Who is at the helm? Usually
it is my husband but sometimes it is me. I like being the helmsman or
pilot of our sailboat, a 32 ft Irwin. She is the largest sailboat I
have ever steered and she is really fun to pilot. On a sailboat you
never drive, you steer. You are the helmsman.
The Helmsman has a lot of responsibility and on our 32ft sailboat the helmsman is catered to. The helmsman has his drinks brought to him, sandwiches prepared for him and suntan lotion rubbed on him because he is steering and watching where we are going.
He
is at the helm. We have faith he is steering us in the right
direction. He should be catered to because his mind needs to be on what
he is doing. I like to think he has precious cargo on board! The ships
wheel is the helmsman symbol.
One of the responsibilities of the helmsman is that of the navigator. On our sailboat we review charts on a regular basis then we mark the pages for quick review while underway. We also have our GPS handy at the helm. We plan our course so the route we take is direct, or as direct as can be with a sailboat. On the waterways we are familiar with we may not have to review the charts as we go but we have to watch the channel markers and buoys to stay on course and not run agound. The water highway is marked with channel markers and buoys and their different shapes and colors inform the navigator where to steer the boat as we make our way to our destination. The safety of the vessel and crew depend on the helmsman knowing this information and piloting the sailboat accordingly.
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One of the instruments that help the helmsman navigate correctly that we use on our sailboat is the compass. Unlike the compass that Jack Sparrow had in Pirates of the Caribbean, ours points north. We spend a lot of time on the Intracoastal Waterway in the Daytona Beach area in Florida and when I am the helmsman I can check my position by sight then double check with the GPS to be sure I am in the middle of the Intracoastal where the water is deep enough for our sailboat. It tells depth as well as direction and even shows the contour of the bottom.The helmsman always needs to know how deep the water is and the depth of the keel of his boat. Our sailboat drafts 4 ft. and we stay in water 4 1/2 ft. When we are loaded with supplies and ready for cruising we might want to stay in water 5ft as our boat will be heavier with supplies and provisions for a long voyage or passage.
Another instrument we use is the wind direction indicator located at the top of the mast. It is helpful when adjusting the sails to get optimum speed and for pointing more into the wind. When I am the helmsman I use the wind direction indicator a lot. We had a window cut into the new bimini so it is easy to see the top of the mast when the bimini is up.
Weather is something the helmsman must know and be alert to information for current developments. Weather is ever changing and we get weather information from NOAA, the weather channel, and then ultimately looking up at the sky and feeling the wind on your face. We put the information together to decide if it is a good day for sailing or not. Storms do come up and the helmsman should know what to do in heavy weather when you are caught in a heavy blow.
Being the helmsman is a position of responsibility. Did you know Meo Zedong, the founder of the Peoples Republic of China, was called the Great Helmsman? He lead the people for 30years until his death and we will not discuss whether he lead the people in the right direction or not. This is not a political site. A sailor at the helm steers, leads and guides. Don’t be the Helmsman from Hell. Be a Sheppard kind of helmsman instead. Always steering the vessel and the crew gently in the right direction
The Helmsman has a lot of responsibility and on our 32ft sailboat the helmsman is catered to. The helmsman has his drinks brought to him, sandwiches prepared for him and suntan lotion rubbed on him because he is steering and watching where we are going.
He
is at the helm. We have faith he is steering us in the right
direction. He should be catered to because his mind needs to be on what
he is doing. I like to think he has precious cargo on board! The ships
wheel is the helmsman symbol.One of the responsibilities of the helmsman is that of the navigator. On our sailboat we review charts on a regular basis then we mark the pages for quick review while underway. We also have our GPS handy at the helm. We plan our course so the route we take is direct, or as direct as can be with a sailboat. On the waterways we are familiar with we may not have to review the charts as we go but we have to watch the channel markers and buoys to stay on course and not run agound. The water highway is marked with channel markers and buoys and their different shapes and colors inform the navigator where to steer the boat as we make our way to our destination. The safety of the vessel and crew depend on the helmsman knowing this information and piloting the sailboat accordingly.
Buy at AllPosters.com
One of the instruments that help the helmsman navigate correctly that we use on our sailboat is the compass. Unlike the compass that Jack Sparrow had in Pirates of the Caribbean, ours points north. We spend a lot of time on the Intracoastal Waterway in the Daytona Beach area in Florida and when I am the helmsman I can check my position by sight then double check with the GPS to be sure I am in the middle of the Intracoastal where the water is deep enough for our sailboat. It tells depth as well as direction and even shows the contour of the bottom.The helmsman always needs to know how deep the water is and the depth of the keel of his boat. Our sailboat drafts 4 ft. and we stay in water 4 1/2 ft. When we are loaded with supplies and ready for cruising we might want to stay in water 5ft as our boat will be heavier with supplies and provisions for a long voyage or passage.
Another instrument we use is the wind direction indicator located at the top of the mast. It is helpful when adjusting the sails to get optimum speed and for pointing more into the wind. When I am the helmsman I use the wind direction indicator a lot. We had a window cut into the new bimini so it is easy to see the top of the mast when the bimini is up.
Weather is something the helmsman must know and be alert to information for current developments. Weather is ever changing and we get weather information from NOAA, the weather channel, and then ultimately looking up at the sky and feeling the wind on your face. We put the information together to decide if it is a good day for sailing or not. Storms do come up and the helmsman should know what to do in heavy weather when you are caught in a heavy blow.
Being the helmsman is a position of responsibility. Did you know Meo Zedong, the founder of the Peoples Republic of China, was called the Great Helmsman? He lead the people for 30years until his death and we will not discuss whether he lead the people in the right direction or not. This is not a political site. A sailor at the helm steers, leads and guides. Don’t be the Helmsman from Hell. Be a Sheppard kind of helmsman instead. Always steering the vessel and the crew gently in the right direction
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