Weekly Reflection #2

After the walk for breast cancer this weekend I am finally back to Marion. I am extremely sore but I made it. During this week at the sail loft Trilbey and I worked on the skills that we have been working on. We continued practicing sewing techniques and being able to apply them to fixing sails. I have improved a lot on my sewing abilities. I continued to work on fixing sails for the loft. I also learned how to make sail ties. I also put a hank on the sail. A hank is the metal piece that clips onto the forestay. I used a hammer to put it on. Ben also had us start a new project of making bags. The bags are going to be really big. We first had to write the dimensions on the paper and figure out the math part of designing something. I think that we started this project because it gives a feel of how sails are designed. They have to be planned out very carefully. I think that it was a good idea for him to give a little taste of what the entire process is like. We will be able to see the bags from start to finish. During this past week Trilbey and I studied for the Safe Power Boating Test. We learned about parts of the boat, boating emergencies, regulations for powerboats. The website we were using to study for the boating exam uses diagrams and moving games to teach you information. I found it interesting to be able to apply what I was learning to what I could see in the town of Marion. I learned about the shapes of hulls online, and then I was able to see boats out of the water and understand how they displaced water and floated. I was able to see whether they had inboard or outboard motors and how they were propelled through the water. I also learned about safety practices on motorboats. That will really help me this as well because I will be able to maneuver the boat safely. It was hard to focus while learning online but I enjoyed what I was learning. I believe that the information will help me in my job this summer teaching sailing lessons. I look forward to our final week at the sail loft and continuing working on and making sails.