The puffin is a semi-large boat probably to large for one person to sail alone but with crew like the ones above, aboard, she is relatively easy to sail.

She weighs enough to sail, stable, with a mimium of pitch and roll. With a shoal draft she can negociate shallow waters easily and anchor nearly anywhere.

Aboard the boat the crew will be expected to participate in the sailing, that includes but is not limited to…..

Making ready…

Before we leave the dock any new crew aboard will be familiarized with the sheets and sails and which is which, the heads and where they are and how they operate, drinking water and its location, the ice box and how it is loaded and unloaded, the things that have to be done under way and things that are never done while under way, where things are stored aboard and where things are stowed aboard.

Once everything brought onto the boat finds a secure place school starts for any crew not familar with sailing or how you do what? Experienced crew teaches the new crew the how, what, and or why.

Casting off….

Once all of the crew is familiar with the puffin, has their hands on a life preserver and knows where it is, the decisions will be made, by the crew, about who will do what, and positions will be assigned.

Each crew member will take their position and prepare to let go the lines.

Helms man/woman will start the engine and as it warms up check and hook up the main boom  traveler line. 

He/she gives the command to cast off so every one on the boat can hear and the dock lines are cast off and he/she puts the boat in gear and slowly pulls off or out. While the crew guide the boat through any pilings by hand or with the boat hooks.

Usually as you pull away from an anchorage or marina you are in a no-wake zone and now is the time, while we are moving slow, to get something to drink or a book or and a seat until we raise the sails.

Raising the sails…..

Raising the sails is the most important part of sailing. What an understatement! “You can not go anywhere by sails unless you raise the sails” and, I think anyway, that in my mind raising a sail becomes the most important part of sailing.

I raise the mitzen first because it helps to keep the boat into the wind and then I hank and hoist the stay sail. I then go to the main sail wench and tighten the break and began to crank raising the sail slightly. The helmsman un-ties the main boom and lowers it to tighten the toping lift. Start cranking keeping the main halliard cable moving back and forth on top of itself until the sail is railsed. Once all sail are up I return to the cockpit and the helms man turns the boat to fill the sails with wind and the sailing begins and engine is killed.

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