First Aid Afloat – Here is what to do if somebody stands on a fish spine:
• Check for dangers. Is it safe for you to enter the water?
• Check for levels of response and for normal breathing
• Inform emergency services if necessary
• If needed treat serious bleeding
• If easily done remove embedded fish spines
Immerse wound in as hot water as possible without scalding. Leave in the water for up to 90 minutes for pain relief and to help remove small spines
• Apply a cold compress to wound if hot water is not relieving the pain
• Clean wound with antiseptics wipes from the first aid kit
• Seek medical assistance if necessary
(taken from Paul Hopkins new app for iPhone & Tablets, First Aid Afloat)
Competent crew skills: arriving and leaving a berth
Top Ten Tips For Learning The ColRegs Boating Rules Of The Road
Boat Engine Failure – what to check
Know your Navlights & Shapes – essential for all skippers
Sail boat rig checks – Part 2
In part two of Sail boat rig checks we run through some useful rig maintenance tips and then finish with a brief look at what a professional rig check involves.
ColRegs when sailing single handed
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.
How to operate a winch
Boat Engine Safety Checks
Man Overboard Drill
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.
Dag Pike’s Boat Survey
Safety Briefings – leave nothing to chance
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.
Light characteristics – how do navigators identify lights at night?
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.
Peer to Peer yacht charter – How can you monetize your boat?
Boat maintenance log
How to tackle osmosis
Points of Sailing
Passage Planning Advice & Safety for skippers
Hull inspection – the annual checks
A five day sailing cruise of the Solent, UK
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.
