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Tag Archives: Skipper’s Tip
Boat Handling Under Power – Part 2
Hopefully, by now you have done the boat exercises in Part 1. If so, you know the “advance” and “transfer” associated with your favorite boat. You may have noticed that advance and transfer is different while turning to starboard than … Continue reading
Skipper’s Tip – Observation
Notice the physical manifestations of the numbers you find in your tide book and weather forecast. Is the flag blowing lazily or vigorously? Did your barometer fall and rise again as the weather front came through? Did you see “mackerel … Continue reading
Skipper’s Tip – Boat Handling Under Power (Part I)
– By Tradewinds instructor Don Gilzean I think the single most embarrassing time I ever experienced (yes, I have had a few) on a sailboat was turning a 27’ boat sideways in a slip at Angel Island. I was brand … Continue reading
Skipper’s Tip, 11/30/2011 – Winter Weather Patterns
Much to the delight of one member and the dismay of at least one other, we made a decision to ground the fleet today! (I guess technically the fleet is still floating, not grounded, but you get the point…) Winter … Continue reading
Skipper’s Tip, 11/7/11 – Changes in Seasons
With darkness falling earlier and the winter weather patterns starting to show, we thought we’d better get the warnings out for the season! Be careful about darkness – it comes early this time of year and has a tendency to … Continue reading
Skipper’s Tip, 10/24/2011 Depth Sounding Equipment
This is an email answer to a member question about depth meters in the Tradewinds Fleet. The question was: “Where is the depth instrument mounted on (Specific Boat)?” I would guess the location of the actual instrument is about 1.5-2’ … Continue reading
Skipper’s Tip 10/03/2011
History of the Mayday code word used for a distress call: The Mayday callsign was originated in 1923 by Frederick Stanley Mockford (1897–1962). A senior radio officer at Croydon Airport in London, Mockford was asked to think of a word … Continue reading
Skipper’s Tip, 9/26/11 – Captain Bill’s Favorite Web Links!
Sea Conditions: CDIP Nowcast: http://cdip.ucsd.edu/?nav=recent&sub=nowcast&xitem=sf Pacific Storm Cast: http://www.stormsurf.com/page2/forecast/forecast/current.shtml National Data Buoy: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/ Wave Model: http://www.stormsurf.com/mdls/menu.html Stormsurfing Wave Model: http://www.stormsurfing.com/cgi/display.cgi?a=npac_height NOAA Publication page macro view: http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/staff/chartspubs.html Local Notices To Mariners [sign up]: http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=lnmMain On Line Charts NOAA: http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/PacificCoastViewerTable.shtml Ocean Graphics: … Continue reading
Skipper’s Tip, 9/12/2011
Fire Extinguishers Hopefully and most probably you will never have to use the fire extinguisher on board but if you do you should know how to use it. Let’s first review regulations on size and types fire extinguishers required to … Continue reading
Skipper’s Tip, 8/22/11 – Dock Courtesy
Tradewinds has done a great job of developing good relations with the vessel owners on D dock. We can help with the good relations by being courteous. When we roll our carts down to the boat or to unload the … Continue reading