Trouble-free summer. Seven tips for a perfect cruise

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bee_cruiserSometimes all it takes is a few tricks to make your cruise even smoother: do you know how to maneuver correctly to catch reefers, and more importantly, know when to lend a hand? Are you able to butterfly safely, secure the outboard on the tender in the right way, or “read” a roadstead so that you can spend the night without being awakened in the early hours of the morning because you are in danger of going over rocks? We have selected seven “pills” to best deal with typical cruising situations, from maneuvering through shipboard cooking and trolling.

COOKERS… BASCULANTI
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For tilting boat cooking, use the seatbelt cord
(have two eyebolts on which to fasten the ends), it will allow you to work at the tilting stove in peace and with both hands free. When sailing, it is best to use a pressure cooker to avoid dangerous spills. Are you cooking with a frying pan or a pot? Remember to put on oilskin pants, which are essential to avoid hot oil splashes.

NO MOTORS IN THE WATER
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Position the tender to the side of the boat, securing it on the middle bollard so that its stern corresponds with the board to which the outboard is attached. While one person on board deals with unscrewing the engine the other climbs into the tender ready to receive it from above. Those in the boat begin lowering the engine using a safety line attached to the outboard (for heavy engines use a halyard). To facilitate attaching the outboard to the tender, those on the boat keep the line taut.

IF THE RUDDER BECOMES HARD?
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Does the rudder become hard, is the boat too heeled, and is it difficult to steer? You will have to reduce reduce canvas, knowing that the mainsail is a gyre sail, and if the area of this is too large compared to the headsails, you will overstretch all the time. In modern cruising boats, where the rigging includes a large mainsail, it is always worthwhile first to reduce this to lighten the rudder (remember also that headsails, if partially rolled, increase pitching and heeling).

NIGHT IN RADA? STUDY IT WELL
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Can you “read” a roadstead so that you can be sure to spend the night without surprises? First, pay attention to how the entrance to the bay is positioned, making sure it provides protection from the main winds and waves. Then, before bottoming out, dwell on your surroundings: trees bent a certain way give an idea of the direction of the prevailing winds; a barren landscape may indicate the presence of strong thermal breezes. Depending on the model of anchor you have, study the bottom, avoiding seaweed and mud if possible.

TERZARULAR EASY
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Equipped with a battened mainsail and ball carriages, reefing will be a quick and convenient operation
: avoid putting your bow to the wind, rather widen your gait to keep the boat as flat as possible, so whoever has to work on deck will do so in maximum stability. Drop all the mainsail and proceed to lower it to give the hand. To help you apply, before you set sail, a small line from the mainsail pen to the mast foot, an extra help in lowering the sail under load.

TROLLING WHAT A PASSION!
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In cruising, trolling, if well executed, will be able to give you much satisfaction. The ideal speed is between 3.5 and 4.5 knots, the artificials to be used may be self-sinking or with 70-gram lead placed a few meters back in the terminal. If you have the classic “feather” know that it remains efficient even at faster speeds, while for rapala-type lures, remember that their size should be proportionate to the speed of sailing.

BUTTERFLY SAIL
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In butterfly you will sail flush aft in medium to strong winds, but you will need to take some precautions because the risk of gybing is always just around the corner. Bring along your tangon, which should be set on the jib to keep it stretched out at all times and prevent it from deflating under the mainsail at the first change of angle. A lapse in the helmsman’s concentration (forbidden to use the butterfly autopilot) does happen: for the safety of those on board, we recommend that you install a boom brake (like the Walder, the most famous).

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