By: Maurice Lieberman, Owner & Skipper of P-19 #725, Dollars & NonCents As many of you know, I enjoy sailing in San Francisco Bay. In fact there is no finer, more challenging sailing anywhere. We are so fortunate! Many old salts have told me my boat (boats of this size) should not be sailing in the Bay. As far as I'm concerned, that's seagull excrement!!!! Our boats (P-19's) are incredibly stable, stout-hearted little boats. I can guarantee you will run out of sailor before you run out of boat. But..... The boat must be set up properly, and the sailor must be properly prepared before sailing in our varied Bay conditions. Please refer to specifics as outlined in my article in a prior issue of our Potter Yachter. There are a few pointers I have learned that I'd like to share in this article. Jerry Barrilleaux and I have been sailing in each other's boats both during the day and night sails during the week. I keep my boat in a slip in the Estuary, so in 45 minutes, we are sailing in the Bay. Here are some additional ideas that may be helpful: 1. Obtain current charts, and learn how to read them. Also learning dead reckoning and ranging techniques are a necessity. Fog and night sailing can make even the most obvious places seem completely different and unfamiliar. Jerry and I were night sailing back to our slip in the Oakland Estuary after sailing to the SF waterfront, then running back. Because of the Alameda Base closure, and additional shipping areas that were recently built, we temporarily became disoriented and confused. Fortunately, we had charts, and sailed from buoy to buoy, and made it in. 2. Furling lappers (that don't also reef) can be very hazardous and impair the overall balance of the boat. A few months ago I was sailing near Alcatraz, and the wind really started blowing (35+). I was close hauled, and over-powered. In turn this created a severe weather helm condition. This exerted extreme pressure on the rudder and tiller. The next thing I knew, the tiller cracked, and was dangling free in my hands. we were able to jury rig and nurse the boat to Pier 39 for temporary repairs. We had to wait for the wind to die down and pulled into our slip in Alameda at 3AM the next morning. I thought it was a fluke but it happened again a short time later on a very windy day with a new tiller! Moral of the story: Don't over-power your Potter! I switched back to the standard rigging, beefed up the forstay, re-cut the Lapper, and purchased a standard (working) jib from International Marine. Now the boat will sail in almost any conditions without even having to reef the main sail! 3. Rig all halyards aft. The factory has the necessary hardware, and it is very easy to install in just under an hour. Everything can be raised or lowered from the cockpit, thus eliminating the need to go forward for anything other than a sail change. Also rig a downhaul for your jib. That is also very easy to do, and will save you time and keep your blood pressure at an acceptable level in challenging sailing conditions. 4. Tie Highwayman Hitch Knots around your jib with your jib sheets to your bow pulpit before you leave the dock. The purpose of this is to keep the jib from flying all over the deck, as well as eliminating the need to go forward to release the jib prior to hoisting it. You simply give your jib sheets a light tug from the cockpit and the jib unfurls itself neatly on the foredeck. You never have to go forward in unsafe wind conditions when these knots are used in conjunction with the jib downhaul. 5. Nicro-press eyes into the backstay (if you have one) and add a triple purchase and cam cleat with 16 feet of line. This tactic eases weather helm in heavy wind conditions by raking the mast aft, thus resulting in a more flat sail shape and more control over your boat. 6. Beef up your boom vang. You can select the blocks and assemble it yourself vs. buying an expensive complete one. The toy vang that comes from the factory is just to small for heavy winds. 7. Attach a backstay and tighten the shrouds. This technique tunes your boat for heavy air and makes it much safer to sail on a run. The mast is raked aft which changes the center of effort to lessen the strain on the standing rigging. It also helps to flatten the sail which helps to spill more wind, thus giving you more control and delaying the need to reef in heavy winds. 8. Obtain a free Coast Guard Aux. inspection for your boat. It helps you identify safety needs, and can possibly keep the Coasties off your back when they are in the mood to harass sailors with time consuming boarding and boat safety inspections. This happens frequently in the Estuary and in the Bay. Of course, you should always carry flares, compass, gas, fire extinguisher, etc. 9. Attach a pad eye to the companionway/deck so you can hook up to it with a tether and harness if you leave the cockpit. It is amazing how slippery a foredeck or cabin top or deck can get when it is awash with salt water spray. 10. Replace the existing transom/boom blocks with larger double transom/triple boom blocks to increase purchase power when the mainsheet is under load (during tacks,and sheeting in). Also replace the mainsheet with a larger one that is compatible with the new blocks. It is easier to handle a larger line when it is under tension. The downside is it is a bit cumbersome to handle in very light winds. I think the trade-off is worth it. 11. Enroll yourself in a quality US Sailing certified sailing school if you are not used to sailing in the myriad of conditions the Bay has to offer. Even if you have been sailing for years, it is amazing what bad habits can be identified and corrected to give you the confidence to sail at almost anytime in most any conditions in most any boat. The bottom line is to be safe, be prepared, and just get out there and do it! Far be it for me to tell anyone how to sail their boat. Many of you are more salty then I'll ever be. However, these discoveries have enhanced my sailing experiences and enjoyment of that very special art we call sailing.