Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

I have the reguired hours to have an opinion. I am also going to drop the
thread in that I think Skip's account is a good first step.

Note that I picked up on it because we were ducking the issue. They should
not have gone as manned. The problem was that Lydia was not yet blooded.
She did not have the experience of hard weather and she was prone to sea
sickness. So Skip was in fact a single hander with an assistant, He failed
to behave as such and may have lost his boat as a result.

I don't believe the chant of both crew members can do everything. Almost
never happens. Sometimes the Lady is the Captain...but almost always the
guy is the muscle. The Ladies stand watch capably and that makes it all
work. Sure there are some couples were she is fully as capable as he...but
that is not the primary pattern.

And there is nothing wrong with only one muscle person. Works fine. You
set up for it. You go to sleep with a configuration that is almost certain
to let you get four hours and clear instructions to wake you if it ain't
working. In bad conditions you sleep in the cockpit a half hour at a time.


"mr.b" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 11 Feb 2007 09:59:25 -0800, Bob graced the ethernet with:

yadda, yadda, yadda

snip

psst Bob...switch to decaf, and take some time to look up the 'tact' in
the dictionary. Skip and Lydia drove their boat onto the rocks, not you
and the olecapt. The last thing they need right now is a couple of
armchair admirals telling them about their competence.
Grow a brain.

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

"Larry" wrote in message
...
"Bob" wrote in news:1171228147.825891.228200
@q2g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

My prayer for S&L and others is to
take a long hard look at the events that preceed their departure and
know that more of the same will only bring more of the same.
Bob


My analysis long before the event was that they HAD to be in the Bahamas
on a certain day to meet the kids. They "HAD to get there". I think
that is patently wrong on any sailboat that has less than a 1000 HP
engine.

No sailboat can be forced to "get there" on a certain day...sometimes
even a certain week! It's just not going to happen....safely. There's
way too many SUV drivers who are used to making Miami in 7.5 hours behind
that helm. We get there when we get there....and not a minute before we
get there. If we don't get there on schedule, we screwed up not because
we did it wrong....but because there was a schedule in the first place.

We left on schedule, no matter whether everything was running right and
everything was fixed.

We sailed on schedule, taking a chance heading into Marathon from the
wrong direction because the stupid Florida Keys are just AWFUL in a boat.

The schedule was the problem.

The solution is easy. You sail to the Bahamas, safely, no matter how
long it takes, even weeks. Isn't that great?! AFTER you've settled into
a slip or anchorage, THEN you call the kids and say, "We've arrived in
the Bahamas, safely, and will wait any length of time it takes for you to
get here and enjoy it with us!" There was no schedule to get there, no
timetable to disaster. There was no schedule for the kids to get there,
either, even though they are flying which is less of a schedule problem.

Damn everyone in a sailboat that's always in a HURRY! I sure hate to
sail with them. So doesn't my captain.... Becalmed 90 miles S of
Charleston on 80W in flat seas and NO WIND, he asked me what I thought.
"I think I'm going to get some sleep, how about you? The wind will come
up sometime this week, probably, maybe, enough to make it worth our while
to put the sails back out. I need to be home by November." (It was July
or something like that.) Isn't that why we took $400 in gourmet food
aboard and cases of beer? We weren't transporting them from Florida to
Charleston to resell..(c; "Hmm...which pate will we serve with cocktails
at happy hour this afternoon?....should we break out the sliced Salmon?"
Decisions, decisions..... "Hand me that half gallon of single malt
Scotch, will you? My glass has a leak.....God the stars are beautiful in
flat seas 90 miles out totally becalmed, laying here on the aft cabin on
my back looking straight up.....and it's SO PEACEFUL!" If it's like this
in the morning, we'll check the water in the batteries and pull that
cable for the XM antenna we forgot for the stereo.

Larry

RELAX-----WE'LL GET THERE--------------------SOME DAY!

Words of wisdom, Larry. Sailing to meet a schedule won't necessarily lead to
disaster, but it certainly increases the likelihood of it.

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

On Feb 11, 4:18 pm, Larry wrote:
"Bob" wrote in news:1171228147.825891.228200
@q2g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

My prayer for S&L and others is to
take a long hard look at the events that preceed their departure and
know that more of the same will only bring more of the same.
Bob


My analysis long before the event was that they HAD to be in the Bahamas
on a certain day to meet the kids. They "HAD to get there". I think
that is patently wrong on any sailboat that has less than a 1000 HP
engine.
The schedule was the problem.
Larry
RELAX-----WE'LL GET THERE--------------------SOME DAY!


Hi Larry, I must humbly agree. That is one of the most obvious red
flags about this terrible event. Another I noticed dovetails with the
schedule problem. Why so urgent to depart?

After a year living together with my hot 21 yo girlfriend she casually
mentions one afternoon what I thought about getting married. I said,
uhh.....oh.... ya, maybe we should start talking about that. A week
later she had the announcements mailed out.........WTF! I thought we
were just going to talk about it!?!?!?!? Next, came all the smiles,
congratulations, the way to go son comments from parents bosses,
teachers. I felt so trapped and there was no way I could call it off.
Too many people would be soo disappointed. The rest is history. Lesson
learned? When a huge group thinks you're going to do something there
is tremendous pressure to comply.

Braced for the inevitable flames, I'll venture another speculation
based on several of Skip's post dating back to his vessel search days.
This is yet another elephant sitting in the living room: the care-
taker relationship that seems to exist. And then there is the question
of maintenance medications. I am not ****ing on any cornflakes here. I
simply posit the obvious. Yet others will consider these words simply
"too rude and insulting for decent people to talk about in public."
Personally I hang my laundry on my stays for all to see.

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Larry wrote:

"Olecapt" wrote in
:

Hmm silence. Is it the "we are not going to offer an opinion
because Skip and Lydia will see it?" Or is the subject simply too
painful to raise. That is how we avoid a lot of the truths in blue
water sailing.


As I was talking to Skip on Skype, I told him we don't take Lionheart
offshore to do anything serious without 6 sailors aboard, 2 per watch
section, 3 watch sections so you can get some REST under any conditions.
Most everyone out there trying to get away from humanity is sailing with
way too few actual sailors, not professionals but able hands strong
enough to haul in a fouled main tearing up in the wind at 2AM.

This is what I would like. I would go to Bermuda or down to the
Caribbean with Bob, but NOT without at least one other able bodied
person aboard to stand the watches. And he won't do that. So we
don't go. He says I'm chicken.

Now he's talking about singlehanding, and that's crazy.

We do have all roller furling so that we can handle all the sails from
the cockpit and don't need to go on deck except to anchor or come in
to a dock.

It's none of my business how others sail, but as we're talking about it,
I think an able man sailing with a wife who couldn't bring the boat
around and save his life if he simply fell overboard is really too
dangerous for all. Even if she doesn't get him back aboard, able or even
alive, what is she to do, stand and scream? She MUST be properly trained
and be able to handle the boat in fair, not just wonderful,
conditions....especially alone offshore.

You all know what I'm talking about.....It's not about Skip and Lydia.
How many of you have told your best sailing friends, "John, I don't think
you and Julie should go offshore by yourselves like you do."......do you?

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Now he's talking about singlehanding, and that's crazy.


19 year old neighbor singlehanded a Columbia 28 to Maui last summer
to do a little surfing!
Gordon

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Hi Rosie,

I don't see what is the big deal about getting a
couple of crewmembers to go on the longer
passages. Worst case, you spend a little more on
the provisions.

Personally, I decided some time ago that to do the
Pacific I want at least four capable people on the
boat. This allows for 12 hour two-person shifts
at sea, as well as two people on the boat at all
times for anchor watch once you arrive. Only two
people on the boat is too much work for me. I'm
cruising to have fun!

Don W.

Rosalie B. wrote:
Larry wrote:

As I was talking to Skip on Skype, I told him we don't take Lionheart
offshore to do anything serious without 6 sailors aboard, 2 per watch
section, 3 watch sections so you can get some REST under any conditions.
Most everyone out there trying to get away from humanity is sailing with
way too few actual sailors, not professionals but able hands strong
enough to haul in a fouled main tearing up in the wind at 2AM.


This is what I would like. I would go to Bermuda or down to the
Caribbean with Bob, but NOT without at least one other able bodied
person aboard to stand the watches. And he won't do that. So we
don't go. He says I'm chicken.

Now he's talking about singlehanding, and that's crazy.

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Don W wrote:

Hi Rosie,

I don't see what is the big deal about getting a
couple of crewmembers to go on the longer
passages. Worst case, you spend a little more on
the provisions.

It isn't you I'm sailing with. You don't have to convince ME.

Personally, I decided some time ago that to do the
Pacific I want at least four capable people on the
boat. This allows for 12 hour two-person shifts
at sea, as well as two people on the boat at all
times for anchor watch once you arrive. Only two
people on the boat is too much work for me. I'm
cruising to have fun!

Don W.

Rosalie B. wrote:
Larry wrote:

As I was talking to Skip on Skype, I told him we don't take Lionheart
offshore to do anything serious without 6 sailors aboard, 2 per watch
section, 3 watch sections so you can get some REST under any conditions.
Most everyone out there trying to get away from humanity is sailing with
way too few actual sailors, not professionals but able hands strong
enough to haul in a fouled main tearing up in the wind at 2AM.


This is what I would like. I would go to Bermuda or down to the
Caribbean with Bob, but NOT without at least one other able bodied
person aboard to stand the watches. And he won't do that. So we
don't go. He says I'm chicken.

Now he's talking about singlehanding, and that's crazy.

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Gordon wrote:

Now he's talking about singlehanding, and that's crazy.


19 year old neighbor singlehanded a Columbia 28 to Maui last summer
to do a little surfing!
Gordon

Yes but Bob is going to be 71 in March, he's had a heart attack, and
our boat is a CSY 44


grandma Rosalie

S/V RosalieAnn, Leonardtown, MD
CSY 44 WO #156
http://home.mindspring.com/~gmbeasley/id1.html

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Rosalie B. wrote:
Gordon wrote:
Now he's talking about singlehanding, and that's crazy.

19 year old neighbor singlehanded a Columbia 28 to Maui last summer
to do a little surfing!
Gordon

Yes but Bob is going to be 71 in March, he's had a heart attack, and
our boat is a CSY 44


grandma Rosalie

S/V RosalieAnn, Leonardtown, MD
CSY 44 WO #156
http://home.mindspring.com/~gmbeasley/id1.html

That do make a difference!
g

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

In article ,
Larry wrote:

"Bob" wrote in news:1171228147.825891.228200
@q2g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

My prayer for S&L and others is to take a long hard look at the
events that preceed their departure and know that more of the same
will only bring more of the same. Bob

My analysis long before the event was that they HAD to be in the
Bahamas on a certain day to meet the kids. They "HAD to get there".
I think that is patently wrong on any sailboat that has less than a
1000 HP engine.

I registered their sailing to a "date" as questionable before they left
their dock. That's a violation of the primary cruising rule.

Still, I can't say that I would have done anything different under the
conditions they found themselves at the time.

But, as objectionable as I find my next pronouncement to be, would they
have been so rushed to get out of Dodge if they hadn't just paid the
exorbitant FL taxes? Meeting the kids in Georgetown was easily within
their capabilities, and the date or place could easily have been
changed, but getting out of Florida by a date certain was their first
order of business at the time.

Sad to say, but what FL demanded of them was far less than they will
have to pay for trying to avoid FL's taxes.

Would I try the same? You Betcha! They didn't owe FL anything as they
never intended to be in FL any longer than absolutely necessary. Their
dream boat just happened to be stowed there.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's NEW Pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Don W wrote in
. net:

Hi Rosie,

I don't see what is the big deal about getting a
couple of crewmembers to go on the longer
passages. Worst case, you spend a little more on
the provisions.

Personally, I decided some time ago that to do the
Pacific I want at least four capable people on the
boat. This allows for 12 hour two-person shifts
at sea, as well as two people on the boat at all
times for anchor watch once you arrive. Only two
people on the boat is too much work for me. I'm
cruising to have fun!

If you think that 12 hour shifts are a good idea, then I never want to sail
with you! I personally think that 3 people crews work great. You get 4
on, 8 off. If there's a problem, then you've got 1 person who's been down
for at least 4 hours. Anything more than 4 hours at night is too long.

-- Geoff

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

The rest is history. Lesson learned?
==============================
Wait .. you can't do this ... what happened? Did you get married? Did it
end in divorce? Where is she now?


Gee ................

============
"Bob" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Feb 11, 4:18 pm, Larry wrote:
"Bob" wrote in news:1171228147.825891.228200
@q2g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

My prayer for S&L and others is to
take a long hard look at the events that preceed their departure and
know that more of the same will only bring more of the same.
Bob


My analysis long before the event was that they HAD to be in the Bahamas
on a certain day to meet the kids. They "HAD to get there". I think
that is patently wrong on any sailboat that has less than a 1000 HP
engine.
The schedule was the problem.
Larry
RELAX-----WE'LL GET THERE--------------------SOME DAY!


Hi Larry, I must humbly agree. That is one of the most obvious red
flags about this terrible event. Another I noticed dovetails with the
schedule problem. Why so urgent to depart?

After a year living together with my hot 21 yo girlfriend she casually
mentions one afternoon what I thought about getting married. I said,
uhh.....oh.... ya, maybe we should start talking about that. A week
later she had the announcements mailed out.........WTF! I thought we
were just going to talk about it!?!?!?!? Next, came all the smiles,
congratulations, the way to go son comments from parents bosses,
teachers. I felt so trapped and there was no way I could call it off.
Too many people would be soo disappointed. The rest is history. Lesson
learned? When a huge group thinks you're going to do something there
is tremendous pressure to comply.

Braced for the inevitable flames, I'll venture another speculation
based on several of Skip's post dating back to his vessel search days.
This is yet another elephant sitting in the living room: the care-
taker relationship that seems to exist. And then there is the question
of maintenance medications. I am not ****ing on any cornflakes here. I
simply posit the obvious. Yet others will consider these words simply
"too rude and insulting for decent people to talk about in public."
Personally I hang my laundry on my stays for all to see.

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

"Jere Lull" wrote in message
...
But, as objectionable as I find my next pronouncement to be, would they
have been so rushed to get out of Dodge if they hadn't just paid the
exorbitant FL taxes? Meeting the kids in Georgetown was easily within
their capabilities, and the date or place could easily have been
changed, but getting out of Florida by a date certain was their first
order of business at the time.

Sad to say, but what FL demanded of them was far less than they will
have to pay for trying to avoid FL's taxes.

Would I try the same? You Betcha! They didn't owe FL anything as they
never intended to be in FL any longer than absolutely necessary. Their
dream boat just happened to be stowed there.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's NEW Pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

I've been thinking along the same lines, but a bit further: I'm afraid that
now, since they never left Florida and are stuck there indefinitely, those
taxes they wanted so much to avoid will be due anyway. Talk about adding
insult to injury.

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

"KLC Lewis" wrote:


"Jere Lull" wrote in message
...
But, as objectionable as I find my next pronouncement to be, would they
have been so rushed to get out of Dodge if they hadn't just paid the
exorbitant FL taxes? Meeting the kids in Georgetown was easily within
their capabilities, and the date or place could easily have been
changed, but getting out of Florida by a date certain was their first
order of business at the time.

Sad to say, but what FL demanded of them was far less than they will
have to pay for trying to avoid FL's taxes.

Would I try the same? You Betcha! They didn't owe FL anything as they
never intended to be in FL any longer than absolutely necessary. Their
dream boat just happened to be stowed there.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's NEW Pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

I've been thinking along the same lines, but a bit further: I'm afraid that
now, since they never left Florida and are stuck there indefinitely, those
taxes they wanted so much to avoid will be due anyway. Talk about adding
insult to injury.

As long as they are in a yard, I think the time stops.

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 05:38:00 -0600, Geoff Schultz
wrote:

Anything more than 4 hours at night is too long.

I agree. My wife and I usually change watches on a loose schedule
based on when we get tired or when we wake up. This usually works out
to be about 3 hours at night. If we are on a multi day passage I try
to get most of my sleep during day light hours.

One thing I'm meticulous about is leaving my wife with a clear course
line on both the Furuno chart plotter and Maptech OSN on a PC. I also
leave her with an easily read XTE (Cross Track Error) display and
instructions regarding circumstances where she should wake me up.
This would typically be something like a CPA (Closest Point of
Approach) of less than two miles on a radar target, or 1 hour from a
landfall, course change, etc.

I am always on deck for impending landfalls and course changes.

Fortunately my wife does not have sea sickness issues. If she did,
I'm not sure we could do the kind of cruising that we enjoy now.

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Rosalie B. wrote in
:

He says I'm chicken.

Nothing is "chicken" about being smart.

Now he's talking about singlehanding, and that's crazy.

His IS crazy....you may quote me.

We do have all roller furling so that we can handle all the sails from
the cockpit and don't need to go on deck except to anchor or come in
to a dock.



I never works that way....and shouldn't be PLANNED to work that way.
Lionheart's roller furling takes place at the bottom of the mast, not aft
in the cockpit. I don't think I'd want to do it any other way because
from the cockpit you can't see it's all going wrong before the damned
thing is jammed, which I can see from right under the roller before it
becomes a problem and can roll it back out to clear it.

Planning on worst case scenario, you must be setup to go forward in heavy
weather to clear the inevitable crash of these systems.

Rosalie is the smart one aboard....STAND Your ground, girl! You got it
right and SAFE!



Larry
--
VIRUS ALERT! VISTA has been released!
NOONE will be spared!

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Rosalie B. wrote in
:

Yes but Bob is going to be 71 in March, he's had a heart attack, and
our boat is a CSY 44



You two shouldn't even leave the slip without at LEAST TWO, Strong YOUNG
hands who know how to sail it without you.

Larry
--
VIRUS ALERT! VISTA has been released!
NOONE will be spared!

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Dan Best wrote in news:45cfbb20$0$14078
:

Take the time

That's the best advise to anyone under sail....

Larry
--
VIRUS ALERT! VISTA has been released!
NOONE will be spared!

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

"Bob" wrote in news:1171246804.293314.187660
@s48g2000cws.googlegroups.com:

hot 21 yo girlfriend

If we had one of those, none of us would ever leave the slip and there'd
CERTAINLY be no schedule.....(c;

If she makes a lot of noise and gets embarrassed about it, I might make it
out to an anchorage some place....hee hee. They always look at you so
funny as you're walking down the dock towards the parking lot after keeping
the whole end of the dock awake with that screaming and yelling....hee hee.

432 lurkers and 22 posters are reading your post with GREEN
faces.....including mine.

One of my friends got into a similar marriage situation as you. When
anyone asks him when he's getting married, he tells them, "Oh, we're
already married. She just wants to have the wedding." It fun to time the
person he says that to to see how long it takes for its implications to
register..(c;

Larry
--
VIRUS ALERT! VISTA has been released!
NOONE will be spared!

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

"gospel_truthy" wrote in news:VvPzh.9692
:

And there is nothing wrong with only one muscle person.

I disagree, wholeheartedly. There must be at LEAST two muscle persons
aboard when that boat passes through the harbor entrance. If you sail
with one and one breaks a finger around a winch, you end up with ZERO and
sailing with ZERO muscle persons is just plain stupid.

TWO.....minimum.

Test it for yourself. Pick a relatively bad day...raining, 25 knots,
4' seas increasing. Sit down in the cockpit and say to her, "I just
broke my leg when it got fouled in the jib sheet coming back aft from
shortening sail." From that point on, moan and groan and beg her to help
splint your leg and sail the boat as you are in agony.

Run the test for 6 hours to view the results. You're unconcious after
the first 30 minutes, so at that point SHUT UP and quit telling her what
to do and how to do it. Unconcious captains are really quiet, you know.
No frowning and motioning, either....NO CHEATING THE TEST.

No warnings before the test, either....it has to be totally unprepared
for out of your normal routine. Before the boat broaches or goes
aground, terminate the test and declare it a failure. No bitching or
****ing at her, it's YOUR FAULT for not preparing for this scenario, not
hers. YOU made this stupid decision to go out with one muscleman.

WHEN she starts looking at motorhomes, take that as a signal you'll be
soon singlehanding and needing a new MUSCLEMAN to sail with.....

Larry
--
VIRUS ALERT! VISTA has been released!
NOONE will be spared!

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Geoff,

Geoff Schultz wrote:
Don W wrote in
. net:


Hi Rosie,

I don't see what is the big deal about getting a
couple of crewmembers to go on the longer
passages. Worst case, you spend a little more on
the provisions.

Personally, I decided some time ago that to do the
Pacific I want at least four capable people on the
boat. This allows for 12 hour two-person shifts
at sea, as well as two people on the boat at all
times for anchor watch once you arrive. Only two
people on the boat is too much work for me. I'm
cruising to have fun!


If you think that 12 hour shifts are a good idea, then I never want to sail
with you! I personally think that 3 people crews work great. You get 4
on, 8 off. If there's a problem, then you've got 1 person who's been down
for at least 4 hours. Anything more than 4 hours at night is too long.

-- Geoff

A 12 hour two-person shift allows each person to
do 2 hours on, 2 hours off or 3 hours on, 3 hours
off with their companion crewperson, and then to
get up to 12 hours of uninterupted rest before
coming back on for another 12 hour two-person
shift. If there's a problem, you've got two
people who are on shift to take care of it without
waking the two who are off shift. Also, your 12
hour shift alway starts at the same time each day,
so you don't have to deal with upsetting your
sleep cycle.

If you think that this is a bad idea, I believe
you must still not quite understand how the
schedule works. It is much better than a 2-person
crew with 3 on / 3 off continuous, or your
3-person crew with 4 on / 8 off except in case of
need -- at least for me.

If you still think its a bad idea, I'd really like
to understand your objections.

Don W.

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Wayne.B wrote:

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 05:38:00 -0600, Geoff Schultz
wrote:


Anything more than 4 hours at night is too long.


I agree. My wife and I usually change watches on a loose schedule
based on when we get tired or when we wake up. This usually works out
to be about 3 hours at night.

Guy's,

I must not have explained it very well in the
other post.

Go back and look at what I wrote again. There are
_four_ people on the boat. During passages, there
are _two_ people "on" for 12 hours and then the
other two people take over for 12 hours. Each two
person team gets a full 12 hours off each 24 hours.

A typical scenario would be that Bob and Anne are
"on" from 3:00 PM to 3:00 AM. They can split that
twelve hours up any way they choose. If they want
to do 1, 2, 3, or 4 hour rotations during their
joint shift, they can. When Bob is at the helm,
Anne is available to make coffee and sandwiches,
or to help with a sail change, or to just hang out
in the cockpit and read a book.

Meanwhile Don and Nancy--who are "on" from 3:00AM
to 3:00 PM can sack out in the aft cabin together,
and know that they won't be disturbed unless there
is an "all hands" emergency. After ten hours of
sleep, they can get up, get cleaned up and
dressed, and then hang out for another hour before
they go "on" shift together.

Don W.

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Larry wrote:

Rosalie B. wrote in
:

Yes but Bob is going to be 71 in March, he's had a heart attack, and
our boat is a CSY 44

You two shouldn't even leave the slip without at LEAST TWO, Strong YOUNG
hands who know how to sail it without you.

Well that's as may be.

Although I think I could run the boat by myself if I absolutely had to
(we have both been working out at the gym this winter, so I'm more fit
than I was), and especially I can motor, and work the autopilot and
all the communications stuff, get the weather and navigate. I can
also turn the engine on and I know how to anchor..

At the worst, I know how to call for help on the radio

Mostly I don't want Bob singlehanding, but if it comes to a point
where he is pigheaded enough to go without me when I don't think going
is safe then I will have a hard decision to make. Let him go and
perhaps die?

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Larry wrote:

Rosalie B. wrote in
:

He says I'm chicken.

Nothing is "chicken" about being smart.

Now he's talking about singlehanding, and that's crazy.

His IS crazy....you may quote me.

We do have all roller furling so that we can handle all the sails from
the cockpit and don't need to go on deck except to anchor or come in
to a dock.

I never works that way....and shouldn't be PLANNED to work that way.
Lionheart's roller furling takes place at the bottom of the mast, not aft

The actual roller part of the main (it is behind the mast furling) is
right in front of the companionway to the forward cabin, so it is not
only in view, but Bob can reach the reel that winds up the line from
the cockpit. So it is almost in the cockpit.

Now the staysail and jib both have lines led back to the cockpit and
are farther forward.

in the cockpit. I don't think I'd want to do it any other way because
from the cockpit you can't see it's all going wrong before the damned
thing is jammed, which I can see from right under the roller before it
becomes a problem and can roll it back out to clear it.

Your roller must be placed differently than ours. We can see.

Planning on worst case scenario, you must be setup to go forward in heavy
weather to clear the inevitable crash of these systems.

We do have harnesses and jacklines, and we wear PFDs all the time when
underway (unless we are off watch asleep, when it is quite easy to
hand). That is Bob's rule for anyone on our boat. (He also makes me
wear shoes on deck.) Bob always clips onto the jacklines whenever the
weather is at all bumpy.

Rosalie is the smart one aboard....STAND Your ground, girl! You got it
right and SAFE!

Larry

Well as I said before - most of the times we've gotten in trouble have
been when Bob persuaded me to go against my better judgment. But
let's face it - I can be as cautious as you like and still be wrong
about the weather or whatever the problem turns out to be. I use as
much information as I have available, but sometimes even that and
experience doesn't fully work to keep us out of trouble

We've just been fortunate in that when we've guessed wrong or made
mistakes that it didn't have a serious bad result. Mostly just some
paint scraped off the keel or something like that.

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 05:38:00 -0600, Geoff Schultz
wrote:

Anything more than 4 hours at night is too long.

I agree.

Not necessarily. After much experimentation, we found that what works
best for my wife and I is that I go to bed at dusk, leaving her on watch
until midnight when we swap. I then take over until she wakes up
(usually shortly after dawn). During the day, we're less formal about
it, but generally switch back and forth every 3 hours or so. Obviously,
this won't work for everybody, but for us it does.

We tried all sorts of different systems before settling on this. I was
OK with just about any of them, but we found that unless she gets a long
uninterrupted break at night, after a few days the sleep deprivation
starts really getting to her. You don't want to be on the same boat as
my wife when she's sleep deprived. It ain't pretty.

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Don W wrote:
Geoff,

Geoff Schultz wrote:
Don W wrote in
. net:

Hi Rosie,

I don't see what is the big deal about getting a couple of
crewmembers to go on the longer passages. Worst case, you spend a
little more on the provisions.

Personally, I decided some time ago that to do the Pacific I want at
least four capable people on the boat. This allows for 12 hour
two-person shifts at sea, as well as two people on the boat at all
times for anchor watch once you arrive. Only two people on the boat
is too much work for me. I'm cruising to have fun!


If you think that 12 hour shifts are a good idea, then I never want to
sail with you! I personally think that 3 people crews work great.
You get 4 on, 8 off. If there's a problem, then you've got 1 person
who's been down for at least 4 hours. Anything more than 4 hours at
night is too long.

-- Geoff

A 12 hour two-person shift allows each person to do 2 hours on, 2 hours
off or 3 hours on, 3 hours off with their companion crewperson, and then
to get up to 12 hours of uninterupted rest before coming back on for
another 12 hour two-person shift. If there's a problem, you've got two
people who are on shift to take care of it without waking the two who
are off shift. Also, your 12 hour shift alway starts at the same time
each day, so you don't have to deal with upsetting your sleep cycle.

If you think that this is a bad idea, I believe you must still not quite
understand how the schedule works. It is much better than a 2-person
crew with 3 on / 3 off continuous, or your 3-person crew with 4 on / 8
off except in case of need -- at least for me.

If you still think its a bad idea, I'd really like to understand your
objections.

Don W.

Your original post on 12 hour shifts wasn't clear. I thought you meant
12 continuous hours on shift, which is almost impossible. 3 on, three
off for 12 hours is very doable.
krj

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Dan Best wrote:

Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 05:38:00 -0600, Geoff Schultz
wrote:

Anything more than 4 hours at night is too long.

I agree.

Not necessarily. After much experimentation, we found that what works
best for my wife and I is that I go to bed at dusk, leaving her on watch
until midnight when we swap. I then take over until she wakes up
(usually shortly after dawn). During the day, we're less formal about
it, but generally switch back and forth every 3 hours or so. Obviously,
this won't work for everybody, but for us it does.

We tried all sorts of different systems before settling on this. I was
OK with just about any of them, but we found that unless she gets a long
uninterrupted break at night, after a few days the sleep deprivation
starts really getting to her. You don't want to be on the same boat as
my wife when she's sleep deprived. It ain't pretty.

In our case it is the other way around. I can sleep almost any time
and anywhere but Bob can't. I can also pretty much can wake myself
every couple of hours, so I can also do the anchor watches.

That's one reason I won't go more than an overnight offshore. It is
possible that if we actually did a multi-day passage that he would
eventually conk out and go to sleep when he was off-watch, but I don't
want to count on it.

Normally for offshore (which we've done quite a bit off on the last
trip we did - Miami to Ft. Pierce, St. Mary's River to Charleston and
Charleston to Cape Fear River), I will take a nap in the morning and
then relieve Bob for a little bit, but he won't sleep. So I will make
lunch

He will make dinner which we eat together in the cockpit during the
daylight, and I will go to bed right afterwards. I wake up about 11
and then take over from him and he will try to sleep. He usually
gives up sometime during the night (I once remarked that he'd been to
the bathroom twice and he complained that I was checking up on him,
but as he turns on the light in the head at night, I could see it
shining from the porthole) and comes back up into the cockpit. But
sometimes I'm still there at sunrise. Otherwise he will come back up
around 2 or 3 and I will go take another nap.

If he wakes up and sees it is daylight he thinks he's overslept and we
should be there and he starts doing stuff like shaving and eating and
stuff like that, and getting the boat ready to come into the harbor.

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Rosalie B. wrote:
Larry wrote:


Rosalie B. wrote in
m:


Yes but Bob is going to be 71 in March, he's had a heart attack, and
our boat is a CSY 44


You two shouldn't even leave the slip without at LEAST TWO, Strong YOUNG
hands who know how to sail it without you.


Well that's as may be.

Although I think I could run the boat by myself if I absolutely had to
(we have both been working out at the gym this winter, so I'm more fit
than I was), and especially I can motor, and work the autopilot and
all the communications stuff, get the weather and navigate. I can
also turn the engine on and I know how to anchor..

At the worst, I know how to call for help on the radio

Mostly I don't want Bob singlehanding, but if it comes to a point
where he is pigheaded enough to go without me when I don't think going
is safe then I will have a hard decision to make. Let him go and
perhaps die?

Maybe you could find an acceptable compromise by
insisting that you would like to go along, but you
also want a third (or fourth) crew along as well.
I think there are quite a few unpaid
volunteers available if you look around far enough
in advance, and you can always hire a licensed
captain to accompany you if desperate. Some of
them are looking to build sea time, and are
available quite inexpensively. A lot of bareboat
charter companys maintain lists of independent
captains.

I am assuming that it is the passages that you are
most worried about, and not gunkholing around the
islands.


Don W.

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

krj wrote:

Don W wrote:

Geoff,

Geoff Schultz wrote:

Don W wrote in
. net:

Hi Rosie,

I don't see what is the big deal about getting a couple of
crewmembers to go on the longer passages. Worst case, you spend a
little more on the provisions.

Personally, I decided some time ago that to do the Pacific I want at
least four capable people on the boat. This allows for 12 hour
two-person shifts at sea, as well as two people on the boat at all
times for anchor watch once you arrive. Only two people on the boat
is too much work for me. I'm cruising to have fun!



If you think that 12 hour shifts are a good idea, then I never want
to sail with you! I personally think that 3 people crews work
great. You get 4 on, 8 off. If there's a problem, then you've got 1
person who's been down for at least 4 hours. Anything more than 4
hours at night is too long.

-- Geoff


A 12 hour two-person shift allows each person to do 2 hours on, 2
hours off or 3 hours on, 3 hours off with their companion crewperson,
and then to get up to 12 hours of uninterupted rest before coming back
on for another 12 hour two-person shift. If there's a problem, you've
got two people who are on shift to take care of it without waking the
two who are off shift. Also, your 12 hour shift alway starts at the
same time each day, so you don't have to deal with upsetting your
sleep cycle.

If you think that this is a bad idea, I believe you must still not
quite understand how the schedule works. It is much better than a
2-person crew with 3 on / 3 off continuous, or your 3-person crew with
4 on / 8 off except in case of need -- at least for me.

If you still think its a bad idea, I'd really like to understand your
objections.

Don W.

Your original post on 12 hour shifts wasn't clear. I thought you meant
12 continuous hours on shift, which is almost impossible. 3 on, three
off for 12 hours is very doable.
krj

Ahh... I thought it must have come out a little
muddled.

Don W.

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Don W wrote:

Rosalie B. wrote:
Larry wrote:


Rosalie B. wrote in
:


Yes but Bob is going to be 71 in March, he's had a heart attack, and
our boat is a CSY 44


You two shouldn't even leave the slip without at LEAST TWO, Strong YOUNG
hands who know how to sail it without you.


Well that's as may be.

Although I think I could run the boat by myself if I absolutely had to
(we have both been working out at the gym this winter, so I'm more fit
than I was), and especially I can motor, and work the autopilot and
all the communications stuff, get the weather and navigate. I can
also turn the engine on and I know how to anchor..

At the worst, I know how to call for help on the radio

Mostly I don't want Bob singlehanding, but if it comes to a point
where he is pigheaded enough to go without me when I don't think going
is safe then I will have a hard decision to make. Let him go and
perhaps die?

Maybe you could find an acceptable compromise by
insisting that you would like to go along, but you
also want a third (or fourth) crew along as well.

Yes that has always been something that would work for me. But he
doesn't want to consider it. He just doesn't want anyone else but me
on the boat. If push came to shove, I don't know what I would do.

We had a couple go with us for 3 weeks on the ICW and I enjoyed that
so much. But they've got their own boat now - a smaller CSY. She
won't do ocean passages with him, and so he single hands and she meets
him in the ports. But I think he's a bit younger than Bob, and she's
much more of a chicken than I am.

I think there are quite a few unpaid
volunteers available if you look around far enough
in advance, and you can always hire a licensed
captain to accompany you if desperate. Some of
them are looking to build sea time, and are
available quite inexpensively. A lot of bareboat
charter companys maintain lists of independent
captains.

I am assuming that it is the passages that you are
most worried about, and not gunkholing around the
islands.

We didn't take the boat out at all last summer because he was having
dental work done every week. So we will see how it goes this summer.
I'm perfectly happy gunkholing around in the Chesapeake for a couple
of weeks at a time.

He doesn't want to fly anywhere, so I guess if I'm going to travel at
all, I'll have to start taking my grandchildren with me. I'm going to
Ireland in June with the fourth oldest one (the first two are 26 and
24 years old respectively, and the third one died when he was 2.5)

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Rosalie,

If you have insurance, you might not have the option of sailing offshore
with the two of you (or only him, which you don't seem to want at all --
ammo on your side coming): Many insurance policies will REQUIRE the addition
of more crew for offshore sailing.

If yours doesn't, maybe it's time to find one that does? ;-)

"Rosalie B." wrote in message
...
Don W wrote:

Rosalie B. wrote:
Larry wrote:


Rosalie B. wrote in
m:


Yes but Bob is going to be 71 in March, he's had a heart attack, and
our boat is a CSY 44


You two shouldn't even leave the slip without at LEAST TWO, Strong YOUNG
hands who know how to sail it without you.


Well that's as may be.

Although I think I could run the boat by myself if I absolutely had to
(we have both been working out at the gym this winter, so I'm more fit
than I was), and especially I can motor, and work the autopilot and
all the communications stuff, get the weather and navigate. I can
also turn the engine on and I know how to anchor..

At the worst, I know how to call for help on the radio

Mostly I don't want Bob singlehanding, but if it comes to a point
where he is pigheaded enough to go without me when I don't think going
is safe then I will have a hard decision to make. Let him go and
perhaps die?

Maybe you could find an acceptable compromise by
insisting that you would like to go along, but you
also want a third (or fourth) crew along as well.

Yes that has always been something that would work for me. But he
doesn't want to consider it. He just doesn't want anyone else but me
on the boat. If push came to shove, I don't know what I would do.

We had a couple go with us for 3 weeks on the ICW and I enjoyed that
so much. But they've got their own boat now - a smaller CSY. She
won't do ocean passages with him, and so he single hands and she meets
him in the ports. But I think he's a bit younger than Bob, and she's
much more of a chicken than I am.

I think there are quite a few unpaid
volunteers available if you look around far enough
in advance, and you can always hire a licensed
captain to accompany you if desperate. Some of
them are looking to build sea time, and are
available quite inexpensively. A lot of bareboat
charter companys maintain lists of independent
captains.

I am assuming that it is the passages that you are
most worried about, and not gunkholing around the
islands.

We didn't take the boat out at all last summer because he was having
dental work done every week. So we will see how it goes this summer.
I'm perfectly happy gunkholing around in the Chesapeake for a couple
of weeks at a time.

He doesn't want to fly anywhere, so I guess if I'm going to travel at
all, I'll have to start taking my grandchildren with me. I'm going to
Ireland in June with the fourth oldest one (the first two are 26 and
24 years old respectively, and the third one died when he was 2.5)

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

KLC Lewis wrote:

"Olecapt" wrote in message
...

Hmm silence. Is it the "we are not going to offer an opinion because
Skip and Lydia will see it?" Or is the subject simply too painful to
raise. That is how we avoid a lot of the truths in blue water sailing.



Do you really think there's anything to be said that Skip isn't already
saying to himself, in no uncertain terms?

Well, he's saying they are too old to be cruising around as they are. I
don't think Skip believes that or he wouldn't be thinking of continuing
with his cruising. I'm not qualified to give an opinion, but I do think
it's valid topic for discussion and not out of line to talk about.

Stephen

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

In article ,
Larry wrote:

Test it for yourself. Pick a relatively bad day...raining, 25 knots,
4' seas increasing. Sit down in the cockpit and say to her, "I just
broke my leg when it got fouled in the jib sheet coming back aft from
shortening sail."


Doesn't have to be so dramatic. Every once in a while, I simply announce
I'm taking a nap and let her carry on however she wants to.

Key, though, is that I'm not influencing her decisions in any way. She
can't sail worth a darn if I'm looking over her shoulder, but is fairly
adequate if she has complete control.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's NEW Pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

"KLC Lewis" wrote:

Rosalie,

If you have insurance, you might not have the option of sailing offshore
with the two of you (or only him, which you don't seem to want at all --
ammo on your side coming): Many insurance policies will REQUIRE the addition
of more crew for offshore sailing.

If yours doesn't, maybe it's time to find one that does? ;-)

He has not (as yet) gotten insurance for that, but since the boat loan
is secured with the house, the bank isn't that interested in the
insurance - we mostly have it for ourselves and for the marina.

I guess if he changes the insurance to allow us to go
down island, then I should start getting concerned.

"Rosalie B." wrote in message
.. .
Don W wrote:

Rosalie B. wrote:
Larry wrote:


Rosalie B. wrote in
om:


Yes but Bob is going to be 71 in March, he's had a heart attack, and
our boat is a CSY 44


You two shouldn't even leave the slip without at LEAST TWO, Strong YOUNG
hands who know how to sail it without you.


Well that's as may be.

Although I think I could run the boat by myself if I absolutely had to
(we have both been working out at the gym this winter, so I'm more fit
than I was), and especially I can motor, and work the autopilot and
all the communications stuff, get the weather and navigate. I can
also turn the engine on and I know how to anchor..

At the worst, I know how to call for help on the radio

Mostly I don't want Bob singlehanding, but if it comes to a point
where he is pigheaded enough to go without me when I don't think going
is safe then I will have a hard decision to make. Let him go and
perhaps die?

Maybe you could find an acceptable compromise by
insisting that you would like to go along, but you
also want a third (or fourth) crew along as well.

Yes that has always been something that would work for me. But he
doesn't want to consider it. He just doesn't want anyone else but me
on the boat. If push came to shove, I don't know what I would do.

We had a couple go with us for 3 weeks on the ICW and I enjoyed that
so much. But they've got their own boat now - a smaller CSY. She
won't do ocean passages with him, and so he single hands and she meets
him in the ports. But I think he's a bit younger than Bob, and she's
much more of a chicken than I am.

I think there are quite a few unpaid
volunteers available if you look around far enough
in advance, and you can always hire a licensed
captain to accompany you if desperate. Some of
them are looking to build sea time, and are
available quite inexpensively. A lot of bareboat
charter companys maintain lists of independent
captains.

I am assuming that it is the passages that you are
most worried about, and not gunkholing around the
islands.

We didn't take the boat out at all last summer because he was having
dental work done every week. So we will see how it goes this summer.
I'm perfectly happy gunkholing around in the Chesapeake for a couple
of weeks at a time.

He doesn't want to fly anywhere, so I guess if I'm going to travel at
all, I'll have to start taking my grandchildren with me. I'm going to
Ireland in June with the fourth oldest one (the first two are 26 and
24 years old respectively, and the third one died when he was 2.5)

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Rosalie B. wrote in
:

Your roller must be placed differently than ours. We can see.


Yes, ours is only 15' from the bow as the Amel is a ketch. The deck-
stepped mizzen base is the aft bulkhead of the cockpit.


http://www.selfsteer.com/boats/photo...melSharki39-4-
2.jpg
This an actual picture of "Lionheart" back in the late 80's when she was
Xanareva in San Francisco. She was very primative back then in
instrumentation and electronics. If you look through her windscreen,
which is no longer fixed mounted plexiglass Geoffrey replaced with
openable Lexan windscreens for the South, you can see the deck-stepped
mast base forward of her main cabin skylight hatch. Furling is on the
forward side of that mast about 2' off the deck. There are 5 winches out
of the picture for all the various lines on her mast used to haul up more
rags. That awful Amel helmsman's seat that will kill your back and hiney
after an hour on it, has been replaced with a custom closed-cell foam
helmsman seat of my captain's design. Cockpit seating uses the same
closed cell foam custom soft seating with NO miserable sunbrella covers
to scrub. The surface of the foam has Lionheart's logo and blue
pinstripe trim. It wipes off very easily, usually with the ever-handy
tea towel, and is unaffected by stepping on it with shoes on.

That horrible-looking self steerer this webpage shows with its line or
chain to the port coaming I've never seen. Amel's analog autopilot was
chain driven behind the wheel over the galley sink. The cupboard behind
the wheel on the bulkhead is where lots of my electronic network toys and
main electrical DC panel is located...useless to the galley but it has
TONS of storage elsewhere so we don't miss it. Our Raymarine RL70CRC
color chart plotter-radar is where that big compass shows with an old
Garmin GPSmap 185 plotter/gps/sonar charter to the right under the bell.
The compass was moved behind the radar and up above it with a custom-made
binnacle in Cap'n Geoffrey's woodshop in Atlanta.

http://www.yachtsoffshore.com/images/amel.jpg
Here's an Amel Sharki undeway on a reach under 4 sails, including my
captain's beloved mizzen staysail. I think the picture's a fake. She's
too slow to make that much wake under these sails unless the picture was
taken in a full gale....hee hee. That's an awful small jib they have
there...storm jib? We leave a 150 Genoa on her roller furler, but don't
be impressed. It's so close from the mast to the bow a 150 Genoa isn't a
very big sail on this boat. You can see some of the many winches on the
mainmast. This is my favorite cruising boat of all I've been to sea on.
She's no race boat but you sit so deep in the cockpit you can just see
over the coaming and the ride is great in 6-8' seas with her hauling ass
as others are shortening up to weather it out. She's a real ocean
vessel.

http://www.moeck-yachtagentur.de/img...sharki_1_g.jpg
Here's one with our usual Genoa hanked on. The big, crank-adjustable-
jack mainmast backstay you see here is our HF antenna. I added another
cable to it and put two insulators in the triattic stay up top fed in the
middle of the triattic for a capacitor hat, which really improves
radiation below 7 Mhz, the backstay's natural resonant frequency. The
Icom AT-130 tuner for the M802 is bolted to the top of the aft deckhouse
just aft of the mizzen step and Cap'n Geoffrey and I compromised by
building a whiteboard table over it to hold the drinks of the folks in
folding seats sitting on the deckhouse on either side of the mizzen step
to put their bloody mary's into...(c; He tolerates my stainless feed
wire and the ground strap running down to the Perkins block under the
cockpit sole, the whole thing of which is a huge hatch to get into the
engine room.

Hey, we even made the list in the 2006 Gulfstreamer from Daytona Beach to
Charleston!....:
http://www.halifaxsailing.org/gulfstreamer.htm
That IS unusual....(c;

We usually come lumbering in after they've all packed up and gone
home.....sometimes on MONDAY!....(c; We pray it's ROUGH so we'll have
some POWER!

Larry
--
VIRUS ALERT! VISTA has been released!
NOONE will be spared!

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Rosalie B. wrote in
:

We do have harnesses and jacklines, and we wear PFDs all the time when
underway (unless we are off watch asleep, when it is quite easy to
hand). That is Bob's rule for anyone on our boat. (He also makes me
wear shoes on deck.) Bob always clips onto the jacklines whenever the
weather is at all bumpy.



Us, too. Sospenders anchored to the jacklines at all times.

Larry
--
VIRUS ALERT! VISTA has been released!
NOONE will be spared!

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Jere Lull wrote in news:jerelull-6F5333.19110312022007
@news.bellatlantic.net:

Doesn't have to be so dramatic. Every once in a while, I simply announce
I'm taking a nap and let her carry on however she wants to.



But, I'd bet you DON'T do that in the conditions I've set for the test...

On a nice day the Amel will sail itself all day if you want to go in one
direction. My test specs are in NASTY weather when you'd break that leg.

Larry
--
VIRUS ALERT! VISTA has been released!
NOONE will be spared!

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

On Feb 12, 8:57 am, Larry wrote:
"Bob" wrote in news:1171246804.293314.187660
@s48g2000cws.googlegroups.com:

hot 21 yo girlfriend

If we had one of those, none of us would ever leave the slip and there'd
CERTAINLY be no schedule.....(c;
Larry
--
VIRUS ALERT! VISTA has been released!
NOONE will be spared!

Hi All:

Sorry to get your interest up. Yes, she was 21 and way hot. A lanky 6'
00", big brown eyes..........................

But that was 24 years ago. We were married 11 years til my party girl
kept on partying with a capital "P." We had one child and I ended up
raising our daughter. But all is well. Daughter got a full ride
scholarship playing volleyball at a NCAA D1 school. The one thing that
my ex did well was be tall. My daugher leveld off at 6' 02." Yea !$!$!
$!$.

For years I was counting down the years til she gradated from
highschool so I could return to full time water activities. She left
in early August. I can not belive how much I miss her. A real punch in
the gut. One day when she ws 3 yo an old geezer told me to love her
every second cause she'll be gone soon. I did not believe him. Now
that I am there I know what the old geezer was talking about. Some
things are learned only by experince.
BOb

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

In article ,
Larry wrote:

Jere Lull wrote in news:jerelull-6F5333.19110312022007
@news.bellatlantic.net:

Doesn't have to be so dramatic. Every once in a while, I simply announce
I'm taking a nap and let her carry on however she wants to.



But, I'd bet you DON'T do that in the conditions I've set for the test...

On a nice day the Amel will sail itself all day if you want to go in one
direction. My test specs are in NASTY weather when you'd break that leg.


I've found that because we drill fairly often in benign conditions, she
doesn't mind doing it. When the s..t hits the fan, she has always been
right there, anticipating my next move, and didn't get worried until the
flurry cleared.

Works for us. Making a big thing out of it doesn't.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's NEW Pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Flying Pig News, late edition...
 

Jere Lull wrote:

In article ,
Larry wrote:

Jere Lull wrote in news:jerelull-6F5333.19110312022007
@news.bellatlantic.net:

Doesn't have to be so dramatic. Every once in a while, I simply announce
I'm taking a nap and let her carry on however she wants to.

But, I'd bet you DON'T do that in the conditions I've set for the test...

On a nice day the Amel will sail itself all day if you want to go in one
direction. My test specs are in NASTY weather when you'd break that leg.

I've found that because we drill fairly often in benign conditions, she
doesn't mind doing it. When the s..t hits the fan, she has always been
right there, anticipating my next move, and didn't get worried until the
flurry cleared.

Works for us. Making a big thing out of it doesn't.

If you did that test on me, Larry, I'd throw you overboard. I'm a
partner in this enterprise, not a student - not a test subject, and
not a midshipmen.