Third Sailing Lesson

Far  from  our last lesson, this was the last one for the ASA 101 (basic keelboat) standard.  The wind had been howling for the past 24 hours and was even blowing our car around on the drive to the reservoir.  So...of course...when we get on the water, barely a breeze.

We covered how to tweak sails to deal with varying wind conditions.  Adjusting the outhaul adjusts sail shape, loosening it to help with the light winds.  Although we definitely didn't need to, we also went through the process of reefing the main sail to demonstrate what to do when the winds are strong.

We also went over a technique called heaving-to, which is used when you want to take a break.  With it, you can essentially "park" a sailboat so it will stay reasonably in position without having to remain at the helm.

One last chance to practice docking and it was done.  Now, all that is left is to memorize all the terms and information here, and take the test.