In Adrian’s monthly column, we look up from the cockpit and think about technology-dependent sailing and the old, ‘true’ way of sailing.
when technology dies
Ah, the silence in the cockpit, the battery dying, the beeping stopping, the instruments that once told me where I was, how far I had to go, and in which direction I had to go, gone black. I still had a compass, analog speed, depth, or height, and 150,000 charts. Everything was quiet now, except for the howling wind and the gentle creaking. The distracting dials and alarm sounds disappeared and peace came over me. I realized that many of the things we call essential are actually non-essentials. Could it be that you still couldn’t find where you were, feel the strength of the wind, and refer to landmarks to judge your drift or margin? Will you take her safely home? What mattered was that I was still connected to the forces that determined my progress. I felt the rise and fall in the hem of my pants and compensated by making a slight correction with my hand on the stick instead of the tiller. This was a glider 9,000 feet above the Moray countryside. However, the same is true for yachts without chartplotters and autopilots, with the captain streaming the walker’s log to read the altimeter lead line and compass, and referencing the Admiralty chart to record the yacht’s position. was forced to.
in my year sailing yachtAnd sometimes we’d race, but we’d step into a strange wheel and be warned that the wind instruments weren’t working, or the apparent angles were different between port and starboard, or that the autopilot was unreliable. was the norm. upon. Adding to the frustration that yacht owners feel when their gadgets break down, manufacturers come out with newer and better kits every year, requiring new parts inside to maintain them. The thing is that you don’t seem to think much about all of the old kit you have. they are working. Four years after it was replaced by the “fully upgraded new CourseMate 60”, can you get the NavMarine CourseMate 45 remote wind sensor? Maybe on eBay?
Yachtsman is fair game, they say. Stainless steel shackles for engineering projects cost £x, similarly for yachts £x+50%. To be fair, Chandler is having a hard time keeping it in stock. Bro wants his 3/8 twist shackle with captive pin. “Oh, now he’s got a 3/8, but it’s not twisted.” To be fair, not being able to change a yacht’s shackle is, in clichéd terms, a “first world problem.” “is.
good old days
Those who went sailing in the olden days were lucky when the catalog at Glasgow’s long-established bronze and galvanized goods store, Simpson Lawrence, was more or less the same year after year. Indeed, there was a huge selection, from complete folding vanities with copper basins and spigots, to a range of anchor hoists, porcelain and gunmetal looses, bronze hatch cover hinges, shackles and more But everything was the same for almost every yacht. You may be able to drop anchor in the harbor (there is no marina). There are currently 20 hatch companies to choose from. All with unique hinges, seals, and fittings.
Torn apart by technology
Today, the average yachtsman paying attention to the racing scene can either fly around the world in a matter of weeks, watching screens and imitating the ruthless French foiling mob that trims sails with electric winches, or never touching a tiller. I’m torn between whether to imitate it or not. Another lot seeks to turn back the clock and circumnavigate Sir Robin using only the same equipment he would have used on his 1968 solo circumnavigation. Which way would you go? Embrace all the expensive and sometimes fickle value technology, fill your cockpit with screens and displays, and let the autopilot do the steering, or KISS? Classic yacht owners instinctively tend to choose the latter (but don’t throw out your chartplotter with the bathwater).
As for the seat of your pants while sailing, essentially what happens when the screen goes blank, regardless of whether it goes blank or not. The best advice ever given to an America’s Cup helmsman was to keep your head out of the boat and only pass. References to musical instruments. And it’s the same advice given to pilots: keep an eye out of the cockpit. While observing the instrument, always keep in touch with the elements. Isn’t this what sailing is all about? The autopilot may be able to control it better than you, but is it any fun?