[Rhodes22-list] Offshore sailing classes

[Mark Kaynor]

Bob,

Thanks for your (not boring!!) feedback. It's good to hear from someone
who's actually had experience w/ Chapman. I'm glad to hear it went well and
that you've gone back for more. We've pretty much decided to go w/ them -
can you tell me a bit more about the class, the trip to the Bahamas, etc?

Mark


----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Quinn" <rjquinn@bellsouth.net>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2003 9:07 PM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Offshore sailing classes


> Mark:  This may be late as I believe I spotted another message where you
> have decided to go another route.  As I happen to live in Stuart, Florida,
> home of Chapman School of Seamanship, I decided to take their Bareboat
> Chartering Course before Kathy and I took off on a bareboat charter down
in
> the BVI.  They are an American Sailing Association affiliated sailing
school
> so you have to "fill the squares."  I challenged the Basic Keelboat course
> and completed the Basic Coastal Cursing and Bareboat Chartering course on
> our sail over to the Bahamas.  It was a great experience that I truly
> appreciated.  There were four of us on the sail: the instructor, a retired
> Marine Gunny Sergeant, an Attorney from Charleston, and me.  We were on a
> 40' Endeavor (Shady Lady).
>
> I had been sailing small boats for many years before launching on this
> endeavor (smile, pun with the type boat).  Kathy and I were on a cruise
ship
> in the BVI and after seeing all of the sailboats bouncing around the
> islands, we just had to do it.  I found that I knew a lot more than I
> thought I did about sailing, sail trimming, man overboard drills,
anchoring
> (even tho I had not done that much of it), etc.  Diesel engines, MSD,
> through hulls, windlasses, emergency tillers, battery secrets,  docking a
> 40' monster between two boats, standing watch, learning what all "those
> lights really mean," getting a better feel for chart reading, etc. tho
> were - to degrees - new.  Oh and did I mention, crossing the Gulf Stream
> going and coming?
>
> Our instructor was great - a bit of a character being a 50ish overweight
> Anglo fellow with dreadlocks, beard and all (no he did not wear an eye
> patch, have a hook or a peg leg  {:>)  ).  It was a great week that I
would
> not trade for anything.
>
> Even with this behind us, when we bareboat chartered the firs time we went
> did the Flotilla bit.  There were only three boats on the Flotilla - the
> lead boat (he never lead) with the captain/mechanic and social director, a
> boat with two couples from Africa (British Subjects working in Africa),
and
> Kathy and I on the third boat (three 35 footers).  The deal with the
> Flotilla, as we found out, was only to help if needed - if you looked like
> you knew what you were doing, they left you alone. Generally met up once a
> day for a quick meeting on the plan of the day and to identify the next
> anchorage.   The Social Director - actually they call her a Hostess - sets
> up all of the dinners at the various anchorages/mooring areas and there in
> lies the benefit of the Flotilla - social life.  We did the Flotilla a
> second time but it had 17 boats - we dropped out and did out own thing
only
> joining up with the group for a couple of activities like the run to
> Anegada, which requires a flotilla.  Since then we go on our own and find
> our own social life - there are lots of one and two couple boats that you
> seem to run into over the course of your charter.  We generally strike up
> conversations which lead to meeting for a drink and possibly dinner as the
> time goes on.
>
> I have been back to Chapman to do the Coastal Navigation course and plan
to
> do the off shore course sometime in the future.
>
> Hope this was not too boring.
>
> Bob and Kathy on the "NoKaOi"
>
>
> _________________________________________________
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