SAILING TRADITIONAL DAYSAILERS AND BEACH CRUISERS
The skill of handling these able, striking, and affordable small craft.
Mike O’Brien and Al Fletcher — August 10–16
In this exciting, new seamanship course, students will have the rare opportunity to row and sail several traditional small boats, 20' and under, along the WoodenBoat waterfront and out to secluded islands that lie just beyond Great Cove. It will be a great chance to learn how to rig and handle spritsails, lugsails, gaff-headed sails, and the curiously named, but wonderfully efficient, Chesapeake leg-o’mutton.
With their origins along the working waterfront, these striking and no-nonsense boats make good practical sense. We’ll sample boats from such outstanding designers as Joel White, Paul Gartside, Nelson Zimmer, Iain Oughtred, Steve Redmond, Fenwick Williams, and others. Their simple and robust rigs are easily handled, readily repaired, and tend to cost far less than high-strung modern rigs with their tall masts and taut wire rigging. But, if you are to get the most out of these designs, you’ll need to know a few tricks.
Both instructors, Mike O’Brien (former Senior Editor of WoodenBoat) and Al Fletcher (past manager of WoodenBoat School’s waterfront), bring loads of experience rowing and sailing boats of this type. Al will also share his knowledge of working traditional three-strand rope with marlinespike and fid. Mike, a former championship oarsman, will teach participants how to row efficiently—more miles for less effort.
A typical day might begin with a shoreside lesson and demonstration. Then we’ll row off into the morning calm. When the sea breeze pipes up, we’ll hoist sail. For lunch, we’ll find an appropriate island. After a brisk afternoon sail, we’ll return to the Mountain Ash Student House for a fine supper.
The able small craft that we’ll sail offer an independence often lacking in heavier, deeper boats. Smaller boats can ride trailers to choice and distant cruising grounds. They can sail across the flats to unspoiled creeks. They can sidle right up to a deserted island beach that would force their larger cousins to stand off. They live happily, and inexpensively, in our backyards, not in boatyards. They go together relatively quickly. And if we wish to build our own, we can work happily without the worry that our heirs might have to finish the project.
As a pleasant measure of the type’s increasing popularity, 40 rowing/sailing boats meet each summer here at WoodenBoat for the Small Reach Regatta. Mike and Al’s course will coincide with a portion of this event, giving all students ample opportunity to study the whole fleet. We’ll wager that the ideal boat you’ve been dreaming about will be on hand.
Tuition: $650
Note: Prior sailing experience required for this course.