June 2004: ...

1. What does "abaft the beam" mean ?
Ans: Any direction between the beam and the stern, more behind a vessel than in front of it. Behind a perpendicular line extending out from the middle of the boat.

2. He said he always likes to see good bollards. What does he mean ?
Ans: (a) He wants to find something secure to tie his lines to. (b) Do you need to ask this question?

3. He said to show him my burgee? Does this mean he likes me??
Ans: Possibly. A burgee is a flag used to identify an affiliation, usually used in the context of a yacht club or an association such as the UYA.

4. What is a chart datum ?
Ans: The water level used to record water level on a chart. Usually the average low water level. It is the level below which depths on a chart are measured and above which heights on a chart are expressed.

5. He said I have a hard chine. What does he mean ?
Ans: He means that you have a pronounced angle between your topsides and your bottom. This inherent stability will be a real boon when it comes to sitting on seats without falling off..

6. What are my anodes ?
Ans: They are your sacrificial skin fittings, bra panties etc. In a nautical sense they are zinc fittings fitted near skin fittings to protect the latter from corrosion through electrolysis.

7. What is the apparent wind ?
Ans: The combination of true wind (that which we feel when stationary) plus the wind produced by motion. On some boats there is an additional breeze known as foul wind.

8. What is the windward side of the boat ?
Ans: The only side to be on if there is foul wind.
 

Feb 2004: Tide Waits for No-one ...

1. What is a tide ?
Ans: A tide is the periodic rise and fall in the height of the surface of the water. A fall in tide may be the reason you cannot get your boat off the beach in the morning.

2. What is a tidal stream ?
Ans: A tidal stream is the horizontal flow of water that results from tides. A strong tidal stream is often experienced in the Gippsland Lakes near Lakes Entrance. A tidal stream is one of the reasons why your speed over the ground may differ to your speed through the water. You could be going backwards.

3. What is a current ?
Ans: Currents result from the large scale circulation of the worlds oceans.

4. What is the cause of a tide ?
Ans: The primary influence is the gravitational effect of the moon. Since the earth is spinning once every 24hours the highs (and corresponding lows) produce a tidal pattern involving 2 high and 2 low tides each day.

5. Why isn't the high tide at the same time every day ?
Ans: The moon orbits the earth each lunar month. The tide pattern is repeated over a lunar day of 24 hours and 52 minutes. Tide times move back an hour a day.

6. Why do the highs and lows differ ?
Ans: The latitude of the moon varies over the lunar month. When the moon is directly over the equator the 2 highs and the 2 lows will be equal. This happens fortnightly.

7. What are spring and neap tides ?
Ans: Twice every lunar month the sun and moon will work together to produce very high (spring) and very low (neap) tides. The highs will be at new moon and at full moon. 7 days later the sun and moon will work against each other to produce neap tides. This will be around the first and the third quarters. Neap tides will produce weak tidal steams.

8. What is a king tide ?
Ans: A king tide is just the highest of the high tides. They generally occur around Christmas in daylight hours and in winter at night.

9. What else affects water heights ?
Ans: At sea the shape of the land mass will effect the tidal influences. The influence can be so great that there is only 1 high and 1 low per day as at Karumba in the Gulf of Carpentaria. In partially enclosed waters the major influence may be meteorological. At Goolwa the water level can drop several feet as water is blown into Lake Alexandria and Lake Albert. A less pronounced effect can occur at the Gippsland Lakes and can result in a stream running (up) into Lake Wellington. This has apparently happened during some of the Marley races. It is said that in light conditions some skippers have blissfully sailed backwards whilst others have gained on the fleet by anchoring. At Lake Macquarie a major influence is barometric pressure. Low pressure systems raise sea levels, high pressure systems lower them. Take to the hard to avoid bad weather and you might be stuck there until the next bad weather. An intense cyclone can raise the sea level by greater than 2 metres.
 

Nov 2003: Size Matters ...

1. If you heard on the local radio a storm warning had been issued, what wind speed would you expect ?
Ans: 48 knots or more (this is bad - hopefully you heard this on the radio at home before you left ! - Ed).

2. Do sea waves and swell waves always come from the same direction ?
Ans: No. Sea waves develop more quickly with wind over water. swell waves may have been set in motion 2 or 3 days before by distant winds or currents.

3. Wave forecasts refer to the significant wave height. How high is the maximum wave height likely to be ?
Ans: Twice that of significant wave height. The significant wave height is the height of the highest 33% of waves.

4. You have a UY 18. What is the minimum legal length of your anchor cable for coastal waters ?
Ans: 50 metres.

5. You have a UY 23. What is the minimum legal length of your anchor cable for coastal waters ?
Ans: 50 metres.

6 You have an Ultimate class yacht. The Cup Cruise is rescheduled from Eildon to St Helens. Is there any change in the minimum legal safety equipment that must be carried ?
Ans: Yes. The requirements for inland waters such as Eildon and enclosed waters such as the Gippsland Lakes are the same. All of Port Phillip and Western Port bays are coastal waters. Minimum additional equipment that must be carried in coastal waters is an anchor and warp plus flares.
 

Jun 2003: What's This Thing Called Love ...

2. What would you do if your partner offered to "freshen the nip" ?
Ans: You would be happy ! Your partner would let out a little more anchor cable so that the same section was not subject to continual chafing. You would tend to do this in unpleasant weather. Better him or her gets wet rather than you.

3. Is the "caternary" a place to leave your cat whilst on your boat ?
Ans: Not if you like your cat. The catenary is the curve (sag) in chain supported at two points.

4. If your partner yells "foul hawse", will mouthwash help ?
Ans: Oral hygiene is good but it will not help if your anchor ropes are twisted.

5. If you were asked to "weigh anchor" is it sufficient to "anchor aweigh" ?
Ans: An anchor is aweigh immediately it is broken out of the ground. If you are asked to "weigh anchor" you will have to pull in the rode until the anchor is clear of the water. This is an unpleasant task during which you will be covered in mud and will be yelled at by the skipper who is probably doing nothing much at all. If you want to appear superior shout "brought up" when the rode is taut between boat and anchor, and "hove in sight" as soon as you actually see the anchor. If the skipper forgets to untie the stern line so that rather than hove the boat to the anchor you drag the anchor to the boat, you can also shout "anchor coming home". In those circumstances it would be wrong to cry "foul anchor" (anchor fouled on obstruction) when "foul skipper" is probably a more appropriate term.