Make Plans to Attend a Boat Show Near You!

Whether you are shopping for a new boat or simply wanting to browse to see what's new in the sailing world, it's hard to beat a visit to an in-water boat show.

We are fortunate to live within driving distance to Annapolis, Maryland; the site for two great annual sailboat shows, the Spring Sailboat Show and the United States Sailboat Show. Both events feature a large exhibit area with covered venues for merchants and wares. But most everyone likes to visit these shows to see the boats! Temporary docks are constructed to provide easy access to hundreds of sailing vessels of all makes, styles, and vintage.

If you are shopping for a new boat, the opportunity to step aboard (shoes off first please!) to see and touch the boats is invaluable. Take the helm to see what your line of sight is like. Go below to compare galley locations and berth sizes. How much space does that second head use? Explore the deck to see how much space you really have to take down that spinnaker before the approaching squall lets loose. There are few places where you can compare and contrast so many different boats at once.

A few suggestions for you if you've never attended an in-water boat show before:

• If the show is not in your local area, make travel and lodging arrangements well in advance. Prices will likely be at a premium, but if you wait for the last minute they will be much more expensive.
• Dress for the weather. Use layers to accommodate the unexpected sun, wind, rain, etc.
• Wear shoes that are easy to take off and put on. Since shoes are typically not allowed on the boats, you don't want to spend your day tying shoe laces.
• Take a small daypack with water and snacks. Boat shows are hard work and you need to sustain your energy!
• Pack a notebook and pen to record your thoughts about the boats that interest you. You may think that you'll remember details, but once you walk through a couple dozen boats the mental notes begin to blur together.
• Bring along a camera or make certain your mobile phone has enough free memory for lots of photos. The images will help with your note taking.

I've included a few photos from our recent visit to the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show (April 28 - 30, 2017). It was a great experience and we've already made arrangements to attend the United States Sailboat Show this fall. Maybe we will see you there?

"From an early age, the child is told 'watch where you are going!' Good advice [for the sailor]."

Roger C. Taylor, Elements of Seamanship

VHF and HF SSB Marine Radio Licensing

This post is not about the value or importance of having a VHF marine radio aboard your vessel. There are many other articles on the Internet that discuss those points. It's also not about the use of high frequency single side band (HF SSB) radio for long-distance (i.e. blue water / open ocean) communication as an economical alternative to satellite telephone and Internet services. This is a simple discussion of the often confusing and misunderstood licensing requirements to use such marine radio equipment. You may find this information useful whether you are new to sailing or an old salt.

While some captains may not believe that it is important to be bothered with being "legal" when operating their marine radio, there are important safety benefits to being officially licensed and registered. More on that later.

[Note 1: The information presented in this blog post applies to United States citizens. Rules and regulations governing marine radio use vary in other countries.]
[Note 2: The information presented in this blog post is accurate as of the original published date. These rules are subject to change by the applicable regulating entities.]

The most useful information that I can provide is clarification on who actually needs to be licensed. The following two points succinctly summarize the radio licensing requirements for a sailing vessel. Other restrictions apply to large ships or cargo vessels.

1. You do not need a license to operate a marine radio aboard a pleasure vessel sailing within the United States or International waters unless you are certified by the U.S. Coast Guard to carry more than six passengers for hire in the open sea or tidewaters of the United States.
2. You do need a license to operate a marine radio aboard a pleasure vessel sailing in foreign ports or transmitting to foreign stations (i.e. Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands). 

Other than making certain that you are operating a marine radio legally, why is licensing so important? Radios with Digital Selective Calling (DSC) capability are designed to broadcast a unique nine-digit Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number to the U.S. Coast Guard to help search and rescue operations locate your boat. If your vessel does not require a radio license you may easily obtain an MMSI by contacting BoatUS, Sea Tow Service International, Inc., Shine Micro, or United States Power Squadrons. However, MMSI numbers obtained in this manner are only valid for boats that operate within the United States.

If your vessel requires a radio license (i.e. your boat is operating in foreign ports) you must be assigned an MMSI number that registers your vessel in the international Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) database so that your boat is recognized outside of the United States. This helps provide rapid alerting of shore-based rescue authorities in the event of an emergency. You can only be assigned this type of MMSI number if you are properly licensed to operate a marine radio. An MMSI assigned from one of the sources listed in the previous paragraph will not work in foreign ports.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is the regulatory authority that issues Ship Radio Station licenses. There are two steps to the process. The first is to apply for a Restricted Radiotelephone (RR) Operator Permit. Each vessel is required to have one person that holds such a permit. FCC Form 605 is used for the application; no testing is required. This permit is specific to the radio operator and it is a lifetime license.

Once you have your Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit, you need to file for a Ship Radio Station License by using FCC Form 605 - Schedule B; again no testing is required. This license is specific to the vessel and while valid for ten years it cannot be transferred to other boats. Upon successful application, the FCC will assign the vessel a unique radio call sign and MMSI number.

The FCC makes the process easy by providing online form submission and payment through their Universal Licensing System (ULS) and the costs are reasonable. Considering the potential benefits of assisting authorities with a timely and safe rescue, we believe there are no excuses not to be properly and legally licensed to operate your marine radio.

"He was now convinced that the most valuable sail on board was the diesel."

Ray Kauffman, Hurricane's Wake: Around the World On a Ketch

Recommended Reading (continued)

Since there are so many good books and articles on sailing, I've decided to continue using the blog title "Recommended Reading." I expect that it will reappear on this website over and again.

In a previous blog post, I suggested recommended reading for the beginner in a book titled The Complete Sailor. It is a wonderful text for an introduction to sailing and a great reference for novice and experienced sailors alike.

In an effort to increase my practical knowledge of sailing I continue to read other books on the subject. I have a keen interest in learning more about single-handing a sailboat. While I don't have plans for a singlehanded world circumnavigation, I fully expect that most of the sailing adventures for my wife and I will be limited to just the two of us or at best, a small inexperienced crew. Having a better understanding of single or shorthanded techniques and tactics could prove to be very useful.

I found just the right text in Singlehanded Sailing by Andrew Evans. The author is an accomplished
singlehanded sailor with extensive solo racing experience. As so artfully mentioned in the foreword by Bruce Schwab, "While a lot of jabber about singlehanded sailing can be found on discussion forums and the odd magazine articles, this is the first collection of varied aspects of the sport put together in one place. It takes thousands of hours of sailing to get the kind of knowledge contained in this book."

Evans includes chapters on subjects that range from mental challenges, singlehanded boat design, sail handling techniques, dealing with adversity, to racing. Much of the information is geared to long-range solo trips and racing. At first, I found some of those sections difficult reading, since that was not my personal interest. However, I found many gems in this discussion. It's often that techniques and tactics developed for extreme situations help those who are dealing with a much less stressful matter. By studying events and circumstances faced by professional singlehanded sailors, I felt as though I learned much that could be applied to my own sailing adventures with a small, inexperienced crew, or when taking an overnight shift by my lonesome.

If you plan to spend time on your sailing journey alone or shorthanded, I recommend that you read this book. The first-hand accounts alone have a certain entertainment value and are well worth the reading time, and the sage advice from seasoned professionals only add to the value.

"I was so lost in the sight that I forgot the presence of the man who came out with me, until he said... half to himself, still looking at the marble sails, 'How quietly they do their work!'"

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast

"Men in a ship are always looking up, and men ashore generally looking down."

John Masefield, The Bird of Dawning

Recommended Reading for the Beginner

In a previous blog post, I suggested that a good first instructional book was Sailing for Dummies. I stand by that recommendation for all of the reasons discussed in that article but understand that some people are put-off by the book title and may feel that their skills and abilities are already beyond the "dummy" level. I can understand that and won't be critical of those who fall into that category. Instead, I will offer you this alternative text.

Another great book that will introduce you to the art of sailing is The Complete Sailor, by David
Seidman. With 240 pages of text and illustrations, the author provides an excellent resource for both the beginner and novice sailor. The book includes sections on the wind, weather, sails, rigging, anchoring and much more.

There are technical details on calculating a boat hull's speed-length ratio and keel design if you are interested in such things. Seidman also offers valuable advice on racing strategies. The book offers a broad range of useful information from a different teaching approach than Sailing for Dummies.

I believe that Jennifer and Peter Isler do a better job in Sailing for Dummies of providing practical hands-on advice for the beginner, and their illustrations and images are more helpful than artistic.

Both books are relatively inexpensive so I will close with this advice. Buy both of the books! You are certain to find each book to be helpful for the beginner and one will be certain to become your favorite go-to resource as you continue pursuing a sailing education.

"A very queer thing is the wind.
I don't know how it beginned,
And nobody knows where it goes.
It is the wind, it beginned and it blows."

John Masefield, sailor and Poet Laureate of England

Learning to Sail (continued)

Since a sailing education never really ends, I've decided to continue using the blog title "Learning to Sail." I expect that it will reappear on this website over and again.

Once I had done enough reading about sailing, I was ready to get my feet wet (at least figuratively). I looked into one-on-one instruction and the options were somewhat limited to location and not exactly what I would expect for those wanting to be frugal with cost. I also found that one-on-one instruction did not necessary provide the student with certification or proof of completion beyond the instructor's word. That would not be very helpful for building a sailing resume as required by most sailboat charter services.

That led me to investigate various commercial sailing schools. Living in the Mid-Atlantic United States provides me with relatively easy access to the reputable Annapolis School of Seamanship located in the sailing mecca, Annapolis, Maryland. This is an excellent option as the program is highly regarded by the sailing community and recognized by most charter services. The only negative for me was the lack of flexibility on class location. I had plans to complete a certain level of instruction through the winter months and that wasn't going to be comfortable or easy in the Upper Chesapeake Bay.

That being said, the Annapolis School of Seamanship also offers various classes off the boat, year around (i.e. marine diesel basics). I hope to complete a selection of these excellent classroom courses someday.

I decided that the progressive program of courses available from the American Sailing Association ("ASA") would work best for me. With affiliated sailing schools located around the world, a host of qualified instructors, and a wide-ranging choice of interesting courses, the ASA offered me the best option to meet my sailing education objectives. ASA membership also provides a number of financial, commercial, and social benefits to sailors. It has been a great decision.

"To know the laws that govern the winds, and to know that you know them, will give you an easy mind...; otherwise you may tremble at the appearance of every cloud."

Joshua Slocum, Sailing Alone Around the World

What Makes a Good Sailor?

This list is reproduced from the American Sailing Association.

Intuition

The top of the list is intuition. We’ve all been on boats with people who just seem to know innately, more than anyone else, where the wind is and where it’s going to be. The boat goes faster when they are in charge and they have an anticipation and understanding that is on another level. Sure, some of it is from experience, but some of it isn’t. Intuition is a magical thing and great sailors have it in spades.

Solid Understanding of Fundamentals

Of course, we would say this but it’s true – core fundamentals are critical to being a good sailor. Obvious perhaps, but so many sailors have holes in their game. One walk along any dock in America and you’ll find some interesting takes on how to tie a cleat hitch. Knowing knots, points of sail, weather information, vocabulary and all of the other basics have to be second nature for a person to be a good sailor.

Jack of All Trades

MacGyver would have been a good sailor.  Things go strange on boats. Fittings pop out, things fall overboard, lines snap – there’s no telling how a boisterous sea might change your day. For this, an ability to think on your feet and improvise is the quality of a good sailor. There is nothing so comforting as being around good sailors who, when faced with a problem, simply start figuring out solutions based on the materials on hand. Boats don’t carry spares of everything so innovation often reigns supreme. Some of the most ingenious creations in the universe have been developed by good sailors on long passages in small cruising boats.

Calmness

Truly good sailors are never the ones screaming and throwing tantrums. They are the ones figuring things out while someone else is screaming and throwing a tantrum. But beyond being calm under duress, good sailors are usually just calm in general. It’s a disposition that serves nearly every sailing situation and good sailors know it. To be calm is to be clear of mind and clarity is an enormous advantage when sailing. Breathe people.

A Boat is a Boat

Someone who really knows how to sail can hop on any boat and make it hum. He or she will do a quick inventory of how the particular systems on the boat operate and in a matter of minutes will be an integrated crew member or skipper working as if they have been on the boat for years.

Experience

In sailing or anywhere else, nothing substitutes for sheer experience.  Miles under the keel in most instances can provide all that is needed to become a good or great sailor. In most cases, with a solid footing in the fundamentals, it brings with it the aforementioned calmness, the quick understanding of any boat’s systems, the ability to innovate and improvise. Although experience might not be able to provide God-given intuition like the Russel Coutts and Jimmy Spithills of the world, it will certainly take you farther down the road than most.

Holding Your Rum

And lastly, a good sailor has to be able to hold their rum. It’s been a time-honored tradition and it will always be this way. If you are throwing up in a parrot mask you donned after your seventh margarita you lose points. There’s too much at stake to be a lousy drinker. Have fun but stay cognizant – you can dance that weird dance of yours and still think about whether the anchor is holding.

Learning to Sail

One of the first things I learned about sailing is that each sailor has an opinion about everything and does not seem to be afraid to share it with you. Ha! So when I first wanted to learn how to sail, I was confronted with many different opinions about the best process.

I am an engineer by education and profession, so I have a preference to obtaining some level of formal instruction as background and basis for further learning. I have concerns with attempting to learn anything by going directly to a hands-on experience, and question people who suggest that you should just jump on a sailboat and figure it out.

After being a casual observer on others' boats, I only knew some of the very rudimentary basics. I felt that I needed to learn more, even before pursuing personal instruction. The perfect method for me was to turn to reading, and I found the best possible text in Sailing for Dummies.

Don't let the title fool you or insult your intelligence. I found that Sailing for Dummies provided a very well written, easy to read, introduction to sailing. It was also a valuable reference while I continued my sailing education and it continues to be a handy book to have on hand to answer questions or refresh my memory. This book will always have a home in my library.

Authors Jennifer and Peter Isler are experienced, professional sailors. They have a unique writing style that communicates critical technical information in an entertaining fashion. This book was a great way for me to begin my formal sailing education.

How Did This All Start?

Neither Laura or I were born into a sailing or boating family. I was raised on the southern shores of Lake Michigan, so I had the opportunity to do some boating, mostly for purposes of fishing. Laura was raised in central Illinois, and enjoyed canoeing and boating on small inland lakes.

The Lake Michigan experience exposed me to beach catamarans, and I would marvel at the speed and agility of the small Hobie Cats in the brisk winds. I was able to understand the concepts of sailing, but had no real experience outside of being a passenger.

Fast forward many years to vacations in the Caribbean with our children. It was there, as landlubbers, that we saw the beautiful monohulls and catamarans cruising about the islands. Little did I know that I had been bitten by the sailing bug... I had to learn more about it!

On one particular trip to Grenada, we met a lovely couple who took our family for a cruise around the Tobago Keys on their 42' sloop. Now I began to take this much more serious and started to read and study about sailing. I knew that somehow Laura and I would someday find a way to be sailors too.

Welcome!

Sailing S/V Hope is a collaborative effort for my wife (Laura) and me (Ken). With this blog, we will share our adventures on becoming sailors, from retrospective observations of the sailing lifestyle to technical posts on equipment or techniques to updates on our whereabouts on the water.

We are not experts, which could actually make this a useful and entertaining read. You will have the opportunity to learn from our mistakes and laugh at our escapades.

You can also follow along on our Facebook page and Instagram.

Fair winds and following seas,

Ken