This episode discusses proper placement of a sailboat's jib cars on the jib car track and how to find the neutral starting position or "baseline" placement of the cars along the track for your particular sails. Finding the baseline position involves measuring the luff of the sail to find the mid-point and then drawing a line from there, through the clew, and locating the intersecting point along the jib car track. This "baseline" position is the theoretical position where the jib car should be placed in ideal conditions (neither overpowered nor underpowered) and smooth water. It may be different for each sail in your inventory. I also discuss the adjustment of the jib cars based on different sailing conditions. Moving the cars fore and aft changes the angle of force applied to the clew of the headsail. Moving the car aft increases the horizontal force (more pressure on the foot) while decreasing the vertical force (less pressure on the leech). Moving the car forward does the opposite, decreasing the horizontal force on the clew and increasing the vertical force. Generally, for heavier wind the jib cars are moved aft to flatten (de-power) the foot (bottom third) of the headsail and decrease leech tension which increases twist and reduces heeling force. For light air sailing, jib cars can be moved forward to increase the chamber or "belly" in the sail which will provide more power. More belly in the headsail can also used to increase power when dealing with waves and chop. Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. #sailingchannel #coloradosailing #sailing #mountainsailing #learntosail #sailingtips

Sailing my 2010 Precision 18 sailboat on a beautiful evening in ideal winds on a high-altitude (8,601ft) Rocky Mountain lake. This episode features late summer sailing on the last Wednesday of August. Late summer and early fall is the best time to sail in Colorado, because there are fewer afternoon thunderstorms and calmer winds. This time of year is when I start sailing from sunrise to sunset and get full 12-hour days on the lake. And since it's a weekday, I have the lake all to myself. The episode features plenty of natural beauty, mountain views, and wind and water sounds. Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. #sailing #lakesailing #mountainsailing #saillife #sailingchannel #coloradosailing

A live YouTube video broadcast from my favorite sailing lake on Labor Day 2025 while sailing in light winds on a beautiful day. Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. #sailing #lakesailing #mountainsailing #saillife #sailingchannel #coloradosailing

Slowly sailing my 2010 Precision 18 sailboat at mid-day in very light winds on a beautiful Rocky Mountain lake. This episode features very light air sailing (aka: "ghosting") along the beautiful southeastern shore of the reservoir where I discover a new hazard just below the surface. With it's shoal draft keel, the Precision 18 can easily access shallow waters...as long as you remember to raise the centerboard! I have hit underwater obstructions with the 4'3" deep centerboard before, and it just bounces over them (as long as you are moving forward). It's not a pleasant experience though. This episode also shows off the Precision 18's superior light air sailing capabilities which come from the boat's "highest in class" sail area to displacement (SA/disp) ratio of 21.81. This episode features plenty of blue mountain skies, rocky shoreline, and gorgeous mountain views. Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. #sailing #lakesailing #mountainsailing #saillife #sailingchannel #coloradosailing

This episode discusses a recent drowning death of a paddleboarder at my small Colorado mountain lake. This is the 10th water recreation death of 2025 in Colorado. The last few years have been extremely dangerous with more people visiting the lakes and more frequent extreme weather. In 2022, Colorado set a new record for water recreation deaths with 42 recorded for the season. In both 2023 and 2024 there were 32 water recreation related deaths each year across the state. In this latest incident, the 33-year old male victim was not wearing a life vest or personal flotation device (PFD) and was thrown off his board by heavy winds and large waves. Anyone who enjoys water sports needs to have the proper safety gear and pay close attention to the weather. Don't put yourself at a disadvantage when the unexpected happens! Here's a link to my earlier video on "Storm Tactics: for Inland Sailors" https://youtu.be/Hixd4KHzCzs?si=r0hxHGvlIUwbg6zy And here's a link to my video "P-18 Lost: Let's Talk Sailboat Safety" https://youtu.be/-BYJR11H_p0?si=12gLnd6hJ2C7RMH8 Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. #sailingchannel #coloradosailing #sailing #mountainsailing #extremesports

In this week's episode, I sail to the very "bottom" (south end) of Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir in Colorado. Beyond this point is a restricted area around Eleven Mile Canyon Dam. This episode has no music and very little dialogue, but plenty of blue alpine skies, water sounds, and mountain views. Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. #sailing #lakesailing #mountainsailing #saillife #sailingchannel #coloradosailing #asmr

Trying to be chill like Doggface while vibing at the lake on my 2010 Precision 18 sailboat with my Ocean Spray cranberry pineapple juice and listening to Fleetwood Mac! I've been wanting to do this video for a while and finally got my chance. I hope you like it! Filmed with my iPhone 14 Pro and Insta360 X3 camera. Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. Music credit: - "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac #sailing #lakesailing #mountainsailing #cranberryjuice #oceanspray #doggface #vibing #fleetwoodmac

Sailing my 2010 Precision 18 sailboat on a Wednesday in late August on a beautiful Rocky Mountain lake. This episode features some really nice sailing in near-perfect conditions. The episode also feat

Continuing my rehabilitation of a 1987 Precision 16 sailing dinghy by replacing the centerboard trunk’s wood trim with a piece of HDPE from TAP Plastics. During the repair, I also discovered some damage to the trailing edge of the centerboard which I repaired with JB Marine Weld epoxy. The Precision 16 is a lightweight Stephen Seaton-designed un-ballasted centerboard sailing dinghy with a planing hull manufactured from 1982 until the mid 90s. It was superseded in 1995 by the smaller Jim Taylor-designed Precision 15 (P-15CB and P-15K). Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. #sailing #sailingdinghy #usedboat #boatrepair #projectboat

Slowly sailing my 2010 Precision 18 sailboat in late morning light winds on a beautiful Rocky Mountain lake. This episode features light wind sailing in a beautiful cove and I share some tips and thoughts on very light air sailing. Compared to other boats of its' class, the Precision 18 is especially good at light air sailing due to its high sail area to displacement (SA/disp) ratio. The episode also features plenty of nature, blue alpine skies, gorgeous mountain views and sailing sounds. Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. #sailing #lakesailing #mountainsailing #saillife #sailingchannel #coloradosailing

My third sail of the new-to-me 1987 Precision 16 sailing dinghy I purchased locally for $650 at Cherry Creek Reservoir in Aurora, Colorado. The Precision 16 is a lightweight Stephen Seaton-designed un-ballasted centerboard sailing dinghy with a planing hull manufactured from 1982 until the mid 90s. It was superseded in 1995 by the smaller Jim Taylor-designed Precision 15 (P-15CB and P-15K). Music credit: Body Talk by Elley Duhe Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. #sailing #sailingdinghy #coloradosailing #mountainsailing #cherrycreek #elleyduhe #sailingvideo

This episode discusses the tacking technique I often use when sailing in heavy weather with a reefed mainsail. The traditional method of tacking most sailors learn in sailing courses is to tack from a close-hauled course onto a close-hauled course on the new tack. Heading up onto a close-hauled course before tacking maintains the boat's speed through the tack and the additional pressure on the mainsail helps push the bow through the wind. This is a great way to tack a boat in light to medium air. But when the winds really pick up, I prefer to tack from a beam reach to a beam reach. Tacking from a beam reach (or even a close reach) is much more forgiving once the boat completes the tack and you come onto your new course. It avoids excessive heeling, keeps the bow from getting blown down and bearing away, and keeps the boat under control. When sailing a small trailerable sailboat in heavy winds, tacking from beam reach to beam reach can be a useful technique. Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. #sailingchannel #coloradosailing #sailing #mountainsailing #extremesports

Sailing my 2010 Precision 18 sailboat early in the morning on a beautiful Rocky Mountain lake. This episode shows the process of raising sails, adjusting the vang and mainsail twist, sailing wing-on-wing, several tacks and a gybe. The last half of the episode features 5 minutes of nature, water and sailing sounds. Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. Music used under license provided by YouTube Creator Music: - "The Thought of You" by TrackTribe #sailing #lakesailing #mountainsailing #saillife #sailingchannel #coloradosailing #asmr

Continuing my rehabilitation of a 1987 Precision 16 sailing dinghy by replacing the old rusty motor mount with HDPE boards. The Precision 16 is a lightweight Stephen Seaton-designed un-ballasted centerboard sailing dinghy with a planing hull manufactured from 1982 until the mid 90s. It was superseded in 1995 by the smaller Jim Taylor-designed Precision 15 (P-15CB and P-15K). Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. #sailing #sailingdinghy #usedboat #boatrepair #projectboat

Sailing my 2010 Precision 18 sailboat under a full mainsail in ideal winds waiting for a beautiful Rocky Mountain sunset. And of course, as soon as the sun goes down, the winds pick up. Throughout the video, the boat is moving very nicely and you can hear the water and wind, making this a nice ASMR video as well. Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. #sailing #lakesailing #mountainsailing #saillife #sailingchannel #coloradosailing #asmr

Sailing my 2010 Precision 18 sailboat on a high-altitude (8,601 ft) Colorado lake under gloomy skies on a Sunday afternoon in August. The morning started out sunny and with clear skies, so I did some minor maintenance on the boat at the marina. By the time I got on the lake, afternoon thunderstorms were closing in. I stayed very close to the marina and only sailed for about 90 minutes. Eventually, rain and lightning drove me off the lake. But the sailing winds while I was out were ideal, and I'm so glad I went for it! Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. #lakesailing #mountainsailing #fastsailing #heavyweather #sailing #extremesports

In this episode I'm sailing my 2010 Precision 18 sailboat on a high-altitude Rocky Mountain lake under a full mainsail and #4 (80%) severe weather jib in very gusty conditions. When faced with gusty conditions, I prefer not to point too high into the wind to avoid the excessive heeling that comes with close-hauled sailing. I also frequently loosen the vang to add a bit of twist to the top of the sail which keeps my relatively light displacement boat better mannered. Shortly after tucking in a double reef, I got hit by a heavy gust while sailing on the south end of the lake. The south end is closely surrounded by mountains that channel winds and the area is known to develop challenging wind conditions. Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. #sailingchannel #coloradosailing #extremesports #sailing #mainsailonly

My second sail of the new-to-me 1987 Precision 16 sailing dinghy I purchased locally for $650 and have been slowly rehabilitating. Upgrades and repairs I've done so far to the Precision 16 sailing dinghy: - Sails: New sails custom made by Point Sails of San Diego including a mainsail with retro P-16 logo, hull numbers and a deep 20% reef and a 120% jib. Check them out at: www.pointsails.com. - Vang: added Dwyer bails to the boom and mast and a P-18 vang with Harken Carbo Air blocks purchased from Precision Boat Works. - Drain Plug: Repaired underlying fiberglass with MarineTex epoxy and installed a new SeaChoice drain plug using 3M 5200. - Standing Rigging: All new stainless steel standing rigging (forestay, turnbuckle, side shrouds and blade adjusters) from Precision Boat Works. - Running Rigging: Installed "hand me down" halyards, sheets, outhaul, downhaul and topping lift from my P-18. - Jiffy Reef: The P-16 does not come with a reefing system, so I added the necessary eye strap, horn cleat, Harken cheek block and Dwyer reefing hook. - Mast, boom and mainsheet hardware: replaced all blocks, pins, and ring-dings on the boat with new hardware from Harken. - Bow eye: removed the old bow eye, sealed up the original holes and installed a new bow eye from Sea Dog Line at a lower location in the bow. - Chain Plates: Removed the chain plates and reinforced the hull and deck where they are installed with two additional layers of fiberglass and resin to eliminate flex in the deck. The Precision 16 is a lightweight Stephen Seaton-designed un-ballasted centerboard sailing dinghy with a planing hull manufactured from 1982 until the mid 90s. It was superseded in 1995 by the smaller Jim Taylor-designed Precision 15 (P-15CB and P-15K). #sailing #sailingdinghy #usedboat #boatrepair #projectboat

Sailing my 2010 Precision 18 sailboat upwind on a high-altitude Rocky Mountain lake under a double-reefed mainsail only in heavy winds. My preference when sailing upwind in heavy air is to keep the centerboard fully down to minimize leeway, but the north end of the lake is shallow and has a lot of Eurasian Millfoil which will foul the centerboard, rudder and propeller...so I sailed with the centerboard fully up. Luckily for me, the Jim Taylor designed line of Precision boats all have a reputation for sailing really well on mainsail only. Some other brands of sailboats struggle making progress to windward on mainsail only, but the Precision boats point very well with just the main. Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. #sailingchannel #coloradosailing #extremesports #sailing #mainsailonly

Sailing my 2010 Precision 18 sailboat downwind on a high-altitude Rocky Mountain lake under a double-reefed mainsail in heavy winds. My preference when sailing downwind in heavy air is to reef the mainsail and keep the wind on the port or starboard quarter. On this particular day, the winds were frequently shifting by up to 40 degrees, so keeping the wind on the quarter reduced the chances of the wind shifting behind the stern and causing an unintended or crash gybe. I don't use a boom preventer on my boat because my lake is very small and it's just another line to get fouled on the boat--just my personal preference for my sailing situation. Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. #sailingchannel #coloradosailing #extremesports #sailing #mainsailonly