Search activities
Basic Crewing/Sailing Course - Tacoma, Training Sail #3 - Frolic, Des Moines Marina

Field trip: Basic Crewing/Sailing Course

Basic Crewing/Sailing Course - Tacoma, Training Sail #3 - Frolic, Des Moines Marina

Third training sail for students of Tacoma's Basic Crewing/Sailing Course.

Contacts

Dwight Motz
Dwight Motz
Primary Leader
  • Easy
  • Mileage: 10.0 nm

Meet at the top of D dock at Des Moines Marina. Parking available just north of Anthony’s Restaurant. Meet at 1:30 PM and we will leave the dock at 2:00 PM for a planned 3 hour sail. After return to the dock plan an additional 30 minutes for debrief and putting boat to bed.  Please contact me and confirm plan at least 2 hours prior to scheduled meet up. Bring a sandwich, we have drinks. (253)670-0425. Feel free to call me if you have any questions. 

This is the third of three sails included in the Tacoma Branch's Basic Crewing/Sailing Course.  Students of the course should only sign up for one Training Sail #3 activity.

An outline of topics that will be covered during this training sail is shown below.  Please review the related material in your course text book before the sail and make sure you ask any questions necessary for you to understand the concept being covered.

Sail activities will take place rain or shine.  The activity may, however, be canceled due to high wind.  Call you skipper 1 hour before the start of the activity to make sure it is still a go.  Please show up on time.

Route/Place

Frolic, Des Moines Marina

Roster
Required Equipment

Required Equipment

Required/Recommended Gear:

  • Non-marking shoes (boat shoes/boots, tennis shoes, Keens, etc)
  • Personal Flotation Device (PFD) if you have one
    • Boats will have PFDs for every student
  • Rain Jacket and Pants if possible - will sail in rain
  • Warm clothing- Fleece layers are good
  • Sunglasses and Sunscreen
  • Sailing gloves or similiar
  • Water bottle and snacks
  • Gear bag / backpack

Topics to be Covered:

At The Dock

  • Stow Gear
  • Complete orientation of the boat, including safety gear/lifesling and head.
  • Discuss and assist with all steps for preparing the boat to get underway.
  • Walk through the process for undocking the boat, including crew positions and duties.

Under Power

  • Assist with stowing fenders and dock lines
  • Identify the parts of the boat including standing and running rigging.
  • Practice knots - bowline, round turn and 2 half hitches, clove hitch, and figure 8
  • Review/demonstrate how to safely use a winch.
  • Identify any aids to navigation you encounter.
  • Identify boats with right-of-way under power and under sail.  Discuss any right-of-way situations you encounter
  • Identify wind direction.  Discuss onboard, water and land signs for identifying wind direction. Discuss the difference between true and apparent wind.
  • Name points of sail
  • Demonstrate steering the boat - note how boat turns around keel
  • Observe masthead fly through 360 degree turn.
  • Identify all steps of hoisting sails. Prepare to host/set the sails.
  • Raise mainsail using steps: "Prepare to hoist main”: main sheet off and free to run, vang off, head to wind. “Hoist"
  • Deploying the appropriate head sail.

Under Sail

  • Review names of running and standing rigging.
  • Review parts of the sail: head, clew, tack, foot, luff, leach
  • Review true wind vs apparent wind.
  • Practice tacking, rotate positions - sail to an upwind “mark”
  • Identify port tack and starboard tack.
  • Sail to all points of sail on both tacks and trim sails as heading changes; use telltales as appropriate; rotate positions.
  • Review jibing steps and boom awareness.  Practice jibing, rotate positions, demonstrate sailing “by the lee”
  • Practice adjusting sail shape using halyard tension, backstay tension, cunningham tension, outhaul tension, fairlead (car) position.  Discuss the need to change sail shape to match wind strength.
  • Adjust fairlead (car) position (slowly head up and watch telltales break)
  • Adjust mainsail trim using the traveler in combination with main sheet.
  • Discuss how mainsail and headsail work together.
  • Discuss and demonstrate how to get the boat “out of irons”.
  • Discuss and demonstrate (if possible) reefing both mainsail and headsail.
  • Review steps to lower & stow sails sails, prepare to lower sails
  • Assist with lowering and stowing/covering sails

Returning to the Dock

  • Review and assist with all steps for preparing to dock the boat.
  • Assist with docking the boat.
  • Assist with putting away all lines, reinstalling all covers, folding sailing, if necessary, and other items needed to put the boat away.

Trip Reports