Category Archives: General

Arrgggg … now you know why pirates love that phrase.  None of them like math, and yet some math is actually important.  So what is 1.3 times the square root of the LWL?  It’s the theoretical hull speed of a … Continue reading →

Before I get started, a few “legal disclaimers.”  I am not an attorney.  Do not rely on this article as legal advice.  The article is simply my thoughts regarding a new law that has not yet been tested in the … Continue reading →

Have you ever felt that way?  So have I.  Sadly, you and I are probably the reason the line is all twisted up.  Most of us are guilty, especially while we are learning, of doing one or both of the … Continue reading →

This past summer I was approached by my friend who badly wanted to participate in the Ngalawa Cup Sailing Race in Tanzania. He needed an experienced sailor to sign up his team, and he knew that I was a Tradewinds … Continue reading →

Anybody know what the two busiest boating weekends on the Bay are? One is Opening Day on the Bay (the last weekend in April.)  The other is Fleet week, which is the first week or two of October.  This year, Fleet … Continue reading →

No, I’m not mad at you and making you get off the boat at some distant port where you must walk home. It’s me that I am talking about. It’s the skipper that must get off the boat. Never cast-off … Continue reading →

I relearned a valuable lesson the other day.  I really hadn’t forgotten it, I just chose to not apply it.  The lesson?  If it isn’t happening the way it is supposed to, just bail out and start over again.  Don’t … Continue reading →

A better title for this Skippers Tip might be Slipstream, Prop Walk, and Rudder Control, however that seemed a bit long and tedious, so lets just call it Slipstream. According to Merriam-Webster, slipstream is defined as “a stream of fluid … Continue reading →

As I write this, I am preparing to instruct a July 27 Advanced Coastal Cruising class.  Part of the class preparation required of each student involves determining the best time to transit the Golden Gate the morning of July 28. … Continue reading →