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So I take this guy out on his boat last sat. This is is second lesson and from his point of view his last. Just a final check, more of fun sat sail than a real lesson, at least that is what he tells me.
The goal is that he has a couple lady friends he is planning on impressing on Sunday. The difference is that the current in the Connecticut river is whipping this time and it is really blowing. We decide to put in the reef at the mooring which takes quite a while as he bought 1/8" Dacron for a reefing line and ran it wrong. we got that straightened out and he left the mooring.
1. He got within about two feet of a moored boat and didn't notice as he was looking where his bow was going not the stern.
2. We are heading for the bridge and have to turn around as the bridge was not going to open for a while. He made a hard turn without looking for the powerboat behind him. The powerboat had to give way.
3. We are waiting for the bridge and is pointed away from the bridge at about two knots. I point out to him that the bridge is getting closer and closer. He didn't look behind and see the current was actually making him go backwards.
4. We decide to roll out the jib and the sheets were run all wrong and had to be all fixed.
5. We are heading East towards Niantic Bay an I put him on a course for an hour or so and figure I'll lay down for a couple minutes, I'm pooped at this point.
After about half hour I check the gps and see he is heading directly for Black Point.
Now I'm a little pissed. I told him that if it wan't his boat he would be fired for changing course without notifying the guy with the chart. He said he wanted to see the beach better an thought he was a safe distance off. I asked him how he could know that without looking at the chart.
6. We turn around and are headed for the Saybrook entrance. He didn't seem to get that even though it looked like he was headed for the Breakwater lighthouse two things were happening. First the light house was not his side of the channel and second even though his bow was pointed that way the boat was going about 30 degrees down current.
7. During the sail we noticed that one side of the lazy jacks were broken. Once we got back to mooring I looked into it. I then noticed that he had take the topping lift off the mast and wrapped it around a stay and used it for a flag halyard. That apparently had fouled the lazy jacks and broken one.
I called today and apparently he took his two lady friends out successfully, I don't know how.
I would normally have check the rigging more carefully but I had just sailed the boat the week before and everything was ok. It never occurred to me someone would completely derig their boat.
Live and learn. I wonder if this guy will figure it out before he hurts someone?
The goal is that he has a couple lady friends he is planning on impressing on Sunday. The difference is that the current in the Connecticut river is whipping this time and it is really blowing. We decide to put in the reef at the mooring which takes quite a while as he bought 1/8" Dacron for a reefing line and ran it wrong. we got that straightened out and he left the mooring.
1. He got within about two feet of a moored boat and didn't notice as he was looking where his bow was going not the stern.
2. We are heading for the bridge and have to turn around as the bridge was not going to open for a while. He made a hard turn without looking for the powerboat behind him. The powerboat had to give way.
3. We are waiting for the bridge and is pointed away from the bridge at about two knots. I point out to him that the bridge is getting closer and closer. He didn't look behind and see the current was actually making him go backwards.
4. We decide to roll out the jib and the sheets were run all wrong and had to be all fixed.
5. We are heading East towards Niantic Bay an I put him on a course for an hour or so and figure I'll lay down for a couple minutes, I'm pooped at this point.
After about half hour I check the gps and see he is heading directly for Black Point.
Now I'm a little pissed. I told him that if it wan't his boat he would be fired for changing course without notifying the guy with the chart. He said he wanted to see the beach better an thought he was a safe distance off. I asked him how he could know that without looking at the chart.
6. We turn around and are headed for the Saybrook entrance. He didn't seem to get that even though it looked like he was headed for the Breakwater lighthouse two things were happening. First the light house was not his side of the channel and second even though his bow was pointed that way the boat was going about 30 degrees down current.
7. During the sail we noticed that one side of the lazy jacks were broken. Once we got back to mooring I looked into it. I then noticed that he had take the topping lift off the mast and wrapped it around a stay and used it for a flag halyard. That apparently had fouled the lazy jacks and broken one.
I called today and apparently he took his two lady friends out successfully, I don't know how.
I would normally have check the rigging more carefully but I had just sailed the boat the week before and everything was ok. It never occurred to me someone would completely derig their boat.
Live and learn. I wonder if this guy will figure it out before he hurts someone?