Communications at sea

Avoiding personal dangers at sea

by Simon Jollands | Boat Handling, Communications, Crewing skills, Emergencies, Navigation, Preparation, Yacht ownership

In order to stay safe at sea, we need to know the risks we are facing and to be aware of any personal dangers we could possibly encounter. Here are six of the most common potential dangers individual crew members should be aware of. 1. Fatigue, seasickness and...

Safety at sea principles

by Simon Jollands | Boat Handling, Communications, Crewing skills, Emergencies, Navigation, Preparation, Yacht ownership

Safety at sea is not as simple as just spending money adding shiny new emergency equipment such as liferafts, danbuoys, distress flares, EPIRBs and so on. While these items are important, it’s better to view them as an insurance that offers a potential lifeline when...

A five day sailing cruise of the Solent, UK

by Simon Jollands | Boat Handling, Communications, Crewing skills, Navigation, Preparation, Yacht ownership

Welcome to our virtual Solent sailing cruise – a five day sail in the south of England from Bosham Quay in Chichester Harbour at the east end of the Solent to Lymington in the west. On our five day sailing cruise of the Solent we will be sailing more than 65 nautical...

VHF DSC radio – how best to communicate at sea

by Simon Jollands | Communications, Emergencies, Preparation

There are many ways to communicate with others at sea. What makes the VHF DSC radio the best form of short range communication and why is it recommended? The controls of a basic VHF DSC radio There are many ways to communicate with others at sea, ranging from signal...

Know your Navlights & Shapes – essential for all skippers

by Stuart Batley | Communications, Navigation, Preparation

Know your Navlights & Shapes International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (ColRegs) Anyone who is responsible for a vessel at sea, from the smallest dinghy to an ocean going supertanker, day or night, must be able to recognise other vessels and...

Safety Briefings – leave nothing to chance

by Simon Jollands | Boat Handling, Communications, Crewing skills, Navigation, Preparation

Before giving your crew a safety briefing, it is worth considering the specific circumstances of the planned trip, the experience of the crew and their familiarity with the vessel and each other. If the crew already know the drill inside out and you know each other...