J22 Manual - UCI Campus Recreation

UCI J/22 Sailing Manual 40
sure it is long enough to reach the other boat. It may be necessary to tie your bow and stern
lines together to make a longer towline. Tie the towline around the mast with a bowline and
lead it through one of the bow pad-eyes for all tows in the ocean and multi-boat tows. If you
are only being towed in the bay for a short distance, you may use the bow pad-eye to secure
the tow-line. While undertow, steer a straight course behind the other boat. Always drop your
jib while being towed; you may decide to leave the main up while under tow (a good idea if it is
dark), but be sure you do not sail into the boat ahead. Always leave ample distance between
the boats, especially when in rough seas, and never get your body, hands or feet between the
two boats. Never try to hold onto a towline with your hands. When a line is thrown to you,
immediately secure it. When you are being towed for a longer distance, carefully inspect the
line, making sure that it is not chafing through. If a tow line snaps, it can be very dangerous and
it may injure someone as it flings about.
Becalmed
If you are caught without wind, particularly towards dark in the ocean, it is likely that you will
have to pick up a tow to make it back to the harbor. Without a tow the boat can only get
forward momentum from paddling. Sculling is difficult for anything but very short distances in a
J/22. In the bay, tides will have a strong effect on you. If the tide is incoming, this will help you
make it back to the base, Out in the ocean the prevailing current runs down the coast.
Therefore, if you are west of the jetty, the current will help carry you home. You may still need
to paddle and look for a tow. Never get too close to shore, especially in light air. You may not
be able to get back out again. This also applies to the jetty. If you are becalmed east of the jetty,
your condition is more serious. The current will carry you farther south or into the rocks or kelp
beds onshore. In this case, if you are losing headway, anchor. Leave your sails up after dark so
that a passing boat can more easily see you. Signal a passing boat, using one of the signal flares
if necessary. Do NOT swim to shore or abandon the boat. As you progress and sail on your own
you MUST learn to recognize the wind patterns and avoid being caught with no wind, especially
out in the ocean. In class, always stay in sight of your instructor and the other J/22 keelboats.
Your instructor can assist in towing boats back to the base if the wind dies.
Fog
Just a short word regarding fog is appropriate here. If you are outside the harbor and a fog bank
is quickly moving in, take a bearing on the west jetty with the compass of your smart phone,
then sail at that heading to return home, being careful to avoid the jetty and other known
hazards. It is also important to take into account the effect the current will have on you,
especially in very light air. There are fog signals that should be used by all boats when
maneuvering in dense fog. These signals should be memorized and used when needed in low
visibility weather. These fog signals are listed below.
Sailing vessels underway should sound, at intervals of not more than two minutes: A
prolonged blast (5 seconds), followed by 2 short blasts (1 second each).
Unencumbered power vessels underway shall sound, at intervals of not more than
two minutes: A prolonged blast (5 seconds).
Other horn signals you should be aware of: power vessel leaving a dock or getting underway