Hi Sailors!
The Sailing Weekly Roundup brings you the latest in sailing news, resources, gear, events, training, etc. Every Friday we’ll send a curated list and analysis by Capt. Teresa & Ben Carey. Instead of sifting through a ton of articles and videos each day – let us do the work for you.
Analysis:
I was jolted when I read the headline: Marwa Elselehdar: 'I was blamed for blocking the Suez Canal'
Capt. Marwa Elselehdar was being blamed for the Ever Given grounding—but when it happened she was hundreds of miles away.
I can’t help but wonder, were they blaming her because she is a woman? Is this another example of the discrimination I’ve witnessed toward my wife and female co-captains?
As men, we have a responsibility to drive the shift in the sailing world toward a more inclusive community. I’ve worked with countless strong, female captains over the years. And I’ve come to know that most of the time, men (including myself) don't even realize when we're not being inclusive.
For example, a few years ago, Teresa and I were giving a seminar at a boat show on egalitarian cruising. A man approached us afterward.
"My wife and I are equals too,” he said, “I let her take the helm."
I congratulated him and chatted a little longer. But as he walked away, I turned to Teresa.
“Typical,” she said and shrugged.
That's when I realized what I had missed: His use of "let her" screams bias.
I’ve learned some of the most important leadership skills from women—how to read a group, how to know if the group is working well together. Are we gelling? Is the team performing in the most optimal way?
Sure, everyone knows the knots, sail trim, and blah, blah, blah. But does everyone move together, breath together, and make the boat sail with joy? I learned to look for joy from Teresa. You won’t find it on a captain license exam, but it makes all the difference—how can you count on a crew member to have your back in a 50kt storm if they see the work as drudgery?
These leadership skills are often overlooked when we're so hyper-focused on technical skills. This dichotomy of technical skills versus soft skills has one being more valued than the other. In reality, disasters at sea almost always happen because of poor communication, lack of leadership, and an absence of sensitivity and awareness of the crew's emotional state.
At Morse Alpha, we strive to hire female instructors and have diverse voices on our Morse Alpha podcast. It is hard, but important that we try.
I'm learning about the responsibility and the privilege that I have as a white man in this industry. Gentlemen, we have an obligation!
I'm also really excited to see that there's an uptick in diversity in our sailing bubble recently. This week Nethra Kumanan is the first Indian to earn a direct entry into the Olympics, as well as the first female sailor from India to do so. The article talks about how unique her passion for sailing is there, "Most tend to think it's rowing... it's not even close," says Nethra.
~ Ben
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Now for the best of the web...
From Morse Alpha:
The Morning Muster Podcast, Ep 9: Ocean Racing – Prepping For The Marion Bermuda Race
An inspiring chat with two Marion Bermuda Race veterans, Ray Cullum and Debra Gayle, about ocean racing, why they love it and keep coming back year after year. We talk about sailboats, tactics, navigation, safety, crew dynamics, self-sufficiency, seamanship, and of course strategies for winning! If you are interested in ocean sailing and racing, you’ll find valuable information in this episode..
News:
Two Tankers Ran Aground In Suez Canal, Refloated Successfully: GAC
Two ballast tankers ran aground in the Suez Canal this morning (6 April). Both have now been reported to have been refloated. As per information received, a 107,505 DWT ballast oil tanker ship with a draft of 8 metres ran aground at 132.5 km of the Suez Canal…
New Safety at Sea “Virtual Mini-Seminar” available for the public
As part of Storm Trysail Club’s commitment to fostering Safety-at-Sea offshore, we are inviting the public to join our half-day Zoom mini-seminar on April 10, 2021. This half-day presentation is part of a more extensive program that includes a series of US Sailing and Storm Trysail Club videos regarding Safety-At-Sea, as well as the first implementation of some of the recommendations coming out of STC’s recent Offshore Sailing Leadership Symposium (OSLS)…With a borrowed boat and the wind in her sails, Nethra Kumanan crafts sailing history
During a team briefing days ahead of the Asian Olympic qualifiers, Indian sailing coach Tomasz Januszewski learnt that the country's brightest Olympic qualifying hope would be at sea with a slightly battered boat…Marwa Elselehdar: 'I was blamed for blocking the Suez Canal'
News had broken about a huge container ship, the Ever Given, that had become wedged across the Suez Canal, bringing one of world's major shipping routes to a halt. But as she checked her phone, online rumours were saying she was to blame.NTSB Says Complacency, Lack of Procedural Compliance at Issue in Marine Accidents
he National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says a lack of procedural compliance and complacency were key factors in several marine accident investigations that have concluded so far in 2021…Sailing Featured At First-Ever Junior Pan American Games In 2021
The first-ever Junior Pan American Games is set to take place on September 9 – 19, 2021 in Cali, Colombia. This international multi-sport event is for athletes in the Americas aged 18 to 22. Athletes from 41 countries will participate in this first edition. The Sailing events will be held over three days on….
Resources:
Rutgers Satellite Imagery Sea Surface Temperature of Gulf Stream
A site maintained by Rutgers University which includes a variety of satellite data specific to the Gulf Stream.
Tutorials:
Installing Hardware in Cored Composites
This guide is designed to assist you in the installation or replacement of fasteners, through-hulls, and hardware in cored-composite structures such as hulls, decks, and cabins…
Apps:
Celestial Navigation and Piloting with iPhone, iPad, iPod
StarPilot does celestial sight reductions of all bodies using high-precision internal almanac, plus mathematical and graphic solutions for position fixes, great circle, rhumb line, traverse and composite sailings, all current problems, piloting solutions, and much more...Celestial Navigation 4+ Sextant Sight Reduction
This app does all the calculations to reduce a sextant reading to a line of position on the map. All intermediate numbers are shown to check your manual calculations.Barometric Pressure and Navigation Data Loggers
Two apps designed for mariners who realize the importance of atmospheric pressure for routing decisions. The basic free Marine Barometer app records time, date, Lat, Lon, and both sea level and station pressures manually with the press of a button. The stored data are tabulated for view within the app…
Video:
How to Trim Sails with Carol Hasse, Part 2 – The Headsail
Legendary sailmaker Carol Hasse shows us how to tell your jib from your genoa and how to manage headsail trim for better performance…
Gear:
The JibCapProtection for your Furling Jib's Webbing Loop / S.S. Ring Lashing from the Sun U.V. Rays
The JibCap is a unique ‘jib head webbing loop’ or 'ring lashing' cover to protect the webbing from the sun’s ultra violet rays…