John’s Thoughts & Photos

It’s been a while since we did a this and that post, so here goes.

OK, enough with all this talk of motorboats, let’s go sailing in a bit of breeze on Morgan’s Cloud. We made the video below a few days ago in a solid Force 7 blow (near gale, 28-33 knots).

It’s amazing how often we see this: an otherwise substantial anchoring set up totally compromised by one small detail. Can you spot it? Please leave a comment. Just to keep things simple, I’m only talking about the starboard anchor.

A Race For Real Sailors

I’m thinking that some of you might be interested in learning more about the series of races that the original Bluenose was built to win.

A series that was inspired by the desire of working schooner fishermen to go out and show a bunch of effete yachtsmen racing expensive, silly and fragile boats to win an old mug, how real men go sailboat racing.

“Fun Tax”

I got an email from yacht designer Ed Joy, about something else, to which he added the following:

I agree with the sentiments in your hull form article. Racers having great fun scampering downwind on their sleds are dreading the “fun tax” that must be paid when it’s time to harden up the sheets – not acceptable on a cruising boat.

I have seldom heard it said better.

A great piece by Charley Doane over at Wavetrain on the folly of carrying jerry jugs of fuel on deck and how to make it unnecessary with smart motor-sailing.