Day Two Classroom

A complete review of day one topics should be presented at the beginning of day two. This will help to “cement” the learning, and get the class ready for new topics. Topics to review include:

  • All knots
  • Boat Parts
  • Sailing Terms Learned
  • Wind Directions and Points of Sail
  • Commands and process to raise sails, tack, and jib
  • Commercial Vessel Traffic and expected hazards in the BKB Area of Operation, reviewing:
  • Local Area Charts

Introduce and/or review the “Rules of the Road”

  • Overtaking Rule (Rule 13)
  • Power-driven vessels approaching each other head-on (Rule 14)
  • Power-driven vessel with another power-driven vessel on starboard side (Rule 15)
  • Power vessel approaching a sailing vessel
  • Sailing vessel on starboard tack approaching sailing vessel  on port tack
  • Two sailing vessels on same tack (leeward/windward)
  • Commercial Traffic
    • Restricted Ability to Maneuver
    • Fishing
  • Meaning of 5 short (1 second) blasts of a sound signal

New Terms to Introduce

  • Stand-on Vessel
  • Give-way Vessel
  • Overtaking Vessel
  • Starboard Tack
  • Port Tack
  • Leeward
  • Windward
  • Short Blast

Aids to Navigation (ATONs)

A diagram or graphic aid will greatly assist with the explanation of the various ATONs.  Examples include (see also the Appendix)

  • AIDS TO NAVIGATION, An ASA Quick Reference Guide to Navigation Aids
  • The American Sailing Association’s SAILING MADE EASY, page 99
  • A white board drawing of the Marina Bay/Portero Reach area, with channels outlined and marked

Describe and explain the following Aids to Navigation:

Lateral Marks

Red-Right-Return (keep the red lateral marks to the right (starboard) side when returning to port)

  • Green
    • Odd numbers
    • Flat on top
  • Red
    • Even numbers
    • Pointed or conical tops
  • Preferred Channel
    • Multi-Color (Red over Green or Green over Red)
    • Top color is “preferred”
    • May be lettered
  • Safe Water
    • AKA Mid Channel Mark
    • Red & White Vertical Stripes
    • May be lettered
  • Regulatory/Advisory
    • White background
    • Black Letters
    • Orange geometric shape (e.g. circle or diamond)
    • Regulate topics like speed, swimming areas, and shallow areas

Charts

Use the Chart No. 18649, ENTRANCE TO SAN FRANCISCO BAY, for this discussion.

New Terms to Introduce:

  • Soundings
  • Fathom
  • Mean Lower Low Water

There are 2 low tides each day in San Francisco Bay. Mean Lower Low Water is the average of the lower of the 2 lows each day over a 19 year period of time. That average became zero.

Use the chart to indicate the limits of the Bronze Fleet “Practice Area”. If you follow the recommended location plan, day 2 will take you to Keller Cove, and allow the opportunity to reinforce the Practice Area, ATON’s and the information found on the chart.

Using the chart, point out and discuss the following:

  • Chart Title
  • Chart Number
  • Sounding In …
  • Discuss the difference between feet, meters, and fathoms
  • White vs. blue areas of chart
  • Explore the depths in several areas, including the area between Marina Bay and Brooks Island
  • Mean Lower Low Water
  • Distance Scale
  • ATON’s the participants will see in the area of Marina Bay, the Potrero Reach, and Keller Cove (the Practice Area)

Make sure to point out the various ATONs mentions in the previous sections, and how they are used.

Maneuvering Under Sail

Tacking and Jibing with Main and Jib

If not done on day one, early on day two the class should begin sailing under main and jib.

Points to cover regarding sailing under main and jib include:

  • Use of the self-tailing cleat on the winch
  • Working sheet vs. lazy sheet
  • Having the lazy sheet “ready” with two wraps around the winch
  • Trimming with the winch handle
  • Timing when releasing and trimming sheets during tacks and during jibes
  • Winch safety

Heave To

Explain how the wind in the “backwinded” jib turns the boat away from the wind, while the rudder pushed toward leeward turns the boat into the wind.  These two forces cancel each other. 

The boat slowly “rocks” back and forth, and moves generally to leeward. This is a great opportunity to reef if the boat is hove to on a starboard tack.

Steps for Heaving To

  1. From a Close Haul … Helmsperson checks for traffic and obstacles in the area the boat will be turning into.
  2. Helmsperson issues the command “Prepare to heave to”.
  3. Crew will make sure they are safely positioned, and respond “Ready”.
  4. After all crew have responded “Ready”, the helmsperson will announce “Helms-a-lee”, and move the tiller to the leeward side of the boat to begin a turn thru the wind.
  5. The Jib remains cleated.
  6. As the boat turns, the main will begin to luff, and move to the other side of the boat. When the main is on the new side, release the main sheet and allow the mainsail to ease out and continue to luff.
  7. As the boat comes onto the new tack, the jib will “backwind”.
  8. Move the tiller to the new leeward side of the boat.

To “sail out” of a hove to position, center the tiller, trim the main, and bring the jib across to the leeward side of the vessel.

Safety Note:
A boat that is “hove to” is still legally underway, and subject to the rules of the road with regard to stand on/give way vessel responsibilities

Figure 8 Crew Overboard

Use the acronym START

S … Shout
T … Throwable
A … Appoint a pointer
R … Beam Reach
T … Tack Back

The goal of the figure 8 crew (COB) overboard recovery is to complete the final approach to the COB on a close reach with main and jib luffing.

  1. Shout … “Man overboard”
  2. Throw … Throw the Type IV PFD(s)
  3. Appoint … One crew member should have the responsibility of continuously pointing at the COB. In waves, a person in the water is easily lost in the wave troughs. The larger the waves, the more critical the pointer’s role becomes.
  4. Reach … as quickly as possible; bring the boat to a beam reach. Prepare the crew and boat for a tack … Sale approximately 6 to 8 boat lengths away.
  5. Tack … Tack all the way around to a broad reach. The most common mistake in a figure 8 COB recovery is stopping the turn when pointed back to the victim in the water. At best, this will be a beam reach, and there will be no way to luff the sails enough to stop the boat beside the victim. While on a broad reach, set both sails loosely!
  6. Come up to a close reach … when the COB is approximately 45 degrees off the bow on the windward side, come to a close reach. This point of sail should allow the COB to be positioned to leeward of the boat. All sails should be luffing at this time. If not, release the jib and/or main to allow them to luff, and the boat to slow to a stop.

Stress the importance of practicing crew overboard recoveries. If and when a crew member does go overboard, chaos will rule

Practice and “muscle memory” will likely be the only thing that gets you back to the person in the water.

Reefing Underway

Reefing underway may be completed while hove to, or while sailing on a close haul under jib alone. The steps to putting a reef in the main or jib can be found in the Introduction to Sail Handling section.

Anchoring

At a minimum, anchoring should be discussed as a safety measure in the event of engine and/or sail failure. A quickly deployed anchor can save a boat from grounding or moving into the path of other vessels.

If time is available, it is recommended that the class anchor at least one time while under sail.

Anchoring Under Sail

  1. Approach the location to lower the anchor on a close reach with the mainsail luffing, and the jib furled.
  2. As the boat slows to a stop at the desired location, backwind the mainsail. This will allow the boat to be pushed backward with sufficient speed to allow rudder control.
  3. Lower the anchor to the bottom, and pay out sufficient rode to secure the boat.
  4. Cleat the rode securely.

Clean Up and Debrief

Follow the steps found in day one.

Day Three