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Captain’s Log: Officially Sailors

The Basics

The boat: Good Times & Tan Lines, a 2023 Lagoon 42 

Crew: Captain JT (instructor)  

ASA Students: Axel, Dina, and Paul

Courses Completed:  ASA 101 (Basic KeelBoat), ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), ASA 104  (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran)

Day 1: Touring Good Times & Tan Lines

Axel, Dina, and Paul arrived at the boat promptly at 5pm— ready to learn all they needed to know before setting sail in the morning! They picked out their cabins, toured the boat, and Captain JT gave them a briefing about how to use the heads, fresh water, electricity, and galley stove. They then enjoyed dinner together, stocked up on wine for the trip, and got a good night’s sleep!

Day 2: Getting Their Bearings

The first day out on the water is always a fun one for brand new sailors— there is so much to learn! Each student practiced taking the helm and getting used to how the boat would respond to them. They practiced hoisting the mainsail, unfurling the jib, and trimming the sails. By afternoon, the crew was ready for a break. The students jumped in the water to swim with the sea turtles— the ideal ending to a beautiful first day of sailing!

Day 3: Where’s the Wind?

The crew woke up to a severe lack of wind! However, there is still much to learn on a sailboat even when the wind isn’t blowing. Captain JT discussed the need-to-knows of 12 volt DC power and 110 volt AC power on the sailboat plus running the generator. Next, the students motored off to Francis Bay and practiced mooring pickups. Then, the wind picked up! They raised the sails north of St. John and practiced trimming and tacking. The crew tacked their way eastward towards Sandy Cay and completed a few heave-to maneuvers before the wind disappeared once again. The crew took this as a sign to go snorkeling! They ran into a barracuda and a spotted eagle ray before turning in for the night. 

Day 4: Winds Abound!

The Virgin Islands weather must have felt the need to make up for the previous day’s lack of wind— day 4 had the perfect windy conditions for sailing! The students tacked their way up the Narrows, focusing on holding course and keeping the sails trimmed. Captain JT decided it would also be a great time to teach the crew how to use the traveler to trim the mainsail too. Once through the Narrows, the crew turned around and jibed back down. Each time, the crew got more confident with their jibes and by their last three attempts they were flawless and smooth. Time to celebrate with more snorkeling! The crew moored at Lovango Cay, jumped in the water, and spotted a shark, moray eel, and a variety of colorful fish. 

Day 5: Plotting the Course

Over breakfast the crew made their passage plan for the north side of Magens Bay. “The sail was fantastic, with wind at our back and the water calm,” Captain JT noted in his Captain’s Log. Once at Magens Bay, they practiced man-overboard (MOB) procedures and the students were naturals! Each student successfully recovered their MOB on the first try! Afterwards, they practiced anchoring and sat down with Captain JT for a chart and navigation lesson. They learned to read a chart using plotting tools, like parallel rules and dividers.   

Day 6: Officially Sailors!

On the last day of sailing Paul asked to practice some more heave-to and reefing–so they did! Captain JT was very impressed with this crew’s motivation to learn and ability to catch on to every concept. Dina picked up quickly on stand on and give-way scenarios in the first few days, Paul controlled the boat with ease, and Axel was a natural sailor!  He knew the steps for all of the sailing maneuvers-tacking, jibing, heave-to, getting the the sails up- and was always communicating with the rest of the crew about what to start doing in advance. “The crew did so well this week, and to see their growth from Day 1 to Day 7 was amazing,” Captain JT said. He filled out their ASA logbooks, signed them off, and congratulated them on their newest titles— sailors!! Congratulations crew!