[Rhodes22-list] Bigger Heel and Amount of Sail

[brad haslett]

Jim,

Your wife complaining about putting out more sail just
for more heel reminds me of one of William F.
Buckley's books  (Yeah, that William F. Buckley, he
also wrote three great sailing books).  His wife put a
mark on the inclinometer (at about 20 degrees I think)
and said she didn't care what he did with the boat,
just don't exceed that mark.

Sailing is a lot like flying, there are at least three
things you don't want to hear in the cockpit: 1 -
"What was that?" 2 - "Based on my vast experience" and
3 - "Watch this!"

Brad


--- Jim White <jdwhite at utpa.edu> wrote:
> Ya'll PLEASE don't change a thing....
> I'd be bored to tears if this list was just another
> nuts and bolts forum.
> 
> Now for a highly technical question:
> Last Sunday when we were out on the Laguna Madre, as
> I approached the Queen 
> Isabella Causeway (a rather large structure) the
> wind that I needed to be 
> able to push through the underpass channel was
> essentially blocked, and 
> reduced from the open bay. I was pointing as high as
> I could, and needed 
> all of speed I could get to shoot the gap. So I
> asked (as in commanded) my 
> crew (wife) to let out another third or so of the
> big 175. This immediately 
> led to a disagreement concerning my need to lengthen
> sail at that moment. 
> On the open bay, winds were about 20-25, so I was
> main reefed, and only 
> flying about 1/3 of the genny, but here they had
> dropped to about 12-15, so 
> I NEEDED more sail).
> 
> We've been through this a dozen times
> already....you'd think she'd know 
> from past experience. Her rationale was that I
> already had all of the wind 
> that I needed, was already 3/4 of the way through
> the gap and only wanted 
> to generate a bigger heel to impress the Night Magic
> which was approaching 
> from downwind. Sheesh. No respect.
> 
> So, how does one convince their (significant) crew
> that their order is not 
> frivolous, no rooted in vanity, but necessary for
> the safety and well being 
> of the entire ship? This is not the first time that
> I have been second 
> guessed. And yes, the heel was magnificent, I'm
> still picking seaweed out 
> of the spreaders ;-) .
> Curious minds are curious.
> 
> 
> Jim White
> Le Menagerie
> www.lemenagerie.blogspot.com
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