hand signals

[gregreinhard]

Are there some simple hand signals that work well to communicate between the helmsman and line handler at the bow? I saw some described in an article somewhere but couldn''t find it when I looked again.

I sail a 29" Westerly sloop out of Kent Island, MD

[JEFryar]

I could not be polite in describing the hand signals we end up using to communicate between the bow and the helm.
CaptainJEF

[svserengeti]

You''re right, communication between the bow and the helm is really important. You wouldn''t believe the incidents we''ve witnessed that arose due to a simple miscommunication. That''s probably what prompted us to write an article for SailNet several months back entitled,"Anchoring with Hand Signals." Try searching for that exact title on the home page, or go to all of the articles by Sue and Larry, and you should find it in the list somewhere near the top.

Best of Luck.

Larry Hamilton

[KenD]

Even though it isn''t as dramatic as hand signals. The use of two way radio with headset and mike worked wonders for my marriage. I don''t yell or gesture wildly. My wife helms the boat while docking or anchoring,it made more sense to have the brute squad (me) do the muscle stuff and let her do the brain stuff, of course somedays the bear gets you. Oh well!