Hi Sailors!
The Sailing Weekly Roundup brings you the latest in sailing news, trends, gear, events, and training. Every week we’ll send a curated list and analysis by Capt. Teresa and Ben Carey. Instead of sifting through a ton of articles and videos each day – let us do the work for you.
Editorial:
My first job aboard a sailboat was in Maine, as mess mate (aka “dishwasher”) on the schooner Lewis R. French. She is 65’ on deck, 98’ overall and carries six sails on her two masts. The captain ran the boat with a crew of 4, and being at the bottom of the hierarchy meant that I also got a prime bunk in the often crowded galley.
As a small crew, we had to recruit help from eager passengers. In particular, the crew helped with setting sails, hoisting the anchor, and maneuvers such as tacking or gybing. Everything was manual, and since the boat was gaff-rigged, mains’l felt heavy. We often left the mains’l up at night to ease the burden on our small crew.
One of the benefits of a schooner rig is the position of the mains’l. It is so far aft that it acts as a weathervane, keeping the bow pointed into the breeze while not providing any forward propulsion. This sweet feature also facilitates sailing onto the anchor. We would sail into an anchorage with all the sails set nearly every time. The routine went like this: first drop the heads’ls and scandalize the fores’l, then round up and drop the hook. Finally, back the fores’l to get some stern-way and stretch the chain — all without ever starting the engine or lowering the mains’l.
I knew that sailing into a crowded anchorage under full sail at 7kts was a little bit of a show, but the frequency with which we sailed onto the anchor led me to believe that was just the way things were done.
Fast forward to the present day. We teach coastal & offshore sailing, and of course, we cover anchoring. We primarily anchor under power and reverse on the anchor to set it. But on every trip, we try to anchor under sail a few times to demonstrate the possibilities and technique. With a sloop rig, by backing the mains’l you can get enough sternway to set the anchor. It is possible, effective, and fun!
I encourage you to try it and practice it, because someday you might need to depend on it. Perhaps you’ll find it as amusing as we do and make it standard practice aboard your boat.
~ Ben
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Join us at Cruisers University, October 2021
We’ll be teaching 9 classes at Cruisers University this fall. Our seminars are: Navigation, Beyond the Bowline, Cruising Couples, Cruising Maine and New England, Intro to Celestial Navigation, Rules of the Road, Sail Theory, Solo Sailing.
Now for the best of the web...
News:
Mary E back at Bath museum after capsizing, investigation ongoing
The Coast Guard and Maine Maritime Museum haven't determined what caused the historic schooner to capsize Friday with 18 people on board.NOAA to update 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook
On Wednesday, Aug. 4, NOAA will issue its routine update to the Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook as this season enters the historical peak period of mid-August through October.A Boatbuilding Boom
Yards in Maine are busy, with many locations at or beyond capacity, but quality remains paramount.National Sailing Hall of Fame Announces 2021 Inductees
The National Sailing Hall of Fame (NSHOF) announced today eleven sailors comprising its 11th class of inductees.These 5 technologies are helping save our ocean
NOAA’s tech partnerships are working to solve big problems. Cutting-edge technologies help us dive deeper, gather more ocean data and solve some of its biggest challenges.The Andy & Scott Show - Chicago Mac Race
A fast start and series of right moves along the 289-nautical mile course propelled Andy Graff and Scott Eisenhardt to first place in the four-boat field of the doublehanded division in the 112th Chicago Mac race.Emily Nagel: “I see sexism in sailing every day”
We caught up with Emily Nagel, as she prepares to trial for a place on the Great Britain SailGP team. The trials will take place around the Plymouth SailGP event on 17/18 July.Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane interdicts $16 million worth of drugs
PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane returned home to their homeport in Portsmouth, after a 72-day patrol in the Caribbean Sea, Sunday.Hands-on Safety at Sea seminar
With the improving Covid situation, and the huge demand for SAS certification for 2022 offshore events, the Storm Trysail Club will hold a Hands-On SAS Seminar at the New York State Maritime College (SUNY in the Bronx) on Monday, October 11, 2021- Columbus Day.Fishing Boat Operator Arrested for Violating Captain of the Port Order and Endangering Passengers
The U.S. Coast Guard has arrested the operator of a Maryland fishing boat for ignoring a Captain of the Port Order and taking on passengers before correcting hazardous conditions.Don & Alex Peacock, Father & Son Captains, at Boothbay Windjammer Days
Two of the tall ships, the privateer schooner Lynx and the schooner Spirit of Bermuda are commanded by captains named Peacock. The two captains happen to be father and son.Things to Consider Before Booking a Bareboat Charter
You’ve run small boats forever, but it’s always been your dream to charter your own liveaboard bareboat to drift about some palm-adorned island chain at your whim.Under Pressure, Italy Bans Large Cruise Ships from Venice Lagoon
The Italian government is banning large cruise ships from calling on the Venice lagoon after declaring the lagoon a national monument.Predicting the Winds and Currents for the Tokyo Olympics
PredictWind is known for the best weather models globally and we have also been working hard to develop the very best tidal current predictions worldwide.U.S. high-tide flooding breaks records
U.S. high-tide flooding breaks records. Damaging flooding is predicted to be common along most coasts by 2030.
Gear & Equipment
Bivy Stick, ACR’s new satellite tracker with strong outdoor roots
For years ACR has touted the merits of EPIRBs and PLBs as the preferred way to summon help when lives are on the line. So, when ACR announced they’d purchased Bivy, the maker of the Bivy Stick two-way satellite messenger, I was immediately anxious to get my hands on one…Connecting Lithium Cells
Say you want to build a battery for your boat to run the house loads. This is an excellent application for a lithium battery! Imagine that you turn everything on at the same time in your boat, how many amps will you be drawing?Stress corrosion cracking that could cost you your rig
Some types of corrosion are easy to spot, but stress corrosion cracking has the potential to weaken your rig with very little warning.The Perfect Offshore Boat: Part 2
Want to see me at my worst? Keep me awake for 48 hours. A good ocean-sailing yacht will have good ocean-sailing bunks, something you can easily arrange. At their simplest, bunks should be narrow and secure.Diesel forced air heaters: a buyer’s guide
Planning on extending your sailing season? Duncan Kent investigates diesel forced air heaters and finds out what is available on the market
Educational / How-To’s:
Seacock misconceptions busted
After discovering a range of popular misconceptions online, Ben Sutcliffe-Davies explains the importance of fully understanding your seacocks and whether they are fit for purpose.The Vented Loop Remote Drain
As simple as vented loops are, they do occasionally fail with the most common scenario being external leaking of water.How to detect gas leaks on boats – a handy tool that could save your life
Detecting gas leaks on boats is important, especially as gas standards on boats were very different 40 years ago.The Coolant Recovery Bottle: Unsung Hero of the Engine Room
Here's how to make sure your coolant recovery bottle is properly installed and in good working order.Pro Tip: How To Maintain A Working Windlass
It’s pretty obvious what you should do above deck to keep your windlass running smoothly. At least once a year, preferably during spring layup, discombobulate the mechanicals and apply.How to Tame a Smelly Bilge
A clean bilge may not be as sexy as freshly varnished mahogany trim or oiled teak decks, but having one is an important part of keeping any vessel shipshape. One popular (and ineffective) technique for cleaning a bilge is to flood it with a sudsy wash.Notes on Bank, Cushion, and Squat
To understand bank and cushion: Think of ship stationary and river of water running by it. Bow shape at the waterline funnels water into the near shore side, which piles up as it cannot compress.Watch Systems
Thank you for your very well stated position about staying on watch with only two persons. We made numerous passages from Cape Fear direct to PR, BVI, and mostly to Antigua.North Sails offshore sailing tool kit
When heading offshore, there are many things to keep in mind that can help you make it to the finish line in one piece. Here are some articles that will help you plan ahead, expect the unexpected, and get the best results in the upcoming offshore racing scene.