Big Sailing Mistake On San Francisco Bay
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- čas přidán 3. 02. 2024
- This is a Sailboat Life cautionary tale. In this video I moved my 32' Ericson south from the Napa Valley Marina where I just completed my first bottom job to Oyster Point Marina which will be Dagny's new home. Things were going great and we even had some favorable wind to get us there, but I overlooked one major thing; I didn't wear a lifejacket! I know, I know. You don't need to remind me in the comments.
Also in this video I experiment with Google Earth Studio for some epic fly-over shots
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Figure 8 knots at the bitter ends of your sheets. Then you won't loose them past your fairlead.
Good lesson to be aware of shifting winds when moving around islands! Thank you for sharing, everything is learning all the time. Glad you made it, new sub here, and we're cheering you on!
Awesome man! Thank you so much. I definitely learned about tying a knot at the end of the sheets. Seems so obvious now 🙄
San Francisco Bay is a fantastic place to learn about tides, wind, and traffic. Nothing like 30 knots in the slot with an outgoing tide, freighter wakes, ferries blasting by doing 50 knots...and kayakers.
It seems like a great place to learn the ropes for sure!
@@EdwardSeatonSailings It is said "If you can sail here you can sail anywhere."
Thank goodness you’re alright. Thanks also for sharing. You may save one of our lives with this information 🙏🏼💕
Great to see someone sailing on my local waters. We are so lucky to have this fabulous sailing paradise.
I'm really looking forward to this season. How early do you start going out?
Beautiful adventure!
@@KostasLazanas 1st of many I hope
New sub here. Love these video's for all things to forget / goes wrong while sailing. So recognizable!
Takes one to know one 😉
Everything I've learned, I've learned from my mistakes... usually, there was blood involved.... you got off easy.... and it looked like fun.
Nice video. I will say if you had gone in where you were, could have been bad. The currents that close to the bridge are powerful. Thanks for the post.
I’m found that leaving Napa on an outgoing tide can be problematic. The channel is shallow in many places and a falling tide if you run aground can be more than a bit troublesome. We always go to and come back from Napa on a raising tide. That’s works for us. Best wishes.
@danknox9986 that is a very good point... which I hadn't thought of. Luckily we made it through.
Mike and the yard staff are great helpers during your visit to their boatyard . And Cory in the office is the glue that holds the whole place together! You picked the right place👍👍
Absolutely!
Helpful tip if you're interested?
It's common in aviation and several military applications, to have safety checklists. The idea is to have a tangible list to follow so while under stressful situations you don't forget something important. I print them out and laminate them. Then use dry erase pens to check the boxes 😊
great suggestion! I've done some hanggliding and we always did a preflight. Printing something out is a great idea.
I appreciate your humility. "The sea finds out everything you did wrong." ―Francis Stokes
Thanks man. I appreciate your CZcams handle!
I just bought a 30' Catalina in Sausalito. Hired an instructor and going out this Sat for a refresher course. 9-10knots, sunny, should be a picture of a day!
Sounds perfect!
Good video, I hope your friend is an accomplished sailor. Never assume whomever is with you will be able to heave too and get turned around to retrieve you if in the water.
@@vancekeith5642 we are both novice sailors... which I pointed out in the video. A teachable moment.
@@EdwardSeatonSailings Very teachable and thanks for sharing. My Wife is new to sailing and we have discussed what’s to do if I go overboard. We are going to do some actual drills coming up now that the water is warmer. Having a plan is more than half the battle. Stay safe and enjoy the boat
Thanks for keeping things real for the video. Recently got back to sailing and I appreciate you helping me learn some things the easy way instead of the hard way
Ha! I'll be your stupid 🤪
Your video made me feel better about myself! 😂 Srsly tho, I related to your story 100 percent. I'm new to sailing and find myself making lots of mistakes. It's so tempting to conclude that I'm just not very good at it. Which leads me to wonder if I should not be doing it. Fact is, the only way to get better at something is to just do it, make the mistakes, and learn. So kudos to you for that, and thank you for sharing relatable content!! Great video!!
Hi 👋 Thank you so much for your encouraging comment! I just subscribed to your channel. Looks like you are on the right track. I think the 1st step at getting good at something is admitting that you're probably not very good at it yet. Nice to meet another kindred spirit! I'll be following ya'lls journey.
I love sailing in the bay. I grew up in 20-25 knots. The exposure will make it less stressful. A good tip for reefing out there is to ease the main unit it luffs then put the reef in.
I've only been sailing for 2 years and haven't had much strong wind experience. Thanks for the helpful tip! Currently I'm addicted to my motor 😞 as soon as something bad happens I start her up. Gotta break that habit.
@@EdwardSeatonSailings yeah things tend to get rougher under motor. The sails slow the movement. Exposure and practice will help a lot
I always enjoy your videos and your frank portrayal of the days events. Salute
Thank you 😊
Thanks to Ed for candor. Learners should take care to heed his advice. Here are some central SF Bay hints: (a) Always plan ahead but expect forecasts to be somewhat wrong. "10 knots with gusts to 15K" means "Watch the heel angle of boats who are already in the basin because it's probably 20K out there." "Calm" means "If there's wind, it will be 20K in the central basin soon." "20 knots" means "OMG, take at least 2 reefs before you even get in the car to go to the marina." (b) Ed's confession about life jackets is super-important. If you're wearing insulation, the central basin's 52 degree water will render you helpless after maybe 20 minutes and dead a little while later. Shorts and a tee shirt? 15 minutes of activity and death from hypothermia in maybe 30 minutes. Also, clothing an PFD? Several years ago, a super-experienced racer went overboard off St Francis in boots but no PFD. Disappeared without a ripple. It is where my soul emerges for a breath of life, but my favorite place will kill me in a few minutes if I don't plan ahead and always do the usual. BTW: It's a jib furling line.
thanks for the tips! I learned a lot on this trip and I wanted other folks to learn from my mistakes
Nice little adventure. One of your best videos yet.
Thank you! That is nice to hear!
Nice work, you got her to where you needed to safely. All sailors know how quick things change out there. Always, lots of coulda, shoulda. I currently sail in New England but I lived in SF for 15 years. Would love to return under the Golden Gate. Cheers to you.
Not dead yet! Thanks so much. Next time I'm out near the Golden Gate, I'll say hello 👋
Welcome to the (upper) South bay! I'm in the next marina over at Brisbane. The south bay is def a different beast than north of the bay bridge. You will enjoy steady and strong winds west to east most of the year. Afternoons will bring gusts to 20-25kts almost like clockwork. Then the wind will die as quickly as it started. I love sailing this part of the bay and hope you do too. Cheers!
I'll be back in March! Can't wait. How early do you start your sailing season... more specifically, what's the month of March like?
I sail all year around however, winter has periods of light or no wind and then strong storms with gale+ winds. But starting in March you will find days to get out on the water and enjoy the South Bay. Anchoring out in Clipper cove for a nice overnight sail is fun.
Great stream love the drone shots 👍
Google Earth Studio. Highly recommend 👌
great job its good to review and relax. You might want to put a stopper not in those head sail lines so they cant go past the block. thank you
Done!
Fun video and love to see the mishaps so we all learn. Port side head sail sheet. Funny, I feel naked without my tether. The tether also helps with the heeling. Hook it to the high side and just learn. By the way, scoop out of water would be dismal. It would probably be better if each of you had a clip on PRB just in case, or each had a tether. I have a small boat that can get quite heeled in a gust where you think it will just fall into the water, but it never happens. There is an angle that the wind will just blow of the top of the sail. I keep a hand on my main sheet just in case I need to ease it in a hurry.
Port side headsail sheet! Of course it is😅 all good advice 👍 thank you. I've been busy making a bit of money, which I plan on spending on a better safety setup. Thanks for watching, and thanks for the encouraging comment. Sincerely appreciated.
Love it :)
I did the same run years ago. I kept my boat at Oyster Point for 5 years before heading north to Washington and eventually Alaska. It was fun for me to take a little nostalgic tour through your video. Down in the South Bay the tides and currents are manageable, but it gets a bit more interesting as you move up the river. Have fun! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the comment! I may be heading to Washington too... not for a bit but it looks like Bellingham might be in the cards. Did you sail up there? I've heard it was a difficult sail.
Interesting! I live in Bellingham now. The sail up is an up wind slog against wind and current without a bunch of jump off harbors along the way. If you get up here look me up. I'm always good for a drink and conversation. I'll be happy to show you around. Getting a slip here is damn near impossible if you're looking for a relocation. @@EdwardSeatonSailings
@gregsage1605 really! I'll be in Bellingham in April to look around with my dad, who's thinking of moving there. I'd be moving the boat up in a year or so. Love to ask you some questions. Could you contact me via email? Edwardseaton@gmail.com
Many years ago, I made an October passage from SF to Bellingham in a 28' Triton with just an 8hp outboard on the transom. My strategy was to cruise fairly close inshore and harbor hop, always patiently awaiting a weather window sufficient to get me to the next port. It worked out. The trip was long, but uneventful.
You Nailed the editing on this one.. 🤟
Thanks! It seems shorter is better.
Moon Dancer Ericson 38 , Sailing SF Bay since 1969 , Motor on? "When in doubt let it out" You met "The slot" SF bay hours of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror.
@@enriquelaroche5370 that's what they call it? The Slot.
@@EdwardSeatonSailings Yes Golden gate bridge Alcatraz to Berkeley marina straight shot.
Tip that I use is wind speed to Reef. 15 Knots 1 Reef, 20 2 Reefs, and 25 Knots 3. Reefs. But Heeling on your boat is a good indicator. You as the skipper have to be comfortable as do any guests. Experience will provide good learning lessons.
That seems like a good 👍 rule of thumb. Now all I need is a wind speed indicator!
thanks for the video. good advice but with novice and new crew you should always practice man over board drills with new people right after you teach them how to control the boat. at basic teach them how to stow sailes them self and motor to you for more control so they don't get to far away. stay safe and enjoy.
The problem was not going outside the cockpit without a life jacket, the problem was not using a life jacket all the time. Both sailors.
Perhaps. Though I do see many folks sailing around the world who don't wear life jackets all the time... Lord Nelson never wore one 😉
@@EdwardSeatonSailings There were no life jackets in Lord Nelson’s time... and many people died on those boats. In droves. And yes, there are those who do not wear life jackets, just as there are those who die. I’ve been sailing for 40 years and, unfortunately, I know of some cases. Falling into the water is my worst nightmare. On long crossings, with calm seas and weather, when the expectation is many hours or days without a change of course, it’s possible to relax a little. But alone on deck, during shifts for example, I’m always tethered. And always with a lifeline installed along the entire length of the boat. In coastal navigation, when you’re maneuvering all the time and the wind can change unpredictably, I’m always with a life jacket on. I use those inflatable ones that are lighter.
@BRuas9080 I know I f***ed up, man. That's why I specifically said in the video, "I f***ed up" and "it was a mistske" and "the reason I'm leaving this embarrassing moment in the video is so that you don't make the same dumb decision." SO! Hopefully, it is clear what I'm doing. What are you doing?
Full Pucker Moment
@@KostasLazanas doesn't look so bad in the video, but it was a full pucker moment!
Port side head sail sheet … and if you sail on SF Bay, it’s not if you reef or not or when, it’s how many reefs in the main you leave the dock with. It’s easier to shake out a reef than to put one in. And any sail you live through is a good time. Life jackets are awesome… and everyone should wear them. Keep it up. A sailor you will are and be! I’m. It saying you should wear a life jacket. I’m saying everyone should. Including me. And I rarely wear one. So… yeah.
Thanks buddy. I hear ya.
How about suggesting a jack line and a tether? Is that okay.
Did your boat come with a vang? It could help with controlling the main. You probably know now that a stopper knot at the end of the jib sheets would help. Good call on not starting the motor for fear of wrapping the prop. Thanks for posting. :)
no vang... I heard that the vang was for holding the boom down when your in a downwind situation? A stopper knot! that's genius! I will definitely do this.
Vangs weren't common on boats of that vintage. Easy to add I did it on my islander 30. Lesson I learned was to make sure you have enough room between the mast and the anchor so it doesn't pinch the mast.
Wrong O on the railroad bridge, it’s still in use.
Really!? I suppose they just leave it up until a train comes along? Thanks for pointing that out.
@@EdwardSeatonSailings Yeah, it's usually only down occasionally in the evenings, which can be an unpleasant surprise when you want to get back to your home port! (Napa Valley Marina)
Seven knots coming out of Mare Island strait? Maybe sailing speed + current = seven knots on gps.
7.2 knots 😉 current was definitely involved
Come to Hilo
Love to. What's Hilo?
Watching in March 2024
Back on zee boat!
Does not hurt to be cautious.
That boat should be fine with twenty knots with 1 or no reef.
On main alone. You could let it out or drop yhe traveler to lee a little.
I'll keep this in mind. Just gotta remember to keep my cool 1st so that I can implement all this good advice.
Just easing the mainsail way out would have also helped when you crossed the wind line past AI - depending on how much jib you had out that could have been more immediately effective. Basically de-power biggest sail first, then furl/reef
Bay has challenging conditions to be sure, way to use the tools you had to manage the situation!
Yeah, watching the video, I could see that the main could have been let out more. It's weird how you don't see the blatantly obviously when you're in the middle of it. Thanks for the comment 👍
@@EdwardSeatonSailings totally - i love the constant learning in sailing. Always more to learn! Hope to see you and Dagny out there!
@@chandsie are you in SF Bay!?
@@EdwardSeatonSailingsyes! I live in SF and sail out of Berkeley with the Cal Sailing Club.
You should wear a life jacket
Put a stopper knot in the end of that port jib sheet and you shouldn’t loose it again
that's 2 suggestions for a stopper knot! seems so obvious now. Thank you!
"For a journey to count as an adventure, at some stage you have to wish you weren't on it. Otherwise it's just a holiday". (Dylan Winter, in this video: czcams.com/video/1mvTVrP-FAs/video.html&lc=UgwIZ1qObwXUS4fmYQV4AaABAg
Just came to mind, as you had a beer & discussed how you could have died. 👍
That was wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing the link. I will live by that line.
We don’t move the boat without wearing pfd’s.