stormtactic wrote in
:

After almost twenty years of cruising under sail, I have finally
noticed
that the wind is always coming from the direction of my destination.



I see your problem. You have a "destination". Eliminate it and just
sail at the best point of sail to wherever it leads you and you'll be
lots happier, not to mention finding some great new places. Sailors
don't need a "destination".

You're right about the wind. Whatever the wind is, you have the wrong
rags hanked on the rigging. You can use this to your advantage, however!
If a bunch of friends are coming to the dock for a party, break out your
smallest storm jib and put all the reefs in the main. This will cause
the observing weather gods to make the wind dead calm, but you don't care
because the party is at the, now calm, docks. On race day, hank on your
biggest genoa and bring out your spinnaker early that morning. The
weather gods will see you doing this and make the wind blow like hell
making the race a success. On the way motoring out to the race course,
casually change sails at the last moment before the race. The weather
gods won't have time to make it dead calm before the race is nearly over,
giving you a big advantage, even if your handicap isn't as big a number
as ours....(c;

Larry
--
250 miles from port, the wind stops. "What do we do?", cap'n asks. "I'm
going to bed.", I answer taking advantage of the situation. I put a
plumb bob on the ships bell under a flag so if the waves or wind pick up
again before my nap is over it'll wake me and we can get underway again.

If anyone aboard has to "be somewhere" at a certain time, throw him
overboard BEFORE he starts ranting and waking up everyone taking a nap in
the dead calm.

I have to be there by.....say......November 25th....or before the beer
and food run out....(c;

Why would anyone who has to "be somewhere" try to get there in a
SAILBOAT? They need a JET!