Sailing 101 on the Wild Goose

Learned something new today …

In an effort to gain sailing experience Thomas and I went out to sea for a few days with Wild Goose Sailing Expeditions. We sailed from Waiheke and surrounding small islands to Auckland. Australian Captain Jamie and his partner Lisa along with Tane (the baby on board) live on the Grey Goose and have been sailing around the world for fourteen years.

Wild Goose

We learned the basics of sailing including how to tie a bowline knot:

1 Start the knot with an top over loop and as much line coming down as you need for the size loop you want left over.

2 Bring the bitter end (the loose end) from behind and up through the top over loop you just made.

3 Wrap the bitter end behind the standing line (the piece going up).

4 Drop the bitter end down through the original overtop loop and tighten.

OR as Jamie taught me …

The rabbit comes out of the hole, runs around the tree, and goes back into the hole.

A useful loop knot, that is always a breeze to get back apart.

Aboard the goose

We learned how to steer the boat and how to tack upwind.

Tom steering with a smile : )

Thomas learned how to scale the fish he caught that we ate for lunch. I learned he is a lucky fisherman after he caught us four snappers!

I learned how to raise the main sail.

We learned “bucket and chuck it” and how to go off the side of a boat (there was no toilet obviously).

We learned sailing and hiking in the rain is not as much fun as on a clear dry day.

Took the dingy in for a hike

To see more photos of the Wild Goose Expedition CLICK HERE