Cruising Seminars Jan 19 and 26 and Feb 2
Thursday, January 12th, 2012The planning for the seminars is all done. They will be very exciting and informative and full information on them is on this website. Orange Coast College has described them as follows:
January 19 – 7pm to 9pm
Surviving Togetherness
Whether you are going out for a couple of hours, overnight, to Mexico, or around the world, the real trick is to accomplish this while maintaining cordial relationships with the members of your family. This is not easy, but Carole and Laurie will tell you how they did it, starting right back at boat selection and setting up. Learning how to compromise (Laurie) and develop blue and pink jobs on board (Carole) are hugely important (Laurie will cover mauve jobs). The anchoring techniques you will learn will certainly save your boat and your marriage. Simple ways to make your boat as safe as possible both at anchor and underway are often key to a happy co-captain, and to avoiding seeing someone bobbing in the wake. Why boat names are important and what boat papers are necessary are also covered. All this information is delivered with terrific pictures and great stories.
January 26 – 7pm to 9pm
Plan to always be on an even keel
Laurie and Carol sailed around the world for more than 6 years without ever striking sustained winds at sea of more than 35 knots. One goal of this seminar is to provide you with bad-weather avoidance skills such as patience, knowing what superstitions you should not ignore, and how to use charts and plan passages. You will learn what to do to avoid being hit by lightning, and what to do when you are (Laurie and Carole were). Laurie will provide the skills needed to sail safely in coral filled water, to avoid going aground, and show you how to get off when you do (and you will).
A happy boat is one that is adequately provisioned, has all the spare parts needed for routine maintenance and for emergencies, is properly stocked with medicines and first aid requirements and has enough books – there is nothing more desperate than the cruiser who has read everything on board. This seminar will cover all of these matters and include markets and bargaining, trading, catching fish in 3 oceans and 10 seas, and cooking on board. All this is interlaced with great pictures and gripping stories.
February 2 – 7pm to 9pm
Things you never knew you needed to know
This seminar covers the miscellaneous aspects of sailing and cruising, the ones that you don’t necessarily think of, but which have the ability to rise up and cause severe interference to any plans you may have. Laurie and Carole will tell you about how to deal with officials in 56 countries, how to get out of a Sudanese jail (somewhat related to the first item), the absolutely essential things to have on board, pirates and why they aren’t a problem, disasters and how to recover from them, how much does cruising really cost, and why everyone else lies about it, money and credit cards, land cruising, sailing with children, and boat and health insurance.
By way of light relief, they will cover flags and flag etiquette, cocktail time etiquette, crazy cruisers they have met and what can be learned from them, clothing optional and why it shouldn’t be, and the realities of carrying guns on board. All with pictures and stories to inform and entertain.