AprilCoverTemplate-1-2 inch 3/24/09 10:03 AM Page 1 Latitude 38 VOLUME 382 April 2009 WE GO WHERE THE WIND BLOWS APRIL 2009 VOLUME 382 SAILINGSAILING Page 122 • Latitude 38 • August, 2008 SUGGESTIONSSUGGESTIONS Most Latitude 38 employees sail blood and learned lots of things the hard- — and started doing so long before they est way possible. came here. One nice aspect of this is that And for every boat we’ve been aboard, their individual areas of interest are as we’ve watched, photographed or talked varied as those of our readers. Among about hundreds more in the course of our ranks are racers, cruisers and day- covering Northern California sailing for sailors. We've sailed aboard everything the last 30 years. from wooden dinghies to carbon compos- All that and we are still constantly ite superyachts; and from short jaunts tickled and amazed by the new and in- across the Bay to long marathons across ventive ideas people bring to sailing. oceans. We’ve sailed singlehanded and as So we thought we'd return the favor. crew, acted as skipper, or just gone along In the next few pages, we offer sugges- for the ride. And — again like many of tions on how to enhance the sailing you — we’ve been capsized, dismasted, experience. There is no theme to these, gotten seasick, fallen overboard, spilled nor are they 'how-to's — and we're cer- Whether it's overcast or sunny, whether your boat is old or new, whether it's a stripped- out racer or loaded-to-the-gills cruiser, sailing is a pastime everyone can enjoy. This is 'Makoa Kai Hele' dipping her toe into a chilly spring day on the Bay. August, 2008 • Latitude 38 • Page 123 SAILING tainly not telling you what to do. Think of what follows as a grab bag of ideas — some admittedly a bit more 'out there' is ever planned be- than others — whose only common de- forehand, there are nominator is the potential to open new a few things you can possibilities of fun with the pastime we do that will dramat- all know and love. So just reach in and ically increase your rummage around until you find one or chances. two that strike your fancy. If you see any We start in as good a place as any... sort of powerboat pull alongside and • Pull in your fenders — Believe us, we one or more people laugh with you not at you when we see points a camera this, because half the time after we get at you: 1) pull in done taking embarassing photos of you, dragging fenders, 2) we look over the side to see the photoboat make sure your sails fenders happily splashing away. Doh! We are trimmed prop- have yet to find or hear of a foolproof way erly and no lines to remember to pull fenders in. If you are trailing, 3) have have one — other than reacting to people everybody on board frowning and pointing — let us know. smile and wave. If • Practice reefing — one of the most the photographer common ‘mistakes’ we see on a typical changes position summer day is folks trying to carry too to get side or stern much sail in a breeze. So how about shots, again, smile planning a day whose main purpose will and wave — and be to practice and refine your reefing do it like you really skills? Rehearse the process at the dock, mean it. We look at then try it underway. And try different literally hundreds combinations on the same stretch of wa- of photographs ev- ter. Some boats will like the main reefed ery month, and as before the headsail; some vice versa. you’ve doubtless If you have roller reefing, put marks noticed, many of on your furler line to indicate different the ones that make depths of reef — 75%, 50% or whatever it into the magazine — and likewise make marks where the feature smiling and jib cars go for each of those positions. waving people. We Don't know how to reef? Look in books will always choose or find someone who can show you. those over other- • Get your photo in the magazine wise beautiful shots — Lots of people ask how they can get of well-trimmed photos of their boats in the magazine or boats where everybody looks depressed appearing on one of our covers should even on the cover. While this is a real or grumpy. (By the way, these guidelines repaint their hulls bright orange, yellow hit and miss proposition and nothing don't count for racers, who are supposed or red Just kidding. You don't actually have to be moving to have a to look serious and intense — which • Explore the Bay’s rich sailing heri- good time on a boat. There are plenty out-of- can easily be mistaken for grumpy.) 4) tage — Here is one of the few suggestions the-way places to stop and smell the roses. Finally, those who really want a shot at we’ll ever give you that doesn’t involve going out on a boat. The San Francisco Bay Area has a rich history, most of which was made possible by sailing ships. Did you know, for example, that Richard Henry Dana of Two Years Before the Mast fame came here when the Bay was little more than a tiny hide-trading port? A good place to start is the San Francisco Maritime Museum’s Hyde Street Pier, where you can go aboard the fleet of historic ships and relive parts of our local sailing history. Or head over to the Bay Model in Sausalito where you can not only watch how the tides work up close, but get your history fix from educational displays. Pack up the kids for these excursions. • Do a medium to large boat project Page 122 • Latitude 38 • August, 2008 SUGGESTIONS • Volunteer — for anything that will enhance your sailing knowledge and/or benefit other sailors. This could be as simple as donating time to a work party at the yacht club. We would also highly recommend that racers spend time on the other side of the starting gun — working as part of a race committee. Such duty never fails to give everyone in- volved a whole new respect for how hard these folks work behind the scenes. • Donate the use of your boat — Does your club run a learn-to-sail program? Perhaps a women's program? If so, offer your boat for use in it and volunteer to go along as 'crew' while others sail her. Is some organization near and dear to your heart running a fundraiser? Volunteer an afternoon sail aboard your boat to be raffled off to the highest bidder — and make that sail comfortable, fun and memorable for the winner. • Do a practice cruise — Okay, so it's going to be a few years before you cast off for Tahiti. You can keep the embers of those cruising dreams glowing with mini-cruises. These can be as simple as going 'off the grid' at anchor at Angel Island for a weekend or, even better, plan a long weekend at Drakes Bay. Start by pretending it's even more remote than it is: work out the navigation on charts (or, all right, computer charts), look at tides and currents, buy and store provisions and make sure your ground tackle and dinghy are ready to go. Then sail there Where the buffalo roam — father and son Jim and Steve Quanci sailed 'Green Buffalo' in the Double- handed Farallones Race. Be it racing, cruising or just day trips, sailing is a family activity that can build strong bonds, good memories and a lifetime of fun. yourself rather than paying someone be expected to supply sandwiches and else. Here’s a good way to save a little drinks, possibly a nice dinner for ev- money and have a memorable and even eryone who helped — and absolutely fun time — even if it doesn’t seem like definitely, everyone gets to go sailing it while you’re doing it. Example: rather when the boat’s back in the water. Again, than paying a boatyard to do a bottom take it from us, you will be surprised at job, find a place that allows do-it-your- how fondly such a shared task will be selfers. Then enlist the help of friends remembered in the years to come. and family — especially kids. And their • Change your boat name — Okay, friends. okay, calm down. The fact is, this is Give really young ones easy, small not bad luck if you do it the proper way things to do, like help pour paint or — which involves 'retiring' the present ‘polish the propeller’. Older ones can name and having the proper initiation for With a reefed main and a bit of jib rolled in, this actually get their hands dirty. Parents of the new one. You'll need champagne, an solo sailor has his boat trimmed perfectly. He's teenage daughters are particularly lucky invocation, and to arrange a ceremony in for a much more enjoyable day than someone because the boyfriends tend to work which should be well-attended by family sailing on their ear and unsure how to reef. extra hard to show off their prowess. and crew. For more on this, see John for a real back-to-nature weekend — and In addition to all the supplies you Vigor's Re-Naming Ceremony in the sail back. should buy for your DIY project well 'Features' section of our website, www.