Oops, that was meant to say Ken's comment that referred to Matt's mark
roundings. Sorry Ken!
On Mon, Jul 23, 2018, 9:39 PM Grace <graceface3629@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Wow, lots of input on this! Thanks for starting the conversation, Jay.
People have brought up several elements that are key to good
communication. I agree that starting with degrees as a quantity is great to
begin with. But I think Pauline has a great point about getting to know
your crew, and coming up with a shorthand. Sometimes you just don't have
time to qualify your statement. I've been aboard many times with a blind
skipper and a new person has asked me, "what do you mean, what is up 1?"
And while it might be simple to say it is up 1 degree, the reality is that
it is a quantity that you and your skipper have agreed is 1. It doesn't
matter if it is actually a precise degree.
When I go out for the first time with a new skipper, or one I haven't
sailed with for a while, or even just a new boat, since different boats
feel different at the helm, I like to start with what I call "calibration."
I ask the skipper to go up 5, down 5, up 10, down 10, up 1, down 1. Between
each I decide if I agree with the amount he or she turned. If I do, I say
ok, and remember that amount for future communications. If I don't, I say
hey, I think that was more like 20, or whatever I think it was, and we
repeat the exercise until we agree on the turn. Note that turns may also
feel different in different wind conditions, so it may be necessary to do
it multiple times in a regatta if conditions change.
I must say I haven't encountered a lot of use for turn increments greater
than 10 degrees, except with beginners. Once a sailor understands the
concept of a good mark rounding, or penalty turns, or luffing someone at
the start, or the points of sail, it suffices just to say what is going on.
For a leeward mark rounding, for example, I might say, "we are coming into
the mark. Stay low to keep a wide entrance. We are bow even, gentle turn
up, ok we're past it, up hard to close hauled." In regards to Matt's
comment about rate of turn, I often use a qualifier like gentle, or if I
know the skipper well they can tell by my tone of voice. "Up up UP!" is
very different from "head up a hair", though it takes consistency and time
in the boat to fine tune that communication. When possible I also try to
include why we are doing something, because it affects the interpretation.
"Climb in this puff" has a different feeling at the helm than "head up to
avoid a boat", even if you are heading up the same amount. But again, it
all comes down to agreeing on what things mean - and even fully sighted
teams benefit from calibration of terms and should do so regularly.
That might have been four cents... But I hope it helps!
Grace
On Mon, Jul 23, 2018, 9:04 PM William Rapp <wrapp11@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I also quantify up and down with varying degrees depending on amount of
change in heading needed, this includes 180 to reverse direction or 360 for
a penalty turn. Bill
Sent from my iPhone
On Jul 23, 2018, at 12:27 PM, Legler, Ken <kenneth.legler@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Hi all,
I use degrees. Although not perfectly accurate they are mostly
relatively accurate or consistent, if you know what I mean.
Upwind I say up 1 or up two to better get in the groove, up of down 5 for
small shifts. Downwind it’s down 2 at the smallest. Pre-start or mark
rounding it can be up to 180 but usually around 30 to 60 degree turns.
The other problem, particularly when rounding marks, is the rate of
turn. Too fast and you pin cushion the leeward mark; too slow and you foul
the outside boat. There needs to be a normal turning speed (Matt does this
well) a fast turn and a slow turn.
Ken
*From:* bubs-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bubs-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<bubs-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>] *On Behalf Of *jay kronfeld
*Sent:* Monday, July 23, 2018 11:17 AM
*To:* bubs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
*Subject:* [bubs] quantifying instructions to blind sailors
Hi Grace
Wanted to emphasize my comments at the wrap up session from Thursday July
19 match racing.
I enjoyed sailing with Katherine on the helm and I was trimming sails. I
don’t believe I have ever had the privilege of sailing with Katherine in
the past. Instructions from sighted guide were qualitative. Head up, up,
up...or head down, down down.
Katherine had expressed that it was difficult to measure what that
meant. I completely agree with her comments. I’d like to propose a
scale...
One to thirty... one to ten could be “modest corrections” primarily
directed at helm. Eleven to twenty could be “moderate corrections”
directed at helm with modest corrections on sail trim. Twenty one to
thirty would be “serious corrections” to helm and sail trim.
This is only a suggestion, if we decided to use degrees, I would do 1-180
degrees. There will be times when a 360 degree is necessary. This should
be open to suggestion and to see what the group would like to do. I
believe communicating quantitative corrections from sighted guides to the
blind sailors would be helpful. Would like to hear your thoughts on the
above.
I will not be attending this Thursday 7/26.
Regards,
Jay
