I Sail Away

No explanation needed . . . .

Sailors work with rope–although we do not call it by that name. Sailors actually work with lines.  The terms that we use for different types of it indicate where it is used on a boat.  I am going to give a quick overview on some terminology.

Definitions

Lines: The term for the collective assembly of rope on a boat.  You can take a piece of rope, and the second you take it from shore and bring it onto a boat, it becomes a line.

Sail Related Terminology

Halyard: Is the line that runs a sail to the top of the mast–it attaches to the head of a sail. On some older boats, this line may be comprised of wire cable spliced into rope.

Topping Lift: Is a line that runs to the top of the mast (or a partial ways to the top) for the purposes of lifting things.  A topping lift is used to raise a spinnaker pole, and is sometimes attached to the boom.

Sheet: Is a line that connects the clew of a sail to the boat.

Outhaul: Is really a control used to pull tighten the foot of a sail.  In most cases, it is a line attached to the clew of the sail that pulls the foot away from the mast.

Reefing Lines: Are lines that make it easy to reef the main.  If you expect the conditions to be windy, you might rig your reefing lines prior to setting sail from the comfort of the harbor.  Reefing is no small task (especially on large main sails), and having the reefing lines run ahead of time only make it easier.

Anchor and Docking Lines

Rode: Is a line that is attached to an anchor.  This may or may not have chain in the collective rode.

Dock Lines: Are the lines used to secure the boat to the dock.

Spring Line: Is a special dock line used to cinch the boat close to the dock (or the other line).  Sometimes more than one spring line is used.

Painter: Is a line that stays attached to the bow of a ship.  It is a longer line and is used for all sorts of things.

Miscellaneous Terms

Life Lines: Are the lines attached to stantions on the deck of a boat.  Their primary purpose is to keep things (especially people) from falling overboard.

Preventer: Is a lashing that is fixed to the boom of a sailboat to prevent it from moving to one side or the other.  This is especially helpful when running downwind and trying to prevent an accidental jybe.

Thats a good place to start.  I will post more terminology as it comes along.

Saturday morning, I headed up to the Cal Sailing Club in Berkeley to do a little sailing.

I have already discussed how I think the Cal Sailing Club is the best value in the San Francisco Bay for sailing.  But, to re-iterate–the Cal Sailing Club is the best value for San Francisco Bay for learning to sail and sailing.  At $60 and 4 hours of volunteer service to the club PER Quarter, it is the most economical–much more like a sailing co-op than a club or a school.

That being said, I showed up to the Cal Sailing Club a little after 9am on Saturday morning.  I helped rig a few dinghys, and around 10am, the instructors arrived and took us out on the bay for some lessons.

We sailed in a Laser Bahia–a lightweight, sport boat-type dinghy.  It is a bit tippy, but has a gennaker and retractable bow-sprit, is REALLY agile, and fast.  The square-topped sails keep the sail area high, and that little boat flies through the water.

A little time at the helm, some gybes and tacks, and then keeping my weight centered for the remainder of the time.

Great fun, great lessons, great people.  I love that little Cal Sailing Club.

The Cal Sailing Club may be the absolute best value in San Francisco for learning and practicing how to sail, repair boats, and just about everything else sailing-related.  In addition to running a fabulous sailing-co-op style club, they also like to barbeque, share with everyone involved, are welcoming, fun-loving, love to race, and even have members who have completed the Mini-Transat–a 30-day race with two legs from France to Brazil solo in 21-foot boats.  Uhhhhm–yeah.

Okay, Saturday rolls around, and myself and a friend roll up to the Cal Sailing Club.  We get a rigging lesson on the relatively new Laser Bahia (fantastic little boat), and then she gets a sailing lesson in a 14-foot Hunter dinghy.  Super-fun!

If you are looking for me during most of the summer, I have an idea where you might start . . . .

For those of you who may not know, the Cal Sailing Club is one of the best values for sailing on the San Francisco Bay.

The basic premise of the Cal Sailing Club is to function like a co-op for sailing.  For $60/quarter and 2 hours of your labor, you can be a member of the club.  This also entitles you to FREE LESSONS!  As many free lessons as you would like, actually.

After you have achieved a sufficient level of skill and the ability to teach sailing to others, you can earn your Junior Skipper Rating.  With that, you immediately become a Sailing Instructor (you learn the most about a subject matter when you teach it to others).

Do not fret if you are not a natural teacher.  The Cal Sailing Club offer teaching workshops–sort of, train-the-trainer classes for Sailing Instructors.

If you would like to advance your knowledge even further, you can earn your Senior Skipper Rating which includes Keel Boat Sailing, and, of course, the ability to teach it to others.  Your Senior Skipper Rating requires the completion of an approved project.  This may be some maintenance work (leading a work crew) on one of the 6 club-owned keel boats, some dinghy retrofits (again, think work party), or some project of equivalent scope.

And, further still, you can earn your Cruising Skipper rating–which entitles you to plan and lead long-distance cruises in the Keel Boats.  Recent cruises include trips to Angel Island, trips to various locations around the San Francisco Bay for lunch/dinner, night-time cruises, etc.

All of this wonderful instruction is completed under the loving supervision of other members of the club who have earned and passed each of the levels of sailing.

Imagine: all of this fun for $60/quarter and a few hours of your volunteer help.

PS. The Cal Sailing Club still teaches harbor sailing–motorless navigation of the congested waterways of a harbor and th docking of your sailboat.

See the Cal Sailing Club website for details