Cut of His Jib
In the 18th century navies could determine the nationality of a sailing vessel by the shape of their jib. A jib is a sail in the front of the boat. This came in handy as they could recognize the shape of the jib well before being able to see their flag.
We've heard people use this phrase and wondered about its nautical origins.
"I don't like the cut of his jib!" Any guesses?
Well we finally got motivated and started working on our to-do list. It is amazing that each season we start out with a list of projects that fills a page or two. We are pretty good about about maintaining Wrinkles, but there are always items that get put off until the end of the season. This year was no exception as the list is plenty long. Here is our list as of now.
To do list 2013
Fishing rod storage rack or tube
Install out haul lines for reef points
Check steaming light (new deck connectors for wires)
Reseal bow pulpit stanchions
Replace Fire extinguishers
Circle ring on main sheet cleat
Measure and mark anchor rode
Replace chain portion of anchor rode
Wear strip on Bimini ( wear from boom)
Sew down Velcro on Bimini window covers
Shorten Bimini 2 - 3 inches
Repair cup holder
Starboard lazarette organizer
Rope pull for ladder
Line organizer
Boat cards with QR codes
Hitch/tongue extender
New headsail - ordered 12/7/12
Replace main sheet
Bearing buddies
Nicro Vent replacement
Cord/charger organizer
Rebuild carb on outboard
Touch up teak
Repair whisker pole
Spare tire for trailer
Paint mast raising post
Finish foiling rudder
Oar storage mounts
Bottle racks on side of head
Spreader wear patches on mainsail
Red LEDs in cabin
Furler end cover - done
Finish mainsail cover (clips) - done
There isn't anything on the list that would stop us from cleaning Wrinkles up and sailing her as is, but several of the items would make sailing her so much more fun. As you can see Brenda and I finished up the new mainsail cover and sewed up a new furler cover (protects the topsides while we are raising/lowering the mast). Mike put a second layer of cloth on the foiled rudder, which is coming along nicely. We have a ways to go, but we still have time before the lakes are ready.
What's up next? Mike is going to finish fiberglassing the rudder and painting it. Brenda is going to sew a wear strip on the Bimini where the boom drags sometimes while tacking and pretty up the Bimini windows. She is also contemplating cabin throw pillows, but hasn't committed to anything for sure yet.
Then it's back to the couch to continue reading most anything we can get our hands on that has to do with sailing and cruising.
Happy Weekend!
This weekend found the two of us securely snuggled on the couch reading for most of the weekend. So, you are thinking, ,"They just wasted the whole weekend?" Well, you are wrong. Both of us were reading/rereading sailing books. Surprise! Surprise! But we were both purposeful in our book selection. First of all, we needed to get our minds off the 8" of snow that fell over the last few days. Too much cold and snow is not good for a sailor's state of mind. Secondly we wanted to start rereading some of our previous selections so that we could glean the pertinent information for our particular planned destinations. And thirdly, it's time to start taking our learning seriously.
With that in mind, Mike finished off a two part book, A Dream Sets Sail, by Kay Koudele. She tells the story of the adventures she and her husband have when they took off after the kids were out of the house and headed to bluer seas. Brenda is a little behind but is close to finishing as well. It gave us an insider's view of what it can be like to throw the schedule out the window and take advantage of the wonderful opportunities that make themselves available when you take a step off the beaten path at any of the landfalls.
Partway through, Brenda delved into the navigation aspect of sailing. If you want to be sure the boat gets where you want to go, there is plenty to learn. And as is typical of sailing, it has its own language. It helped to start with some of the overviews in the basic reference books and then dig into a more intense, navigation specific book. After perusing our ever expanding library, she chose, The Practical Pilot, by Leonard Eyges. It was written in 1989, but is still relevant. Mike had picked it up at Half Price Books for a little bit of nothing, but the price didn't reflect the depth of information. Brenda will have to use all her reading strategies as she "chunks and chews" her way through.
Mike also reread, Maiden Voyage, by Tania Aebi. This is the one about a girl whose father sends his 17 year old daughter out on a solo circumnavigation with very limited sailing experience. Talk about a steep learning curve! This remains one of our favorite sailing stories.
Although we did accomplish a few chores and repairs over the weekend, we dedicated the majority of our time to our sailing education. We have so much to learn and the months are passing quickly by. Navigation, maintenance, sail trim, provisioning/cooking, boat selection, etc. We'll definitely need more purposeful couch time!
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