ColRegs Rule 14: Head-on Situation
(a) When two power-driven vessels are meeting on reciprocal or nearly reciprocal courses so as to involve risk of collision each shall alter her course to starboard so that each shall pass on the port side of the other. (b) Such a situation shall be deemed to exist when a vessel sees the other ahead or nearly ahead and by night she would see the mast head lights of the other in a line or nearly in a line and or both sidelights and by day she observes the corresponding aspect of the other vessel. (c) When a vessel is in any doubt as to whether such a situation exists she shall assume that it does exist and act accordingly.
(From Nautical Rules of the Road – ColRegs for power boating and sailing – a Safe-Skipper App)
Fire prevention on boats
Boat electrics
All boat owners should have a basic knowledge of electrics, both to avoid encountering electrical problems at sea and to stand a chance of solving them should they occur.
Wooden Hull Repairs
While wooden boat hull maintenance is mostly straightforward, it is always a good idea to take expert advice on any repair job needed doing to a wooden boat, unless you have done the job before and know what you are doing.
Essential Knots: Reef knot
ColRegs Nav Lights & Shapes, Rules Of The Road and IALA Buoys Apps
How to improve a yacht’s upwind performance
There are several ways to improve the upwind performance of a sailing yacht. Read on for some useful tips including headsail reefing, heavy weather jibs and motor sailing.
How diesel engines work
The basic principle of a diesel engine is less complex than that of a petrol engine. No spark plug or ignition system is needed, making the basic diesel engine a comparatively straightforward system that results in fewer faults and has lower maintenance costs than a petrol engine.
Understanding tides
Boating Rules of the Road – International ColRegs
Rewiring a boat – overcoming the challenges involved
Skippers need to have a basic knowledge of boat electrics, to avoid potential problems and to be able to solve them when they happen.
Boat Handling – anchoring
Understanding your boat’s compass
How to trim a genoa sail
I recently had two new sails made by Sanders Sails, based in Lymington UK. The first to arrive was the new genoa and it took me a little while to get to know it and learn how to adjust it correctly. Here is an aide memoire for getting to know how to trim a genoa so that it will deliver the best performance.
Getting a tow for your sail or power boat at sea or on inland waterways
Essential Boat Buying Tips for First-Time Boat Owners
The first question that comes to mind when thinking about buying a boat is: what type of boat? There are more than 20 different kinds, of different sizes, for different purposes, and different pockets. So, your first step is to decide your boat type.
Medical Emergency at Sea
An explanation of the IALA maritime buoyage systems – IALA A and IALA B
Peer to Peer yacht charter – How can you monetize your boat?
Rig check – how to prevent failure at sea
Safe Skipper – crew management tips
Effective crew briefings are a vital part of the good on-board communication that helps everything to run smoothly on a sailing vessel at sea, whether it is cruising or racing.
Essential boat engine checklist
VHF DSC radio – how best to communicate at sea
Passage planning and pilotage
How to predict wind direction and strength by reading a weather chart
Engine failure at sea – keeping the boat safe
If the engine stops when you are underway, or your have to shut it down when a warning buzzer sounds, you also need to make sure the boat remains safe. It’s important therefore to recognise situations in which the boat would be immediately put in danger if the engine were to fail.