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Originally Posted by PROPELLER
"...Don't you mean the 1976 Montreal games? Also, how often do you sail? Someone who sails 2-3 day a week will wear out sails a lot soon than someone who sails once a month..."
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You're correct. Montreal had an "Expo" in 1967, and my class of boat didn't exist in 1967. (I didn't go, but there's this family "Expo" souvenir mug that got me sidetracked).
I don't sail Winnipesaukee as much as I
did: The criteria have changed.
1) No sailing on weekends.
2) No sailing without winds between 3 and 15 knots (mostly single-handed sailing -- challenging as it is already).
3) No sailing on cloudy days. (Can't use my sun-signal mirror to ward off the occasional Budweiser-numbed powerboater).
I think "your" captain has to replace sails frequently because of "roller-reefing", which exposes
the same part of the sail to sun and ozone, and because of occasional strong winds that flap his
non-battened sails. (Tornadoes have
battened sails).
I'm never very many miles from the dock and "call it a day" when the cumulus start building -- something you can't always do well offshore.
However, weekdays are OK. After breakfast, and with a trusty apple, I can spend six hours on a good day "on the move". I mean, why stop boating?
Regarding Cousteau's ship: He had
a pair of large vertical tubes. They had an inner drum which was powered. That motion (Flettner-Effect) brought
some economy to an already diesel-powered ship.
There are "hard-sails", mostly used on world-record sailcraft, iceboats, and experimental multi-hulls. I don't think they've broken the 50-knot speed record yet for sailboats.
I just read an account of a Navy submarine captain whose fuel supply got contaminated and was stranded 100 miles off Hilo, Hawaii. He ordered the crew's canvas hammocks stitched together to make a jib and mainsail, and
sailed the sub to Pearl Harbor! Oops...OT -- once again.
http://www.usni.org/navalhistory/nh2004toc.htm (Title at August 2004).
Quote:
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Originally Posted by PROPELLER
"...He commented it would be much cheaper if he just used his engine instead. But what fun would that be...?"
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Everybody reacts the same way when the engine is finally cut -- the vibration stops -- and the boat continues along under sail...quietly...with just a "chuckle" from the bow.