In episode 2 of my Midsummer Sail series, I spot a sailboat on the lake and turn my boat around and head up the lake to investigate and say "hi". At first glance it appears to be a Sunfish, but in fact, it's a rare 1940s fiberglass "Beetle Boat (BB) Swan" rigged with a Sunfish sail. The "BB Swan" is essentially a fiberglass version of the famous 1920's wooden "Beetle Cat" sailboats. The "BB Swan" was designed and built by Carl Beetle, son of John Beetle the creator of the original Beetle Cat. It was really cool briefly sailing with such a cool classic boat. This video is part 2 of a 3-part series of a single day of midsummer mountain lake sailing. 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. Check out our new storefront on Amazon for all the great gear, apparel and electronics featured in our videos: https://amzn.to/4eMoKbP. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases (at no cost to you). It's a great way to support the channel! #sailing #lakesailing #mountainsailing #saillife #sailingchannel #coloradosailing Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction 0:22 - I see a sailboat 1:06 - Heading north 1:17 - Gusts coming in 2:33 - Continuing north 3:07 - Wind shifts 3:58 - AH-64 Apache flyby 4:20 - Closing in on the Beetle Swan 6:44 - Close pass 7:45 - Gybe 8:33 - Hove to 8:56 - Reefing 9:42 - Outro

In this episode, I head out just after noon on a sunny and clear Monday in July. The winds start out light as I slowly make my way down the lake. Then I see another sailboat further up the lake and decide to head toward him and say hello. This is part 1 of a 3-part video series. 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. Check out our new storefront on Amazon for all the great gear, apparel and electronics featured in our videos: https://amzn.to/4eMoKbP. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases (at no cost to you). It's a great way to support the channel! #sailing #lakesailing #mountainsailing #saillife #sailingchannel #coloradosailing

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. Check out our storefront on Amazon for all the great gear, apparel and electronics featured in our videos: https://amzn.to/4eMoKbP. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases (at no cost to you). It's a great way to support the channel! Links to products mentioned in this video: Catalina Direct "mast gater": https://www.catalinadirect.com/shop-by-boat/capri-22/rigging/standing-rigging/spar-fittings/mastgater-sail-track-gate-c-22-cp-22/ CatalinaDirect also has other products you can find by searching "track gate" on their website. Rig-Rite sail gates: https://rigrite.com/Spars/MetalMast_Spars/MetalMast_Mainsail_Gates.php Seldon: https://shop-us.seldenmast.com/collections/rig-hardware-sail-entries?srsltid=AfmBOoplfqR27-vrlN_6FlCWvHkrBFJ29KALc6XkMbVJDLo3RcvK6Cdl Blue Water Yachts mast track cover: https://shop.bwyachts.com/product-p/3454-1m3.htm Vela Sailing Supply Allen Bros mast gate bar: https://velasailingsupply.com/products/allen-brothers-22mm-x-138mm-mast-gate-bar?_pos=1&_sid=36bebbbca&_ss=r Stingy Sailor DIY mast gate article: https://stingysailor.com/2014/04/26/mast-gates-solution-2/ Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction 0:38 - Passing of Tom Loque 1:31 - Status of Mastgates.com 2:32 - What is a mast gate 3:30 - Current suppliers 3:39 - Catalina Direct 4:30 - Rig-Rite 5:05 - Seldon 5:45 - Blue Water Yachts 6:18 - Vela Sailing Supply 6:46 - DIY 7:23 - Sail stop 8:03 - Outro #sailing #lakesailing #mountainsailing #saillife #sailingchannel #coloradosailing

In this episode, I prepare the boat for trailering home after two weeks of sailing at Cherry Creek Reservoir in Aurora, CO. I show in detail how I secure the mast to the sailboat with multiple lines and prevent any damage to the mast, the gelcoat, and any of the shrouds or hardware by adding padding, velcro wraps and bungees. I've also had the mast start moving aft while trailering and nearly lost it. So, I describe in detail the method I use to secure the mast to the boat and keep the mast from moving either forward or aft while bouncing down the highway while trailering. Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction 0:38 - Securing to the stern 3:04 - Securing to the bow 3:32 - Preventing twist 3:36 - Stowing shrouds 4:37 - Protecting mid mast 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

In this week's episode, I continue my morning sail on a beautiful Wednesday in late August. The winds stay fairly light, so I sail into the mountainous south end of the reservoir and in and around some small coves. I accidentally surprised some people on the beach...not really sure what they were up to. Overall, it was a very beautiful and pleasant few hours of high-altitude Colorado mountain lake sailing. 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

This week I replace the propeller on my 2019 Torqeedo Travel 1103C electric outboard. Apparently I hit something with it last season and it got a small "nick" on the outside of one of the blades. I sailed with it like that throughout the Fall, but I noticed it had a lot of vibration. So in this episode, I show step-by-step how to remove the propeller, replace the sheer pin, and mount the new propeller. Overall, a very easy DIY job on the Torqeedo Travel electric outboard. 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 #Torqeedo

In this week's episode, I head out in the morning for a sail on a beautiful Wednesday in late August. The winds stay fairly light, so I sail into some coves and around some rocks. Overall, it was a very pleasant few hours of high-altitude Colorado mountain lake sailing. 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

In this episode, I roll my 2010 Precision 18 pocket cruiser "Mandatory Fun" out of storage for the first time in over 8 months. I brought the boat home from the marina in mid-September, and she's spent the off-season in the garage. During our long and unseasonably warm Fall, I day-sailed our 1987 Precision 16 sailing dinghy "Boondoggle". The boat gets surprisingly dirty just sitting in the garage. The area where we live is very windy and there's a ton of blowing dirt and dust that gets into everything. This episode covers all the basics of preparing the boat to be rolled out, removing scuffs and scratches, applying UV protectant to plastic and nylon parts, protecting the window gaskets with rubber seal conditioner, vacuuming out the cabin, scrubbing the cabin sole, and charging all the batteries. Links to products featured in this video: - Hanes Cool Dri UPF shirts featured in this video: https://amzn.to/49tXY4Y - WORX cordless tire inflator: https://amzn.to/4vsA0Q5 - NuFinish Car Polish: https://amzn.to/4o14ciB - Armor All Original Protectant: https://amzn.to/4olDAJz - Pledge Wood Oil: https://amzn.to/4vm6prg - 3-in-1 RV Rubber Seal Conditioner: https://amzn.to/4aonmcy - JBL waterproof bluetooth speaker: https://amzn.to/49vsbR5 Disclosure: As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I greatly appreciate your support to this channel. Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction 0:38 - Overview of day's tasks 3:04 - Sunscreen and Hanes Cool Dri UPF shirt 3:36 - Preparing the boat to move 4:37 - Moving the boat on the trailer 6:32 - Carrying the mast 6:47 - Washing the boat 7:43 - Removing scuffs in the gelcoat with NuFinish car polish 9:08 - Protecting plastic and nylon boat parts with Armor All UV Protectant 10:17 - Oiling the teak trim 10:34 - Cleaning and scrubbing the cabin 11:19 - Conditioning rubber seals in portlights and hatches 11:31 - Charging batteries 11:57 - Final thoughts and safety reminders 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

In this episode, I sail back from the shallow north end of Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir in central Colorado where I was repeatedly fouled by Eurasian water milfoil (an invasive aquatic plant species). As I'm making my way back to the marina, a storm comes in and the winds really pick up. The wind shifts to the south, so I end up sailing to windward double-reefed which is challenging and slow. But it was an exciting sail with large waves (for a lake) and whitecaps. 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, South Dakota and more. #sailing #lakesailing #mountainsailing #saillife #sailingchannel #coloradosailing

In this episode, I sail to the shallow north end of Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir in central Colorado where I get repeatedly fouled by milfoil, get caught in a storm, and fear I may not make it back. It was my worst, most awful, terrible sail. The north end of the lake is about 2.5 miles long by 1 mile wide and separated from the south end by a string of small islands and rocks that run across a narrow neck of the lake. I normally stay on the south end of the lake where the water is deep (up to 136 ft) and there are fewer boats, beautiful coves and less water milfoil to foul my boat's rudder and centerboard. The north end is shallow, more crowded, and has a serious Eurasian water milfoil problem (an invasive aquatic plant species spreading across the U.S.). The north end is more wide open, surrounded mostly by prairie land, and opens up to the valley that makes up South Park (in Colorado, a high-altitude valley is called a Park). The South Park National Heritage Area was created by Congress and signed into law by President Obama in March 2009. The openness of the north end normally makes for more consistent, less swirly and less gusty winds than the south end. The south end has unpredictable winds because it is closed in on three sides by 11,500' tall mountain peaks. During this worst, most awful, and terrible sail I get fouled repeatedly by invasive Eurasian water milfoil and have my rudder kicked back by large clumps of weeds. As an afternoon storm approached and the winds picked up, I was not sure how I was going to get back to the marina. This video also includes a cool underwater view of leaving the slip and lowering the centerboard. 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, South Dakota and more. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:00 - Underwater view of leaving the slip 1:38 - Sailing plan for the day 2:43 - American White Pelican sighting 3:03 - Clouds starting to build 3:42 - Middle of the north end 6:03 - Very shallow water 6:55 - Getting fouled by milfoil 7:27 - Milfoil everywhere! 8:33 - Sailing with rudder up 10:32 - Locking rudder down 10:49 - I gotta get outta here! 12:23 - Winds building 13:17 - Hove to and reefing 13:47 - Sailing double reefed #sailing #lakesailing #mountainsailing #saillife #sailingchannel #coloradosailing

This is the list of my Top 5 favorite small YouTube sailing channels. These are the channels I really enjoy and inspire me to keep on sailing and making my own YouTube videos. All of the small channels featured in this list are just superb and really should be getting much more attention and more subscribers. Please check out the channels on this list and show them your support! #5 - Conrad Humphreys LINK: www.youtube.com/@ConradHumphreys #4 - Charles Bronaugh LINK: https://www.youtube.com/@charlesbronaugh8996 #3 - Ruddy Duck Sailing Adventures LINK: www.youtube.com/@ruddyducksailing #2 - Southern Sailing Adventure LINK: www.youtube.com/@southernsailingadventure #1 - David Grah LINK: www.youtube.com/@dgrah I also can't talk about great sailing channels without mentioning my overall favorite YouTube sailing channel which is Sailing Magic Carpet. Maya and Aladino produce some of the best quality sailing videos you will ever see. Their sailing, travels, original music, boat repairs and sailboat restoration is a joy to watch and their channel has been a huge inspiration for me and my sailing journey. LINK: www.youtube.com/@SailingMagicCarpet I hope you enjoyed my list of the Top 5 best small YouTube sailing channels you've probably never heard of. If you have small or emerging YouTube sailing channel recommendations you think I've missed...drop them in the comments and I will definitely check them out! 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

In this week's episode, I head out in the morning for a sail with my daughter on a beautiful Saturday in mid-July. It starts out slow, but the winds quickly fill in and make for some very pleasant sailing. As the afternoon wears on, the winds start to pick up (as usual in the Rocky Mountains) and we head back and call it a day. It was truly a perfect few hours of high-altitude Colorado mountain lake sailing. 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

In this episode I replace a boat trailer hub on my 1987 Precision 16 trailer. The inner seal on the passenger side was faulty and leaking grease. This is my first-ever trailer hub replacement. Up until this point, I've pretty much done every other kind of maintenance task you can possibly do on a boat trailer. Trailer bearing maintenance was the final skill I needed to learn about boat trailer maintenance. In preparation, I did a bunch of research and watched many YouTube videos. But I still learned some new information in the process of doing this job (like don't mix different types of grease). I hope you find this information helpful. 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 #sailingtips #sailinglife #learntosail

In this episode, I invite some old friends to spend the day with me on the boat. We sailed for 3.5 hours and covered 6.8 miles with a top speed of 4.5 knots. It was great having guests on the boat and sharing the sport of sailing with non-sailors! 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

In this week's episode I travel south to Lake Pueblo State Park to watch the first "shakedown" race of the Lake Pueblo Sailing Club (LPSC). Shortly after the race start, severe weather moves in from the west and the winds start gusting into the mid 20s on shore (looked much heavier out on the lake). At least one boat captain I talked to after the race reported a reading of 28 kts on their boat. This was my first time attending a sailboat race and I will definitely be back for more! For more info on the Lake Pueblo Sailing Club visit their Facebook page. I am not a member of the LPSC. 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

In this week's episode, I arrive at the lake during the midday doldrums. I discuss some of the challenges of mountain winds and sailing on mountain lakes. As soon as I finish talking, the winds pick up and I catch some really nice sailing breezes over the next several hours. It made for a very pleasant and relaxing day of sail. 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

In this episode I lay out my entire sail inventory and compare the P-16 and P-18 headsails and mainsails to see if there is any compatibility between them. The mast and boom length between the P-16 and the P-18 are identical, so I was thinking the sails may be interchangeable. 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

In this episode I bring the boat home, unload all the gear out of it, and clean the boat to prepare it for winter storage in the garage. 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

Sailing my 2010 Precision 18 sailboat with my daughter on a high-altitude (8,601ft) Rocky Mountain lake. This episode features beautiful 4th of July weekend sailing. As the spring transitions into summer in Colorado there's more clear blue skies, fewer afternoon thunderstorms and calmer winds. This episode features gentle sailing, mountain views, and some chill music. 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

In this episode, I sail through a 36 mph (31 knot) gust on a high-altitude (8,601 ft) Rocky Mountain lake in central Colorado. My small and lightweight (1,100 lbs) Precision 18 sailboat is not really designed for sailing in this kind of wind, but she sailed through it pretty well. I've made several modifications and upgrades to the boat to include adding a second reef to the mainsail, adding a hanked-on #4 (80%) severe weather jib to my sail inventory, adding additional blocks to the factory outhaul setup to flatten the mainsail, and a 4:1 backstay tensioner to add mast bend and flatten the top third of the mainsail. It's also taken a couple of years for me to build the skills for sailing in this much wind. At my mountain lake, 25 to 30 knot gusts are an almost daily occurrence throughout the summer sailing season. To further reduce heeling in the Precision 18, you can also raise the centerboard all the way up and just sail on the shoal draft keel which is a NACA foil (I did not do this for this sail) or you can add additional crew weight on the rail. For more severe weather sailing tips and tricks, check out my video "Storm Tactics for Inland Sailors" available at this link and also linked at the end of the video: https://youtu.be/Hixd4KHzCzs?si=JD8LmcgkB9x9ABwO 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