Your token sailor... :)

Canuck01

Member
Aug 24, 2018
79
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Boatless
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Boatless
Hi - as you can see, I'm a - GASP! - sailor. I stumbled in here in part to see how the other half lives, and I've become aware that a lot of powerboaters really don't know a lot about sailboats, sailing and why and how our boats get around. At the same time, I'm learning a lot from you guys about powerboating that I didn't understand previously.
So I'd like to offer to answer any questions you have about us, and our boats. You know, what is tacking and gybing and how can I tell when a sailboat is about to change direction, what's the best side to pass a sailboat on, what's a fast pass and how do you perform one to avoid waking the other guy...stuff like that and anything else that you'd like to know....like when to offer a sailor a glass of rum (anytime), and what brands are best (Mount Gay, Sailor Jerry's, any Cuban or Honduran rum), etc. :)
A bit about me - I'm a sailing instructor, boating writer and a speaker at various boat shows, and have sailed in the Pacific (Tahiti), the Great Lakes, US east coast, Cuba, Caribbean and the Bahamas. I'm also considered highly knowledgeable about the ICW, so if you're planning a trip south, perhaps I can help you with that too.
The boat in the photo is a 1975 Dufour 34, capable of a circumnavigation, not that I plan on doing one. A friend's Dufour 34 was sailed from France, through the Panama Canal and to Tahiti and back to Florida. The design is what is known as a 'sloop', or Marconi rig, as opposed to a ketch (two masts), catboat (one large mast forward with one sail) or schooner (two, three or four masts).
My engine is a 20 hp Yanmar (not the original engine) with an 80 amp alternator upgrade, and she's equipped with solar and wind which power the boat's equipment when away from the dock for extended periods, which, since I live aboard, is most of the time. I have an Atlantic Towers arch to support the solar and wind, complete with davits for the dinghy. Draft is 5 feet and beam is 11, with an air draft of 48 feet. The boat has a windlass, 45 pound Mantus anchor and 120 feet of chain plus 200 of rope rode.
The prop is a three blade, 14 x 12 - most sailboats have two blade props. Some have folding props, a creature none of you will be familiar with - they fold in to the shaft to decrease drag when under sail.
So those are some basics for you. Look forward to the discussion.
 
Welcome Canuck. I've been around here for quite a while and you are maybe the first sailor I've seen on this site of any of it's previous incarnations.

How do you guys prefer to be "slow passed." I've been told to come up directly behind, as close as is safe, then drop off plane and veer out from behind the sailboat and make the pass. This keeps the sailor from getting tossed about . It just seems to me that this would be pretty daunting for the captains of both involved vessels.
 
Welcome Canuck. I've been around here for quite a while and you are maybe the first sailor I've seen on this site of any of it's previous incarnations.

How do you guys prefer to be "slow passed." I've been told to come up directly behind, as close as is safe, then drop off plane and veer out from behind the sailboat and make the pass. This keeps the sailor from getting tossed about . It just seems to me that this would be pretty daunting for the captains of both involved vessels.

It IS scary, and I remember clearly the first time a pro captain passed me that way. But - the powerboat comes up to just short of the transom of the sailboat, about 20 - 30 feet away, drops quickly off plane and the momentum moves the powerboat past the sailboat with minimal wake, at which point the powerboat can power up again and move on. Doesn't hurt to warn the sailboat via VHF if you do this so the sailor doesn't have a heart attack. And, it does take some practice to get it right - I recommend an aid to navigation so you can get the feel of it before trying it on a real, live sailor! :)
A big part of the 'wake' issue is sailors who are moving at 7 - 8 knots and don't understand that at that speed, most powerboats have to pass at about 10, creating that huge wake. The sailboat needs to slow down as his part of the deal.
 
I've been waiting for this opportunity "to ask a sailor" anything for a long time.

While I totally understand how your boat moves through the water...wind, sails and so forth, I've often wondered why a wake from a powerboat upsets sailors so much? Aren't there any big waves in the Ocean?

Why do sailors, with these magnificent sailing vessels, choose to cruise the inter-coastal with their sails down? Is it because they just need a break from all that tacking and gybing? Are they trying to discover what it is that the power boaters already knows?

Do all sailors fancy themselves with such high regard? Are they alone at sea so often, that there's nobody to keep their ego's in check?

Why are some sailors so sensitive to what others say? Are they thin skinned? Is it because they're stuck on a boat for 200 days a year and have lost all touch with their social skills and how to deal with other humans?

Do all sailors have low self-esteem and put down others to make themselves feel better? Do they not know how to win friends and influence people?

Are sailors so out of touch with reality that they have nothing better to do with their time when on land?

That's all I have for now, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.
 
You BLEW right in here and made a few unfounded assumptions about power boaters in general. I can't think of anyone on this site that has ever puffed out their chest quite as far as you have trying to impress us with their boating qualifications such as you have. I can think of better ways of introducing oneself to fellow boaters even if they are not blow-boaters. Slow down matey. I have no questions for you at this time.
 
I've been waiting for this opportunity "to ask a sailor" anything for a long time.

While I totally understand how your boat moves through the water...wind, sails and so forth, I've often wondered why a wake from a powerboat upsets sailors so much? Aren't there any big waves in the Ocean?

Why do sailors, with these magnificent sailing vessels, choose to cruise the inter-coastal with their sails down? Is it because they just need a break from all that tacking and gybing? Are they trying to discover what it is that the power boaters already knows?

Do all sailors fancy themselves with such high regard? Are they alone at sea so often, that there's nobody to keep their ego's in check?

Why are some sailors so sensitive to what others say? Are they thin skinned? Is it because they're stuck on a boat for 200 days a year and have lost all touch with their social skills and how to deal with other humans?

Do all sailors have low self-esteem and put down others to make themselves feel better? Do they not know how to win friends and influence people?

Are sailors so out of touch with reality that they have nothing better to do with their time when on land?

That's all I have for now, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.
I'll ignore the obvious sarcasm of several of your questions and answer your 'honest' questions.
A powerboat wake is avoidable if the powerboater is courteous and slows his boat while passing. Also, an ocean wave isn't the same sort of wave - with a powerboat, you get two, three, four large very steep 'waves' from the wake, each about two to ten feet apart - an ocean wave is much easier to ride up and over, a powerboat wake 'slams' the sailboat. If the powerboat is coming from behind, the angle it hits at is such that the boat is badly rolled.
I've sailed in 8 - 10 foot ocean seas that were far more easy to handle than many powerboat wakes I've been hit with.
Why do we hate it? Because stuff gets damaged by wake waves. People get hurt below, being tossed into bulkheads, etc. by the unexpected movement.
Why do sailors cruise the ICW? Sometimes it's because they want to visit someplace ON the ICW. Sometimes it's due to bad weather outside. Sometimes they're intimidated by the open ocean. At 5 - 6 knots, you need to do an overnight on a sailboat to make any real distance outside as compared to traveling inside. And not everyone wants to do an overnight either.
 
You BLEW right in here and made a few unfounded assumptions about power boaters in general. I can't think of anyone on this site that has ever puffed out their chest quite as far as you have trying to impress us with their boating qualifications such as you have. I can think of better ways of introducing oneself to fellow boaters even if they are not blow-boaters. Slow down matey. I have no questions for you at this time.
I y'am who I y'am - bonus points for those who know who said that. And it ain't bragging if you done it. I've done it, I wanted people to know that their questions would be answered by someone with some expertise. Fair enough?
 
A real sailor said that. Popeye was his name and he knew how to make friends. He was also humble and not afraid of a few small wakes. You’re more like Wimpy
 
A real sailor said that. Popeye was his name and he knew how to make friends. He was also humble and not afraid of a few small wakes. You’re more like Wimpy
I take it you don't want me dating your sister then? :)
 
My boat throws a smaller wake if I pass on plane than pass at displacement speed.
That wake at speed is still too big in a narrow channel or if you're closer than about 50 yards. Slow down to no wake speed and show some courtesy.
 
Well from where I sit, the seas appear to be getting rather choppy. Break out the popcorn folks. This one may take a while to BLOW over.
Sails reefed, everything in its place, foulies on, nothing like a good storm to bring out the best in a sailor.... and sailboats typically handle bad weather FAR better than powerboats. We can't outrun the storm typically, so we buy boats that can deal with them.
 
I haven't heard any opinions with the use of a portable generators on a sailboat yet. Maybe that can spark some constructive conversation haha
as long as it's not in use in a crowded anchorage after a reasonable hour, I'm good with it.
 
Hi - as you can see, I'm a - GASP! - sailor. I stumbled in here in part to see how the other half lives, and I've become aware that a lot of powerboaters really don't know a lot about sailboats, sailing and why and how our boats get around. At the same time, I'm learning a lot from you guys about powerboating that I didn't understand previously.

Now why couldn't this have been your first post?....
 

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