Renton Sailing Club Blog

Hank B, Joel C, Brian K, Jeremy L, completed the Capsize Recovery on Saturday.

Sun August 30, four Club members will be taking out the San Juan 7.7

Hi,

I wish there was a way to say thank you to all the dock masters for not only their willingness to spend the time on the dock but for the responsibility they take on every time they are dock masters.

Today, Sunday, I started out rigging the C lark as all the Capri’s were being used. I really appreciated all the help Ross gave the dock master an myself in how this boat is rigged differently than the Capri. Then as we were about ready to put it into the water, one of the Capri’s came in and let off the crew and I was offered the chance to sail on it with the intermediate club member who still wanted to sail some more. We had a good time.

After letting the intermediate sailor off at the dock I took the Capri out by my self. I did OK for a while but then…

Yes, when one thing goes wrong, usually it leads to another thing going wrong, and just keeps escalating.

Well, that is what happened to me. I was down at the southern end of where we sail inside the log boom and was making a tack and released the jib sheet and in the process of making my tack the jib came across to the new side and kept going (the two jib sheets should have been tied together). The stopper knot in the end of the sheet just released came undone. Oops, I did not check the knot when I took over the boat but the knots were fine when sailing with the two of us. In the process of trying to catch the jib sheet I let go of the main sheet (when in doubt let it out – was what was my thinking). Unknown to me was the fact that there was no stopper knot in the main sheet and when I let it out it just kept going through all the blocks and I had no control of the boat. Somehow, I kept the boat off the rocks, but was doing circles faster than I could keep track of. I was about to grab the mast and tip the boat over into the water to stay off the rocks when Mark the dock master came to my rescue. Yes, he earned his pay today.

I am sure I did several things wrong in the whole process, but the one most important thing I learned was that when you take over a boat from someone else you need to check everything out, make sure all the stopper knots really work, and make sure it is rigged the way you want it to be. Like a pilot of an airplane, you need to check out everything on your “walk around”. I also see the reasoning behind having the two jib sheets tied together – especially when sailing by yourself.

The importance of keeping us beginners inside the log boom became very clear today. I am very thankful of the safety rules the club has. I am even more thankful for our wonderful dock masters that volunteer their time on a weekend so the rest of us can come out and sail, make stupid mistakes, and yet go home afterward without getting hurt or without hurting the boats.

Thank you Mark, you came to my rescue, and even though most of the trouble I was in was because of my mistakes, you treated me with respect and made it seem like this was just another step in my learning to be a better sailor. I hope the other club members appreciate the dock masters as much as I now do. I have a lot to learn and the dock masters make it where I can learn in an environment where if I do make stupid mistakes it will not cost me my life and limb or anyone else’s. Thank you again, I really learned a lot today, much of it the hard way but I learned.

Ed Bartley,

EdB@rentonsailing.org

I will open gate on 12:00 noon. Coulon Park is one of the good spot to watch Blue Angel fly by in formation. Call or e-mail before you come. See you.

Key Donn