Women Who’ve Been Around
Tradewinds Sailing Blog
by Tony Johnson
1w ago
This month is women’s history month, and as if to put an exclamation point on that, on March 7, 29-year-old, 5’2” 100-pound Cole Brauer claimed her permanent place in the history of sailing when she sailed her First Light across the finish line of the Global Solo Challenge in A Coruña, Spain, placing her second among 16 starters in the race. More than half of those starters, all seasoned seamen older and bigger than her, had retired. This completed a 30,000-mile, 130-day non-stop solo circumnavigation passing the great capes, and it’s a little hard to get a reliable figure, but I think this ma ..read more
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Nautical Terminator – King Tides
Tradewinds Sailing Blog
by Tony Johnson
2w ago
In this world of few certainties, there is one thing that I am certain of: I am not certain how the tides work. Oh, it’s the moon’s gravity, and I think the sun is involved. Well, then, how is it that on a new moon, when the sun and the moon are both on the same side of the earth, we still have two tides? Shouldn’t there be just one big one?             I was reminded of these puzzles recently because of what the news media were calling “King Tides.” This isn’t official terminology from NOAA; it’s used to sensationalize the highest tides ..read more
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Nautical Terminator – How Hard is it Blowing?
Tradewinds Sailing Blog
by Tony Johnson
3w ago
How hard is it blowing? I once used the phrase “it’s blowing like snot” in the presence of a Chesapeake sailor, who was horrified. He much preferred “blowing like spit.” Bay area sailors will have heard it said that it was “nuclear” in the slot. But one person’s nuclear is another’s nice breeze. No scientific rigor here. As a skipper, all you really need to know is whether the boat is overpowered. Yet on tender boats this may happen at 12 knots, while a stiff boat will stand up in 20. Weather researchers need a more objective standard to eliminate subjective impressions. Anemometers were conce ..read more
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Who Has It Better Than Us Sailors?
Tradewinds Sailing Blog
by Tony Johnson
1M ago
I have great affection and respect for the hard-won traditional arts of the sailor. Every modern sailor must still, to this day, master them just like the mariners of yesteryear. This ancient body of knowledge, plus some other aspects of sailing described below, are some reasons for my feeling that our sport is superior to any other leisure time endeavor. You like feeling superior, right? Well, that’s silly. Or is it? 1. Sailing is the oldest of our recreations, with the exception of hunting and fishing. The history of our sport is not hundreds, nor thousands, but hundreds of thousands of ye ..read more
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Who Has It Better Than Us Sailors?
Tradewinds Sailing Blog
by Tony Johnson
1M ago
I have great affection and respect for the hard-won traditional arts of the sailor. Every modern sailor must still, to this day, master them just like the mariners of yesteryear. This ancient body of knowledge, plus other aspects of sailing described below, are some reasons for my feeling that our sport is superior to any other leisure time endeavor. You like feeling superior, right? Well, that’s silly. Or is it? 1. Sailing is the oldest of our recreations, with the exception of hunting and fishing. The history of our sport is not hundreds, nor thousands, but hundreds of thousands of years old ..read more
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Very Old Salts
Tradewinds Sailing Blog
by Tony Johnson
1M ago
After 40,000 sea miles including a circumnavigation, some might picture me as an old salt who loves the sea. It’s a good guess, as I’m for sure old. But I have little affection for the sea. One wants one’s love to be, if not reciprocal, at least directed towards something that is not a bipolar psychopath. On some days, the sea is just lovely, while on others, it may run you down and leave you maimed or dead without so much as a backward glance. A shooting star is pretty too—until it lands on you—and just like that asteroid, the next gale might have your number. To give credit where it is due ..read more
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A Look Back on My Time at Tradewinds
Tradewinds Sailing Blog
by Tony Johnson
4M ago
I’m cutting back my teaching schedule, and thought it might be time to reminisce a bit about my experience at this club. When I first came to Tradewinds over three decades ago, all I was looking for was another outdoor activity to go along with biking, backpacking, and skiing. But on the very first day, when my wonderful instructor, Ron Pook, asked the class what we envisioned as our future in sailing, I blurted out, “Maybe I’ll sail around the world.” I was shocked and mortified to hear what had just come out of my mouth; I had never considered something so adventurous and I didn’t know a bow ..read more
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What Rule Applies Here?
Tradewinds Sailing Blog
by TW-Brandy
4M ago
In the situation shown in this photo, which vessel has the right-of-way and why?   Here at Tradewinds we focus on teaching new sailors how to cruise safely in the unique and challenging waters of the San Francisco Bay.  At the conclusion of our sailing courses you will know how to navigate safely and confidently with huge ocean going ships both inside and outside the bay.   While you might think you know who has the “stand on” and who has the “give way” rights, it will take a sharp eye to understand which of the ColREGS rules apply here.   Comment below and ..read more
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Nautical Terminator – Capes & Points
Tradewinds Sailing Blog
by Tony Johnson
4M ago
Does it bother you that Cape Mendocino, which looks like a point, is called a “cape,” while Point Reyes, which looks like a cape, is called a “point”? Cape Hatteras is more of a bump but still gets the title “cape.” Even Cape Cod, which looks like a cup and maybe at best an upside down cape, as worn by an upside down superhero running towards Texas, gets to call itself a cape.             “Cape” sounds more important. The three “great” capes are Cape Horn, The Cape of Good Hope, and Cape Leeuwin. There are some “great” points, like on Nan ..read more
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Nautical Terminator – Animals!
Tradewinds Sailing Blog
by Tony Johnson
4M ago
You can’t help but notice how common it is that things related to seafaring are named after animals. In a house you’ll find a table, chair, bed, cupboard, bookcase, rafter, gable, and joist. But aboard a ship in the great age of sail you’d hear the terms gooseneck, crow’s nest, crowfoot, duck, cat, cathead, cat hole, wildcat, catboat, cat-rig, catwalk, cat-o-nine-tails, ratlines, horse, dead horse, Flemish horse, saddle, cow hitch (which is the same thing as a lark’s head), sheepshank, leg-o’-mutton, knee, jackass, camel, horns, bridle, bullnose, bullrope, bull’s eye, cockpit, cockbill, cockb ..read more
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