Sailing With Children

My husband was away at work this morning, so I decided to take the tyke out to the driveway and wash down the sailboat for the first time in two years.  It was coated with a decent layer of Texas dust.  I remember reading somewhere that dust provides an SPF of 4.  So, it may actually have been better for us to leave it be.  But I can’t stand to look at it like that.  So I filled up a pail, and we set to work!

I think it looks pretty good.  We only did one half.  By then, daddy was home and it was time for lunch.  So we’ll finish off the other half tomorrow.

Now that my rudder is back from the mechanic, perfectly ground down (he even made a notch in it for the screw of the latch), I just have to

1.  Assemble the tiller

2.  Get new non-crispy lines for the halyard and sheets.

3.  Oil the trailer tire bearings.

4.  Attach the new trailer plates.

And we’re good to go sailing.

Or are we?  I’ve been pondering this dilemma ever since I attempted to go sailing with the Bantam back in May.  (May 14, 2011 to be exact.)  I hated to leave husband on shore with the little one.  It seemed unfair.  Plus, the kiddo really enjoys the water (of his bathtub), and I have a feeling that he’d really take to sailing as well.  The problem is, how early does one put a child on a dinghy?

At the moment, I don’t think dinghy sailing is appropriate for him.  He needs to be able to communicate clearly and effectively.  And his current vocabulary does not allow for that.

He also needs to know how to swim.  He already has a life jacket, but there are no Type I PFDs for his age group.  So he still needs to be able to right himself, if he goes overboard. 

He also needs to know that in order to sail a boat, he cannot go overboard.  It seems strange to say that, but it’s true.  He *LOVES* to touch the water.  And this is why I always warn my patients’ moms not to leave them unattended in bathrooms, because babies can actually fall into a toilet head-first, and not be able to push themselves out.

So many things to consider.

Anyway, I posted a few more links to other websites that talk about sailing with one’s children:

1. Joe Boyle talks about sailing with his daughter. I can totally identify with his feelings about sailing with his spouse. I post one part of his article that made me cringe, below:

“Rafting up with some powerboater friends in LaTrappe creek later that evening we had a close call. I was steering and Christy was on the port bow getting ready to toss a line to our friends who were anchored in a big honking condo-sized powerboat. Just at the critical moment Cassie, who was clutching the lifelines near the cockpit, let out a shriek that meant real pain. My choices ran instantly through my head, grab for my daughter and risk t-boning this huge powerboat or let her wail. I took the risk and stretched out to grab the handle on the back of her lifevest. I hoisted her into the carpeted cockpit sole while only losing touch with the wheel for a second or two and managed to avoid giving our friends on the powerboat a fiberglass kiss. Cassie had fallen and wedged herself between a winch and a cleat but she was just fine; two beers later, so was I.”

– from “Sail, Baby, Sail!” at http://www.searoom.com/sail_baby.htm

2. Rebel Heart who has a darling daughter aboard their sailboat.

3. The Ceal Mor in the Gulf of Mexico

Gorgeous Kite-Cam Views

I know I’ve seen people use a kite-cam to take movies of their sailboats before.  I dunno if it was this guy or not.  However, I thought I’d post a link to his videos.  One really has to be a master of the wind to be able to solo-sail one’s sailboat at the *same* time as one is flying a kite that has an expensive piece of electronic video equipment dangling from it!!!!

Sailing on the Brain

In going through old posts and pictures, trying to find ones of junk rigs and wooden boats, I happened across these old pictures I posted 8 years ago. (8 years ago! Yowie!)

“The Female Brain” according to someone on the Internet

Very different. But the same in that we all have our own obsessions, hobbies, or things that fascinate us. I have no desire to collect shoes. I really dislike shopping for purses. If I find one I like that suits my purpose, I use it till it falls apart. Literally.

But sailboats. I see a sailboat. I want it. The biggest problem with collecting sailboats is that they tend to be a heck of a lot more expensive than purses. . . .

I’m just a high maintenance girl at heart. And one has to be, if one has sailboats.

Junk Rigs

One of the things about Xanga that is a little annoying is that I have no good way to categorize my posts. So, the only way to do that is to do it manually. I’m just going to make a post that I will add to, little by little, to collect all of my posts of a certain subject.

*This* particular collection is of Junk Rig posts — my favorite type of sailboat. Aesthetically, that is.

March 2, 2003 Naga Pelagi

April 7, 2003 Unknown Red-Sailed Junk for Sale

July 28, 2011 Typical Models of Ancient Chinese Junks

August 10, 2011 Princess Tai Ping

Overloading a Sailboat

Back in March, I read a story somewhere about a charter sailboat that capsized, and a couple of people died.  It was in San Diego.  I can’t remember details, but one news story can be found here:

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Pic_Shows_Sailboat_Before_Deadly_Accident_San_Diego-118834989.html.

The conclusion was that the sailboat was overloaded with people, and that passengers were not wearing lifejackets.

Sad.

But it happens.

People don’t want to wear something that’s proven to save lives.  ‘Common excuse?  “I know how to swim.”  ‘Doesn’t matter.  Even an Olympic medalist can drown if he or she is unconscious — knocked out by a boom or simply falling and having a concussion due to rough weather.

Sad story.  But a lesson to be learned.