Frustrating Wind

The Wind

Hi Neal
The wind is in almost all human endeavours a source of frustration even destruction. So annoying in fact that it makes sailing a wonderful revenge. To be able to turn the wind on itself and force it to be useful is just so satisfying. This especially so when sailing (beating) to windward. It is this very satisfaction of beating the wind I think that makes sailing the popular pass time. If it were not so surely no body would bother with sails. To get somewhere an engine is afar more convenient.
Anyway good luck with your motor boat and I enjoy your blog olewill
 
William_H said:
Hi Neal
The wind is in almost all human endeavours a source of frustration even destruction. So annoying in fact that it makes sailing a wonderful revenge. To be able to turn the wind on itself and force it to be useful is just so satisfying. This especially so when sailing (beating) to windward. It is this very satisfaction of beating the wind I think that makes sailing the popular pass time. If it were not so surely no body would bother with sails. To get somewhere an engine is afar more convenient.
Anyway good luck with your motor boat and I enjoy your blog olewill
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No wonder its blowing so b***** hard nowadays!
 
Even more frustrating is beating against the wind in a boat that isn't terribly good at sailing to windward and trying to fight a tidal stream at the same time, as I tried last week. While I could see my progress on each tack, the distance covered in the direction I wanted to go was minimal.
 
Neil said:
Even more frustrating is beating against the wind in a boat that isn't terribly good at sailing to windward and trying to fight a tidal stream at the same time, as I tried last week. While I could see my progress on each tack, the distance covered in the direction I wanted to go was minimal.
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I've just finished reading Master and Commander - they didn't have motors in them days so had to get out the barge and the long sweeps when there was no or adverse wind.
 
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ghostlymoron said:
I've just finished reading Master and Commander - they didn't have motors in them days so had to get out the barge and the long sweeps when there was no or adverse wind.
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:D ha ha, well you might manage if there was no wind & no current against you but either of those would defeat trying to tow even a small square rigger with a rowed boat! In calm water & still wind you might manage a knot & possibly a bit. But any breeze at all on all that top hamper would soon decide which way you were going! Any waves would make it hard to row & severely reduce the speed & power of the tow.

Even in dock, ships tended to be moved by warping them around so at least the men were standing on solid ground. In rivers, you would use currents & tides - which on a tidal river just meant waiting for the flow to be in the right direction. In the open sea, one just waited for the wind. But then that wouldn't make an interesting plot for a novel would it?
 
Searush said:
:D ha ha, well you might manage if there was no wind & no current against you but either of those would defeat trying to tow even a small square rigger with a rowed boat! In calm water & still wind you might manage a knot & possibly a bit. But any breeze at all on all that top hamper would soon decide which way you were going! Any waves would make it hard to row & severely reduce the speed & power of the tow.

Even in dock, ships tended to be moved by warping them around so at least the men were standing on solid ground. In rivers, you would use currents & tides - which on a tidal river just meant waiting for the flow to be in the right direction. In the open sea, one just waited for the wind. But then that wouldn't make an interesting plot for a novel would it?
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I think the crew managed more than a knot when they had the Bosun behind them with a 'starter'. 'Bosun, start that man if you please'
 
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