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On a big multi masted boat like Trinovante we
need you, the crew, to be involved in everything
that goes on on board from setting sail to coming
up to anchor. Its best for us to teach you as
much as possible, the boat sails better, we get
competent crew and you enjoy the sailing more.
. There is always a mix of abilities on board
from beginners to experienced sailors so whatever
level you re at you won’t be alone.
So what can you expect to learn when you have
a sailing holiday on board?
For starters you are definitely going to learn
plenty of nautical jargon!
Rope handling
You will get plenty of practise coiling ropes
and cleating them off on the pinrails when we
hoist sails. There are five basic knots to learn;
many people know a few of them already. These
are the reef knot, clove hitch, round turn and
two half hitches, bowline, and figure of
eight. Trinovante has winches for the jib sheets
but all the sails are hoisted with ropes and blocks.
So we cover the rough theory on how this all works.
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Set sail
Everyone gets involved in sail hoists. By the
end of a week you will have a pretty good idea
of how to hoist, trim,lower and furl a gaff sail.
Trinovante also carries a selection of jibs and
jib topsails and for more experienced crews there
is the very powerful fishermans staysail which
is set flying.
Learning the names of the different sails and
the parts of the sails comes naturally as you
get used to handling them.
Standing your watch
On passages Trinovante operates on a watch system.
Everyone stands a watch taking it in turns to
steer, trim the sails and keep a good
look out. One of the real delights is to see the
sun come up on the early morning watch and its
great to be off watch reading a book or relaxing
in the sun on deck knowing you’ve done your
bit..
Feeling the wind
Its amazing that a boat can sail into the wind.
On land we hardly notice the wind – at sea
on a sailing boat we notice every tiny change
in direction and speed. What is it doing now,
what is it going to do next in 12 hours or 5 days?
Understanding why we tack or gybe or sailing
the best course to windward are all part of the
ongoing learning experience.
Steer by the stars (or compass)
Theres no shortage of opportunity to steer Trinovante
and learning to steer a compass course or the
best course for a particular wind direction is
an important core skill you can master.
The Shipping Forecast
Be warned you may become a keen listner!
Anchoring and coming alongside
We do a lot of anchoring under sail. Its something
not many boats do these days. How much chain
do you let out, how do you know your anchor is
holding, how do you choose your anchorage in the
first place?
(There are a couple of articles written by Trinovntes
skipper about sailing on and off anchor in our
newsletters.)
When we go alongside there is always a job for
everyone.
Then its time to explore ashore or just chill
out onboard .
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