Essential Knots: Round turn and two half hitches
Use: Tying a rope to a pole or a ring.
Step 1. Pass the end around the object.
Step 2. Make a second turn.
Step 3. Take the working end over the standing part, tuck it between the two parts to make the first hitch.
Step 4. Repeat the previous step to make a second hitch. Pull tight.
Tip: Practice tying a rope to a mooring ring or a post using a round turn and two half hitches.
A one stop guide to tying and understanding all of the 50 most useful nautical knots!
Essential Knots: Reef knot
How to Avoid Collisions At Sea With The ColRegs
Essential yacht tender safety for skippers and crew
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.
Essential Knots: Clove hitch
An explanation of the IALA maritime buoyage systems – IALA A and IALA B
Essential boat engine checklist
Safety Briefings – leave nothing to chance
The give-way hierarchy at sea – who gives way to whom?
Boat maintenance below decks
While most interior maintenance work can be done when a boat is afloat, some jobs such as servicing the seacocks have to be done ashore. It makes sense to do any major interior repairs and improvements with the boat hauled out in the boatyard.
Passage Planning Advice & Safety for skippers
Stern gear maintenance
The stern gear of a boat needs to be checked carefully when the boat is ashore as this is something that can only be done when it is out of the water. The same applies for any maintenance and repairs that may need doing, so it is best to check it all over as soon after an end of season lift out as possible.
Keel design – options to consider when choosing a yacht
Electric motors and hybrid systems
In recent years there have been considerable advances with the development of electrically powered propulsion in the leisure marine sector. This includes developments with inboard and outboard electric motors, hybrid systems, lithium-ion battery technology as well as solar, wind and hydro powered generators.
Fire prevention on boats
Points of Sailing
Learn ColRegs: Traffic Separation Schemes
A simple guide to understanding tides when passage planning
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.
Marine diesel exhaust checks
You should inspect the exhaust system for corrosion damage regularly, especially around the injection bend. If you have noticed the engine exhaust smoking a lot during the sailing season this can also indicate a number of potential problems.
Rudders and steering systems – Part 1
Rudders and steering systems. A rudder is one of the most critical parts of a boat. Rudder failure is a common occurrence on neglected or overworked boats and a very unpleasant and potentially dangerous thing to happen when you are out at sea.
Understanding boat engines
Irrespective of what kind of engine a boat is equipped with and who does the work, the regular care and maintenance of a marine engine is essential. The most common cause of marine engine failure is widely known to be lack of maintenance.
Sail care and maintenance – Part 1
When thinking about the care, maintenance and repair of sails it helps to have some understanding of the properties of the ever growing range of modern sailcloth and the fibres they are made from, as opposed to the traditional canvas sails of the past.
Rudders and steering systems – Part 3
In the third of our three blog articles on rudders and steering systems, we look at how to replace rudder bearings and repair a water-saturated core.
