10 Suggestions from Dylan Winter

[wes]

I personally identified with #5 and #8. Your results may vary. Tim G, you'd better read #8 very closely.

10 Suggestions for Safe, Sane, and Solvent Sailing
by Dylan Winter for Small Craft Advisor

1) If sailing is possible, sail

If sailing is not possible wait patiently for sailing to be possible. The
weather will always change for the better. You will always enjoy every sail
more than you thought you would.

2) Always have a bucket on board.

A bucket is a wonderful thing—keep one near you at all times. Clean,
well-maintained boats need buckets just as much as leaky old ones.
A good bucket is a wonderful safety aid. Detailed analysis of entirely
invented accident statistics prove that buckets have saved more lives
than buoyancy aids. Few boat bilge pumps can match the water-shifting
power of a frightened man with a bucket.

3) Never cuss the boat.

Sailing is pure physics and if things go awry then it is not the fault of
the boat. I had a friend who used to cuss his boat something rotten—but he
also kissed her stern and said thanks at the end of every sail. His boat
maintenance skills were entirely lacking.

4) Clean fresh fuel

Feed your boat engines with only the very best you can afford. Old fuel is
trouble in store. Don't keep it—feed it to the car or the lawn mower where
it is not mission critical. When you pull the cord or press the starter
button on a boat engine then you really want it to start.

5) The skipper should be the calmest person on board

It is good for the morale of those around you. However, if everyone around
you is frightened then be aware of the possibility that they know something
you don't.

6) Patience is the sailors best friend.

When correctly applied in large quantities it will keep you out of trouble.
Patience can also be of great assistance when trying to get out of trouble.

7) Never complain about the food.

This is a golden rule – unless you want to be the cook. If you are the cook,
then you alone can complain about the quality of the food —others on
board are honour bound to praise your culinary expertise.

Do not own too many boats.

This is very, very important. Good sailors own just two boats—a big one
and a small one. Too many boats is a massive curse and acts as a distraction
from the main happiness in life—which is sailing. Good boats require
maintenance. Maintenance requires time—time you should be sailing.Owning
too many boats is now an internationally recognized disease—it is called
PNM or Poly Navicular Morbus.

9) Never criticize another man's boat.

An internal dialogue about the merits or faults of other boats is fine. By
all means walk slowly and thoughtfully around every marina or boat park you
come across. Just do not let that internal dialogue escape into the external
world.

10) Always have a plan C

When plan A comes unstuck and plan B gets moved up the pecking order, then
Plan C should be a serious proposition.

[crazycarl]

Wes,

I just finished reading this on his site when I decided I would post it here.

Looks like you beat me to it!


Carl

[Tim Gardner]

POLY NAVIVCULAR MORBUS, OH MY!
...
POLY NAVIVCULAR MORBUS, OH MY!
...
POLY NAVIVCULAR MORBUS, OH MY!

I'm off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of boats!
The wiz, the wiz, the wiz, the wiz, because the wonderful wizard floats!! 

Because I don't have to trailer my boats, all other's allotted travel time allows me to maintain them properly, I guess.

I used to restore old wooden boats,  Now THAT eats up the time.  Now I sail more than I maintain with regards to time.

TG

[brackish]

Yeah Tim, I don't think it is the quantity but the proper mix.  I spend a lot of time thinking about the mix.  Building a 14' stitch and glue epoxy composite skiff right now because it meets my need to scallop and speckled trout fish.  Been debating for a while about moving either up or down from the 23, then it occurred to me that maybe doing both makes the most sense.  I see a total of three or four boats in my future, however, don't think I can ever beat you on total footage.  Maintenance?  I'm retired, what else am I going to do.

With regard to the PWC's, I saw an extremely funny story on the net about some Hobie Cat sailors mounting heat seeking missile launchers on their boats and hunting them.  Could have been an Onion offering, but I can't find it now.  My sentiments exactly.  At Bay Springs lake, they are finally put up, so my season has begun. The Lake is mine.   Admiral wouldn't go on this trip, so "Otto" the tiller pilot is on the job.  Moderately decent helmsman but a lousy conversationalist.

[skip1930]

Brackish, nice straight wake.
My compliments to the electronics' gizmo.
Does the thing 'hunt' and gyrate?

skip.  

[Bob23]

Yeah, Brack:
   That sounds like Onion material. Journalism at its finest! But I've often thought of carrying heat seeking misslies on my road bike back when I rode alot. Trouble is, I'd go through so many of them that it could get costly!
  Boat looks very clean, very nice. How do you like your Sport-a-seat?
Bob23

[brackish]

Boat looks very clean, very nice. How do you like your Sport-a-seat?

Thank you!   You're looking at two of the best investments I've made for the boat.  The tiller pilot that opens up mid week solo sailing in a relaxed manner, and the Sport-a-seat (actually the WM knockoff) that is so good on my old and getting older back.  My cockpit cushions are in the attic.  The seats stay on the boat.                 

[Bob23]

I also like the back support that my Sport-a-Seat gives. Plus you can rotate it so your'e not sitting so perpendicular to the tiller. I'd like to add an Otto to my boat also.
Back on topic: I always enjoy Dylan Winters writings in Small Craft Advisor and this is practical advice.
Bob23...recovering PNM survivor

[brackish]

Brackish, nice straight wake.
My compliments to the electronics' gizmo.
Does the thing 'hunt' and gyrate?

skip.  

Thanks, the track was mine, I just turned it over to "Otto" to get a drink and take a picture.  Yes, a bit.  As a sailor you know that helmsmen generally anticipate particularly in following seas and make steering adjustments before the fact to keep a straight track. It becomes instinctive to a human helmsman with experience.  The tiller pilot does not do that so it does its thing after the fact making it hunt much more for the true course. Mine is definitely not good on a close reach in gusty conditions and I never use it as such. 

I think it can be "taught" to some extent, but haven't tried to do that.  I think maybe Shawn knows about that.