Sailors While Away the Winter Hours

repair‘If winter comes, can spring be far behind?’ asks poet Shelly, and the reply is, “Yes, very far behind!”--If it’s an icebound northern yachtsman answering. Through the blowy days and chilly nights of winter, the sailor passes the time best they can. They go to boat shows, read books about sailing, and tell stories and show pictures of last summer’s seasons nautical adventures while laying plans for the next, maybe take a course from a local yacht club or USCG Auxiliary or Power Squadron, and Google away the day for relevant minutia.

And so it is with me on one wintry day, I web searched some information from a number of separate groups, one governmental, the rest commercial. The responses not only answered my questions but were as another poet, Shakespeare once put it, "such stuff as dreams are made on," particularly sailors dreams.

First to pop up on my monitor was the NOAA National Geodetic Survey, a vast data base of projects and services primarily focusing on things relating to positioning,’ The foundational elements -- latitude, longitude, elevation, shoreline information and their changes over time -- contribute to informed decision making and impact a wide range of important activities including mapping and charting, navigation, flood risk determination, transportation, land use, and ecosystem management. NGS's authoritative spatial data, models, and tools are vital for the protection and management of natural and manmade resources and support the economic prosperity and environmental health of the nation. It’s deep and wide, enjoy.

Second and maybe an all time favorite considering my good ‘ol 1966 Pearson has benefited considerably from its resources is West System, “The Perfect Epoxy for an imperfect world.” The marine grade product coats fiberglass, wood, metal, fabrics, and composites. One cool item is their kits that offer just the right amounts of resin and hardener, fabric, filler, fairing material, brushing stick, an application syringe, gloves,  brushes, pots, a mixing stick (!!) and some awesome instructions to just make you feel so competent.

YouTube baby, it is the answer to everything; just type it in the search bar, and sit back and learn. I have taught an Intro to Sailing class in my community school for ten years now, and the ability to ‘show’ how to tack by a great video rather than a pond yacht model in my hands, why a halyard is different than a sheet, pick up a mooring, or tie a hitch has so given the beginner sailors a winters view of what to expect in the spring. The classrooms now all have whiteboards and projectors so I’m done making copies of VHS tapes or CD’s, there are so many options available it’s a resource beyond scope... So practice and learn while watching a video, there’s nothing like developing a fast fisherman’s bend to make the winter pass and hurry up the spring.

~Capt. Art Ross