Captain's bLog

Apr 19 2024

Unleash the Power of Heave-To: A Sailor’s Secret Weapon!

Sailing is a graceful negotiation with nature, a constant interplay between mastering the wind’s force and adapting to the sea’s mood. Among the open-water sailor’s essential skills, perhaps none is as adaptable and crucial as the technique of heave-to. This maneuver proves invaluable in various conditions, particularly when facing challenging sea states or large swells.

sailboat in open water — Image by Fabien from Pixabay

What is Heave-To?

Heaving-to is a sailing technique that effectively halts the boat’s forward motion while maintaining stability. It’s a strategic pause button in open water, allowing sailors to wait out a storm, take a break, or address an issue without dropping anchor.

How to Heave-To

The process of heaving-to varies slightly depending on your boat’s design, but the basic principle remains the same. Here’s a general guide:

Begin with your jib fully deployed such as would be needed for a close reach. Then, tack without moving the jib or the jibsheet, and put the boat at a 90 degree angle off of the wind (beam reach). This will “backwind” the jib (put it on the wrong side of the mast). Next, completely release the mainsheet, which should de-power your mainsail (be careful of this on a Catamaran, you don’t want the sail caught in the shrouds). Adjust the rudder to counter your jib. If using a tiller, push the handle most of the way to windward. A boat with a wheel should turn the wheel most of the way to leeward. You want enough rudder angle to keep the boat at a 90 angle to the wind but not so much that it turns sharply.
Then adjust as needed: Fine-tune your sails and rudder to find the right balance. You should feel the boat settle into a steady, controlled drift. The fact that your beam is broad to the waves concerns people. Don’t let it concern you. The swell will approach the boat and then swirl around it. It’s pretty cool actually!

When to Heave-To

Stormy Weather: Heaving-to can provide a stable platform in rough seas, reducing the strain on the boat and crew. When weather conditions are unfavorable for sailing, and there are no safe bays to wait it out, heaving-to can be a safer alternative to continuing on or anchoring.
Man Overboard: Heaving-to can give the crew time to recover a person who has fallen overboard. In fact, I would argue it’s the best Man OverBoard (MOB) method for a catamaran.
Reefing: If you are unable to reef while underway, heaving to is an option.

Benefits of Heaving-To

Safety: It’s a valuable tool for managing challenging conditions and emergencies.
Rest: It allows your crew to rest without losing significant ground or anchoring.
Control: Maintains control and stability in heavy weather or when navigating tricky passages.

Heave-to is not just a technique; it’s a skill that every open water sailor should master – but practice under calm conditions. It’s a versatile tool that can make your sailing experience safer, more comfortable, and more enjoyable. So, the next time the winds pick up or you need to take a break far from shore, remember the art of heave-to. It might just be the perfect solution.

Fair Winds
Captain Jeff Vegas
Watch video testimonials for Captain Jeff Vegas by clicking this link

Mar 31 2024

A Different Kind of Pirate Attack

On September 23, 2019 I received a notification from my credit monitoring subscription that someone had applied for credit using my name, Social Security Number, and date of birth. I called the creditor and let them know it was fraud. On October 10, 2019 I received another notification… a different creditor. I called them. On October 11 same thing & on October 15 same thing so I “froze” my Experian file… On October 17 I received a notification that Experian blocked an attempt to access my credit and that there was a “hit” to my Transunion profile. (I thought I was freezing Transunion & Equifax on 10/15 also – oops!) I then spent some time ensuring that all 3 were “frozen”… 5 “hard” inquiries to my credit report inside of about 3 weeks. Ouch! 4 out of 5 of the creditors said they would report to the bureaus that those inquiries were fraudulent and that it could take 90 days for those to fall off my report. So, while I was in the Equifax site, I decided I would try to expedite cleaning up my credit and I disputed the 3 inquiries that had showed up there plus 2 addresses that were never my addresses.

Pirates don’t just attack boats from boats… sometimes they use computers (Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash)

I should mention that the first time this ever happened to me was in 2008 and it typically happens 1-2 times a year (until 2 week prior to this point) so those addresses may or may not have come from those inquiries. Oh, and did I mention that 3 of those 5 applications resulted in approved credit? In any case, when Experian finished reviewing my dispute, they removed the 2 bogus addresses but told me that the inquiries had happened… so they could not remove them and if I wanted them removed, I had to contact the creditor and ask them to report it as fraud.

At this time I believed that no one could make an inquiry on my credit. If I want to apply for a credit card, car loan or mortgage, I need to “unfreeze” my report long enough for the lender to check my credit, and then, of course, I’ll want to freeze them again. It’s going to be a hassle, but not as big a hassle as the hours I spent on the phone unwinding all the above mess.

Here’s the bummer… credit monitoring isn’t always cheap… I get 1 service free courtesy of my Capital One Credit Card and 1 service free for a year because some company that had my information was breached and as part of a settlement, they offered affected consumers that option (and I took it). [Note: this started happening to me long before the above noted breach.] I strongly recommend you contact your credit card companies and see if their membership offers that as a perk. If it’s free, get it! Seriously! Just get it. And based on my personal experience, if you do not have a company offering it to you for free, you may want to consider paying for it. Be careful about the options you choose though. I’ve been poking around the internet and it looks like most companies that do offer a subscription offer a “1 bureau” option… there are 3 credit bureaus and they don’t all get checked by all creditors. If someone applies for credit with a company that does not check the one you are having monitored, then you still won’t know until they have run up a large bill and I (fortunately) do not know what the process is for unravelling that mess! Of course, another proactive approach would be to contact all 3 bureaus and just freeze your credit, like I have (finally) done.

Freeze your credit today, FREE! (Photo by Simon Berger on Unsplash)

Here’s how to freeze your credit at all 3 bureaus…

First, what is the difference between a “freeze” and a “lock”? You ready for this? A fee! If you “lock” your credit, the bureaus charge you a fee, if you “freeze” your credit they don’t and there is NO OTHER DIFFERENCE! (I swear)

Go to www.transunion.com/credit-freeze and create an account. You will need to answer some questions that hopefully only you can answer (like “which one of these 5 lenders have you ever had an account with?”). They do that to ensure that you are really you, of course. Then you’ll create a 6-digit pin – put that PIN in a very safe place. Now your Transunion credit file is frozen and cannot be accessed until you log back in and give that PIN.

Then go to www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services – similar process as above.

Then, if you have a Capital One card and have taken advantage of their CreditWise program, log into that and freeze your Experian file. (that’s how I did it). Or you can go to www.experian.com/freeze/center.html and I’m sure the process is quite similar to the other 2 bureaus.

Do you even know what is on your credit report?

Did you know you can get a free copy twice a year? (of course, if your file is “frozen” you’d have to “unfreeze” to get a copy). If you have not gotten 2 free copies already this calendar year, stop right now and visit all 3 bureaus online – If you wait until you want a car loan, or credit card or mortgage to find out what yours says, you may find out you have a lot of cleaning up to do before you can get that loan… they can charge you for your credit score, but not to see what good and bad things are on your report. Go check right away…

Because it can even get worse!

On July 18, 2022, I received an email from Experian. The subject line read: Notification of Change of email address

My fingers trembled as I opened it, and this is what I saw

So, I am praying that this is email a scam, right? Someone is trying to bait me into giving them the kind of information needed to access my credit files? So I immediately tried to log into my Experian account and I could not because this email was legitimate. Someone, with all of my information (Social, Date of Birth, etc), convinced Experian that they were me, and that they no longer had access to the email address associated with my Experian profile and Experian let them change the email address! Are you F***ING KIDDING ME? Anyone who knows anything about cybersecurity knows that a common lie told by these cyber pirates is “I don’t have access to that email anymore”. The proper procedure would have been for Experian to email the address on file and see if I responded before changing the email address, but they did not do that!

IDIOTS!

I finally got it resolved and locked down but holy crap! And, it’s not like I can stop doing business with Experian if I don’t trust the way the keep my information secure!

If you think this can’t happen to you, you’re wrong.

Of course I hope it never does, but I strongly recommend you freeze all three credit bureaus today!

Do you need a sailboat delivered? Do you want sailing lessons? Do you want to charter a sailboat and need a captain? Contact me!

Fair Winds
Captain Jeff Vegas

Jun 02 2023

Did You Know This About Sailboats?

The earliest known sailboats were built in Mesopotamia around 3000 BC.
The first sailboats were made of reeds and rushes.
The first sails were made of animal skins.
The first masts were made of wood.
The first sails were rectangular.
The first sailboats were used for fishing and transportation; they were not very fast and could not sail upwind.
They were also not very maneuverable, safe, comfortable, reliable, or affordable. They were also not very popular.

Over time, sailboats have become more and more sophisticated. Today, sailboats are used for racing, cruising, and recreation. They can be found all over the world, and they come in a wide variety of sizes and styles.

Here are some other things you may not know about sailboats:

The largest sailboat ever built was the French yacht France II, which was launched in 1969. It was 236 feet long and had a mast that was 220 feet tall.
The fastest sailboat ever recorded was the hydrofoil catamaran Spirit of Australia, which set a world record of 58.17 knots (66.88 mph) in 1988.
The most famous sailboat in the world is probably the America’s Cup yacht, which is raced every four years.
The most popular type of sailboat in the world is the dinghy, which is a small, single-handed boat that is easy to sail.
The most challenging type of sailboat to sail is the ocean racer, which is designed to sail long distances in rough seas.
The most relaxing type of sailboat to sail is the cruising yacht, which is designed for comfort and convenience.

Photo by Katherine McCormack on Unsplash

Sailboats are a great way to enjoy the outdoors and get some exercise. They are also a great way to learn about the marine environment. If you are thinking about getting a sailboat, be sure to do your research and choose a boat that is right for you.

Here are some additional tips for owning a sailboat:

Take sailing courses before you buy your own boat (I offer private instruction).
Join a sailing club or association.
Consider a shared boat arrangement.
Get to know other sailors in your area.
Keep your boat in good condition.
Make sure your boat is properly insured.
Be prepared for changes in the weather.
And most of all, have fun!

Fair Winds,
Captain Jeff Vegas

May 11 2023

What is the Baja Bash?

You can have a birthday bash, which is a great party on your birthday.
or…
A bully could bash in your face with his fist… that would hurt.

The Baja Bash is the second kind of bash.

Passing El Arco in Cabo San Lucas as we began the Baja Bash

Many consider heading from south San Diego down to Cabo San Lucas by sailboat a fun trip. In fact, they have turned it into a whole cruiser’s rally called the Baja HaHa. Going the other way, however, has been dubbed the Baja Bash. Why? Because the seas are rough, especially in 3 spots. Additionally, the wind and current are on your nose, pretty much the whole time (well the wind the whole time and the current, a lot). I recently completed my first Baja Bash as a delivery Captain, bringing a Hunter 420 north with another Captain, and the owner of the boat.

Often, deliveries are done with two people, however due to the nature of the Bash, the owner decided a third was a really good idea (or maybe his insurance company required three… that is happening more and more often). If you don’t know, a USCG Captain can work up to 12 hours in a day, so a crew of two would meet that requirement, however three experienced sailors made this turbulent excursion manageable.

Timing the weather, we raised anchor from Bahia de Cabo San Lucas as the sun was rising on a Wednesday and headed for what is typically expected to be the second roughest part of the voyage. That first several hours was pretty much what we expected. Our rotation was 3 hours at the helm and 6 hours “off”, so my first attempt to get some rest seemed like trying to fall asleep while riding a bull.

To be fair, it wasn’t actually that rough, but I struggled to find the right comparison and I refused to use AI to help me LOL. I was definitely bashed an inch or two into the air from my bed repeatedly during that time. To make it more interesting, (as if the seas were not enough of a challenge) the autopilot was not working properly and we chose to take advantage of this calmish (compared to usual) weather “window” and hand steer, rather than spending the time to try to repair the AP and miss that “window”, which would have set us back about four days based on the forecast. After two days, we pulled into a bay to repair the AP and rest a little before proceeding.

I’m not going to tell the whole story here, so if you are the type that likes to read part of a book and then skip to the end, you’re gonna like this. At approximately 10 PM on a Friday, the 10th day after waiving goodbye to El Arco, betweeen Playa de los Amantes (Honeymoon Beach) & Playa del Divorcio (Divorce Beach), we docked in San Diego and enjoyed a real home cooked meal and slept longer than 4 hours in a bed that was on a stable surface.

The safe end of the Baja Bash — Safely at the dock in San Diego after 10 days

In case you’re wondering, I enjoyed the approximately 850-mile voyage. Sure it was challenging, but I was at sea, which is when I am at my happiest. And although conditions were rough, the three of us, and the vessel were safe at all times.

If you want some tips to help you make the Baja Bash a little easier on you and your vessel, I highly recommend this book. If you want to hire a licensed delivery captain to bring your boat up north from anywhere in Mexico, please reach out to me.

Fair Winds,
Captain Jeff

Apr 21 2023

If You Don’t Know the Right-of-Way Rules for Sailing, Here’s How You Can Still Stay Safe.

When you operate a sailboat, just like when you drive a car, it’s important to know who has the right-of-way under different circumstances. There are way more rules than I am going to cover here because this blog is geared toward the casual boater, but I will go through some of the basics, so you can be safe until you learn all of the rules.

First of all, try to remember that reasonably speaking the vessel with the least maneuverability in any situation, pretty much has the right-of-way, and the vessel with the most maneuverability should avoid the other because it can.

A boat being powered by sail almost always has the right of way over a boat being propelled by an engine (including if the boat being propelled by an engine has sails). The logic is simple; wind direction and speed limit how a sail-powered boat can maneuver, and a boat being pushed by a motor does not have those same restrictions. There are a couple of notable exceptions. Really large power boats do not have the same ability to maneuver as smaller power boats. I have sailed many enjoyable hours in San Diego Harbor, where large Naval and commercial ships are a part of every day boating life. Those large ships are not going to be able to alter course or speed in time to avoid a small sailboat, so always stay out of their way.

Photo Credit: Me

If any boat is honking a horn at you, there is a very good chance they don’t believe they can safely avoid you… maybe they are a large ship, or maybe they are similar to your size, but their engine died or their steering is not operating properly. If you hear a horn, instead of yelling at the other boat, assess the situations to see if they may be directing the horn at you, and if so, take evasive action immediately to avoid a collision.

Next, anytime you are overtaking (passing from behind) another boat, the boat overtaking must stay clear of the boat they are passing. Clearly you have (or are using) more power than them, so you should stay a safe distance.

If two powerboats are about to meet in a head-on (or near head-on situation), both boats are required to adjust their coarse to starboard (for you casual boaters who are not clear on these terms yet port and left both have a ‘t’ at the end and are both four letters, so they are the same), however, if two sailboats are about to meet head-on, the boat with the wind coming over her starboard (right) side should not alter course or speed; it is the stand-on vessel and the other boat should give way (making it the give-way vessel). To help you remember this, think “right is right” so that if the wind is on the right side of your sailboat, you have the right-of-way. See this is a case where both vessels theoretically could be evenly matched in maneuverability, so someone had to be the winner, like when two cars arrive at a 4-way stop at the same time.

Your sails sometimes reduce the vision of the person at the helm (wheel or tiller). Keep this in mind as well when determining whether you will give-way or stand-on. It does not change who actually has the right of way, but it could save you from having a problem. If you are operating a sailboat and the boat has blind spots because of sails, make sure you have someone responsible in a location on the boat where they will help you see what might be hiding there and remember that if you are in their blind spot, even if you have the right-of-way, you may need to adjust because they might not see you.

Keep a portable airhorn handy because you, alone, may not be able to avoid a collision, and you may need to alert the other vessel of this.

There may be times when you could barely change course and still feel confident that you will avoid the stand-on vessel, but they may not notice a small course change, so for the comfort of the other skipper and all on board that boat, make a substantial course change; one that makes it obvious to them that you are doing they right thing, so that they can relax and enjoy more of their day out on the water.

Of course, whether in a car or on the water, never insist on the right of way to your detriment. It is everyone’s responsibility to avoid a collision and if there is a collision on the water, the insurance companies usually state that all vessels involved had at least some share of the blame. Plus if the other guy is an idiot, it shouldn’t ruin your whole day (or several weeks waiting for your vessel to be repaired). Finally, I implore you to please really know the rules before you take the helm of any sailboat.
Fair Winds
Captain Jeff Vegas