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A video review by:
Tory Salvia, President
TheSailingChannel.TV
You’re finally “out there,” making your first offshore
voyage—and the weather window slams shut. The wind howls
and the seas build. “OK skipper, what’s the plan?” asks
the crew as a boarding wave crashes through the cockpit.
This is serious business and you need to take action.
If you’ve watched Lin and Larry Pardee’s video, Storm
Tactics: Cape Horn Tested, studied their techniques,
followed their equipment recommendations and performed
their suggested pre-voyage training—then you are
prepared to break the power of the seas and ride out the
storm in relative comfort and safety.
Closing in on 200,000 miles of blue water voyaging, Lin
and Larry Pardey are recognized as the sailing world’s
most experienced and knowledgeable cruising couple. In
Storm Tactics, they provide a detailed look at the
techniques and gear that have kept them safe at sea.
In between learning segments, the Pardey’s offer up
musical interludes that transport us to some of the more
exotic destinations they’ve cruised. Their message: if
you can tame the sea and your own inner doubts, you too
can sail to the far corners of the world.
Storm Tactics takes us aboard the Pardey’s beautiful
Lyle C. Hess designed, 29-foot engineless wooden cutter,
Taleisin. Built by Lin and Larry, and launched in 1983,
Taleisin is an evolution of Seraffyn, their earlier
25-foot cutter also designed by Hess. The Pardey’s have
completed a circumnavigation aboard Taleisin as well as
an east-to-west rounding of Cape Horn to make this
video.
The Pardey’s explain why it’s often not a good idea to
run before the wind, or lie ahull. Once they’ve got us
in the proper mindset, Lin and Larry introduce their
proven, age-old tactic for taming the seas. Through a
combination of simple sketches and hands-on
demonstrations, our hosts demystify the fine art of
heaving-to.
Much of the remaining video focuses on the proper way to
heave-to in boats of various sail plans and hull
designs. Though simple in concept, heaving-to properly
requires a full toolkit of sailing skills—and that’s
just what the Pardey’s deliver.
Lin and Larry begin by explaining how to use various
combinations of reefed main, trysail, and storm jib to
nestle your boat into calm waters while the seas crash
around you. Then, when the storm really starts to blow
and you need a little extra help, the Pardey’s add the
para-anchor to the mix. We learn how to properly size
and rig the device; how to deploy and adjust the para-anchor
as an aid to heaving-to; and the do’s and don’ts for
safe and successful para-anchor retrieval.
The Pardey’s let us know that proper technique is not
enough. You need to prepare your boat--and yourself--for
heavy weather. Their checklist includes rigging details,
heavy weather sails, deck preparation and below deck
security.
But perhaps most importantly, the Pardey’s share their
philosophy about preparing for storms at sea. When the
wind blows up, they challenge us to come about and test
ourselves rather than heading back to the comfort of our
slips. As Lin reminds us “Let the sea be your teacher:
in order to be a sailor, you’ve got to go to sea.”
Bringing this DVD aboard is the next best thing to
having Lin and Larry as your crew, coaching you on storm
tactics as the seas build and the rigging howls. This is
Tory Salvia for the TheSailingChannel.TV.
Annapolis, Maryland
August 2007
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