There’s also a very intimate connection between man and water. I’m not talking about the water we drink, but the ocean, the lake, the river, whatever source of water a man feels close to. In order to fulfill a man’s desire to be on or near the water, we sometimes use boats. My boat of choice is a sailboat.
Filling The Sails
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Master And Commander Style
…we passed them and began pushing them up, forcing them to turn down to get better air and positioning. We took advantage of being upwind as we slowed and allowed them to come alongside. At that point we unleashed an assault…
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My sails are full…
…when sails are working their hardest and accomplishing the most, they are full and quiet. When the sails are struggling and not efficient, they’re very noisy. It parallels some aspects of our lives. When we’re content and working hard to accomplish a goal, we are usually quiet and oriented, not expending energy on distractions or making noise. Likewise, when we’re struggling with something or unable to maintain a proper course, we need adjustment just as one would adjust a sail.
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Hatch Board Heaven
As you might recall from my Hatch Board Hell post, my hatch boards were seriously a wreck. I’m happy to report that after some serious work, my friend from work has helped me transition out of the depths of hatch board hell. Take a look at these beauties!
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I can finally steer the boat again!
I’ve had the boat out a couple times since installing the new tiller. You know how when you were a kid and got brand new shoes and thought you could run faster? Well, I think my boat may be faster now! Haha.
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Harvest Moon Regatta 2017
We only had one issue that really concerned us during the overnight race. Our port jibsheet snapped! It sounded like a gun being fired. But we were able to use our way-too-long main reefing line as a makeshift jibsheet. It served a double-ended purpose for the remainder of the race.
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2017 Harvest Moon Regatta Preparations
After a frenzy of online purchases, I finally gathered the necessary safety equipment. Offshore Automatic Inflatable Life Jacket, crotch strap for life jacket [this thing feels like it’ll hurt if I actually end up using it!]…
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… And it happened again!
We tacked around a couple times and then “Crack….!!!” I heard the tiller break! I could tell it broke at the very back, under the metal brackets.
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Hatch board hell
When I bought the boat, the companionway was (and currently is) covered by one piece of painted plywood. It looks terrible, it’s heavy, and it’s difficult to store while underway. It’s hatch board hell.
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HMR 2017 Training Session #1
We practiced our man overboard drills. We practiced the figure 8 method a few times and the heave-to method several times. To practice the drills, Forest would throw overboard two half-gallon milk jugs tied together with a cord.