Sailing on PEI

A true account: I herewith endeavour to give a true account of my sailing experiences on Prince Edward Island interspersed with bits of advice and warnings, often derived from the writings of others. These experiences arose out of acquiring, and then modifying, a small used sailboat for coastal sailing. When Luke, the author of two Bible books, began writing, he pointed out that, while many others had already written about the same topic, he was going to write an orderly account resulting from careful investigation.[1] In the realm of sailing, this is beyond my grasp! Much of the technical information presented here echoes the writings of others who have come before me. Instead, it is my goal to give a personal account of my journey on the path to becoming a sailor. Along the way, you will see another view of Prince Edward Island—my retirement home in the Eastern part of Canada.[2] The Island’s most famous author, L. M. Montgomery of Anne of Green Gables fame, set all but one of her books here. Her many works of fiction revolved around the NorthShore (around Cavendish) where she grew up. Mine is a non-fiction account set on the island’s southeastern shore fanning out from WoodIslands. While automobiles have replaced carriages and wagons, you will find many of Montgomery’s description of features and attitudes of rural PEI a century ago are just as applicable today. Here too you may find a taste of theIsland unique culture and lifestyle.

What’s in a name? The name, Never the Same Mistake Twice, comes from a comment by the main character in Anne of Green Gables. She confidently asserts that she never made the same mistake twice—she is always finding new mistakes to make. In the same vein, in a recent movie version of the book, her teacher points out that each day offers a new start with no mistakes in it—yet! That concisely describes my approach to sailing and boat modifications. When I find I have made a sailing mistake or discover a weakness in the boat’s design, my strategy is to take any necessary steps so I never make that mistake again! For example:

1. After I watched six men stand around arguing about how to raise the mast, I engineered a lifting post and pivot so it could be done by one person, unaided (and far more safely).
2. After my wife loosened her front tooth when falling on deck, it became top priority to add lifelines and hand grips so that would not happen again.
3. After struggling with the jib (front sail) on the tossing foredeck while the boat pitched up and down and waves occasionally splashed over the deck with nothing but the forestays (the wires running front to the top of the mast) to hold on to, a bow pulpit (a pipe “fence” around the front) became a priority.
4. After watching one of the two forestay (front wire keeping the mast from tipping backwards) turnbuckles work loose while tossing in the waves and wind and then having the jib (front sail) come loose, kept on the boat only by the sheet line (rope attached to the back corner of the sail), I vowed to make sure I always use the little wires that keep the turnbuckles from rotating. Carrying that idea further, I plan to have two stays on all four sides of the mast so, even if one wire breaks or comes loose, the mast cannot fall over.

I first thought of subtitling this book, Sailing for Dummies but Dummies is a registered service mark of John Wiley & Co….besides, I resent the implication. I considered using The Anne of Green Gables Approach to Sailing, but Anne and Green Gables are tightly sewed up by the heirs.

My Qualifications: I am not a sailing expert. I have only spent about 8 years getting into sailing and that has all been close to home. I have read many sailing books and visualized myself on around-the-world trips. My library now includes books on making sails, building boats from plywood, timbers, fibreglass, steel, and even ferro-cement! Many of the books present clever interior modifications to make the cabin and cockpit more comfortable and effective. In addition, there are many gadgets to make for better sail and anchor handling. Along the way, I will refer to books I have found particularly helpful, but remember my primary goal is to present a true account of the process of becoming a sailor.