Locating The Wind
Topics: sailing lessons, sailing, sailing instruction
Knowing the direction of the wind is one of the most important aspects of sailing properly and safely. Trimming sails correctly, identifying points of sail, and executing procedures such as man-over-board and heaving-to, for example, all require knowing the direction of the wind. Yet, many beginners find it very difficult to find the source of the wind direction. Moreover, even when they do find the correct wind direction, it is a very time consuming process.
This article describes typical mistakes made by beginning sailors and then introduces a simple and reliable method to find the direction of the wind quickly while sailing. The observations and suggestions in this article were generated during the sailing lessons taught at Fair Wind Sailing School.
Common Mistakes
Beginning sailors typically make two common mistakes when attempting to identify the wind direction. The first is to stare at the wind instruments and solely rely on the instruments to reveal the source of the wind. While instruments can be a valuable aid to navigation, prior to the development of basic sailing skills are developed, they can often be confusing and even misleading.
Our experience has been that the wind instrument is usually the worst place to find the wind direction for a beginning sailor. First, reading a wind instrument may not be intuitive to the new sailor. It is quite common for new sailors to misread the instrument confusing true versus apparent wind or even misreading the directional arrow of an analog wind gauge. Even more concerning is that — as any experienced sailor will testify — wind instruments are typically wrong. Calibration issues, slow response times, shifting winds and knowing how to switch between true and apparent readings all contribute to wind accuracy readings that are far too often different from the actual conditions. This is especially true for lower cost wind instruments.
Even if the wind instrument is reading correctly, it can take the beginning sailor a long time staring at the wind instrument to read it correctly. While staring at the instrument, the helmsman is not looking out. It is quite common, again particularly for a beginner, to turn the boat when not looking ahead. As the helmsman unknowingly turns the boat, the direction of the wind appears to turn too. Of course, this is not the true weather conditions, and it further complicates the first challenge of finding the direction of the wind.
When taken in combination, the issues of long periods of staring the electronics rather than sailing the boat, slow responses to shifting wind and potential mis-calibrations, the wind instrument is quite possibly the worst way to try and find the wind direction quickly for the beginning sailor.
The mast head fly is a step better than the wind instrument. Since it always reads the apparent wind, the mast head fly eliminates one of the issues inherent with wind instruments, like figuring out if you are looking at true or apparent wind. However, looking up at the mast head to quickly identify prevailing wind direction is also difficult for new sailors. Similar to staring at wind instruments, long periods looking straight up at the top of the mast make steering a boat straight very difficult for newcomers. Again just like looking at the wind instrument for long periods, what appears to be a shifting wind can be nothing more than the boat turning. In summary, while better than the wind instrument, reading the wind direction quickly from the mast head fly can be a trickly and time consuming endeavor the new sailor.
A third common mistake for beginners is to over think the situation. Typically, this occurs with confusion between true and apparent wind and trying to estimate one from the other. When starting out, newcomers can simplify the situation by remembering that we feel only the apparent wind. Since we also trim sails and run the boat to apparent wind, this is the only wind data point we need. It is the apparent wind, then, that we are looking for and that we can feel. For the beginner, focus on the apparent wind and forget the true wind to simply observations and speed you decision making.
A Simple and Easy Method To Identify Wind Direction
To identify the wind direction, we need a method to avoid the common mistakes. This means first of all, ignoring the instruments. Instead, we will identify the wind direction the old fashion way — we will feel it. To feel the wind, we will also need minimal distraction. We accomplish this by closing our eyes, too! It may sound counter-intuitive to close your eyes when steering a sail boat, but we will only need a second or two with this procedure, and closing your eyes for a second or two is far better than staring at instruments for long periods.
The total procedure is very simple, close your eyes, feel the wind on your cheeks and turn your head until you are looking directly into the wind. You’ll be amazed that in a second or two you’ll be able identify the wind direction accurately nearly 100% of the time. Fast and accurate — exactly the procedure we are looking for!
Summary
In summary, to accurately and quickly identify the wind direction, ignore the instruments and use your senses. By closing your eyes and feeling the wind on your face, you’ll be able to quickly and accurately identify the wind direction nearly 100% of the time in seconds.
Capt Dave Bello is President of Fair Wind Sailing School, (www.fairwindsailing.com) an ASA affiliate sailing school offering sailing charters and sailing instruction in the Virgin Islands, Chesapeake Bay, and on Lake Erie and Lake St Clair.
Previous Articles Highlighter:
Play Lead Guitar Or Get Outta The Way (1)
Playing the lead position can be so much fun when you really get to shred, once you master impressive lead guitar skills like hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, whole bends, half bends, ghost bends, runs, motifs, vibrato, legato and more.
Doing Barcelona With The Kids (2)
Absolutely everything about this famous team, from historical photographs to interesting paraphernalia, is housed in this 3,500 square meter complex. There is also an art museum for mom to meander around while the boys gape at Barca exhibits.
Disabled Travel To Rome, Italy (3)
Topics: rome, travel In fact, organized tours offer trips to wheelchair friendly hotels, museums and other places of interest so that disabled travelers can enjoy their destination just as much as the next traveler.
Getting About Bogota (4)
The second category, known as ejecutivo, is made of more luxurious coach type busses that only allow seated passengers. Another popular form of transportation in Bogota is its taxi service.
The Mysterious Allure Of Fly Fishing (5)
An anonymous fisherman once said fishing has a special hold on the spirit of man. This is because of all forms of fishing, it requires a perfect balance between discipline and freedom.
Fly Fishing Supplies And Tackle (6)
Tips On Buying Fishing Supplies There are many fishing stores that sell fishing supplies. For fishers who live in cities close to the ocean, to extensive lakes, or to major rivers, where fly fishing is a popular sport, you should much easy to locate the fishing stores that sell fishing supplies or you can have them deliver to you thru online ordering.
Stream Fly Fishing For Trout - Know Their Holding Lies (7)
Swimming against a strong current can be very tiring for a trout. Therefore, they look for shelter from the current which is their first need. Sometimes the trout rest behind objects in the water, such as a large rock, which breaks the current.
The Correct Equipment And Gear For Fly Fishing (8)
Using Fly Fishing Equipment It is very important that you select equipment that is well fit to the particular fishing situation. While a particular fly rod might be used in different or special situations, its' range of applications is very far narrower that a spinning rod.
Marques Of Distinction In Chauffeur Car Hire (9)
Topics: Chauffeur car hire, Chauffeur driven car, Chauffeur hire london There are a number of questions you need to ask yourself before you choose a chauffeur car hire company. These include what kind of impact are you looking to make, and what level of luxury are you after?
Top Fly Fishing Spots In The US (10)
Spectacular mountain scenery rounds out the fly fishing experience here. The Wind River Range in Wyoming has an estimated 700 trout lakes. These lakes include cutthroat, brook, rainbow, grayling, brown and golden trout.
Newer Articles Highlighter:
Hopping Around South Africa For Family Vacation (1)
After that, visit Robben Island, famed because of Nelson Mandela's imprisonment and a site for a diverse species of mammals and birds. See how the interaction. Learn the diverse ecosystem of the island and realize how these numerous species live in a small community.
The Single Best Case For Buying A Motor Home Or RV (2)
Eighty manufacturers supply the RV dealers in the North America, making more than ten distinct classes of motor homes for consumers to consider for their open-road travels and secondary housing.
Recreational Vehicle Living - Where To Take Your Home On Wheels (3)
They require a membership, but with that you can enjoy any one of their many campgrounds across the country. RV resorts are comfortable and usually quite cheap. You can stay at one for as little as $4 a night.
Canis Major Dwarf - Milky Way's Latest Conquest (4)
The team also believes there must be remnants of other galaxies dotted throughout the Milky Way but they would be nearly impossible to detect because of an advanced state of decay and without more details from the Canis Major Dwarf's destruction.
Types Of Motor Homes - A Quick Guide To Buying The Best Motor Home For You (5)
Class C Motor Homes are often considered to be the safest on the market for driving. This is because they carry standard safety features such as airbags and seat belts.
Spend Your Time Learning Guitar Chords To Jump Start Your Guitar Playing (6)
Every chord has a unique fingering on the frets and strings. If you want to master playing the guitar you will need to spend plenty of time getting your fingers in just the right position.
Historic Hendersonville - A Charming Artist Colony (7)
This town is growing, although at 12,000 residents it is still a small town. There are many different architectural styles represented here, and most of the town has been preserved as historic districts.
ATV Stunts - Serious But Dangerous Fun (8)
Learning To Ride In order to engage in ATV stunts, you need to have the utmost control over your all-terrain vehicle. The bottom line is that we are not just talking about riding your all-terrain vehicle, but riding it often.
The Incredible Electric Motorcycle-Latest Developments (9)
With some of the models selling for $15,000 they're not exactly for everyone. But prices will drop, batteries will improve and new technology in fuel cells will make the electric cycle and car a practical reality soon.
Discover How To Dance Variations Of The Waltz (10)
The Lame Duck This much resembles some of the steps of the Camel Walk but in a modified form. Two counts or steps to three beats of music. 1.