Basic Optimist Sailing

If you are wondering about sailing over these school holidays this just might be the report for you. I’m going to tell all about Optimist Sailing and all of the basics you need to know in order to make this trip as memorable as you want it.

The very first thing that you need is a safety check. You need to make sure that you are wearing the right clothing like warm thermals and togs. Make sure that you have a life jacket on and good, hard shoes so your feet don't get glass in them. You will also need to make sure that your tiller and rudder are on properly and your sail is completely on the top pole and on the bottom pole. They need as tight as they can be. There are two bungs in the side’s and front of the boat. Make sure they are in tightly. If you have too much water in your boat there is a bucket at the front of the boat. Scoop the water out with it.

Once you have done the safety check make sure that your boat has been put together correctly. There needs to be a sail on the top pole. There needs to be 2 ropes hanging from it . On to hold it in place and the other to tighten and loosen the sail This is called the mainsheet rope. On the back there will the the rudder. The handle attached to the rudder is called  the tiller. On the sides there will be  two bungs. If there is any major water unplugged the bungees and you boat will not sink. If the water is  not so major you can use the bucket at the front.

Now this is the real deal. This is how to sail the boat. First of all you need to hop in the boat the correct way. If you have one person (Adult) in the boat they need to be lying down and be able to reach the mainsheet rope and the tiller. If you are a child just make sure that you are balancing the boat properly.  If you have two people in the boat. (One for each job) you both need to be sitting up if you are a child. Two adults can not fit. If you want to go faster pull on the rope to get  more wind in your sail and if you would like less speed loosen the rope. You always need to hold on to the rope so your sail doesn't fly away and the Boom will turn so make sure that you duck down so you don’t get a sore head. How to steer your boat is quite easy. If you would like to go left turn the tiller right and if you want to go right turn the tiller left. As easy as that. You will need some simple commands. To duck say Boom because some people get confused if you are pointing to a Duck. If you are at the front and you see something that you could hit say left or right to tell the other person to steer out of the way.

Capsizing can be a fun thing if done on purpose but when it comes out of nowhere it can be freaky. If you would like to capsize you need to lean to one side of the boat and take your centreboard out. Then you can tip. To recover capsizing you need to lean on on your centreboard and try to lean to the other side of boat. Also you need to have some hand signals. If none of these techniques has worked you need to yell “Help” and wave your hand so they see where you are and what they can do to rescue you. Once you are up right sail slowly back to shore or get someone to tow you back if anyone else is in the water with you.

My overall experience of yacht was very exciting and challenging because I have never done it before. I had a really great time and thought it was fun to try something I have never done before. My favorite part was going in around the buoy that they out out. You need the right regulation of speed to get through and around right. The water that you sail in can't be that choppy so Pandora Pond can be the best place to go Optimist Yachting because on a slightly windy day the water is fine and you can go in a yacht with no problems at all. My overall rating is 10/10 the boats didn’t have holes in them and you just cruise around the pond and enjoy the pond waters as you sail away from shore.

I hope this guide helped you plan your trip for Optimist Sailing. This activity can be fun and you can also learn how to even become a pro sailer by starting on these. They are also very good for kids to learn how to sail a boat or even the first time in a boat.  I hope this guide will help you to have the most memorable boating trip of your life.          

       

Yachting Reflection 2013

Yachting

Over the past week I have been Optimist Yachting and Kayaking. This is my reflection. Something I was pleased with was Yachting because I liked going round the sharp corners and flying round on the water. It was exciting because I have never been optimist yachting before and I thought it was really cool.

Something that I got scared about was going out far in the Kayak because I panicked a little and I couldn’t row left enough and I kept going the other direction. I got a little stressed with the kayak and I think I should go in a double next time so I won't get stuck and if I do the other person can come with me.

Something I need to improve is how to use a kayak oar properly and figuring out how to steer the kayak properly so I don’t go out where I was last time. That was freaky so that is my goal for next time.  

Something I could have done better was using the mainsheet the first time and not chicken out and sail back to shore and go back to the tiller prostitution  because I was too scared and made the rope very loose. I didn’t like it when the boat tipped when I was in control.

My plan next time I would like to go in a yacht by myself and be in charge so I can go by myself and I know when I want to steer and use the mainsheet so I know what to do it. I would also go on a single kayak so I can go at my own pace and not get a sore back anymore

Allround Day 1 (Monday)

It was really fun because it was my very first time in a yacht. I liked doing the tiller best and I went in a boat with Milly and in the kayak I was by myself and I got drifted out to sea.  It was terrible.  I liked rowing and sailing around the lake because it was fun and peaceful. I thought that this was really fun and I wanted to go again.

Allround Day 2 (Thursday)

Thursday was fun. We went yachting first and my buddy was Alex. She was a good buddy and I went on Mainsheet first and It was fun. Alex wanted to go on tiller and  I was fine with that.  It turned out that I was good at doing Mainsheet and I was just a (chicken thee first time.) For kayaking I was with Milly and we went under the bridge and around the harbour. It was fun. Milly took us around most of the harbour and I could just  sit back and relax. It was an amazing exprienice.  

Titanic Story

Back in 1912 when the Titanic was sailing along the voyage of New York, high winds were blowing which were making the boat go faster than it should be going and forcing it to fly at a whopping speed of 34 kilometers an hour. 1500 passengers onboard and flying at that speed meant a lot to slow down. People were yelling: “We have hit an Iceberg!” Lifeboats were traveling down the side to find another boat for help. “Help. Our boat hit an Iceberg” They all yelled as they were rowing away.

The next day the world woke up to the catastrophe of the unsinkable Titanic had sunk into an iceberg that popped out of the water by 1 meter while the boat was 14 meters in the air.  Heaps were saying that the boat that sunk was its sister Olympic but no one believed them.

People were going crazy when they heard their family members died. They discovered that the wind was blowing starboard and that is what blew it over into the water. The wind was blowing the boat fast and that was the catastrophe of the Titanic.

Trains: Question Writing

Trains

1.What type of train would you prefer steam trains or electric trains Paige

3..What do you know about trains Hayden

4.What kind of trains do you like and what is your favorite train.Crystal.

5. Why did you choose the train. Zayde

2.How many times have you been on a train. Ethan

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Psssssssss, goes the steam engine on my computer as I am watching it of previous Art Deco weekends. JA1271 coming through from paekakariki.  I have never been on a big Steam Locomotive like this one before and really want to go on one. I have been on one at Silverstream Railway and been in the cab but not one with a tender.  I want to go on one this Art Deco. weekend.  I have been on heaps of small and little ones millions of times. I know how to build them, drive them and look after them. I am one of the youngest members of Keirunga Park Railway. My Dad introduced me to the railway when I was 4 and  I went up almost every month. I would personally go with the steam engine and chug around the countryside and blow lose branches off trees with the whistle.  I have been down that line before and it was terrible as you would get  hit with branches everywhere.

Steam trains were first made in the 18th century and it was called Rocket. It is also known as Stephensons Rocket. It was a slow loco and the track took ages to build without all of the machinery that we have know to transport it. Every Labour Weekend and Easter Weekend Keirunga Park Railway(KPR) has a 4 day weekend when steam locomotives can come to the railway from all around the North Island.  Easter weekend KPR’s Open weekend as it celebrates its birthday and last year it had its 20th Birthday. They had up to 50 different locomotives from the North Island and even a loco from the South Locomotive. My favorite train from KPR is a locomotive from Levin and it has a named called: Aspen Southern RR. It is numbered 500 and it survived the crash the the railway had in 2011. Since then it has been fixed and runs around the railway like there is no tomorrow.

My Dad has made an deisel locomotive that is an 0-6-0 and it is an shunter in England. Now he is in the process of making a steam locomotive that is a hudson. 4-6-4 wheel alignment and I have helped him with main parts on both locomotives.  Dads locomotives have lots of problems. The governour always plays up and kills the motor whenever we want to start. KPR has a range of points and signals and I know how they work. I learnt when I was five and it is still in my head. The Railway has 3 tunnels that around the 842 meter track as it goes around Havelock Hill at Keirunga Gardens. I choose trains because they are my passion.