Essential Knots: Bowline
Use: Making a secure eye or loop in the end of a rope. Bowlines have many uses on a boat, for example to make a loop in a mooring line to go over a bollard, or to secure a jib sheet to a head sail. This is one of those very useful knots to go on practising until you can do it with your eyes closed!
Step 1. Make a small loop near the end of a line.
Step 2. Pass the working end up through the small loop.
Step 3. Then pass the working end around the standing part.
Step 4. Pass the working end down through the small loop and pull tight – checking there is plenty of tail.
Tip: Imagine the loop is a rabbit’s hole and the standing end is a tree. Now imagine the working end is the rabbit. The rabbit comes up the hole, runs around the tree and goes back down the hole.
A one stop guide to tying and understanding all of the 50 most useful nautical knots!
Essential Knots: Figure of eight
Learn ColRegs: Traffic Separation Schemes
Estimating and plotting your position at sea
This post covers how we go about estimating and plotting our position using traditional methods, when out of sight of land – covering Dead Reckoning, Estimated Position, Tidal Streams, Leeway and more…
The dangers of running aground in a motor boat
The peril of grounding a motor boat is not only an inconvenience; it can lead to substantial risks for both the vessel and its passengers. . In this article, we’ll explore the potential dangers of running aground and highlight the importance of proper navigation and preparedness to avoid these hazards!
Antifouling for leisure boats – Part 4
Applying antifouling. Antifouling is best applied on a dry, calm day. It is best to apply the antifouling in the middle of the day to ensure the hull is dry and as warm as possible.
Steel and Aluminium Hulls
The two metals used for hull construction are steel and aluminium. These are both very strong materials and will last a long time as long as they are cared for, which primarily means protecting steel boats from rust and aluminium boats from electrolytic action.
Keel maintenance and repair – Part 1
Keels are designed to act as underwater foils that generate lift as the boat moves through the water, counteracting the leeward force of the wind and enabling the boat to sail closer to the wind. Keel maintenance and repair is essential for the performance of your boat.
Boat Engine Failure – what to check
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Sailing boat rigs need to be checked regularly to reduce the risk of rig failure at sea. In part one of Sail boat rig checks we run through a series of useful checks that owners and skippers can carry out.
Sending distress signals
In an emergency situation at sea, it is a top priority is to know how to send and receive emergency radio calls and alert others of your predicament. Likewise, if you receive a distress signal, you must be ready to go to the help of others.
Steel hull maintenance
A steel boat owner’s biggest enemy is corrosion. You don’t have to worry about osmosis or rotting timbers, instead rust is the number one issue that will keep you awake at night.
Navigating narrow channels
Navigating narrow channels can present challenges for boat operators due to limited space, restricted manoeuvrability, and potential hazards such as shallows, rocks, or other vessels. To ensure safe passage through narrow channels, it’s essential to follow specific strategies and techniques.
Safety Briefings – leave nothing to chance
Man Overboard Drill
Feeling anxious at sea
Tools and spares for your boat
Tools and Spares to take to sea!
You won’t regret taking a look at our essential tips and checklist to make sure you’re prepared for routine maintenance and those unexpected jobs that come up whilst you’re afloat!
Getting a tow for your sail or power boat at sea or on inland waterways
Marine engine electrical system
The typical basic electrical system associated with a marine engine includes a dedicated engine starting battery, a starter motor, a charger in the form of an alternator, a solenoid and some engine sensors and instruments.
The Boatyard Book – a boat owner’s guide to yacht maintenance, repair and refitting
The Boatyard Book is a fully illustrated 224 page practical reference manual that provides advice for boat owners on planning and carrying out annual maintenance, repairs, upgrades and refits of sailing yachts and motorboats, up to 20 metres in length.
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.
Boat plumbing maintenance & troubleshooting
A boat’s fresh water system needs annual maintenance to keep it in good condition. Some boats have far more complex systems than others, with pressurised hot and cold water, associated pumps, an accumulator, calorifier and pressure valves, all to keep a boat owner busy.
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What are the main dangers a vessel may face at sea and what should skippers do to reduce the risk of these happening?
