The journey across Lake Michigan, from Chicago to New Buffalo and back, was a beautiful and eventful adventure. But a whole lot happened! The trip involved sailing, motoring, a famous freighter ship, and unexpectedly running aground with family on board! However, through the kindness of strangers and maritime miracles, we overcame the challenges. The joy of reaching the finish line after the long passage was totally worth it!
The Float Plan: Safety and Comfort
In this post, we share our philosophy on preparing to host a day of sailing with guests. We discuss the importance of weather considerations, the use of checklists for supplies and tasks, and our choice of food and hydration. We delve into setting clear expectations for our guests, prioritizing their safety and comfort, and addressing seasickness. We also touch on our sail plan and the anticipation of sharing this unique experience. Safety and comfort are our primary concerns.
Check Sail on Red Sky: Electric Winch, Reefing, Bow Thrusters, and Double Rudders
The 2024 season's "check sail" with SailTime Chicago marked another new beginning for us, with a new boat, Red Sky, which was quite a bit different than our previous boat, Sister Sail. We familiarized ourselves with the traditional mainsail, electric winch, reefing process, bow thrusters, and double rudders. Although challenging, the sail was a success, and we look forward to more outings on Lake Michigan!
New Boat, New Water, New Skills
Last Sunday we crossed another set of firsts: we sailed our new club boat out of Burnham Harbor in Chicago. Read about our new club membership here: We did something…. This is new. Weekend before last, we spent a night on the boat and practiced docking just inside the harbor. But this time, we took …
How I Earned my Light Weather Helmsman Ranking
In October 2022, on Lake Macbride with the Iowa Sailing Club, I earned my light weather helmsman ranking. This credential qualifies me to sign out an FJ, Laser, or Hobie Wave in light weather. To earn this ranking, I had to demonstrate competency in the following skills: Rig, launch, retrieve, and stow an FJ Leave …
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