Small Boats, Big Tech While editing Craig’s article for pub-
lication, I immediately felt a twitch in my wallet-grabbing fingers. My impul- sive right brain was ready to order the SailTimer anemometer and apps listed in the story, so I might become more efficient when sailing the salty little camp-cruiser we’ll build next year. But then, still drooling over the list
When deciding to build a small boat, or restore an old rotter, I’m reminded that much of the fun is in the planning. I can spend cheerful months or even years daydreaming about a future project, starting with building ma- terials and often drilling down to paint schemes, rigging hardware, oar selection, wiring diagrams and other delights. Although it’ll be awhile before
I tackle the project described here in the last SCA (a 14-foot gunter yawl inspired by British watercraſt of the 1800s), I’ve spent the past year mulling 1,001 details, includ- ing how I might cleverly integrate (that means “hide”) a few shiny electronics aboard the traditional micro-yacht without compromising its Victorian aesthetics. My daydreams were jolted when
we received text and photos for a story you’ll find elsewhere in this issue of the magazine—see Nav- igation Apps for Small Sailboats, page 34, by Craig Summers of Nova Scotia-based SailTimer, Inc. Sharing information that might
deserve “breakthrough” status, Craig describes hardware and soſt- ware products, available now at achievable prices, that could po- tentially revolutionize small-boat sailing. Please read Craig’s excellent
article for a complete and more ac- curate explanation, but this was my takeaway: Right now, small-boat owners can install an electronic anemometer atop the mast of their sailboat, and link it wirelessly to soſtware apps that gradu- ally learn—through the skipper’s actual sailing experiences—how to better fine- tune tacking angles and sail trim in all various wind conditions, allowing small- boat owners to get from A to B faster than they might without such guidance. (…In other words, sorta like the Ameri- ca’s Cup boats, but slower.)
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of features and advancements, I was dragged, kicking if not screaming, back
deeply appreciate basics like Navionics on my smartphone, and apps that fore- cast wind, weather, tides and currents. I rarely need help navigating familiar waters in daylight hours, but I’ve relied on chartplotters when occasionally caught in fog, and I wouldn’t venture far without Ship Finder and AIS apps that help avoid being flattened by monstrous, fast-moving containerships or auto-pi- loted megayachts 50 to 100 times the weight of my little sailboat. So, while I sometimes rely on
GPS, up-to-date VHF and other electronics, I had to swallow this morsel of reality: I honestly don’t care if I’m sailing at the fastest the- oretical hull speed with my pokey little cruising rig. (Does it really matter if I’m going 3.9 knots, vs. 3.7?) Often in a state of fuzzy bliss
when afloat, my purest sense of freedom comes when I acciden- tally leave the iPhone in the truck. I appreciate the value of com- puterized nav aids, but wonder if something vital might be lost if I start relying on technology to achieve perfect tacking angles, or to reach the day’s destination a trifle faster than at my normal, lumbering speed. My passion for small-boat sail-
TOP—A small GPS Plotter.
ABOVE—The next small-boat project, awaiting love. Photos Marty Loken
toward a self-intervention. The don’t- you-dare left brain made me review my history with electronic navigation aids, forcing admission that I might not be the best candidate for yet another layer of technology when daysailing or camp-cruising aboard a simple, open boat. To say it nicely, I’ve been sloth-like in
adopting the latest apps and electronic gizmos, and I’m lagging farther behind with every advancement. I’ve come to
ing is focused on simplicity—be- ing close to the water; hearing a shapely hull kiss the waves; feeling the light pulse of a wooden tiller and variable tension on the main- sheet—sailing by feel while play- ing amateur naturalist: Watching for tidelines that might signal the edge of a near-shore back-eddy; seeing where seabirds congregate,
and why; eyeing riffles across the bay that suggest a stronger breeze. Just being there means everything. So, I stand in awe of software and
hardware breakthroughs that keep boaters safe, and maybe more efficient. And I’ll continue to salute companies like SailTimer and others on the leading edge, but maybe pass, for now, on some of their terrific new offerings. Yes, at least for the next boat proj-
ect, I’ll continue to enjoy my erratic meanders under sail—slow, imperfect but relaxing—toward the next quiet anchorage. •SCA•
SMALL CRAFT ADVISOR
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