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Anyone who has built a boat knows that it is the near-perfect vehicle for teaching applied math and science, because these topics apply to all phases of a construction project. A boat can also be a vehicle for understanding a process that’s difficult to replicate on a screen. There are formulas, fractions, ratios, proportions. There is geometry everywhere—isosceles triangles, symmetry, perpendiculars, right angles, and bisecting angles.
As we were researching for this iteration of Getting Started in Boats, we found that the only drill outlined in most boating books was Man Overboard. “Why not,” we asked, “create practice drills based on standard emergency procedures elsewhere on the boat?” A cool and calm first responder is an effective first responder. A confident crew mate, reacting with a well rehearsed emergency maneuver, might save your life one day.
Classic Gaff Rigged Schooner Wilhelm H. Starck for sale. McKie W. Roth Jr design. Launched 1985.
