not resolved as promptly as I would have liked. My crew had trouble
getting my light air drifter down and the boat came in a little faster than
I
wanted.

My second lesson learned was to not let a crew get side tracked in a time
critical situation like this. Everyone was out of position when I wanted
the
light air drifter taken down.

Bart

WAY TO GO SALTY:

AIN"T THAT A NICE WAY TO COME HOME!

The first trip out with my new Crewman Don, I came in the same way.
Drifter, set flying free. I usually do that. I keep the engine running
at Idle. Just so I have reverse to stop but very seldom use it.

Don was so darn happy. It has been one of the favorite things for him
when we sail.

Bart, don't worry about taking down sails until your moored. Just cast
off the sheets and let the sail windmill. It help stopping. Also makes
for a much neater take down

Ole Thom

"Thom Stewart" wrote in message
| Bart, don't worry about taking down sails until your moored. Just cast
| off the sheets and let the sail windmill. It help stopping. Also makes
| for a much neater take down

Bang on the Mark Thom!
I always tell the crew you never disable the power until you are hooked up
and stable. That's either anchor, mooring or dock.

CM

My drifter is a hank on nylon sail--about 700 or 800 sq ft. I had
to take it down, even though the wind was very light. Or I would
have come in way too fast.

I directed one of my crew to ease its sheet. She lost her grip and
it went flying and the sail started to wrap--which was part of the
reason the foredeck crew had some difficulty hauling it down.

Now, if I can just get the engine to work more reliably. I'm 0/2
with my engine last two times out. I fixed the problem with the
fuel system, and now I have to study the coolant problem. I
have a spare impeller right in front of me. I'm hoping that is the
problem. I'm going to check the raw water inlet also.

***
I'm going to put roller furling on the boat next year, and I'll then toss
this drifter out, or make an awning out of it. At some point I'd get a
free flying drifter like your's.

How far upwind can you sail with your drifter? Mine is like
a genoa, the hanks let me haul it in tight with good shape. I lead
it to the stern and then forward to the organ grinder. The sail has
seen better days--its getting tired, and there are a few rust stains.

Even so, it is an amazing sail and gets the boat moving in very
light conditions like we had yesterday.

Bart

"Thom Stewart" wrote WAY TO GO SALTY:

AIN"T THAT A NICE WAY TO COME HOME!

The first trip out with my new Crewman Don, I came in the same way.
Drifter, set flying free. I usually do that. I keep the engine running
at Idle. Just so I have reverse to stop but very seldom use it.

Don was so darn happy. It has been one of the favorite things for him
when we sail.

Bart, don't worry about taking down sails until your moored. Just cast
off the sheets and let the sail windmill. It help stopping. Also makes
for a much neater take down

Ole Thom

Bart Senior wrote:
I sailed ECHO into her slip at the dock today.

Oh. That's different from sailing into the dock.


....Winds were light and nearly straight into the slip until I was three boat
lengths away and then the wind suddenly backed 60 degrees and built
from a breath of wind, to a steady 7 knots from nearly abeam.

Isn't that always the way? Last week we pulled into a narrow fairway
between a dock and a jetty, to back into a slip. The day was calm... it
wold have been a poor day to try to sail... but suddenly a 10 knot
breeze sprang up right on our beam, and the bow would not swing into it.
Instead of hitting the jetty, I did a quick circle the wrong way and
went bow in.

The wind died immediately afterward.

I thought stuff like that only happened to me.

... I though
I'd have trouble with it, and I steered to windward a bit as a precaution,
but it didn't seem to matter much--the boat tracked nicely. I had enough
momentum to coast right in. It was fun.

ECHO has lots of momentum. Can you slow her down by making short, sharp
zig-zags with the helm?


... My main lesson learned was I should have put my #2 sailor on the helm
and I should have been in the middle of the boat directing the show where
everyone could hear me.

That can be good. The man on the helm doesn't have to be an expert
sailor but he can't be the type that freezes up. You'd be surprised how
many people do exactly that.

No crew is ever perfect, nor is any skipper. It sounds like you did good
job of explaining what to do and kept the situation from leading to
problems or damage; that's good skippering. I hope you resisted the
temptation to rake them over the coals so that they'll be willing to go
out and do it some more.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

"DSK" wrote

Bart Senior wrote:

ECHO has lots of momentum. Can you slow her down by making short, sharp
zig-zags with the helm?

No. It's a skeg hung rudder and doesn't respond all that well. Under
power I'd rate the handling as poor. The prop is far from the rudder
also. It's a 3/4 keel so turning is slow and ponderous. I would not
have attempted to sail it in, except the engine has been such a PITA,
and conditions were ideal.

... My main lesson learned was I should have put my #2 sailor on the
helm
and I should have been in the middle of the boat directing the show
where
everyone could hear me.

That can be good. The man on the helm doesn't have to be an expert
sailor but he can't be the type that freezes up. You'd be surprised how
many people do exactly that.

My #2 sailor, Kate, is a doctor and a good sailor. I think she would have
done fine.

No crew is ever perfect, nor is any skipper. It sounds like you did good
job of explaining what to do and kept the situation from leading to
problems or damage; that's good skippering. I hope you resisted the
temptation to rake them over the coals so that they'll be willing to go
out and do it some more.

I think my skippering was weak. They had difficult hearing me and
did not respond well to my instructions. I asked afterwards, and they
told me they heard me, but still didn't respond. I made a bad choice
by letting them continue to flake the main--that was time better spent
telling them in greater detail what I wanted them to do. So I should
have either yelled--not rudely, but firmly, to get them to stop, or else
locked the helm for a moment--the boat tracks well, and gone forward
briefly to get them on track.

"Bart Senior" wrote in message . net...

Way to go Bart!

I almost sailed into the dock one night, my transmission slipped
motor sailing in. Thank goodness my Dink was at the head of the slip
and I crushed it instead of the cement floating dock. It was a nice
soft stop but trashed the fiberglass dink. Did not even scratch the
paint;o)

Joe










I sailed ECHO into her slip at the dock today. On the way out of
the harbor, 25 minutes of fighting some head winds and current, the
engine over heated. I restarted it after it cooled and found there was
no water coming out of the exhaust. It was working fine at the dock
I tested it for 15 minutes before my crew showed up and the problem
I had last week seemed fixed. I wonder if I sucked up some plastic
or something in the harbor, or perhaps the impeller went--I'll find out
tomorrow.

I was planning on running the engine just long enough to dock.
However, conditions were perfect to sail in. It was the first time I
sailed a big boat into a narrow slip. I've sailed big boats into end tie
situations many times, but never straight into a slip under sail or in this
case bare poles.

Winds were light and nearly straight into the slip until I was three boat
lengths away and then the wind suddenly backed 60 degrees and built
from a breath of wind, to a steady 7 knots from nearly abeam. I though
I'd have trouble with it, and I steered to windward a bit as a precaution,
but it didn't seem to matter much--the boat tracked nicely. I had enough
momentum to coast right in. It was fun.

My crew were not sure what to do. I briefed my two key players on what
to do ahead of time, and one was out of position. I told my crew not to
flake the main, and they went ahead and did it anyway, and then dropped
the sail and did it again. I had to sail past the dock and then back to it
to
give them more time. A bull horn next to me at the helm would have
helped, or a little forceful yelling would have been in order.

My main lesson learned was I should have put my #2 sailor on the helm
and I should have been in the middle of the boat directing the show where
everyone could hear me. There were a few small problems that were
not resolved as promptly as I would have liked. My crew had trouble
getting my light air drifter down and the boat came in a little faster than
I
wanted.

My second lesson learned was to not let a crew get side tracked in a time
critical situation like this. Everyone was out of position when I wanted
the
light air drifter taken down.

Bart