Boating In The

Territory

  by Bonzai Yak

  112 pages

Chapter 2: Territory Boats (part d)

 

Here's another thing before I forget. Let's say you have a three section sailer with a single mast. You need five boaters to make that one go, but it's best if they don't always keep the same position. Keep them moving up and down the boat, shift them around so they don't always sail from just one single place. Best way I've found is to have the boater who's up in the bow call out the change. We'll call that boater #1, okay. #2 is holding the second pole that makes the back of that section of the boat. #1 moves back and exchanges poles with #2 and #2 moves up to take the bow. #1 keeps moving back through the boat, taking the mast from #3 who moves up one place toward the bow. #1 keeps moving back again, giving the mast to #4 and taking the pole that #4 was rolling. #1 exchanges poles with #5. #5 moves up while #1 moves back and finally reaches the stern. Here's a picture to show the idea.

boat-5

Might seem a little complicated, but it works easily if your crew takes some time to practice. Kind of like a wave moving through the boat, with people instead of water. Actually there's no people or water involved, just a change and a shift of emphasis. Looks pretty nice and it feels even better. Helps the whole boat out a lot actually. Keeps you from doing the same single thing over and over. Take the bow. That's hard work. Because of the pull of the bungee cord, the bow boater has to pull pretty hard. The bow does most of the steering too and you don't want to have just one person take on the job full time. If only one person steers all the time there's a tendency for them to start mapping and make things happen. Better to let the Territory move you along instead. Keep switching places in the boat, it lets every member of your crew have a chance to let the Territory move through them as well.

Each of the other positions in the boat have their own hards and easies. It gets pretty tiring holding the mast and you have to keep watching to make sure the bungee keeps tight. Same with the poles that make up the sections, they have to move so they line up just right. But the place in the stern is so gentle and sweet you will certainly want your own time in that seat for a while. You can see the whole boat when you're back in the stern and you don't have to turn very much to see the Territory all around. So the best thing to do is to shift the whole crew through each of the views that the boat gives to you.

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