The holidays are behind us and we find ourselves looking towards another new year full of many expectations, resolutions and goals that we hope will help us set a new course in our business and personal lives.  When setting your 2010 resolutions, here are a few to consider.

 

2010 Resolutions:

 

 

 

Live well...laugh often and heartily....and never regret anything that made you smile!
 

Hope to see you on the docks soon,

Matt

 

It's the New Year again.  Over the past couple of weeks I have found myself hoisting a glass or six into the air to toast various people, causes or animals in an effort to appease the gods and bring good fortune (or at least try to mitigate bad fortune) for me and mi amigos.
 
In the old days of iron men and wooden ships, the officers of the Royal Navy had a toast for every day of week.   When one considers that the rum ration alone came to over 22 gallons per man per year it is understandable that they would need a schedule of toasts to help the medicine go down.
 
A typical week of toasting back in the day would go something like this:

Some toasts for sailors in a more modern era are:

 

It's a New Year and a whole host of new sailing adventures await you at LSA.  Here's to perfect winds, a well-heeled boat, old and new shipmates, perfect sunsets and endless horizons.  

Cheers,

Honez    _/) 

Dear Capt. Noah T'all,
 
I was out on the lake a few weeks ago with a friend and it was blowing big time.  We had the rail in the water and were cruising along at hull speed.  We were on a beam reach on a starboard tack and having a great time.  About this time we spotted a guy on a sail board close reaching on a port tack.  He seemed to be flying along at what seemed to be a hundred miles an hour.  Being on a starboard tack I held my course as our courses began to converge, at the last minute I sheared off as he missed my bow by maybe four feet.  As he went past he began yelling at me like I was a dummy.  My question is did I do something wrong?  What are the rules of the road for a sailboard?
 
Rick Righteous
 
Rick,
 
You did everything right and the board dude needs to thank his lucky stars that you heeded the rule of maintaining a good look out and when it became clear that a collision was eminent, you maneuvered to avoid a collision.  The Coast Guard regards sailboards as vessels and as such, they are under the same rules of the road as any other sailing vessel.  Just because you have stand on your vessel and hold up the mast does not exempt you from the following the rules of the road and practicing safe navigation.  Sailing a board can be a fun and fast way to sail.  Just remember that going fast means you get to the scene of the accident first if you don't pay attention.
 
Last time we asked what is a "williwaw."  A williwaw is a sudden, violent, cold wind blowing down from mountain passes toward the coast in far northern or southern latitudes, as on the Alaskan coast and Aleutians, and in the Strait of Magellan.   By violent I mean that speeds of 100 MPH can and do occur.  Think of an avalanche of snow only the snow is wind.  A willliwaw can knock a boat flat or put it on the rocks if you are not prepared for it.  So be warned if you are headed way north or way south.
 
Sail Safe,
 
Capt. Noah T'all