South Boston sailboat struck by lightning
Let’s go sail the York River, where couples enjoy a serene three hours. Take one of 6 sailing adventures near the Chesapeake Bay for your best vacation excursion: Adventure, Event, Appreciation, History, Lessons, Boat Buying. Sit in the catbird seat or up on the bow.
I get asked a lot, “What’s the scariest thing about sailing?”
FALLING
Among the scariest sailboat moments, this is usually the first because your crew risk falling as they board the boat. In all the excitement, people typically make a leap of faith while holding something in one hand or both hands. Boom!
Another of the scariest sailing moments is falling down on the boat is infrequent but potentially dangerous. It begins if people feel faint. That’s why Let’s Go Sail ensures that the crew is constantly hydrated. Then, people trip. That’s why the lines for the sails are kept tidy and away from the deck where they can trip you up. The biggest risk is falling down the steps into the cabin. Kids do it all the time, but they can recover better than their parents. Hold on as you step down, and try to go down backward.
Falling overboard is rare but recoverable. See Man Overboard below.
In the video above, all five of the sailboat fails are preventable.
Without fail or falling, the best Williamsburg boat tour offers safe “social distance sailing” daily for up to 6 people. It’s an extraordinary experience for couples. Leave your worries behind. Enjoy the thrill of moving with the wind without a care in the world.
SETTING THE MAIN
This requires standing up on the top of the boat at the mast to hault the main up two-thirds of the way, then finishing by turning on a winch. It’s tricky because you don’t have much to hang onto and can slip. Keep one arm around the mast for stability. Spread your legs.
Modern sailboats have in-mast features that allow you to turn the winch from the cockpit and simply unwind the main like a window shade. It’s the greatest thing invented for sailing since rum.
Sometimes the sail gets stuck and needs to be shaken loose, which is hardly among the scariest sailing moments. This can be stressful because you’re heading directly into the wind, which can make things noisy and flappy. Freeing the slugs on a hoisting main is easy to learn. I once had a woman take my three-day WALT course, but all she wanted to learn was how to unravel a mainsail stuck in the in-mast furling. Then she left.
REEFING
If the wind is blowing over 10 mph, you’ll want to reduce the size of the mainsail by tying off the leech and the luff at the grommets that are visible 3 or 4 feet up from the boom. It’s best to reef in the slip before you go out. Otherwise it’s difficult to do in waters made choppy by the winds. Sometimes while sailing on a pleasant day the winds pick up and you’re forced to reef on the water. Rule: The sooner the better.
GYBING
The preferred method to turn the boat is to tack into the wind, allowing the boom to gently swing across the boat. Sometimes you need to go the other way, which is called gybing. It’s perfectly okay as long as you control the gybe by trimming the main and hand-carrying the rig over with lines as they meet the traveler.
If you get into the lee of the wind, the wind will be directly behind you. That can force an accidental gybe that whips the boom across violently. Look for an accidental gybe in Hollywood movies as a dramatic way to knock the villain into the drink.
LIGHTNING
This is without a doubt tops among the scariest sailing moments. A direct hit during a thunderstorm will likely strike atop the mast and zip downward into the cabin, blowing out the electronics. That could cause a fire, which is why you need extinguishers atop deck and below. Here is a rare photo.
It’s highly unlikely that lightning would blow a hole in the bottom of the cabin at the base of the mast. Still, that vision is sufficient reason to have a plan ready to abandon ship. Learn how to send a mayday alert on marine radio to the Coast Guard.
ANCHORING
Execution is straightforward. Slowly coast the boat to a complete stop and drop anchor. Then back down in reverse to set the anchor into the bottom. Several things can go wrong.
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The anchor doesn’t grab tightly, so the boat coasts around.
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The rode and line are too short, so the anchor breaks loose.
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The swing of the rode is too small, banging the boat into another boat or a dock or aground.
A corollary challenge is grabbing a mooring ball. Usually a pennant lies on the surface of the water to pick up with a boathook. Do not try to grab the pennant with your hand because you could get your arm yanked badly. Practice mooring with an experienced cruiser to avoid one of the most dangerous and scariest sailing moments.
To avoid anchoring or mooring altogether, go to a marina and spend the night in a transient slip. It’s easier and safer, and it comes with shore cord electricity for air conditioning. Nearby restaurants too.
FOULING
Murphy was a mariner. If a line is free to roam, it will often wind up in the water where it will foul the prop and stop the boat dead in the water. In fact, this is where the cliche originated. Keep track of all lines, and tie stopper knots at the ends so they can’t fall into the water.
The prop is also susceptible to fouling from barnacles. In southern climates during the summer, barnacles pile up within weeks. It takes only a half-dozen or so to slow the prop and throw it out of kilter. The engine produces black smoke in an effort to keep up. Wives complain.
ENGINE FAILURE
Unquestionably this is a heart-stopper for the crew. A competent skipper will have enough maintenance training to troubleshoot the problem and have the proper tools handy. If the wind is right, you can always sail back to the marina.
Otherwise, call for a tow boat. Boat US and Towboat.com make thousands of tows every weekend all over America. They are licensed by the USCG specifically for towing. They’ll take you to your home marina and side-saddle the boat back into your slip in a magical feat of boating dexterity. However, the cost can run $900 or more. Find out which service is nearest your marina and buy towing insurance for only $150. Best investment in safety you’ll ever make.
SINKING
Obviously this is the worst fear, but quite unlikely unless you hit a rock and hole the boat. The more likely scenario is an overly leaking stuffing box or a thru hull. When cleaning the speedometer, it’s very important to avoid cross-threading the cap. That will lead to considerable leaking and require removing the thru hull, which in turn can flood the boat for a few seconds. Have someone standing by to help.
Put life back on an even keel with a romantic experience for a birthday or anniversary. 3-hour sailboat cruise as a semi-private yachting charter lets you exhale and relax as you enjoy comfort, stability & speed.
DISEMBARKING
Getting off a boat at the end of the day can be chaotic. Everyone is tired, but they feel experienced enough from the sail to be confident about disembarking. The key is to make sure everyone has their hands free to grab shrouds and piers to hold onto as they step off. This is when people trip or slip, falling into the water or onto the dock. The only solution is vigilance by the skipper, who for etiquette and practical reasons should take everyone’s hands or arms to guide them off.
MAN OVERBOARD
A shocking event, to be sure. Someone standing on the bow of the boat suddenly falls over. Skipper and crew need to learn the Figure 8 method of MOB rescue as it’s proven and quick. If a child goes overboard, turn quickly to grab Mom because she’ll instinctively try to jump in. Trust me, one victim in the water is plenty.
DOCKING
Returning to a slip is the single biggest worry among boaters — and their spouses. Rule of thumb is to slow down to the lowest speed possible while still propelling the boat. Say 1-2 mph. If you stop prematurely the boat will stall out and begin to drift. Start by docking bow-in because it’s easier to handle and stop. Eventually you can learn to back into a slip, which has certain advantages (and looks very cool). In the video below, jump to 3:20 mark to see a proper slip docking. Set up a 90-degree angle to head in directly, then ease off the power as you draw near. Flip into reverse to stop the boat quickly.
RUNNING AGROUND
Two couples from New Jersey and one couple from Pennsylvania spontaneously sailed on a hot day when the wind picked up. Rob Frank observed that the York River is as big as the Raritan River back home, where he has boated frequently.
“My cousin Jesse and I ran a 23-foot skiffe right up onto the beach one night. We had no idea it was there. It was dark and we were drinking. Fortunately it was at low tide, but we had to spend the night there. We got it off the next morning. Luckily it wasn’t my boat, but Jesse’s.”
Running aground isn’t one of the scariest sailing moments, but it’s pretty discouraging. You have to act quickly if the tide is going out, or you’ll be there for six more hours. People get cranky without their wine.
Women enjoy sailing today more than ever, and particularly a romantic cruise. Couples get to enjoy a romantic getaway as they sit up on the bow for privacy, and Let’s Go Sail provides professional photos for free. First-time or skilled mariners are welcome to sail a modern-32-foot sailboat in a unique setting of wildlife and Fall foliage or Spring bloom. It makes for an extraordinary anniversary idea.
DECAPITATION
Just kidding. Historian Lincoln Paine* wrote, “Medieval laws governing pilot included severe penalties for negligence or fraudulent claims of ability.” He quoted a 15th century text of maritime laws:
If it should happen that the pilot would not know the waters in the locality that he had claimed he new well and will not be able to perform the services that had agreed to perform, he should be immediately decapitated, and no mercy or lenience should be given him.
*”The Sea & Civilization: A Maritime History of the World,” by Lincoln Paine (Vintage)
Let’s Go Sail
Check the “Book A Cruise” tab and pick a day for a sailboat charter. Scroll down reviews on Trip Advisor. Go back to the home page of Williamsburg Charter Sails.
The best Williamsburg boat tour offers safe sailing daily for up to 6 people. It’s an extraordinary experience for couples. Leave your worries behind. Enjoy the thrill of moving with the wind without a care in the world. Put life back on an even keel with a romantic experience for a birthday or anniversary. 3-hour sailboat cruise as a semi-private yachting charter lets you exhale and relax as you enjoy comfort, stability and speed.
Ideal for Couples
Our York River sailboat tour offers an unforgettable boat adventure that is ideal for couples. Choose from five unique sailing charters: Adventure, Lessons, History, Boat Buying, Real Estate. We provide sailing for everyone. Couples enjoy the romance, and families enjoy the adventure. See openings at williamsburgchartersails.com under Book A Cruise.
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