My Friends Are Dangerous
“I forgot my VHF radio,” Tom announced. We were about to depart on a three-day trip. As we sailed away from the dock, I hoped my friend would arrive at the evening’s designated campsite in one piece; it wasn’t likely we’d find him, otherwise.
On another outing, this one an afternoon sail near a rocky shore, my friend John confided that he didn’t think he’d need an anchor today. When his rudder malfunctioned later that day, John was lucky to make it to the oars before he was wrecked. A small anchor would have made his afternoon a lot calmer.
Those are just two narrow escapes involving my friends. I love my sailing pals, but let’s face facts: these guys are dangerous. Not menacing—they’re no Hell’s Angels; but they regularly put themselves into positions in which they could get hurt, or even die. Surviving an encounter with a mean biker gang might be a matter of luck, but my friends’ safety could be in their own hands—if only they’d take an active role in it.
I bet you’re not much safer.
My friend James often talks about his “systems.” Systems for rigging, systems for stowing gear, capsize recovery, setting up; even for cleaning up his boat. The big idea is that he knows every aspect of his craft so well that he can take things apart and put them back together, even in the dark. This knowledge lets him respond easily and calmly during moments of stress that might overwhelm the average sailor.
Before I met James, I was that average sailor.
Denne historien er fra January/February 2018-utgaven av Small Craft Advisor.
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Denne historien er fra January/February 2018-utgaven av Small Craft Advisor.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
A HEAD FOR RUBATO
I dislike port-a-potties. I'm not too fond of poop in any form, really, being non-scatological by nature.
THE ARTFUL SAILOR
Ain' nothin' new about using sails as nautical billboards. The ancients painted all sorts of signs and symbols on their sails.
Twin Keels
OUT WIHUEIRIJE with Howard Rice
Cedar Key 2022 Windy Boat Meet
Cartop Cruising
A New Trailer
THE BIGHTS
PLAN STUDY: Fancy Free
If you're looking for a simple and inexpensive cruising sailboat with traditional character, our FANCY FREE should fill the bill. The sharpie-dory hull with flat-bottom, hard-chine form is ideal for the amateur.
BOAT REVIEW: Rhodes 22 Revisited)
Overlooked by the masses, admired by owners—there are good reasons the Rhodes 22 has been in production for over a quarter century.
Another Favorite Mod
The always creative Tom Luque sent us details on one of his favorite modifications
BLOODY TUESDAY
“Although the author if indeed he even used his real name) calls this story fiction, we arent so sure. You be the judge. Eds
CRUISING ISLE ROYALE
I sle“ Royale on Lake Superior is one of my favorite places to cruise. Established as a National Park in 1931, Isle Royale is located about 20 miles off the North Shore of Lake Superior near the Minnesota/Canadian border.