Travel Tips

Would you know what to do it your engine died without warning? Could you control your sailboat to dock it–under sail alone? If you want to learn to sail under complete control, this skill will put you in the top percentage of sailing skippers who are the true master and commander of their craft. And it’s a lot easier than you think! Why do you need to know this vital skill? You will be able to…

• Dock a sailboat if your engine stops working.
• Pick up a mooring buoy.
• Retrieve a piece of gear that falls overboard.
• Recover a person who falls overboard.
• Sail a small dinghy or other engine-less sailboat.
• Stop your sailboat on a dime in an emergency.
• Anchor under sail without starting your engine.

Spend some time to get familiar with stopping your sailboat with just the mainsail hoisted. Roll up or lower the Genoa or jib. The mainsail gives you all the power you need to slow down, speed up, or stop your boat. Follow these three simple sailing methods:

Sail with Perfect Control on a Close Reach

No other point of sail offers so much control as the close reach. Use the mainsheet like an accelerator on a car to slow down, speed up, or stop the boat. Ease the mainsheet to slow down. Pull in on the mainsheet to speed up. To stop the boat, slack the mainsheet all the way until it luffs.  Sail onto a close reach for perfect control when sailing up to a dock, picking up a mooring, or anchoring under sail.

Stop on a Dime with this Dinghy Sailor Secret

Have you ever watched dinghy sailors when they want to come to a crash stop? They let it fly! Release the mainsheet all the way and let go of the tiller or wheel. Your small sailboat will round up into the wind in the blink of an eye. This stops the boat with the sails fluttering. So the next time you are unsure of what to do in an emergency–release all the sheets and take your hand off the helm.

Backwind the Mainsail Boom

Imagine that you are coming into a dock under sail a bit too fast. Slow or stop the boat by backwinding the mainsail boom against the wind. Grab the sailboat boom and push it hard out against the shrouds on one side. This backwinding technique can stop the forward motion of your boat just like stomping on the brakes in your car!

Use this same technique for controlled anchoring. Dig the anchor in with the backwinding technique. Push the boom out to one side of the boat for a few seconds. Then, swing it to the other side and push it out against the wind for the same amount of time. Repeat this sequence one more time. This will help your anchor dig deep into the seabed for peace-of-mind overnight anchoring.

Use these three little-known techniques to learn to sail your boat with more skill and confidence. You will soon become the true master and commander of your small sailboat–wherever in the world you choose to sail!

Captain John Jamieson teaches sailing skippers the fastest, easiest ways to learn to sail better than ever before. For a free weekly sailing newsletter plus more sailing tips, articles, and sailing videos, visit skippertips.com

An adventure holiday is one of the hottest trends in family holiday ideas nowadays. This type of holiday presents the family, a wide range of activities that are way beyond the usual  holiday. Because of its recognition in being an unforgettable occurrence, more and more people get into it to make their family holiday very worthwhile. 

In fact, an adventure holiday has advanced in a lot of ways to cater to the requirements of several people regardless of their gender and age brackets. This is to ensure that everybody can get a dose of a fun-filled and remarkable family holiday happening.

If you are one of those who are looking forward to an adventure holiday rather than a relaxation one, it’s at this point, time to start rounding up things and decide which will suit your preference and budget best. 

For a group who are all-girls, the ideal adventure holiday would be the ‘girlie getaways’ that frequently takes place in exotic islands and beaches. Today, fields of study demonstrate that a majority of women who favor going on a holiday together, will do so if given free time. In fact, current surveys also show that in contrast to men, there are more women who prefer adventure holidays particularly those that are below the age range of 34 to 60 years old. A majority of them favor beach hopping, water activities such as surfing and kayaking, night parties and additional activities such as mountain climbing, trekking, and biking. 

For individuals who favor their holiday to be worthwhile by being of assistance to others, the adventure holiday that is ideal for them is referred to as ‘volunteer holidays’. This sort of adventure holiday regularly takes place in destinations where there is a great need for help.

Today, a holiday that is shared with volunteerism remains one of the favored sort of getaways because some people feel that by volunteering, they are giving back to society for all the good things they have acknowledged over the years. An alternative adventure holiday that is comparable with a kind of getaway is the charity holiday. These sort of holidays are frequently prepared by organizations that are inclined with various sporting activities such as walkathons, biking, and others that can help increase money for a explicit charity institution.

Individuals who are into adventure prefer the expeditionary category of holiday. For them, these sorts of holiday are truly an adventure because they get to experience first-hand the things that they are inclined to do or interested in. Nearly all of the people who indulge in this kind of holiday are those that are into the fields of research.

The majority of them fit in or are associated with volunteer organizations worldwide that have strong backing in different fields of science. This type of adventure holiday may incorporate activities that are allied with the field of study such as aquatic discovery, forest renewal, and other fields of research that involve the environment.

For individuals who enjoy an adrenalin rush during their holiday, the action-packed travels are perfect for them.  This kind of adventure holiday frequently involves a catalog of radical pursuits that can actually rouse the daring side of any person. Extreme activities that can really rouse the adventurous side of a family member will surely enjoy this kind of holiday escapade. These action-packed adventure holidays include activities ranging from water skiing, rappelling, and skydiving.

Another kind of adventure holiday that is well-liked today is the ‘family adventure holiday‘ which is geared up to cater to the wants of the family members regardless of their ages. Several of these family adventure holidays are multi-generational to ensure that all family members have specific activities that they can get pleasure from.

The variety of pursuits start off from theme parks, rides, instructive excursions, food sprees, night revelry, and additional pursuits that members of the family can definitely get pleasure from. In addition to daring pursuits that family members can absolutely get pleasure from,  they can pick from an assortment of exhilarating activities, and family holidays with teens will undoubtedly include theme parks, roller-coaters, food trips, night partying, or instructive outings.     

Looking for a dealership of Ford in Jacksonville buyers can be sure Fair Oaks Ford has the most vast inventory home for new Ford Focus Jacksonville. Their selection of vehicles is premier for new Ford Focus Jacksonville FL searchers.

The Ford Focus made a huge impact with the likes of the debut of the Ford Taurus. With the great reception of the Ford Focus, it’s not surprising why Ford continues to improve upon this award winner. The Ford Focus is a stand-out in a congested class, bringing luxury, power, and Eco-friendliness to compete against Japanese makers. Ford should be gratified of the Focus and sales give them something to smile about in an uncertain economy.

With an edgy style and a updated interior, the Ford Focus is a top-seller with teens and professionals alike. With advances to the engine, trim packages, and the handling Ford continues to push the envelope and improve on their already popular sedan.

The Ford Focus I4 S has a 2.5L I-4 engine, six-speed manual transmission, AM/FM stereo with CD player, power windows, a message center with trip computer, Anti-theft system, and 16” aluminum wheels. The SE upgrades provides on-steering wheel controls and a whole array of neat gizmos and feautures. Add in better wheels and tires plus a SIRIUS radio and you have the nicest driving machine for the money.The Ford Focus V6 SE has a 3.0L Duratec flex fuel V6 engine, 6-speed select shift automatic transmission, speed-sensitive wipers, and 17” 5-spoke rims. The Ford Focus I4 SEL includes a six-way power adjustable driver seat, has the 2.5L Duratec I4 motor, with a six-speed automatic transmission, AM/FM stereo CD/MP3 player, SYNC in car entertainment system, and 17” five-spoke machined aluminum wheels.

The features keep rolling with the Ford Focus V6 SEL that has a 3.0L Duratec flex fuel V6 engine, 6-speed Selectshift automatic transmission, SecuriCode keyless entry keypad, heated power side mirrors, and seventeen-inch five-spoke machined alloy rims. The Ford Focus Sport has a 3.5L Duratec V6 motor, Selectshift automatic transmission, 8-way power driver seat, a unique decklid spoiler, modified sport-tuned suspension, and eighteen-inch 5-spoke alloy rims. Finishing the Focus selections is the Ford Focus Hybrid that has a 2.5L Atkinson-Cycle I4 motor and electric motor, regenerative braking system, ingenous lighted efficienct gauge which grows electronic leaves the more efficient you drive, and seventeen-inch fifteen-spoke alloy rims.

Ford Focus has made a well-known reputation for passenger comfort and cool features. Though not the largest in it’s class, the Focus shows it’s not the size of the dog in the fight that counts. Storage space is more than adequate and two people fit easily in the back seat.

The Ford Focus has arrived, and is looking to stay atop the mid-size sedan market for years to come.