by Rich Wilson | Jan 9, 2017 | Q&A, Q&A - RichWilson, Q&A-RW-wk10
Dear Jerry, I don’t have any deteriorating joint problems, I’ve been lucky that way. But my knees are sore from crawling around on them inside, and on deck, and also, the layout of the cabin means there is great stress placed on knees for big steps up and...
by Rich Wilson | Jan 9, 2017 | Q&A, Q&A - RichWilson, Q&A-RW-wk10
Dear Mateo. Yes you could get lost at sea . There are no street signs out here. Once you are out of sight of land, you can wonder what direction land is. But we have good tools for dealing with where we are. Nowadays the GPS system (Global Positioning System) is the...
by Rich Wilson | Jan 4, 2017 | Q&A, Q&A - RichWilson, Q&A-RW-wk9
Dear Jiaxuan: Do you know when you ‘laminate’ a piece of paper in order for it to be durable and waterproof? it is like encasing the piece of paper in plastic on each side, and then the clear plastic edges stick to each other. The plastic is clear so you...
by Rich Wilson | Jan 4, 2017 | Q&A, Q&A - RichWilson, Q&A-RW-wk9
Dear Jack, All sailboats will tilt because the wind pushes on the sails, and tries to push the boat over on its side. That is what the keel is for, as a counterbalance force against the force of the wind on the sails. Question submitted by Jack R., West Newbury MA,...
by Rich Wilson | Jan 2, 2017 | Q&A, Q&A - RichWilson, Q&A-RW-wk9
Dear Zhiyuan: Great American III was designed by Bernard Nivelt and built and raced by Thierry Dubois in 2000. She was a fiberglass boat, with 2 rudders, 1 canting keel, and 1 centerline daggerboard ( a fin that slides up and down and helps the boat to go straight in...
by Rich Wilson | Jan 2, 2017 | Q&A, Q&A - RichWilson, Q&A-RW-wk9
Dear Jiaxuan: The most important part of a good sailing vessel is a strong hull because the most important thing in sailing is to keep the water outside the boat! I think the next most important will be the rudders, to be able to steer the boat, and the keel, to keep...