Canuck01
Member
- Aug 24, 2018
- 79
- Boat Info
- Boatless
- Engines
- 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.
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.