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!
First Aid Afloat – fish spine injury
Sailboat rig checks – Part 1
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.
Essential boat engine checklist
Understanding tide tables and tidal curves
There are many factors that influence local tidal patterns and it’s essential for every sailor to have a good understanding of tide tables and tidal charts to ensure they can calculate the level of tide at any given time.
Avoiding personal dangers at sea
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.
Boating emergency – how to broadcast a MAYDAY emergency call
Common marine electrical problems
Most problems with marine electrical systems arise from four possible sources, a lack of maintenance, a poor standard of initial installation, insufficient battery capacity, or ineffective charging systems.
Water ingress is a frequent issue – salt water can corrode contacts very quickly. If connections are not scrupulously clean – or are loose – resistance will be increased, resulting in progressively reduced power.
Safety Briefings – leave nothing to chance
Learning about diesel engine maintenance
Marine diesel engines are internal combustion engines that are designed specifically for use in maritime applications. These engines are commonly used in a variety of watercraft, ranging from small boats and yachts to large ships and vessels. Learn about marine diesel engine maintenance courses.
Crew Overboard Drill – Updated
VHF DSC radio – how best to communicate at sea
Cutless bearing replacement
Cutless bearings can last for many years but if the propeller shaft is out of alignment they will wear through more quickly. If you have noticed a clunking sound when motoring then it could be a worn cutless bearing that is causing the problem.
A simple guide to understanding tides when passage planning
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.
Top Tips For Learning The ColRegs Boating Rules Of The Road
Colregs Boating Rules Of The Road
The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) are a set of rules designed to prevent collisions between vessels. They are essentially the “rules of the road” for boats. Some key concepts within the COLREGs include:
Common medical emergencies at sea
A medical emergency aboard a boat at sea requires immediate attention to ensure the safety of the casualty and the crew in general. The skipper needs to know which crew members, if any, have had medical training or have a first aid qualification. All boats should carry first aid handbooks to help an untrained crew cope with a medical emergency.
Light characteristics – how do navigators identify lights at night?
Repairing a leaking hull-to-deck joint
Fire safety advice at sea from the Marine & Coastguard Agency
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.
Winch Servicing
Tips and advice for staying safe on a sailboat at sea
Here we focus on how to stay safe on a sailboat at sea. We cover key things to ensure you have on board before you set sail as well as covering the most common cause of incidents on sailboats and how to deal with them.
Care of boat batteries
Boat batteries need to be kept properly charged, which means never allowing the batteries to discharge below 50 per cent of their total charge. As well as the batteries themselves, keeping a boat’s charging systems in good shape will also help to keep batteries topped up to a higher level of charge.
First Aid Afloat – jellyfish stings
Narrowboating on the Kennet and Avon Canal
A recently cancelled sailing event I was due to take part in left us with a free weekend in the diary. Given that my wife and I were celebrating a bumper wedding anniversary and the weather forecast was for fine weather, we decided to hunt around for a last minute canal holiday.