Untitled Document

SHOP OUR STOREREAD OUR BLOGFOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK

Great Tips for All Boaters

Flying Flags

We all love flying flags on our boats and rightly so. It is a beautiful sight to see the multi-colored flags, ensigns, pennants and burgees flying from masts, antennas, and superstructures. These are referred to as a vessel's "Colors." And here is what some of them are for. While there is no regulation, you may fly the Ensign, which is the flag denoting the nationality of the boat or her owner. It is normally flown from the stern. If you are visiting another country, it is a matter of courtesy to fly their ensign or flag. It is normally flown from the starboard side of the boat. Country's customs differ in how to display, so be sure to ask or follow what others are doing.
Regatta trophy flags are sight to behold. As a tradition many regattas award flags as trophies. Normally blue flags are given for 1st place, red for 2nd and gold for 3rd place. While at the dock these competitors fly their trophies from their masts making for a very colorful display. This sure beats having "bowling trophies" collecting dust on a shelf.
There are some mandatory flags, including the "Diver Down" flag, but for the most part it is just fun to put a flag on a boat. You all have certainly seen the skull and crossbones displayed everywhere and on many boats. Not to mention the tipped **** glass indicating it is "happy hour." So, enjoy your flags.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

CD 12CM Silkscreen.pdfFor 20 years the Rick White Sailing Seminars ran racing/sailing clinics throughout the world. They also had nearly 50 World Class sailors come in as guest experts. Rick says, "I listened to every thing these guys said. I let it all go in one ear.., then plugged the other one!"

Consequently, there is wealth of racing/sailing knowledge in Rick's Sailing Seminar DVD.

List price is $149.95, but the price has been slashed to only $99.95, a 33% reduction and a saving of $49.80

Learn 1. Total Boat Handling; 2. the Catamaran Roll Tack; 3. How to have Great Starts and Finishes; 3. How to have Great Mark Roundings; 5. Get Fast Downwind.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Great Tips for Racing Sailors

You are Approaching the Leeward Mark (6th in a Series about Mark Roundings)
From the last several issues remember there are Five Musts to anticipate when entering the leeward mark rounding. They are:
1) Prepare
2) Remember the Inside Overlap Mark Rounding Rule
3) Watch for the Pinwheel Effect
4) Slow Down to Win
5) Enter Wide, Exit Close.

Last month we continued talking about the Inside Overlap Rounding Rule, and now we want to continue our discussion about that rule.
There is still another little tidbit about this rule that you need to know. There is also the right-of-way boCMarkRightofWayDia1at and its privileges. If you are the right-of-way boat, you are allowed to make a “tactical mark rounding.” If you are not the right-of-way boat, you may be forced to do a “seamanship-like mark rounding.”

CMarkRightofWayDia2 A tactical mark rounding is best described as entering the mark wide and exiting very close. While the seamanship rounding is simply getting around the mark the best you can. Tactical mark roundings are far superior as they put you in a position where no one can sail over you and you are in a position with lots of options – go straight or tack off at your convenience.

In Diagram 1 the white boat is approaching on starboard tack (and has right-of-way). The gray boat is on port tack. The gray boat therefore not only must allow the starboard boat inside room at the mark, but also has to allow him to do a tactical mark rounding.

In Diagram 2, the gray boat is the right-of-way boat (leeward boats have right-of-way). So, the gray boat does not have to leave enough room for the white boat to do a tactical mark rounding, rather just enough room to do a seamanship rounding.

Don’t be confused though. Even thought the gray boat is the right-of-way boat, he still must allow the white boat room at the mark.., just not a lot of it.

Stay tuned in the next issue when we will move on to “Watch for the Pinwheel Effect.”

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

We all love our multihulls. However, one of the problems is the designs have to use Trampolines for the most part to keep the weight down -- that is why they are faster than our monohull friends. But, tramps deteriorate in the sun and replacement or repair is normally done quite often.

CAUTION: Do not wait until late winter or early spring . OnLineMarineStore.com has a good number of trampoline manufacturers, but at that time of the year they are swamped. Remember the old Adage: Poor planning and procrastination on your part do not make an Emergency on my part.
At OnLineMarineStore we can make tramps for all beach catamarans/multihulls and almost all cruising catamarans/multihulls. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

CaptNoahTallBlogHeader

Dear Capt Noah,
My crew is a really strong minded girl who is always yelling at me on the race course. I can’t believe it. Most guys say their crews reprimand them for yelling. In our case it is she that keeps yelling. I swear I feel like flipping her off the boat sometimes. Or maybe just flipping her off!
Flipper

Dear Flipper,
I was very lucky to have been taught Math in my many years of schooling. Regarding tha,t I would like to tell you a little story that accentuates why you need to be good at math. I was riding to work yesterday when I observed a female driver cut right in front of a pickup truck, causing him to have to drive on to the shoulder to avoid hitting her. This evidently angered the driver enough that he hung his arm out his window and "flipped" the woman off. "Man, that guy is stupid," I thought to myself.
I ALWAYS smile nicely and wave in a sheepish manner whenever a female does anything to me in traffic, and here's why:
* I drive 48 miles each way every day to work.
* That's 96 miles each day.
* Of these, 16 miles each way is bumper-to-bumper.
* Most of the bumper-to-bumper is on an 8 lane highway.
* There are 7 cars every 40 feet for 32 miles.
* That works out to be 982 cars every mile, or 31,424 cars.
* Even though the rest of the 32 miles is not bumper-to-bumper, I figure I pass at least another 4000 cars.
* That brings the number to something like 36,000 cars that I pass every day.
* Statistically, females drive half of these.
* That's 18,000 women drivers!
* In any given group of females, 1 in 28 has PMS.
* That's 642.
* According to Cosmopolitan, 70% describe their love life as dissatisfying or unrewarding.
* That's 449.
* According to the National Institute of Health, 22% of all females have seriously considered suicide or homicide.
* That's 98.
* And 34% describe men as their biggest problem.
* That's 33.
* According to the National Rifle Association, 5% of all females carry weapons, and this number is increasing.
* Ergo! That means that EVERY SINGLE DAY, I drive past at least one female that has a lousy love life, thinks men are her biggest problem, has seriously considered suicide or homicide, has PMS, and is armed. Flip one off? ....... I think not!
Captain Noah

Thought for the Month: A little bit of love goes a long way in our lives. It can provide us with higher highs and lower lows. But, if it comes with persistent burning sensation, see your physician.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Having been in cat sailing since 1965 I have seen all sorts of inventions on ways to get your boat off land and into the water. Of all the ideas, almost always was a way to put small wheels under the hulls. Consequently, a few folks decided to get into the business of manufacturing wheels to make life easier, particularly when cat sailing moved mainly to beaches. At one time there were four different manufacturers of beach wheels, but we are now down to only two:

  1. Cat Trax, who also make Tiger Trax (less money, but don't work well and don't hold up)
  2. Wheeleez, who actually make beach wheels for almost everything except cats.

These wheels sets are not cheap, but by the time you "reinvent the wheel," you will spend more money than the cost of these back-saving devices. So, bite the bullet and you will be thankful for many years to come.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

SHOP OUR STOREREAD OUR BLOGFOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK

(You are receiving this newsletter because you are subscribed to the Catsailor.com Forum, or to the OnlineMarineStore.com Blog. To ensure you do not miss future emails from us, please add rick@catsailor.com to your safe sender list. This informative newsletter is only sent twice per month and will not clog up your inbox…we promise!) To unsubscribe click here.



Rick White
Catsailor Magazine & OnLineMarineStore.com
www.onlinemarinestore.com