[Rhodes22-list] Offshore sailing classes

[Wally Buck]

Not boring at all, it sounds like something I want to do!

Wally


>From: "Robert Quinn" <rjquinn@bellsouth.net>
>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
>To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Offshore sailing classes
>Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 21:07:55 -0500
>
>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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