Electrical Systems, presented by Mike Litzkow on January 17
Overview:1. Basic electric circuits and terminologyMedia:
2. Basics on batteries, starters, and alternators
3. Quick diagnosis of battery, starter, and alternator problems
4. Battery capacity planning
The talk will emphasize problems encountered on a typical keelboat and how to solve them. Some VERY basic algebra will be used - no square roots (Mike promises).Video Quicktime Video (353 MB)Instructor biography:
Slides Handout (1 MB)In 2003 my mother in law took our family on a sailing vacation in the British Virgin Islands . The boat was a 50' Irwin sloop, and featured a captain and a cook. That was my first time on a keelboat and pretty much my first experience with sailing. I was so taken by the beauty of sailing, snorkeling, anchoring, and traveling the beautiful blue waters powered only by the wind that I immediately formulated a dream of owning my own boat and spending a major amount of time sailing in tropical waters. It was indeed a life-changing event. That year I joined the Hoofer Sailing Club, and the rest as they say, is history. I have not quite put the whole dream together yet, but thanks to the many opportunities and the many great friends I made at Hoofers, I have lived major parts of that dream.
In 2003 I learned to sail the Badger Sloops and only capsized twice! Too bad my wife was aboard for her first sail with me one of those times. In 2003 and 2004 I learned to sail Spray. In 2005 my wife and I chartered a 43' Beneteau in the British Virgin Islands with our new friends and fellow Hoofer sailors Bob and Judy Wakelam. It was a great trip and we all learned a lot. That same year I started teaching aboard Spray. I co-taught many lessons with the most experienced sailor I know, Jo Reis, along with teaching my own lessons. I want to say a big thank you to all my students - they taught me a tremendous amount. In 2006 my wife and I again chartered with the Wakelams, this time visiting the British, US, and Spanish Virgin Islands. The highlight of the trip was visiting the bioluminescent bay on Vieques -- or was it the early morning roust out by the U.S. navy which was busy finding and disarming bombs on the island! My sailing slowed down a bit for the remainder of 2006 because I was busy fixing up a new old house. However, 2007 started with a bang when I bought a 30' S2 with fellow Hoofer instructor Don Hanna. Our first sail was 26 hours non-stop from Michigan City Indiana to Port Washington , Wisconsin . I found that all the instructors at Hoofers taught different things in different ways, but each one had something unique to show me. I think that by learning from each instructor what they were best at I got a first class sailing education. I thank them all. Mother nature, the boats, and many great sailing authors continue to remind me how little I really know and, when I pay attention, help to fill in a few of my many weak spots.
My fascination with things electrical began in high school when I joined the amateur radio club. With a lot of help and encouragement I got my Novice license and the following year upgraded to General and the Advanced class licenses. This was way before the Internet, and communicating with people around the world via Morse code was quite a thrill. The subjects I studied to get my amateur licenses included the basics of electrical and radio theory, but didn't really cover much on 12 volt vehicle systems. However, when I became an auto mechanic after high school I got to learn a bit about batteries, starters, and alternators. I was fortunate to be able to work at a dealership which sold Mercedes Benz cars, and therefore got the chance to take apart a few diesel engines. Today I'm no longer a mechanic and write software for a living, but I still miss working with nuts, bolts, and wires. Sailboats help fill that need. When I joined Hoofers I knew that I wanted to own my own boat and would want to work on it myself. Therefore I was most anxious to begin helping out with maintenance and repairs on Spray. This was my entree into getting much more involved with the club and making many friends. People thought it was cool that I liked getting my hands dirty and knew how to bleed the air out of a diesel fuel system. Who would have guessed! I soon found that while I had a general background with engines, transmissions, and 12 volt electrics, I had much to learn about how those systems operate on a sailboat. Again, mother nature, the boats themselves, and a lot of great authors stand ready to teach new lessons at all times. Every time I sail or work on a sailboat I find that there are six things I wish I knew, but don't. On a good day I learn one of them.
Navigational Aids, presented by Don Hanna on January 24 (no video available)
Overview:Five Key Rules of Sailing (key concepts to sail by)Instructor biography:
Rules of the Road (International/Inland)
Rules Pertaining to Aids to Navigation-- USA (IALA Region B)
An introduction to some of what you need to know to be safe in navigating with other boats, in harbors, channels, Lake Mendota, Lake Michigan, and the open waters of the Ocean
Reference: US Coast Guard Navigation Rules---International-Inland (Available for Download):
http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/mwv/mwv_files/NR_Files/navrules.pdfDon has taught sailing at Hoofers since 2003. He is a certified ASA Sailing Instructor through Coastal Navigation, has completed and received his US Coast Guard licenses for operating uninspected vessels (OUPV) as well as his 50 ton license with sailing and towing endorsements. He is also approved by the USCG as an instructor for OUPV training courses.
Navigation, presented by Tom Kershner on February 7
OverviewTom Kershner, one of the Hoofer Sailing Club's keelboat instructors will be presenting a class on navigation.MediaVideo Quicktime Video (39 MB)Instructor biography:
Slides Handout 1 (9 MB)
Slides Handout 2 (1 MB)Tom Kershner is presently teaching the American Sailing Association's (ASA) 105 Coastal Navigation course. For this seminar he will present a high level overview of that. He won't go into any formulas or other math that the ASA course covers in detail. This is a great introduction or a refresher for those who have the certificaiton. Tom as been a sailing with Hoofers since 2004. He has ASA instructor certifications in Basic Keelboat, Basic Coastal Cruising, Bareboat Chartering and Coastal Navigation. He is also a certified instructor for the Power Squadron. He will be sailing in the British Virgin Islands "BVI" for 3 weeks this March teaching Bareboat Chartering for Northern Breezes Sailing School.
Emergencies on Lake Mendota, presented by Pete Mooney on February 14
Overview:1) Injury & IllnessMedia:
2) Fire
3) Environment
4) Equipment
5) Communication
6) MOB
7) Collision
8) Aground
9) Electrical
10) Boat adrift
11) CapsizeVideo Quicktime Video (116 MB)Instructor biography:Pete joined the Hoofer Outing Club in 1969 and migrated over to Hoofer Sailing Club in 1975. He's been a volunteer sailing instructor since 1982 and has taught on many of the club's boats and boards. He earned a PADI open water dive certificate from the Hoofer Diving Club and he reviews his first aid skills each year as a member of the Blackhawk Ski Patrol. Pete served on the Hoofer Board of Captains for six years. He's raced on Lake Michigan and Lake Mendota. He has cruised Lake Superior, the Carribean, the Long Island Sound, the Vancouver area, and has crossed the Atlantic on a 35 foot sailboat. (A boat the same size as "SOMA").
Weather, presented by Fred Petillo on February 21
OverviewFred's talk will cover the weather material required of those preparing for crew and skipper ratings in the Hoofer Sailing Club. We will also make a slightly more in depth study of the low pressure wave system as we typically experience it on Lake Mendota. Interpreting weather is the one skill you will use most often as a sailor because you even use it when you are tied up at the pier. Don't miss this informative and challenging session!Media:Video Quicktime Video (333 MB)Instructor biography:Fred Petillo teaches Boating Safety, Sail, Cruise Planning, Weather, and Instructor Development for the Madison Sail & Power Squadron, where he was Educational Officer for three years and is currently Local Board Chair for elective courses. Since 1995, he has taught sailing on large keelboats at the Hoofer Sailing Club, where he was also Tech Fleet Captain, Keelboat Fleet Captain and Commodore. Fred has taught advanced courses in: marlinespike seamanship, diesel engine theory & maintenance, crew overboard strategies, and sail trim. He is a First Aid/CPR instructor for the American Red Cross and a USCG certified Vessel Safety Check Examiner. He has bareboat chartered sloops up to 47' on the Great Lakes and Florida Keys.
Racing Techniques, presented by Kyle Satula on February 28
OverviewSo you think you've got sail trim figured out, right? "When in doubt, let it out, sheet in until it stops luffing." You know what the outhaul, traveler, and fairleads are, and how they're attached, but how does it affect the sail?Media:
Ready to take it to the next level? You'll need to in order to race a sailboat competitively. You also need to learn strategies and tactics. So come learn how. I'll be covering advanced sail trim techniques, race course strategies, and tactics in my Racing Techniques class.
The depth and focus of the material will depend on class interest. For those interested in delving deeper into the physics of a sail, we can take a more advanced look at air flow to decipher what is really happening to the sails as we steer the boat.Video Quicktime Video (109 MB)Instructor biography:Kyle Satula has been teaching on Hoofer keelboats - Soma, Toy Boat, and Knotty Rascal - since 2005. He has also spent the last three years racing competitively on Soma and Toy Boat as well as on an A-Scow on Lake Mendota and a Farr 395 on Lake Michigan. He joined the Hoofer Sailing Club in August 2004 after a now-fellow Spray skipper masterfully steered the boat during the annual Memorial Union Bash Free Sail and currently is the Racing Keelboat Fleet Captain. Kyle is a senior in Engineering Mechanics at UW-Madison with a focus on Aeronautical Engineering.
Anchoring, presented by Dan Siedlecki on March 6
OverviewAnchoring a cruising keelboat can be a relatively simple task given the cooperation of fair weather, calm seas and the proper equipment. But when it gets nasty and the seas are rolling and the wind is blowing, you need to know how to use all of your ground tackle (a term we'll explore in detail), to secure an anchorage and help guarantee a sound night's sleep. This session will touch on some of the most important basics of Anchoring & Mooring, as well as a few "Special Situations" that time, experience and pressure under fire on the "Big Water" have taught me to respect and prepare for. We'll cover a wide range of Anchoring topics including:Media:
* Evaluating Anchoring options and using nautical charts to help you pick the best spot
* Preparing the boat & crew to drop anchor, w/ emphasis on communication and hand signals
* Approaching an Anchorage/Mooring Ball under sail and under power
* Different types of Anchors and when to use them
* How to set the Anchor and test that it's holding
* Scope - how much is enough?
* Weighing Anchor - things to do and NOT TO DO!
* Using a Windlass to raise an Anchor and pitfalls to avoid
* Using Two Anchors
* Bahamian Mooring
* Mediterranean Mooring
* Use of a Sentinel
When it's all said and done, you'll know why they say "It's land, not the sea, that is a ship's greatest enemy." Join us to learn how to CHOOSE & USE your ground tackle wisely.Video Quicktime Video (348 MB)Instructor biography:
Slides Handout (2 MB)"Captain Dan" Siedlecki has been a Hoofer Instructor in the Cruising Keelboat Fleet for the past two years and comes to the Club with a wealth of practical, "Big Water" experience. He holds a US Coast Guard Charter Captain's License and has more than 30 years of experience motoring and sailing in the Great Lakes, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Caribbean Sea. After purchasing his dream boat, DELIA (named in honor of his late wife, Mary Delia Siedlecki), in 2001, he logged much of his coastal sailing time offshore in South Florida from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami and in the Florida Keys. In May of 2003, he delivered DELIA from Ft. Lauderdale to Manitowoc, WI using the "Great Circle Route." The trip took five weeks to complete and logged over 2,500 nautical miles. Sailing and diving adventures on other mono hulls and catamarans include several trips to California, the San Juan Islands of Washington State, Mexico, the Virgin Islands, the Windward Islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and most recently Antigua and the Leeward Islands of Montserrat, Guadeloupe, The Saintes and Dominica. Captain Dan is also a Certified SCUBA Diving Instructor with PADI, (hence the name for his Charter business - Cruise Diver Sailing Adventures). He also holds several advanced First Aid and CPR Trainer designations.
The Sailing Vessel DELIA is now kept in Sturgeon Bay, WI, where Captain Dan runs professional charters in and around Door County as well as Lake Michigan crossings to the beautiful cruising grounds of the North West Michigan Coastline. You can visit his web site at www.cruisediver.com for more information.
Landings and Departures from Hoofer Piers, presented by Paul Schoenherr on March 13
OverviewWinter Education continues with Landing and Departures from the piers at Hoofers. As Joe Silverberg, one of our veteran instructors states "Any sailor can navigate the boat out in open water, but can you sail and land the boat at the pier?" "Now that takes training and skill".Media:
Paul Schoenherr is going to present a session primarily about sail landings at the Hoofer piers. He plans to be more interactive than didactic. He will be asking for audience participation so come prepared to talk and share experiences good and bad.Video Quicktime Video (367 MB)Instructor biography:Paul has been a member of the Hoofer Sailing Club since 2000, he thinks. He has sailed on all of the boats at one time or another but primarily he sticks with the lead-bottoms. He has been a member of the Mendota Yacht Club since 2001 racing both Cruiser 1, Cruiser 2 as well as E scows. Additionally, he has been the Accessible Sailing coordinator for the past couple of years.
Caribbean Sailing, presented by Dan Jenkins on March 27 (video - available soon)
OverviewThis talk will serve as an introduction to Bareboat Chartering, Caribbean Cruising. Some of the topics that Dan plans to cover are: Basic Skills Suggested for Big Water Bareboat Chartering, Selecting Charter Destinations and Companies, Cost and Data Sources, Preparation and Planning, and Local Protocols.Media:Video Quicktime Video (331 MB)Instructor biography:
Due to microphone problems the audio cuts in and out at times.
Slides Handout (8 MB)I joined Hoofers about 9 years ago, I was a true sailing novice, having never stepped on a sailboat before. However, I decided that since I was surrounded by lakes in Madison, it would be a waste not to take advantage of those times when the ice melts! With the great instruction, experience and relationships gained at Hoofers sailing club, I have been fortunate to be part of two bareboat sailing trips to the Caribbean with fellow Hoofers. The first was two weeks in the Windward Islands on a Bavaria 44 sailing out of Rodney Bay, St. Lucia, to Soufriere, St. Lucia; Bequia, Grenadines; and Tobago Cays, Grenadines, and back (about 200 nautical miles). The second was 10 days in the Virgin Islands on a Jenneau 46 sailing out of Roadtown, Tortola to Sopers Hole, Tortola; Cruz Bay, St. John; Jost Van Dyke; Norman Island, Beef Island, Virgin Gorda and back to Road Town. In 2007, I began teaching on the Hoofers cruising keelboat fleet.