Well... SUMMER IS HERE

Posted By: Gary "Doc" Hansen
Date: 5/30/00 12:56p.m.

Report: outside forum guidelines

Well… SUMMER IS HERE by Gary “Doc” Hansen It’s OFFICIAL… Summer is HERE… and we are going to have LOTS of sailing happening from now to the Labor Day weekend. Now is the time to do all those things that you have wanted to do… with the boat in the water. Polish up those “systems” like reefing, anchoring, sail changes, docking, and all the other things that you’ve thought about in the off-season. Adding lines and hardware in the yard, has brought you some new “pull toys” to practice operating. Make sure that you and the crew are “familiar” with them and what it is that they do. Speaking of the crew, it’s a good idea to start placing more responsibility on them, and teaching them to operate the boat more efficiently. A well-organized boat, with a good crew can make magic happen. So often we tend to get in a position that only one person has the tiller, or does the trimming, or gets consigned to galley slave. You may have never let anyone else dock the boat, or never taken the time to show anyone how you like to set the anchor. This season, why not try and open the boat up to some more activity from the crew… expand their horizons and it will make your job lots easier too. I know that I’m going to get in some more night sailing this year than I did last year. In the Southwest, you have the HEAT to deal with, and so I head to the lake after dark when it’s cooler. Night sailing has it’s own special set of challenges and rewards. The most obvious is the fact that it’s DARK and you can’t see much. This is the beauty of night sailing, as you have to PAY ATTENTION and navigate to your destination. It forces you to keep alert to those little subtle changes in the boat. A wave here, a noise there… all are signals and input for the skipper to be aware of. There is nothing like taking several hours and many tacks around islands and reefs, to a favorite anchorage that you find in the moonlight. Darkness brings out some focus and awareness that we take for granted in the light of day. And I could not close this “summer” thought without some words about the TRAILER. Summer Vacation is coming… and that trailer is CALLING. If at all possible this year, take the boat to a new and exciting destination that you have been thinking about. A Trailer Sailor Vacation… It’s the BEST, and so easy to do. Start planning right away by getting that trailer ready to go. Get on the net… or call Triple A and get some maps of an area you would like to go and sail. Get some feedback from your crew… or plan a single-handed adventure of your own. These are the trips that make having those WONDERFUL WHEELS all worthwhile. Taking the boat on the road to some new port, meeting all kinds of new people, and seeing new places. That is the thing that we as Trailer Sailors, have over the “big boat crowd” hands down. The ability to travel overland to thousands of different sailing venues all over the country. Yep, that’s what it’s all about… Summer Vacation and your Trailer Sailor…Let’s not forget the fact that “WE” are quite a LARGE and INTERNATIONAL GROUP… you may have “friends” in some area, that you haven’t even met yet? This makes the deal even sweeter, with the camaraderie of the many friends on the TSBB. So, make it a point to HAVE AS MUCH FUN as you possibly can… take some pictures, and some notes… then SHARE THE FUN with us… and we’ll do the same with you…Trailer Sailing is one adventure… after another. Enjoy [docsig]