Tour and Travel

Archive for the ‘Sailing’ Category

Thinking of an original vacation idea?  Why not a sailing vacation in the Caribbean or Mediterranean?  These days it’s becoming a more affordable holiday option.

A Caribbean sailing vacation offers the romance and adventure of treasure trails and tales of pirates on the Spanish Main. Diving or snorkelling on reefs, coral caves and ancient wrecks is also a popular pastime. Spend days out at sea on your own private charter boat or enjoy a more sociable encounter as part of a group.

For the sailing enthusiast, a great vacation idea is to hire a non-crewed charter boat. There are options available for various levels of sailing experience and you may only need to have a hired skipper for some of the time. Alternatively you can enjoy a more inclusive sailing vacation on a fully crewed charter with skipper and chef who will look after everything, leaving you to enjoy the time of your lives.

One of the best things about a sailing vacation is the variety of vessels available to hire – from small cruise ships, motor yachts or catamarans with luxury cabins and all modern amenities to large and small boats providing a simpler but nevertheless personal service. Having no time limit and the freedom to explore the coral reefs, lagoons or palm fringed islands at your leisure can provide a relaxing and favourable experience that you and your loved ones will never forget.

You do not know hot much to trim in your mainsail or headsail on reaches? You sometines find yourself sailing too low or too high after tacking? This article will give you some tips of sailing techniques so you can feather to pump up your power, spped and drive.

Concentrate on the forward third of each sail. That’s where the wind first makes contact with the sail. If the wind shifts or the sheets aren’t quite right, the sail will luff–or flutter. Use the headsail sheets or mainsheet to stop the flutter–or “put it to sleep”.

Easy does it when trimming! You don’t want to stall the sail, because this causes your small sailboat to move more sideways than forward. Follow these steps to get just the right sail trim every time.

*CLOSE HAULED

1.

Set the headsail so that the leech lies 1″ to 2″ from the spreader tip. Pull the sailboat boom close to the centerline with the mainsheet.

2. Head up toward the wind just enough until the luff starts to flutter.

3. Fall off just enough to put the luff to sleep. This puts you right on the edge of the “no-go” zone and you should see good acceleration.

*REACHES

1. Set the boom vang to keep the mainsail leech under control.

2. Fall off or head up to the desired reach or sailing compass course.

3. Steady up on your heading. Look at each sail luff. If it flutters, pull in (trim) the sheet just enough to put the luff to sleep. If you see no flutter, the sail might be stalled. Ease each sheet until the luff just begins to flutter; then pull it in just enough to put it to sleep.

*RUNNING

Forget about feathering when running before the wind.

Instead, concentrate on these three speed boosters:

1. Ease the outhaul on the mainsail. This increases draft (belly) in the lower third of the sail. Set the vang to keep the boom horizontal.

2. Wing out the headsail with a whisker pole to present maximum area to the wind.

3. Steer with a light touch in light to moderate wind. Over-steering creates drag and slows the boat down.

Some brands of polyethylene cloth are more porous than other brands. The lack of total waterproofing can be huge drawback for some people. Perhaps you live in an area that has a lot of seasonal rain.

This could certainly be a drawback if you want to sit outside and watch the rain underneath a shade sail that is leaking somewhat. Shade sails should be angled in order to allow for water run off, however, some people do want a material that will limit completely the amount of water that can go through. Glenn Raven introduced Sunbrella fabric in the 1960s as a superior alternative to traditional cotton awning materials. These days, Sunbrella is used for all sorts of applications from furniture, to awnings and sun sails. There are several things that you should know about waterproof shade sails before making your purchase.

Sunbrella fabric is an excellent material for fabricating sun sails. It is readily available in a multitude of colors and now comes with a 10-year UV rating. This is an advantage over 5-year rated fabrics in that it will definitely last longer in the sun. It can also be found in an assortment of colors that might not be as easily available in shade cloth fabric. It is also more expensive than traditional polyethylene fabric. It is also considered to be waterproof. However, keep in mind that Sunbrella fabric must allow some water to pass through in order for it not to build up inside the fabric. This prevents the material from building up mildew and deteriorating. The amount of water that passes through the fabric is not noticeable.

Waterproof shade sails should also be angled 20 degrees for every 10 feet of shade sail. This prevents water from building up in the middle and causing your sun sail to sag. Therefore, if you have a 25-foot side sail than you should angle it around 45 degrees. This also gives your sunshade an artistic flair that is unsurpassed by traditional awnings or patio covers. You may also select to install your sail at different heights in every corner. This creates a hyper effect and also provides for water run off at the same time.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Sunbrella fabric does not stretch as much as shade clothe and therefore it is not as forgiving. Sunbrella can only stretch around 2 inches a the most. Shade cloth on the other hand, can stretch much more significantly. Some sails, depending on the size, made from shade fabric, can be stretched 18 to 24 inches. You will not be able to get much stretch if you are in an installation pickle, and need to get 6 more inches of length in order to meet your fixing point when using Sunbrella waterproof fabric. Therefore, it is very important to plan your installation carefully and take note of your hardware length in relation to the size of your sun sail. Proper planning will make for a smooth installation of your waterproof shade sail.

Waterproof sunshades provide many advantages that non-waterproof sails do not have. They keep patrons at restaurants from getting wet while dinning on the patio during a modest rainstorm. Waterproof sun sails will keep your doorway from getting wet as well. They are also readily available in multitude of colors for you to choose from. However, it is important to keep in mind that they also have different installation characteristics than non-waterproof sails. Waterproof shade sails will also react differently to wind loads as well. You might want to check with an engineer prior to undertaking this project. Most residential applications will not require an engineer, however, commercial uses will more than likely require permitting, wind rating certificates, etc.

To the uninitiated, sailing can look like the province of the wealthy, with spare money to buy expensive boats, and endless spare time to maintain and sail them.  The thought of spending enormous amounts of money to enter a sport we know little about can be daunting to even the wealthiest among us.  While it is true that you could spend absurd amounts of money to learn how to sail, it is also true that almost anyone who lives in or near a coastal city can begin sailing regularly for almost no money at all.

Throughout the sailing world, there is an enormous community of people who enjoy racing their boats.  The appeal of the sport is sufficient that few coastal or lakeside cities are without several organized yacht racing clubs.  One can watch as dozens or even hundreds of yachts race each other every weekend, and sometimes multiple times a week.  In my home port of Vancouver, it is possible to race as many as four times a week, and more if you are willing to travel or enter some of the larger races.

However, the little known secret of yacht racing is that every one of those boats needs crew.  Aside from a few ‘singlehanded’ races, most racing requires at least a few people on each boat.  Some boats have as many as fifteen crew aboard for a single race.  Outside of the professional sailing world, crew are unpaid and sailing purely for the joy of it.  And the reality for most racing captains is that it is hard to find crew to race their boats on a regular basis.

Racing boats are so much in need of crew that they are almost always willing to take on novice crew members.  No matter if you have never once set foot on a sailboat, it is likely that you could find a spot on a racing boat within days.  Many racing clubs have websites where a person can list her name and contact information for skippers seeking crew.  Some clubs even have a location (often outside the entrance to the marina or yacht club) where interested crew can show up before a race to fill spots on boats.By putting my name on one crew list I ended up racing for years on several different boats.  I made several excellent friendships.

The advantages of learning to sail as a novice crewmember of a racing boat are enormous.

The entry cost is minimal.  In the warm season, often all a crewmember needs is some sailing gloves () and some raingear.  In some cases it is necessary to bring your own flotation (i.e. a pfd). The rest of the equipment belongs to the boat and is the responsibility of the owner.

Experience is the best teacher.  Racing boats will sail in a wide range of conditions, and will push their gear to the limit.  Once you have raced for awhile, a quiet charter trip or cruise with the family is not at all intimidating.

Racing is a social activity.  While there are many intense challenges, you get to be part of a team that is working towards a goal.  Shared challenge is an excellent way to make new friends and broaden your horizons.

You can become a highly skilled sailor in a fairly short period of time, at no cost.  While there are a wide range of courses available to novice sailors, they can be quite costly.  If you do eventually decide to pay for a course, you will gain much more from it as a seasoned racer than you would as a complete novice.

The sailing world is full of adventure and excitement, and very accessible to people on even the most modest of incomes.   I now have my own boat, and can take my family sailing with the confidence borne of years of experience racing in all conditions.  For a novice who is curious about sailing but does not know where to begin, crewing on a race boat is an enjoyable, affordable and thrilling way to begin.

Do you love sailing? Who doesn’t? Today, sailing is more popular than ever. Everybody needs a break, a way to escape from every day routine and anxiety. Every year, more people discover the benefits of sailing; a passionate experience that will fulfil even the most demanding needs. Sailing can be a dream but can also become a torture if no essential knowledge is attained.

There are five essentials of sailing that hold the secret to the knowledge and understanding of different skills and techniques.

1) Balance is a necessity

Heeling is inevitable when sailing. That means your sailboat will tilt over to one side according to the wind or wave pressure. Heeling does no good as it loses speed and gets off course. Measures have to be taken to keep it steady.

- Use the wheel to steer the boat in the desired direction.

- Raise the centreboard achieving latitude enhancing.

- Loose the sail to eliminate wind pressure.

- Change the sail’s shape to minimize wind force.

- Turn the boat to the direction the wind blows.

- For small boats, the crew can move to the side where the wind blows, changing the gravity centre and keeping the boat straight.

2) a. Sail setting

To manoeuvre the sail you have to set its angle towards the wind. In order to achieve that, you must efficiently learn to control the sheet. When it is too loose, the sailboat will shake under the wind pressure. Pull the sheet to the point where the waving stops.

b. Lessening sail

This is a major safety feature of sailing. You have to control sail in order to go along with the wind. If the wind is strong, lessen the sail.

You can also change the sail area by lowering the sail and bonding its lower part, a manoeuvre called reefing. By reefing, you make your boat sail steady with no balance loss keeping in the right course.

3) Right course

To enjoy every moment of your sailing experience, choose the best course. Draw an imaginary line between two distances. Try to make it short and quick considering every possible obstacle.

4) Fore And Aft Trim

Your quests can turn out to be a precious help. You have to learn how to evenly distribute the weight of your crew. Relocating them depending on the wind’s direction is the basic notion. You can move forward towards the wind or downwards when the wind blows behind you. Doing that, you can accomplish a better balance of your sailboat. Of course, this works better with small boats. When it comes to fore and aft trim, size does matter!

5) Centreboard

In case of a leeway (when your boat is being pushed on either side by the wind pressure) you can use the centreboard to hold onto the water. Lift it up when the wind blows from behind and lower it when you sail towards the course of the wind.

You want to become a master in sailing? Follow these rules and enjoy an unforgettable experience. Remember, safety comes first!