Essential Knots: Sheet bend
Use: Joining two ropes together. A sheet bend is particularly useful for joining two ropes of different thicknesses together and is very secure.
Step 1. Make a bight in the end of one rope (the thicker one if the two are different thicknesses).
Step 2. Pass the other rope through the bight…
Step 3 .…then around and under, leaving both ends on the same side.
Step 4. Pass the end of the second (thinner) rope under its own standing part. Pull tight.
Tip: Make sure that the two free ends end up on the same side of the knot. If they are on opposite sides then the knot is more likely to come undone.
A one stop guide to tying and understanding all of the 50 most useful nautical knots!
Antifouling for leisure boats – Part 3
Antifouling is one of the least pleasant boat maintenance jobs to do, but it has to be done. The very worst job of all is removing the old antifouling as this can get seriously messy and is very hard work.
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.
Repairing chips and dings in gelcoat
The gelcoat topsides of a GRP boat can be pampered and restored to their former glory relatively easily when it is ashore. Gelcoat is only a very thin outer layer of the hull, often less than 1mm thick, so you should avoid cleaning it with highly abrasive cleaners, or an-ything that could potentially damage its surface.
Navigation safety: a quick-reference mobile app to learn the ColRegs NavLights and Shapes
What boating skills should you have before you buy a yacht?
Diesel engine winterisation
An inactive boat engine needs to be protected from corrosion during the winter, caused by the rising humidity levels through the cold months and the salty coastal air. This applies whether the boat is left afloat or hauled out over the winter. Read here about the two important stages of winterisaton for a diesel boat engine.
Anchoring – getting it right is not always straightforward
Sailing Boat Rig Care
The rig of a sailing boat is put under huge stresses and strains so it is important for inspections of a yacht’s spars and rigging to be carried out at regular intervals.
Preparing for sailboat cruising
Preparing for a sailing trip entails a lot of planning. In this blog, we take a look at some of the many safety aspects that a skipper needs to consider before heading off on a cruise.
Hourly Checks when sailing or motoring
Boat Engine Failure – what to check
Boat engine basics
Capsize – understanding the risks
The give-way hierarchy at sea – who gives way to whom?
Winch Servicing
Dag Pike’s Boat Survey
Boating Rules of the Road – International ColRegs
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.
A simple guide to understanding tides when passage planning
Understanding your boat’s compass
Sail boat 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.