sailing catch 22

Island Lake

2012-01-05T10:41:00.000+02:00

Sunrise

Holiday time, finally!

Stocking Filler

2011-12-23T10:27:00.000+02:00

Dear Santa

If you have not yet wrapped my yacht, can you please put one of these in there too?

Sincerely

smilicus

Harbour reflections

2011-12-21T11:09:00.000+02:00

Lunch at the Local Fish & Chips joint

Seagulls resting at Biblia

An oldie getting some new paint

One of the old fishing boat wrecks

And another one

Fisherman going out to catch

Nav Light

2011-11-30T13:03:00.002+02:00

Came across this very smart and useful nav light for small craft.

Sailor's Anatomy

2011-11-21T11:20:00.001+02:00

click picture for larger version

from GCaptian's Maritime Monday

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Get seasick much?

2011-10-19T10:17:00.001+02:00

In all my years of sailing I have never felt the queasiness of the sea (touch wood, touch wood, touch wood). But many of my fellow crew have. How do you avoid seasickness?

Click for - How to avoid seasickness on Messing-About-In-Boats

Or is it only in your head? gCaptain has just posted a new post on seasickness and 50 ways of preventing/curing it. But mainly they say it is all in your head. If so, get cured and go sailing.

Anchoring system for tidal areas

2011-10-17T17:30:00.004+02:00

There has been a lot of chatter on the John Welsford Yahoo group about a anchoring system fro tidal areas, Here is a system short description of a system we used when I was younger.

We used to camp next to a tidal river and we used a system similar to this to change the position of our boat (reel in to board at high tide or move the boat further out at low tide. It worked pretty well and you could almost get in without your feet getting wet.

Click to see full size

The System - drop your anchor in deeper water with enough anchor chain and a small length of rope. At the end of the rope secure a good quality marine pulley. Then you create a loop of rope with two hook clips on (boat length apart on that loop - to clip you boat on to)

Then there is another anchor on the beach with a line that is connected with a pulley to the loop. This way you can reel your boat in and out from the boat or from the beach. You use the free side of the loop (the side where no hook clips are) to cleat it off at the correct position you want your boat.

It sounds complicated, but once you set it up once it is a piece of cake.

USE AT OWN RISK

What's on the pond?

2011-10-14T11:17:00.001+02:00

In the winter I was building a scale model ship and enjoyed it so much that I decided to start doing small model boats out of Balsa wood just for the fun of it. No works of art, just something to get my mind off work.

Meet Frederik, he is now the local fisherman on my Goldfish pond and hopefully he will soon catch the "big one" for supper.

More detail - Boat - 4 inches / 10 cm Frederik 2 inches / 5 cm

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Aloha Joe

2011-10-11T09:35:00.002+02:00

FINALLY my postcard came that Joe sent me on his last trip to Hawaii. Living in South Africa, one gets used to waiting some time for your mail, but luckily it is always reliable even thou it is sooooo slow.

Thanks Joe, your postcard is on its way, might be there by Xmas.

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Aaargghhh!!

2011-09-19T09:30:00.001+02:00

Aye me matey, its talk like a pirate day.

Come on all ya scallywags, join the fun on sailinganarchy forum

P.S. Talk like a Pirate, meaning the fun times we had as children, not the current problems we are having near Somalia. Our thoughts are with the kidnapped sailors and their families today

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Sailing Yin Yang

2011-09-13T14:37:00.002+02:00

So here I am fighting the age old struggle of yin and yang, but more so “sailor's yin yang”. I have been putting some time into deciding what kind of sailor I am, but the more I read about boats and sailing, the more confused I get. I once heard in an old western the following line: Outlaw “Are you a bad dog or a good dog?” Hero “You have both in you, it depends on which one you feed most.”

So am I a racing sailor or am I a cruising sailor? The more I feed my need for speed and to outsmart the next sailor, I feel I am a racing sailor, all guts and glory. BUT the more I read about other sailors adventures over the horizon I become a cruising sailor again.

So what to do? Maybe only time will tell, but for now maybe I should race, since I am still young and don’t want to be the odd one out on a laser when I am 70 trying to cheat the nursing home.

B-O-A-B

2011-07-28T10:56:00.000+02:00

We all know that BOAT stands for Bail-Out-Another-Thousand, btu the Yacht History Supreme takes it to a whole new level that one would need to use BOAB - Bail-Out-Another-Billion.

The 100 ft yacht has a price tag of $4,8 Billion and one can believe it if you look at the following trimmings:

100 000 Kilograms gold & platinum
Meteoric Stone wall inlays
Petrified T Rex Bone

For more visit G Captain

Over the Top

2011-06-13T10:03:00.001+02:00

Part of my winter hibernation routine is getting a good "yachting" biography, this year it is Over the Top. It's the story of Adrian Flanagan, the first ever person to sail solo Vertically around the world.

Adrian, like most of the solo sailors, could feel the ocean calling him from a young age, but other than most of us, he took the plunge and made his dream a reality....hats off to you Mr Falangan

This is quite an interesting read about a guys obsession of sailing the seas alone and challenging the conventional sailing routes. It reads more like a story than a boring biography sand I would definitely recommend it for some arm chair sailing this winter with a glass of port or red in hand.

The Ice Dream

2011-06-07T10:17:00.001+02:00

What would be better than a glass of pure icy water with a good measure of bourbon?

A glass of pure icy water with a good measure of bourbon enjoyed on your yacht in Greenland while the sun sets.

.....now, that would be a perfect ending to a good day sailing.
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Bad Weather Sailing

2011-06-04T12:00:00.002+02:00

J.S. Elcano 1:250 scale

Every year when winter approaches and the rain starts falling, I start building model boats. It keeps my hand steady and me day dreaming of the days of old square riggers and majestic clippers.

The one I am busy with currently was a present from the wife and is a 1:250 scale relica of the J.S. Elcano that was launched in 1927 at Cadiz. It was a Spanish Navy training vessel and was capable of 15knts. She was 94.13 meter and could carry 36 Officers, 143 Sailor trainees and 70 marines.

This model has many small bits and pieces and very, VERY tiny intrinsic rigging work, so hopefully I will finish before the summer time.

Taxman

2011-05-19T14:27:00.000+02:00

..Let me tel you how it will be

Theres 1 for you, 19 for me

'cause I'm the Taxman

Yeah, I'm the Taxman..

~ from Taxman by The Beatles ~

The Beatles knew and so do we....Damn the Taxman. These days there is Tax on everything, even when you are on your boat, in the middle of the ocean visiting the head, Readers Digest in hand, you are reminded in bold letters VAT incl. You cant escape him, not him, not the Taxman.

But if you are so lucky to escape the Taxman at sea, you still hear "theres 1 for you, 19 for me".

Davy Jones takes as he wants and has no need for forms, records or formalities. His locker has claimed quite a few items from me over the years, there was my favorite baseball cap, a few anchors, dive mask , etc. But the worst was the last bottle of beer on a hot South African day. I still wake up some nights in a cold sweat and scream:"No, not the Heineken!!!"

Out of what have Davy Jones conned you?

in reply to Tillerman's writing project

Fitness? What Fitness?

2011-05-16T14:41:00.002+02:00

In summer time we all have our own ways of keeping down the weight and staying fit. Tillerman likes to run (away from the nursing home I presume); O Dock does an ever increasing list of repairs on his yacht (thanks to Sir Neptune); Joe likes to, well, I actually don’t know what he does. Me, well I like to do some Mountain biking and gym’ing.

As winter creeps up on us, there will be less duelling it out around the cans and more sitting in doors than is good for us. But this post is not about physical fitness but rather mental fitness and what one does to remain sharp for the coming summer’s regattas.

So how does one keep ones wits up during the winter?. I guess everyone has their own method. I presume Tillerman keeps “fit” by duelling an online game of Nautical Chess with Kasparov. O Dock on the other hand likes a bit more mischief and keeps “fit” by finding new clever ways of yanking Tillerman’s chain in the comment section of Propercourse. Doc Häagen-Dazs is like usual keeping himself busy on Virtual Regatta. Joe, well again, I don’t actually know what he does, but then again, do they have a winter season in paradise?

What will I be doing this winter? Well, I still don't have the faintest idea.

Rally the troops

2011-05-06T09:13:00.001+02:00

While I am on the "save the ocean " wagon, here is another good clip called Ocean Story.

Do your bit and sign the petition & send your message across the ocean. Click Here
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Adventure at night

2011-05-03T11:17:00.004+02:00

South Africa is the place to be in April. We have so many public holidays that one almost don't need to take a day off to have a good short holiday.

If only I could've slept like them

BUT somehow my short holiday left me more tired. With the rain season finally here, I have spent a lot of time researching boats that I can build in my garage and this left me with night long adventures, rolling around in my sleep.

Every night I would dream of a new adventure : Sailing the high seas in a Paradox, Wining the Mykonos pursuit race on board an I550 and just kicking it old school in a Pathfinder

Waking up in the morning I would be tired stretching for that first cup of coffee, but felt like I had the time of my life on the water.

Am I weird, or are there more "sleep sailors" out there?
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Lets declare war!!

2011-04-18T09:13:00.001+02:00

Sailors we need to unite against the war on waste in our precious oceans !!

The plastic pollution is ever in creasing and there has been numerous accounts of sea life struggling to survive due to mankind's slow poising of the earth. The latest - turtle poop plastic for a month

All kinds of crazy

2011-04-14T08:33:00.002+02:00

The Burque Brothers

Endless summer

2011-04-12T12:36:00.000+02:00

Almost mid April and we are still having some good beach days. Come Easter weekend the rain will begin and send us into winter- our unofficial date for the start of winter.

A French man, a quadriplegic and a Labrador on a yacht.

2011-04-11T14:38:00.001+02:00

Sounds like the opening line of a bad joke, but alas it is not. A list of the crew on the first yacht I raced on.

After my first sailing course, I put my name up on the notice board - Competent sailor in need of boat to crew on for beer can races - call .....

It was not long before I got a call and a spot on a boat for the coming Wednesday's Twilight Race. I jotted down the details and heard what I should bring - Jacket, Sunscreen, Beer and other alcohol. So off I went to the club that Wednesday with a sunscreen, a jacket and a ice cold pack of beer.

Got there, found the boat, but no one on-board - wash board still up, jib stowed, etc. It was an old 30ft Miura that needed a few buckets of paint and a good scrubbing down. A few minutes past (20min) and finally a random bunch of people came.

The crew was a mixed bunch, almost like the A-Team and had nothing in common except sailing:

The French man, who raced in the med on luxury yachts, but was working in South Africa now
An English woman, who was a skipper, but played waitress on-board
A Elderly man that was deaf and played the role of Bowman and line man - can you believe
Me, an Afrikaans 24 year old - grinder, shark bait and all things wet and dangerous
The Skipper - still not there
Crew no6 - still not there

We were ready to cast off and I made the fault of asking: "Where's the skipper and other crew member?" The Frenchman yelled from below - check the bar.

I ran up to the bar scanning the bar for this guy called "Russell" and not having any luck I asked the barman: "Do you know who Russell is and where he is seated" Barman: "His the guy in the wheelchair, The Commodore of the club "

Found Russell and Crew no6 (who was his Labrador and co-skipper who basically just slept the entire race).

All on board and off we went. Amazingly the crew all worked well together, the Line man (deaf) got us off the starting line at the right time and worked the bow as if he had a telepathic link to the skipper. The Frenchman (mostly talking French) did all the trimmings to perfection and the skipper sailed straight lines, even when he was strapped in on the lee ward side of the boat. I trimmed and winched like hell, enjoying every moment, especially as the swells increased. For a misfit crew on a old 5ksb we did well and almost landed a podium position.

That day I learned a valuable lesson: Put a bunch of people who have nothing in common except sailing an they are bound to have tons of fun and might even land a podium position in the process
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Last days of summer

2011-04-06T10:44:00.001+02:00

Winter is slowly approaching, but luckily there is still a good few sunny days left to go to the beach before our yearly rain season starts.
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Water, Drugs and submarines

2011-04-01T09:38:00.001+02:00

Lately there have been a lot of reports and coverage on piracy all over the oceans. But behind those headlines another evil on the high seas is showing its head - Drug smuggling via semi submersibles.

Luckily a lot of these subs have been seized and the effort to stop drug smuggling increased.

Complete story and pictorial by TIME

Always wanted Sebago Docksides

2011-03-31T14:31:00.001+02:00

I always wanted Sebago Docksides, but have actually never bought myself a pair. I felt there was just something about these shoes that screamed - sailor, life of luxury, you are the man. But after I saw this photo, I knew I had it all wrong and I wanted one, not a pair, even more.

Even if they are not on your feet, they will take you places.

for more on the shoe boat : gcaptain
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Crash Boom Bang

2011-03-28T07:03:00.000+02:00

M-Class Storm

2011-03-25T07:46:00.002+02:00

No, it is not a new type of Mercedes ML. It is the latest Solar storm, a class M storm that will have some affect on your weekend if you are going to be in the sun.

The effects of the storm that occurred on Monday will hit us this weekend and have some effect on electricity, ultraviolet rays, etc.

Be warned, stay out of the sun this weekend.

For More - ABCNEWS
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Water Ninja

2011-03-22T11:42:00.002+02:00

For some while I have been envying the moth hydrofoil sailors with their fast, high tech boat skimming above the water at speeds over 20knts.

This weekend my imagination got the better of me and I floated off into my parallel universe, where I am Johnnie Sailor and life revolved around the wind & tide and not your work & home mortgage. I dreamed up this idea of a new division for the navy, the Water Ninja Squad

GO Ninja

A fleet of highly trained special ops sailors embarking on convert operation to save their country. They are quick and stealth is there middle name. Their vessel of choice the combat ready V3000XT Moth Hydrofoil equipped with the latest gadgets and silenced small caliber automatic on the bow. Created in a lab one can only image, they have colour changing sails which can match their surrounding and camouflaged hull that can so they can go undetectable by the human eye.

They are dropped from a low flying bomber plane and as soon as the hydrofoils touch the water they are off on their mission, flying on top of the waves, aiming their sites on an enemy coast. Undetected by radar, they....."Honey your dinner is ready"

Getting back to reality, I reach for my knife and fork and think - What if that could be a real..........

With wind there is life

2011-03-15T13:59:00.000+02:00

This is an old clip, but these creatures still amaze me every time I see it.

Ocean's Buttocks

2011-03-11T09:32:00.000+02:00

Power Idiots!

2011-03-09T13:39:00.001+02:00

My annual vacation is usually just after New Year, when most of the power idiots get back to work. Usually you can then find a parking near the beach, without doing a half marathon just to get to the water.

This time of the year is also the only time I keep my head low when passing fellow sailors. See my parents own a ski boat and usually on holiday I play a bit around on the water and leave sailing on the banks of the lake. As I speed across the lake, I am astonished to see how idiotic and uninformed the power boating community are. To them "Rules of the road" does not exist, especially after the first beer.

Now if you think "Rules of the road" is a foreign concept for them, wait till you see them trying their hand at mooring. On the lake their is small "coves" where they beach their boats for the night. Since it is protected water, none of them even think that the afternoon/evening 30knts + wind can kick up a bit of a swell and a cross wind that could move their moored boats around.

One such power idiot could not give a S@#$ about it and needless to say irritated the hell out of me. In the evenings he retired to the warmth of his braai (bbq) while nurturing his 1 millionth beer for the day. Only using a very SLACK bow line to keep his boat from drifting off, his rubber duck floated a bit higher in the swell and turned sideways in the cross wind. This would've been okay , except his stern, with his prop protruding, was bobbing millimeters away from the smooth side of our boat. Haven't he heard of a stern spring before???

Trying to be of service to the greater boating community, I suggested a few mooring ideas to MR P. Idiot. But to no avail, every late afternoon I had to get wet and re-moor his rubber ducky.

Note to Power Boat Association - include mooring techniques in syllabus for skipper license.

Puppet Master

2011-02-23T09:40:00.001+02:00

I live in a world ruled by one. The dictator rules with a monkey’s fist dangling from the side of his throne. Nudged along by the breath of his ancestors, he skillfully guides his realm. In his ears he hears soft whispers coming from his mistress as she constantly lingers beneath.

Born with two Y chromosomes and enough testosterone to power a continent, he is the Alpha dog, the Top Dog. Barking and snarling, scratching and biting at the inner being of his minions with verbal abuse and worthlessness, he gets them to obey his every command.

Called by many names, the one he holds most dear is Skipper or just Skip. He sees himself as the puppet master controlling everyone in his realm, pulling their strings by his constant shouting, cursing and howling. For no one he fears, except the puppets at the bow, for they have too many strings and a good helping of copper balls. So he gets louder, foaming at the mouth, barking, snarling and hoping his drool will whack them in the head, getting them to jump and gibe.

His motto is no questions, no back chat, have your beer, do your job and shut up. All you ever get in return are

”BECAUSE”

I am the Skipper. I am the puppet master.

in response to Sailing Anarchy writing project

Aliens shot down our statelites

2011-02-18T12:03:00.001+02:00

I like gadgets and the more features it have the better. One gadget every sailor cant go without on the sea is his chart-plotter and GPS. Now all the manuals and reviews of each product assures you that they are accurate and that with them on board, you will be confident in your ability to navigate any stretch of water.

This is obviously only true till you run out of power or have a malfunction like we did in a previous post : Got the grey matter? Or even worse, all the satellites are shot down by aliens.

So do one trust the gadgets with your life?

One should always have a back-up - be it extra batteries or anti alien missiles. But the one thing an old sailor learned me the best backup was a chart and a compass along with the knowledge to use it

Remember - Always keep a compass near and plot your position and course

on the chart (paper chart) every half hour.

in response to Tillerman's writing project

Bollards of Steal - the trilogy

2010-12-03T11:31:00.000+02:00

What was this guy thinking? Surfs up, lets take my 6 ton yacht

Beer can traffic Jam

2010-12-01T17:44:00.003+02:00

round and round it goes

when it stop only skipper knows

after years of going round the pot

starting, everybody knows their spot

when were off with a breather

the lot will follow the leader

round and round it goes

with beer cans everybody knows

set the sail and trim the sheet

on this leg, I will bring the heat

round and round it will go,

while the wind will blow

when it stops i will yell

zero brain this is hell

round and round we will sail

when it stops I might bail

Traffic Jams

2010-11-26T12:24:00.002+02:00

Are traffic jams and mental dullness killing sailing? What if this is the reason for all the displays of “Bollards of steel” and idiotic behaviour out there?

Sailing has always been an adventure for me. It was a way of breaking free from the world into a realm of my own. Get out there, battle the elements, never knowing what will come next. Sailing was a way of loosing myself, but finding myself at the same time. It was as if when on the water , the world made sense again and I knew who I was. It did not only hook me emotionally, but mentally it got my brain unstuck form 1st gear and took me to 5th in seconds

But as the years sailed by, the fog rolled in over adventure and the dullness settled in on my mind. By now most of you are saying: “What the f*&@? Cleat off and run that by me again”

Ever watched a goldfish in a round bowl? Round and round it goes with no personality and brain power near zero. Same can be said of the usual beer can races at the club, it always starts with a traffic jam, because everybody wants the prime spot. Then the buzzer goes and fleet is off. The usual suspects are in the lead and everybody just follows their lead. Every week the same course, the same bunch, the same tactics, the same heading, the same cans. When do we use our brain? When will we finally say: “You are killing the sailor in me”?

Isn’t this the kind of Sailing that breeds the egotistic, idiotic and untactful sailors we see on you tube? Not thinking of the consequences if something goes wrong, just to prove they have Bollards of steal?

When do we say enough is enough? When do we take back sailing?

Note: This is a generalization of repeated club racing around the same cans every week.

Yawing, swaying, CONFUSING

2010-11-17T17:10:00.002+02:00

.......and it continues....surging, heaving, pitching, rolling, CONFUSING. These are all terms we use little in the sailing life and almost never while in the presence of a landlubber. WHY? Because it is so difficult to describe these terms of boat motion without looking like a fool and making the other person feel even more so.

uumm , swaying is when the boat goes like this (gesturing with hands) and moves along that axis thing.....

So how do we do this? This morning on my pre-work sail fix , I came across a post on Bowsprite and was amazed at how easy it was to remember and describe these terms using a drunken sailor as an example

Next time someone asks you what is swaying - grab a bottle of rum, drink half the bottle and show them.

or send them to this link

Pirates - no eye patch, just bazooka

2010-11-12T08:49:00.001+02:00

So a while ago we celebrated "talk like a pirate day" and we all went out to our local pub and said: "Arrgh me matey, give me ya best bottle of rum!!"

Since child hood, most of us would put pirate flags on our little toy boats and pretend to plunder and pillage the oceans of the world (bath tub). And at the school play, we all fought over the role for Captain Red Beard. The Pirates of the Caribbean movies series just made being a pirate so cool. And even led to Lego bringing out a Pirate range of little lego pirates and commanders, even including the treasure chest. No, they didn't stop there, they even created Lego Pirates, the game.

Would you be the Pirate or the Officer?? - Pirate

I think most of us, when we were young, were drawn to becoming a pirate for the lure of adventure on the high seas and chests of gold coins. But as we grew older, this dream faded away and reality kicked in - Sailing on the oceans of the world is all the adventure we need. Conquering the elements, our treasure.

Still today, in the age of gps tracking, long range missiles and real-time imagery, pirates are still a reality. With the first Somali pirate trial (read more) underway , I hope it will lead to a decline in piracy activity, so we can enjoy the lure of the ocean and treasure of conquering the elements without the fear of running into a scary mother f(*&%@ with a bazooka on his shoulder.

2010-11-10T08:50:00.000+02:00

And what is this I hear of a classic being remade into a modern sci fi film? Yes, Moby Dick 2010 is coming. Hope it is not going to be a let down like Sharktopus (shockingly bad movie) or Titanic 2

Bollards of Steal - the sequel

2010-11-09T07:55:00.000+02:00

Is it just me or are more and more sailors taking chances out there?

Bollards of Steal

2010-10-20T08:31:00.001+02:00

Has this guy got bollards of steal or is he just an idiot putting his life and that of his crew on the line?

Should we applaud or revoke his skipper license?

Bait?

2010-08-04T10:06:00.000+02:00

Sailing Anarchy had a post on the Chesapeake Log canoes the other day. When I saw it, I was wondering what they were fishing for with so much meat on the rail. Then I saw this trailer and new, SHARKTOPUS!!

Got the grey matter?

2010-07-29T17:41:00.000+02:00

By grey matter I don't mean the unused part of a mans body between his ears, I mean FOG. Since there seem to be a current theme on the other blogs of "sailing in darkness", I might as well share an embarrassing story of my early days of sailing.

Being top of my class in sailing school and really loving navigation, I got a position on a 36ft yacht as navigator and "jack-of-all-sails". This was a recreational yacht, so no serious racing, etc , just the Wednesday night regatta and occasional weekend offshore cruising.

On the first off shore cruise, it was also my first encounter with navigation blindly and relying only on instruments. We were approaching a small bay, where we would anchor for the evening, and visibility was down to 2 meters. So the seasoned skipper decided to reef down the iron sail to a near idle.

All of a sudden none of the headings on the compass, GPS or chart plotter were the same. We could here the waves break over on our port side and to our right I knew were unsafe waters too. What to do? One thing we could trust was the traditional compass so we used that for our heading. The GPS and chart plotter had the same way points, so we used that to track our progress on a old fashioned chart. Every 2 minutes I would track our progress on the chart and shout to the Skipper 5 degrees to port or 10 degrees to starboard or keep her steady.

my Picasso inspired art work - "navigation in the grey"

We eventually made it to our anchoring spot, even thou it felt like forever. It was one on the most stressful sailing times of my life and as one would have it, as soon as we anchored, the fog lifted an we were in a beautiful bay drinking sherry.

Lesson learned:

If you go to slow, your electronic nav systems can't pin point your exact course/heading. So go faster.

Whale Tale

2010-07-23T11:11:00.000+02:00

There has been a lot of hype over the Southern Right whale that jumped onto a 33ft yacht in Table Bay, Cape Town.

There are a lot of people that think it is a fake photo, since the Skipper is looking ahead with the whale leaping out of the water right next to him.

BUT what they don't know is that the skipper, Ralph, is a yoga master and thus very relaxed. I have personally been out sailing with him. Even in 35 - 40 knts wind, 6ft plus swells, he keeps his cool and steers Intrepid with confidence and experience.

I am so glad that no one was hurt, since it could have been a totally different scenario if he landed forward or aft of the mast and rigging, flipping the yacht.

Phuza Thursday

2010-07-22T13:24:00.001+02:00

In South Africa we have adopted many traditions form our friends on the other side of the big pond: Tequila Tuesdays, Wacky Wednesdays, Casual Friday, etc. But being South African we have our own too: Phuza Thursday.

'Phuza' is a Zulu word, meaning drink. Since this has no reference to a specific type of drink, all the colorful people of our country can enjoy this day and feel united. Children can drink sodas, the dogs can drink water, the English can drink tea, the Jamaicans can drink Rum, the French can drink Champagne, the Boere(farmers) can drink brandy & coke and I, . . . .I can drink red wine.

Since it is Phuza Thursday today, I will not bore you with a long post, but leave you with a quote form a book I read:

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She always considered the sailboat to be a remarkably therapeutic device. Just a few minutes on the water purged away the daily stresses while calming the emotions. She often joked that the country needed more sailboats and fewer psychologists

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Sailor Math

2010-07-15T17:42:00.001+02:00

So I haven’t sailed in 2 years 4 months, all just to come to the root of who I am, Smilicus. I usually understand better if the problem can be put into numbers or equations. It gives me a sort of unclouded, objective, quantifiable view of the bigger picture.

I believe one can easily express yourself (especially myself) by the following equation:

X = L + P + S

Gibberish you say. Well let me explain

L = Love

P = Passion

S = Sailor

where

S = B + Y

B = what’s in your blood(figuratively) & Y = other stuff

So let’s define it a bit further. Y (Other stuff) is all the nonsense society wants from you: Car, work, house, clothes, etc. Although it is a big part of one’s daily life, it is not necessary big part of your being. I believe B(lood) is something that we certainly can’t stay clear of. In this floating soul’s case, it is sailing.

Thus, if you give a closer look to the equation for Sailor (S = B + Y), you will see that when the “sailor becomes you”, there is no P(assion) or L(ove). Since Sailing is in our B(lood), it can’t fall under P(assion) or L(ove), you agree?

I love my wife and she is a big part of my being. I can’t bear to be away from her for too long or not have her in my equation. So thus L(ove) is part of me and my world can’t be without her. L(ove) also includes friends, family and mans-best-friend (sorry not cats).

P(assion) includes those things you are passionate about. For me it is wine, mtb and boats. This definitely makes up a part of ones being, so needs to be accounted for in the equation of this floating soul.

If we stay true to the equation, we can see that no matter how you write it, bold, italic, etc S(ailor) will never equal X(me, you). It will always just be a part of you and if it is your whole, you are not complete X.

X(smilicus) = L(ove) + P(assion) + S(ailor)

I am S(ailor) no more! I am SMILICUS and I sail.

The Gelato Effect

2010-07-07T18:06:00.003+02:00

....continued

In my previous post I ranted regarding going cold turkey. By trying to sail more and more (on different boats, etc), I was left with the gelato effect. Bear with me and I will try and explain.

The gelato effect ~ too much leaves you with less.

When I was young we only had normal, boring ice cream -vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. One day I heard about an Italian gelato shop and went to get my scoop of heaven. Standing there, mesmerized with all the flavours, I heard a voice: “Which one would you like to taste?”

O, decisions. I started off with one flavour, then the next and the next. And when I found myself, I have tasted them all, just to start all over again (I have forgotten the first ones I've tasted). Finally I closed my eyes and just pointed at one. Then that voice was there again: “Regular cone, Sugar cone or Tub?”

Spoiled or rather confused by choice I struggled to make a decision. Then that voice was there, yet again: “Single or Double scoop?”

I left the shop confused and undecided, but vouched to start all over again tomorrow.

The sailor became me the day that my passion became my obsession. It took over my existence and left no more time for anything else....everything revolved around sailing, unfocused sailing.

No matter how much I sailed, the need was still there.

Lost the plot

2010-06-30T10:07:00.000+02:00

Hi, my name is Smilicus and um,um, I’m a sailing junkie.

How often does one come across a sailor who says: “I sail anything. It is all about being on the water, feeling the breeze and making it go like the clappers.” Every club have one or even more. You know who I am talking about. That jack-of-all-trades sailor, who is always hovering at the club, eaves dropping to hear where his next sailing fix will come from, be it a 3knt sh#@ box or a stripped out racing boat.

I kicked my addiction 2 years, 3 months back. I went cold turkey, haven’t sailed at all, neither did I tie a Bowline or a reef knot. Okay, maybe once or twice I used a bowline, but not for sailing purposes. I ended my membership and just disappeared into the boring realm of the landlubber.

Why? For a very simple reason, but an important one: I become the Sailor, not the Sailor me.

.........to be continued

The legend of the ghost blogger

2010-06-23T17:37:00.004+02:00

~There’s a legend of a blogger that just stopped blogging and haunted other blog sites without anybody noticing or knowing what happened. ~

A frequent blogger and comment posting IP address just one day disappeared from the bloggesphere into thin air and nobody knew what had happened to this sorry soul. All we know is he still surfs the web in absolute silence watching, listening and seeing everything that went on.

He saw the fall of Joe(horse’s mouth) from Tillerman's holy scrolls to the other side, the normal side, the regular blog scrolls. I saw O Dock coming out of the comment box and onto his own Blogspot, taking up his spot in the social arena. I saw a spider reappear and a blogger disappear, maybe he is spinned up in a cocoon, just waiting to break free of daily society’s venom. The ghost saw it all and yet he just kept quiet.

But quiet he is no more, the silence is broken.

Battle for Southern Africa

2009-09-09T07:01:00.005+02:00

Ready to rumble!!

In the left corner, wearing blue skies, we have Spring, light weight champion of the breeze and in the right corner, wearing drizzle grey,we have Winter, heavy weight champion of the frost. They are battling it out for the main title of Season of Southern Africa. Winter threw the first punch, hitting Spring hard in the stomach. Spring stepped back covering his face.

The pounding continues and it looks like spring is going down in the third round. No wait, he is hitting back hard with a sunny sky hook to Winters chill, Spring still has some fight left. Winter is struggling to keep on its feet, while Spring is throwing sunny skies right, left and centre. Winter hits back with a snow storm to Spring's upper jaw. Spring staggers back.

Will this be it for Spring?

It feels like a battle for dominance between Spring and Winter in False bay these days. Just as we pack away our oil skins and get out our caps and sunblock, winter strikes again. This morning I woke up to snow capped mountains and white capped waves on the sea.

It is mid spring and we actually haven't even been able to have one week without rain or occasional snow. I was shivering this morning at my computer will sipping a cup of hot tea and my mind wondered of to the days when I was crazy enough to go sailing in temperatures near freezing.

That got my mind going again on all the ways we tried to keep warm at sea. No matter how warm you are dressed,in oils skins and fleece the works, the wind blowing over the Atlantic in winter cuts through everything. So we have resorted not to only warm our selves from the outside against the chill, but also from the inside.

Brofee - Cuppa Joe with a dash of brandy

Their is always the boring and old time favourite, Cup-a-Soup. But this just works in the ads on telly. The local favourite is called a Brofee or Policeman Coffee. That is sweat coffee with a dash or two of brandy. Another favourite in South African waters is, well there's no particular name for it, so lets call it a warm me up shot. This consists of one part sherry and one part whiskey taken either straight for the two bottles or mixed in a mug as a shot. This one is not advised in a race scenario, since you might forget all about the race and go to the local pub instead. That is all I can remember. Any suggestions that doesn't involve alcohol for keeping the winter chill out while at office, send them my way. Back to the match.

Come on Spring!!! Get in there. Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee!!

Heads - The history

2009-09-02T06:12:00.001+02:00

Many people don't understand Nautical terms. It must be very confusing for people to hear that the boats front is called the Bow and the back is called the stern. And they will hear it if they ever make the beginners mistake of saying right side and left side instead of Starboard and Port. So many of the land lubbers must wonder what a sailor is doing when he is heading down below to visit the heads.

It is probably best to start explaining the terms to them by referring to the origin of the word. If not they may think that the reason the word Heads is used for a marine toilet is because the space is so small and cramp that with the yacht rocking you regularly hit your head. That is true, but not the real reason for the name HEADS

In the older days the square riggers had limited technology and space. The "out-house" was situated on the side of the bow of the boat. Since they used the term of head for the bow of the boat, it became common to say:"I am going to the Heads"

The reason for putting the heads on the side of the boat was very simple:

Square rigs sail down wind, so putting the heads at the bow, would let the foul smell be blown off the ship instead of into the Captains beard
At the bow the ship is narrower that the stern, so all human waste would fall directly into the water and no need for appointing a janitor

Next time you have a few novices onboard, tell then the story before you say:"I'm off to the heads"

Words of the Old Salts

2009-09-01T07:30:00.012+02:00

The olden age of sailing the high seas in search of new continents and new faster routes to India, brought forth an era of experimenting with new boat design. And with that a new language evolved. Modern civilization forgot about this prehistoric dialect called Nautical Terms

I am very interested in all the terms that was used in that forgotten era. Most of them has disappeared over the ages and most of us have no clue into what they meant. I will post a new forgotten word and its description every week so we can revive the language and walk into a bar and start a conversation like. Something like this: I just saw a Bargue through my Spy glass and have they got a big Donkey Boiler on their deck. I wonder if their Boatswain knows how to use it.

The word for this week: Deadeye

No, its not what you used to call a sailor that lost an eye in a battle.

It is actually a round block of wood with three holes that is used to receive a shroud or stay and to adjust tension in the standing rigging.

So remeber this word for when you stubble into an old salt at the club again.

Eco Sailor

2009-08-24T07:27:00.010+02:00

Lately I have been thinking a lot about boating and especially all the negative effects it has on the environment. Sailing out of the harbour these days you really see how polluted our waters are. Oil floating on top and just beneath the surface you see old crisp packets floating, a reminder of that last big party someone had on the water.

Even the anti foaling kills the environment, bit by bit it suffocates the small marine life and other plankton in the ocean. Where are we going to be in a few decades from know. Dried up oceans, a big waste land in the middle of Table Bay where we once used to sped our days sailing? Or will it be a win situation for sailors the world over and a loss to humanity, when the earth turns into one big water theme park like in Water world?

Recently I was surfing the net, looking for Eco friendly boating sites when I came across a site The Green Blue. I was very impressed by all the work they have put into the site and all the different information they have on what your sailing/boating is doing to mother earth. There are dozens of solution to everyday questions we have on how we can improve our boating and become more Eco friendly.

Do you think you are an Eco friendly sailor? Think again and go visit the site:

The Green Blue

Where do we come from?

2009-07-29T15:06:00.008+02:00

Why are some of us land lubbers and some seafarers?

Since I was a little boy, I always felt the need to either be on the water or in the water. Where did this obsession come from?

When I was older I learned that my grandfather used to build and sail his own dinghies. Never spending one minute of his holiday to far from water or his little boats. He particularly liked the Sprog Dinghy and sailed in numerous regattas.

Could this be genetic? I don't think so, because my father don't like anything to do with water. He is in seventh heaven when he is sitting in his 4x4 somewhere in a desert. Even with my friend Tillerman it is not true. He spends most of his time on his Laser, but his son is more interested in fishing than sailing.

Could the place where we crew up have something to do with it? Again, I don't think so, because I grew up in Namakwaland which is a semi desert area.

Maybe it could be something from our childhood. I found a picture the other day of my 1st birthday. That was decades back There I was sitting on the floor, my face full of icing. I was dressed in one of those cliche Baby Sailor outfits and in front of me was a cake in the shape of a yacht. ~Could this be the birth of this sailor?

I still would like to think that sailing is a genetic inheritance and the true reason for my sailing obsession.

Extreme Laser Sailing

2009-07-23T16:35:00.009+02:00

After all these years I though one designs, especially laser was boring and something the local chess club would sail.

That was, until I came across this clip a few years back. I actually forgot about it, until I saw it on youtube again the past weekend.

Surfing with a Laser

Here is another clip of a few guys that like to have fun in the surf

Now I just need to find someone else's laser to do this with. Tillerman, can I borrow yours?

No Sailing

2009-07-21T08:11:00.008+02:00

As I look at my blogging friend Tillerman's blog, I see I am not the only one not getting out there for a sail. Maybe there is just no wind in Rode Island

There are articles on things to do in Rhode Island, his sons fishing and he even had time to write a piece about me and my blog. What is up Tillerman?

I wonder if his laser might not be developing some abandonment issues.

I found it!!!

2009-07-17T12:32:00.019+02:00

I found it, my new boat that is. Yes, can you believe it.. After all the search I found it in a Sailing ad. It is a Weta 14' Trimaran. Just what I need; fun, fast and can be launched through the surf. That is until I saw the price tag, a whopping ZAR100 000 per Weta.

Weta in action

I don’t know bout you, but that is a bit pricey for me. Especially working in the NGO (charity) sector. Maybe I should start a NGO called "Sailing Catch 22 boat fund."

So back to the drawing board, it still looks like a Hobi 16 for me and my Fiance and an Extra dinghy for single handed sailing.

Quote of the Week

2009-07-14T17:51:00.003+02:00

I pitty people who don't drink. They get up in the morning and thats the best they are going to feel the entire day ~ Frank Sinatra

News Review

2009-07-09T11:02:00.012+02:00

All of us need to find our Sailing news fix some how everyday. Be it Sailing Anarchy or another site. Here is a review of a few site I like to visit formy daily fix.

Sailing Anarchy

A very interesting news website that focus more on the Fun & Interesting side of sailing news than long reports of regatta results, etc. I love the site, giving you a quick overview of what happened world wide and loads of cool sailing photos. The big plus is that it is updated daily

LiveSailDie

An Australian sailing news website. More a blog site on the local (Australian) sailing news than a global news site. One downside is that they don’t update regularly

Yachts & Yachting

A true Sailing News Site with Reports on regattas and other news of sailing right over the globe. They even have reports on what changing in the racing rules, legislation, etc. One down side ii that they are to focused on the news and fail to bring the fun side to the party.

These are three of my favorite sites for daily sailing news. What is your fix?

Winter's bad cousin

2009-07-06T16:11:00.010+02:00

Winter is still with us in Cape Town , but today its cousin came to visit. I woke up this morning with a sniffle in the nose and scratch in the throat. ~ I hate you cousin flu!

I thought I would make this winter without a visit from the flu bug, but I was wrong. Murphy's law will always have the last say.

Time to catch up on whats going on in the world of sailing, reading Tillerman and Sailing Anarchy

So I cuddle up with a cup of steaming soup and wrapped in a blanket I play Virtual Skipper and dream of sunny days to come.

Lists

2009-07-01T16:46:00.014+02:00

I see everybodies been writing for Tillerman's writing project. In true South African fashion I am two months late with my list.

List: What to do in winter

1. Marathon dvd session: White Squall; Perfect Storm; Morning Light

2. Snuggle up in front of the fire place with the latest edition of SA Sailing
3. Try and finish your model yacht you have been building for a while.
4. Play Virtual Skipper 5 and actually win the America's cup with out a hearing

Mmmm, now I wonder if the new Virtual Skipper will have an option for protest and court hearings?

5. Refurbish your dinghy and get saw & GRP dust in you eyes.

6. Have a Saterday off to go wine tasting with Friends

7. Go to the gym and get inshape for the new season

8. Forget all of the above and pour youself a tall glass of whiskey and light a cigar

Come on what are you waiting for? Pour yourself one

Delirium

2009-06-23T08:45:00.007+02:00

I have come across this interesting ad while looking at different ways to make sailing more Eco-Friendly.

Hope you enjoy it.

Hypocrite

2009-04-24T13:06:00.007+02:00

I am a Hypocrite. Calling myself a sailor and here I stand in the middle of April, just before the winter starts in South Africa and I haven't sailed in over a year.

Since my last sailing adventure I made a conscience decision: Never to sail for a fool or Tyrant again. They are all and the same, Barking and swearing like a snarling demented dog from the underworld. Foaming at the mouth and spitting as they shout commands to the bow form their dry and safe kennel at the Helm.

" Untangle that spinnaker you worthless excuse of a seaweed, my granny can do that faster while baking cookies!"

If you sail for a fool, you soon come to the conclusion that the only fool on the boat can be anyone except the skipper....even if he slips, looses his glasses overboard and are going full speed ahead towards the breakwater.

All plans to purchase a yacht has failed since there is no space left in the marinas to give her a soft little bed in the Atlantic ocean. The idea of a dinghy or Kite surf is starting to pop up again....so maybe someday soon the Hypocrite will be no more.

I must say that I miss sailing a lot. I feel like a fish out of water, but I will not jump in again under the growling bark of another Top Dog.

Monkey Business

2009-04-24T12:33:00.002+02:00

Election day is almost worse that the other time of the year we dread, giving in our Tax returns. Wednesday we had our election day and according to the newspapers everything ran smoothly. That is until the day after the elections.

Reports came in of IEC officials driving around with market ballots in their boot for a certain party that is known for trying everything in its power to rig the assumed fair elections. Ballots boxes went missing and reappearing filled with who knows. Even few voting stations were caught with there pants down by not having enough ballot papers. Fair election?

In South Africa the Politics work a bit different. Politicians are not a proud breed down in South Africa and they revert to dancing and signing along to catchy music to rally in the votes. Even the distribution of food and other goodies are seen as getting more votes.

Gladly I can say the Circus has left the town and won’t be coming around for the next three years.

Art of Sailng

2009-03-28T10:21:00.008+02:00

Almost every week on the news you hear of some "sail machine" breaking the sailing speed record. Macquarie Innovations broke the record this week with a top speed of 54.23 kn0ts (100km/h) and an average of 50.43knots in a 500m stretch of water at Sandy Point.

Can one call this sailing? What happened to the Sailor, canvas sails and the art of sailing. These boats don't resemble a sailboat. It looks more like something out of a Mad Max film or Kevin Costner's career sinker, Water World. Now don't get me wrong, I am all for new inventions, better technology and breaking records. But where do one draw the line.

How can one put these "Sail machines" in the same class as a sailboat? They are all about aerodynamics, the latest technology and lightest materials. Just build to go down a straight line in order to get a break a record. No more is the man, the artist, a factor only the machine.

In this pursuit what happened to looking at tell tales, trimming the sheet on your mail and flying the spinnaker in the most effective way? What happened to outsmarting your opponent by just catching a header before the rest of the fleet?

Why would one like to scream down a line in a machine build to go straight when you can outsmart and out run your opponent around the cans in a race. Is it all the fault of the big corporations trying to beat their foe with there latest technology? Maybe it is the humans nature to be competitive, no matter what art form they destroy.

Call me old fashioned or not, but I still believe in the Art of sailing where man is still major factor.

Gone....

2009-03-17T12:50:00.011+02:00

Gone is the North West er that gently blew wind into my sails to nudge me across the ocean. Gone is the days of hanging round the yacht club, staring endlessly at the ocean. Gone is the days of sleeping late and working from home. Gone is the days of waiting till late morning so I can miss all the traffic.

Back is the howling South Easter that rattles my rigging and pushes me to the edge, just waiting for my yacht to broach. Back is the days of sitting in traffic for 2h30 hours a day. Back is the early to rise to beat the worst part of traffic, arriving at work just in time to make the morning meeting.

I started this week at Heart of Healing based in the center of Cape Town city. I will be running one of their projects, Charity Wines. We raise funds for different charities in the wine lands, including funds for children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

As soon as the dust has settled and the traffic noise has died down, I will be able to blog again.

Two sides of the same coin

2009-03-12T14:16:00.009+02:00

I just came across this, an interactive guide to the racing rules for 2009 - 2012. It has everything from narrated learning guide to animations and quizzes. Rules Master really thought of everything in this nifty little package. You can own it for only $75.90 and start sailing your best race yet.

For those who don't want to spend all their hard earned cash or their last little bit of pension money, there is Uncle Al's . You can download PDF files with all the rules and pictures explaining more than you'll ever remember on the water.

These two are truly Two Sides of the Same Coin. Racing Rules is up to date with technology, featuring boats and gear we use today. With Uncle Al's you will get pictures that looks like it was taken from an amateurs home movie while filming the Lochness monster or from local regatta.

Racing Rules vs Uncle Al's

Either one will give you the the complete set of rules you need to be competitive. I personally use Uncle Al's, but if South Africa's currency was stronger I would definitely have Rules Master shipped to me within a 48 hours.

Fires Blazing

2009-03-10T14:30:00.008+02:00

Fires ripped through Australia, left thousands of people homeless and hundreds of acres burned down. It seems South Africa isn't far behind. Fires have been blazing in the Western Cape for almost a month now. The couple of heat waves we had the last few weeks are not helping the Fireman's effort to control the blaze.

Fires Raging in Jonkershoek

It started in Stellenbosch and Somerset West, just a few kilometers from my home. Lourensford and Vergelegen, two well known wine farms in the region has been struck by the fire and lost some of their 2009 Harvest. Last week, fires started in Paarl as well and dozens of houses and two school was under threat of going up in smoke. The Jonkershoek Nature reserve, in Stellenbosch, is still burning after the first fires started a month back.

Fires Raging in Jonkershoek

I cant help but wonder what this will do to global warming, all this CO2 released into the atmosphere. According to Sky Climate Watch it will definitely have a negative influence and measures must be taken to prevent future fires raging on for weeks at end.

One cant help but wonder if this is natures way of turning a new leaf or simply arsonists.

Pictures form a local Africans news paper : Die Burger

Decisions Decisions

2009-03-09T14:18:00.010+02:00

Since I changed jobs and industries a while back, I am no longer able to do keel boat racing. This left me with a difficult decision.

Which sailing dinghy should I buy? What will I use it for? Where to store it? Tillerman will try and persuade me to buy a laser, because it is simplistic, an Olympic class and very competitive. But what if I want to do a little bit of double handed sailing?

Then Tim will try and persuade me to buy a Enterprise. You can comfortably sail around on the lake, race and take the family out for a little bit of adventure. It has pretty blue sails and are very stable. But what if I want to sail alone?

What if....What if...What if?

People would think I am an old lady struggling to make up my mind over which color serviettes to buy for a tea party. So I made a list of what I want in a dinghy.

1. Must be able to launch it from the beach - Hobie/Laser
2. Must be able to sail it on my own and with Rozanne - ?
3. Must be able to store it in my garage - No Hobie will fit - Enterprise/Laser/Finn
4. Must be a competitive class in South Africa - Enterprise/Laser/Finn/Hobie

So I drew my finale conclusion:
I must have two Dinghies. A laser/Finn for when I want to launch from the beach and sail alone and an Enterprise or Laser2 for when I want to take Rozanne along.

Any suggestions?

Hot as hell

2009-03-07T11:36:00.019+02:00

It's Saterday today and I'm nowhere near water. I'm sitting at the Wine Cellar in Rawsonville. Some would think this is the ideal way to spend a Saterday, surrounded with vineyards and wine.

It is 36˚C (98˚F) in the shade outside, not any sign of wind. My air con kicked the bucket yesterday and I'm sweating as if I just ran the Boston marathon in high heels. Conditions like these makes it easy to day dream of sand boarding in the dessert, but difficult to daydream about sailing. I wish I could be out on the water.

Maybe I should whack on some sunscreen, sit uncomfortably on the edge of my chair and put the desk fan on high. And just for effect I must get a colleague to splash water in my face and move the desk fan every 5 minutes so that it seems I am tacking and gybing. Maybe that will get me daydreaming about sailing today.

Now where can I find a willing colleague?

Handicapped System

2009-03-06T14:02:00.012+02:00

If you are french, they call it the System Handicap Nationale and if you are Swedish it is called Leading Yard Stick or LYS for short. In South Africa we call it The Unfair System. Sailors all over the world think their handicap system are unfair. I like to call it the Handicapped System.

According to my knowledge, which is sometimes limited, a handicap rating can be calculated by either two principles.

1. Observing actual performance and then creating a handicap

2. Measurements taken and formulas used to predict performance

This is according to an article by Jim Teeter : Yacht Racing Handicap System. These are two very different views. The first takes actual race results and base their handicap system on that. The second takes in account all the physical attributes of a boat (weight, length, sail area, etc)
These systems are then used to give boats the same equal opportunity of winning.

I have one big problem with both these systems, one major factor in boa speed is not taken in to account. The major factor being you, the sailor. Take Tillerman , he sails a Laser and competes with people half his age. They are younger, more agile and more fit than him, but they have the same rating. On his blog he complains of not winning races, even though he sailed his hardest and best race. Is this fair?

Another example is when I started sailing, the yacht had a 0.95 rating and we were all beginner sailors. We always ended up in the end of the pack, dead last. Now, two years later the yacht is still on a 0.95 rating, but an experienced crew is sailing her. We take home the medals almost every week. Could that one factor make such a difference, I think so.

A skipper I once sailed under recommend that we don't give the system the boot, but adopt a golf handicap system. Still keeping the current rating, but bring the skipper and crew into the equation as well.

Basic golf handicap is calculated as follows, add your 10 best scores of 20 and then you can determine where you are on the handicap system. With each new game, you enter your result and your handicap get recalculated again. With this system you can still stay competitive even if you just started out.

By doing this beginners and seasoned sailors can race against each other competitively. Each regatta you can test your own ability and that of your boat.

Idiot or Novice?

2009-03-05T08:17:00.006+02:00

I remember my first sail. Ooh, how that changed my life from a landlubber to a sea going maniac.
I grew up in the middle of South Africa. No water mass big enough to go sailing on. My contact with water sports was paddling with my canoe on the almost non existing river in the Olifants Valley or over a long weekends going water skiing with friends.

Living in a small town everybody knows everybody and I knew of an old Sonnet Dinghy standing in someones backyard rotting away. So I had it looking like new again with a nice thick glossy layer of epoxy. Now, I didn't know a thing about sailing, less about rigging a dinghy. I got my hands on a sailing book from the library. I think the book was older than me. Read every little thing in there, from righting your dinghy to sail adjustment. Weird thing I could not figure out was why they were talking about apparent wind. According to the book you need to have the sail set this way for this angle to the wind, etc.

So I set of for the a piece of water large enough for the "Art of Sailing". Rigged my dinghy and was launching it just as the wind started to pickup. In the dinghy and off I went. Sail adjustment was easy, but awfully wrong. In the book they just told you what apparent wind was and that you should sail to the angle of the wind.

So clever me was watching the wind sock at the clubhouse for direction, sailing and adjusting my sails to True Wind. Idiot!! Needles to say the dinghy didn't perform like the previous owner described it: It shoots off like a Rocket.

I enjoyed myself so much that I transformed into a sailor for life. Next chance I got I went to the city to buy myself the Complete Sailing Manual, I needed to know more about my new obsession. When I learned that you should sail on apparent wind, I shot off like a rocket.

Idiot? I believe novice.

P.S. Not me in the picture

Sea Monsters - Fact or Fiction

2009-03-03T07:54:00.015+02:00

I remember my first off shore race. Fresh out of Sailing school, with my skipper ticket in hand, I boarded a Bavaria 36 for the Mikonos Off Shore Regatta. Foul Weather gear and all the gadgets a young student could afford. The race there was uneventful with 0 wind. 90% of the fleet hoisting the iron sail and the old diesels purred up the coast to Mykonos. at 8pm the evening we entered the Harbor and looked for our mooring.

The next days bay racing was a different story, winds up to 35knts. Exhausted but still in good spirit the crew and skipper decided to head out to sea as the sun started to set over the horizon. We wanted to anchor at Dassen Island for the evening, only 20 miles away. As we rounded Jutten island the fog set in and so the ocean was starting to play tricks on us.

We were motoring in 35 m of water, 2miles form the coast line. Suddenly the echo sounder's alarm sounded, depth from keel to ocean floor read 2m. Skipper and crew alike started to question the instruments and their own knowledge of the ocean. Out popped a school of Dolphins at the bow and the echo alarm stopped.

Weird how ones mind starts to play tricks on you as the fog rolls in and night creeps nearer. With visibility down to zero, so did our speed. We were doing 3knts, crawling slowly towards the Island and a safe anchorage. In the fog eerie sounds seem to come from nowhere as you can hear whispers on the wind, yachts and trawlers a like sound their fog horns and somewhere in the distance a scream.

That scream was from our own bow. I think it sounded like TORPEDO! But that cant be, we aren't in hostile waters. I make my way to the bow only to see green streaks in the sea darting for our bow. Just as we brace ourselves for impact out jumps a friendly illuminant dolphin covered in phosphor. One of the most remarkable things I've ever seen. They were darting to our bow and jumping for 20 min before we entered house bay at Dassen Island, our anchorage. Relieved and exhausted 1am in the morning the entire crew stood at the stern and wrote their name on the phospor coverd sea.

Out came the bottle of sherry and tales of sea monsters and torpedoes.

Do sea monsters exist, our is it just a bottle of sherry and our imagination?

How do you drink Red Wine at sea?

2009-02-25T08:32:00.008+02:00

There is nothing more rewarding after a days sail than to uncork a bottle of red wine and enjoy at sea while watching the sunset over the horizon.

That is until you hit an unsuspected wave and spill a few drops of wine on the teak deck. The skipper in his color coded sailing gear just left civilization and starts swearing like a sailor in a cheap remake of Moby Dick.
Out comes the bleach and other chemicals and gone is the tranquil sunset and glass of well bodied wine. One would believe some sorry fool was killed and we are desperately trying to get rid of the blood stains before entering port. The crew is on their knees scrubbing the floor like slaves on an old square rig while the captain is at the helm shouting and swearing, cursing the winds. All on deck have forgotten about the wine and out comes the bottle of cheap sherry that is passed from sailor to sailor to Captain.

So how do one drink red wine at sea? Should we rather take swigs out of the bottle or maybe get ourselves some of those German beer mugs with the lid? Maybe we should cover the cockpit floor with bleach or other chemicals before we pop the cork.

For now I will have a goblet of luscious red wine, even if it means mutiny.

Where are all the Sailors?

2009-02-24T16:23:00.008+02:00

Sitting in my car looking at the ocean, I wonder where all the sailors are......

Today is one of those perfect days, we get so few of them these days. Either the wind is howling or its raining in mid summer. You could not ask for a better day for sailing, flat seas with a nice steady breeze . . . perfect.

Yet, where are all the sailors???

The yacht club is only 2km away and not a single piece of cloth is to be seen on the water. For some reason yachties think that sailing is reserved for Wednesday night regattas and weekends. Now dinghy and Hobie sailors take every opportunity they get to be out on the water, why is this? Maybe because you only need two sailors? Maybe because less prep is involved? Maybe because they have youth on their side? OR maybe they don't need to have high power jobs and big overdrafts to finance their passion like the yacht owners do.

Yet, where are all the sailors??

People need to work during the week to earn money for new rigging, blocks and mooring costs. I get it, but if I look at the members at the club, mostly they are elderly folk now on retirement, surely they can use the perfect day in the week for sailing? Or do they need crew? Or maybe they are not up to the challenge anymore?

Yet, where are all the sailors?

Here lies the CATCH 22 of Sailing:

Buy the big yacht with all the trimmings, but need the big power job with the long hours to pay the bank = No Sailing

Retire Early after your successful career and buy the yacht of your dreams, but need crew to help sail the yacht, who is still at work = Again No Sailing

Are we all doomed to stay dinghy sailors forever?