Captain’s Log: Staying in the Groove
The Basics
The boat: Lucky Fin, a Bali 4.0 catamaran
Crew: Captain Trevon (instructor) and First Mate Stephanie
ASA Students: John, David, Doug
Courses Completed: ASA 101 (Basic KeelBoat), ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), ASA 104 (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran)
Day 1: Shared Goals
John, David, and Doug were all meeting for the first time but they all had one goal in common— learning as much as they could to someday bareboat charter catamarans with their friends and family! All three soon-to-be sailors shared their sailing dreams with Captain Trevon before hoping onboard Lucky Fin to begin their week of fun-filled travel.
Day 2: An Accidental Lasso
The weather conditions were perfect to head out of Compass Point Marina and start sailing! Each student rotated through the helm and first got comfortable with how the catamaran handled under power. Then, they were off to Caneel Bay to practice grabbing mooring balls. After lunch, the crew headed to Pilsbury Sound to practice unfurling the jib and get a taste for man overboard drills. The crew decided to then head back to Caneel Bay and grab a mooring for the night. However, they unexpectedly lasso’ed the mooring line around the ball and had an impromptu lesson on how to fix their error!
Day 3: Bigger Waves, Rocky Waters
The winds became a bit more sporty on the crew’s second full day at sea. They reefed the main as the winds reached 20 knots and then began tacking back and forth towards Jost Van Dyke. The crew got thrown around a bit in the wind— especially when they hove-to for a lunch stop! In the afternoon, they made their way back to Maho Bay to enjoy the stability of their “land legs” on the beach.
Day 4: Staying In the Groove
Time to raise the main, raise the jib, and practice tacking up wind! With strong winds and little forward progression, the crew learned an important lesson about staying “in the groove” while clawing their way upwind. The term “staying in the groove” refers to the importance of maintaining the optimal angle of attack while sailing and was a timely one for Captain Trevon to teach these new sailors!
Day 5: Just the Jib
The windy weather struck again! As Devon drove the catamaran out of Coral Bay, the boat rocked in the 5 foot waves and 25 knot winds. The crew made the decision to sail with just the jib and leave the mainsail furled, which made for some fun jibing on their way south around Ram Head! Captain Trevon directed the crew towards the protected Lameshur Bay but even there, the winds made it a bit challenging to grab a mooring ball. However, Devon showed his newly emerging sailing talents by securing the bow of the boat single-handedly!
Day 6: Racing the Storm
A quick look at the skies and the crew could discern storms were in the area! They decided to race them to Pilsbury Sound and hopefully not get too wet. However, the storm moved faster than the catamaran could and they found themselves in a squall. “With Devon at the helm, we doused the sails and held our position as best he could in a nasty squall that had everyone but Devon and the captain down below,” Captain Trevon wrote in his Captain’s Log. Yet, when the squall passed- perfect weather emerged! The crew proceeded to Christmas Cove without having to even reef the mainsail!
Day 7: Off We Go!
Devon had an early flight to catch so the goodbyes were quick for this crew! They looked back and laughed on the excitement of the storm the day before and how much beautiful wildlife they had seen snorkeling each day in the water. An end to a beautiful trip— see you next time!