I accompanied the West Point keelboat sailing team to the [“Safety at Sea Seminar”-> http://offshore.ussailing.org/SAS/Seminars.htm] at Annapolis last Saturday and helped with on-the-boat training on Sunday. As part of the seminar on Saturday there were on the water demonstrations of various mob rescues procedures including a Coast Guard helicopter lowering a basket onto the deck of a Navy 44 sailboat. Observation stands on the Severn River: [->http://picasaweb.google.com/jimmy.harrell.photos/ArmySailingTeam#5454112688815519170] Navy 44 close hauled with Midshipman preparing to “fall” off the stern: [->http://picasaweb.google.com/jimmy.harrell.photos/ArmySailingTeam#5454112753952057730] Another pic of Navy 44 flying spinnaker with a Midshipman (red suit) preparing to “fall” overboard. [->http://picasaweb.google.com/jimmy.harrell.photos/ArmySailingTeam#5454112744972400034] CG helicopter lowering basket onto deck of Navy 44 [->http://picasaweb.google.com/jimmy.harrell.photos/ArmySailingTeam#5454112769927088722] On Sunday, the 5 members of the Army team, their keelboat coach (who is also a civilian physics professor at West Point), two volunteer coaches, and I boarded one of the 44 footers and took her out into the Chesapeake for some much needed practice. The Army does not have any large keelboats, so they practice on one of the Navy 44 footers. The Navy has 30 of them, more of less. A full crew for racing is eight; two on the foredeck, one at the mast, two jib trimmers, two main sheet trimmers, and a skipper. Some of the cadets were not able to make the trip so two of the coaches had to crew as well as coach. Out in the bay, there was little to no wind. No problem; use the engine in reverse and create your own wind. This did not work as well as the real thing but the crew got a good workout setting and tacking the spinnaker. Since we did not have enough cadets, I did double duty teaching a new-to-sailing cadet as well as pulling and grinding on the main sheet. Wish I had had time to take more pics of the action, but I was too busy. Anyway, here are a few pics during the checkout, before we left the dock. Five members of the Army team and their keelboat coach/physics professor: [-> http://picasaweb.google.com/jimmy.harrell.photos/ArmySailingTeam#5454112555879839346] Coach telling a fish story: [->http://picasaweb.google.com/jimmy.harrell.photos/ArmySailingTeam#5454112577240908754] Checking out the boat #1: [->http://picasaweb.google.com/jimmy.harrell.photos/ArmySailingTeam#5454112604481506642] Listening intently: [->http://picasaweb.google.com/jimmy.harrell.photos/ArmySailingTeam#5454112618586869410] The mast is that vertical thing: [->http://picasaweb.google.com/jimmy.harrell.photos/ArmySailingTeam#5454112631896940738] What’s that? [->http://picasaweb.google.com/jimmy.harrell.photos/ArmySailingTeam#5454112652399374610] I wish I had remembered to take more photos of the details of the boat. Maybe, next time, if I get a chance to go out again. Jimmy