Conference unifix::sailing

1231.0. "no substitute for experience" by MPGS::KTISTAKIS (Mike K.) Mon Jun 05 1989 15:22

    Last year when I got the boat most of the time I was cleaning and
    fixing and hardly sailed her.During that time,altough sailing or
    motoring in the Atlantic,(O.K. a couple of miles of shore) I didn't
    have too much of wind and the steering was awfull.I had to fight the
    wheel most of the time to the point that I was positive I bought a dog
    and I was going to place a note here for any inputs or hints to learn
    any secrets of sailboat steering.By the way I have been an expert
    helmsman on non sailboats in all the Oceans, so you understand my
    concern.Well with little wind I still have to fight it but the last 
    two sails I did in the bay with plenty of wind made me learn a couple of
    things that are amazing and for a novice who reads that these things
    happen is more like a cliche',such as..this wine has charecter of
    steel,rather than reality.I am talking about a sail in moderate wind,
    on the wind,with total time of hands on the wheel 2 out of 8 hrs and that's
    not baloney and I don't have a vane or autopilot and I am not even
    capable of adjusting the sails for better balance.I still can't 
    believe it and to be honest I kind of questioned it if somebody else
    placed it here.Further more, when tacking my wife who tends the wheel 
    while I tend the sheets,always complained that she was loosing control
    of the boat and she really was scared,till I told her to put the wheel
    midship after the boat had started turning and let the boat do her
    thing.Well she swang to the lee like she will never stop and then
    little by little came closer to the wind than I could put her myself
    and sailed on.What an experience.It may be something usual for the 
    experience racers and sailors but to me it was a revelation.I hardly
    remember myself more happier in many years.Now I know what they
    mean when they say the boat can take care of her self and I totaly 
    admire the sailboat designers for been able to make boats do these
    things,it is almost like they give them souls...if they only could
    make them talk. 
    I had confidence that the boat will take care