Understanding tides when passage planning
When planning a trip in tidal waters, check the tides before going afloat. Use almanacs, charts, tide tables and tidal stream atlases to gather all the data you need.
It is advisable to have a written note of tidal data for your trip including:
Your boat’s draft.
The predicted times (in Universal Time) of high and low water.
The heights of the tide.
The tidal ranges.
The direction and speeds of the tidal streams en route.
Check when and how the state of the tide will affect local areas including shallows, harbour entrances, sand bars, headlands and estuaries.
Check predictions and forecasts to determine if and when rough seas caused by wind against tide will occur. Be prepared to change your plan to avoid being caught in adverse conditions.
Use all the data you gather to:
Plan your departure time(s).
Take advantage of tidal flow to shorten journey time.
Estimate your journey time.
Plan your arrival time(s).
Avoid potential hazards caused by tidal conditions.
Ensure there will be safe clearance under your keel at all times.
Tips:
Double check all calculations.
Remember to allow for Summer Time, if applicable.
Avoid shallow water on a falling tide.
Understanding your mast and rigging
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.
Five dangers a vessel may encounter at sea
What are the main dangers a vessel may face at sea and what should skippers do to reduce the risk of these happening?
Man Overboard Drill
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.
Seacock maintenance
If seacocks are always left open and neglected they can eventually seize which will prove a serious threat to boat safety should a connecting hose fail and the seacock refuses to close. There are three main types of seacock – ball valves, cone valves and gate valves.
First Aid Afloat – fish spine injury
Pleasure craft safety equipment recommendations
Boat Engine Failure – what to check
Jester Challenge 2022 – Sailing single handed from Plymouth UK to the Azores: Part 7 – Motivation
Jester Challenge – A modern experiment in old-fashioned self-reliance, self sufficiency, and personal responsibility. This is the seventh of a 10-part post where solo sailor, Bernie Branfield, shares his first-hand account of his single-handed, 2022 Jester Challenge, from Plymouth, UK to the Azores, in his 26′ Invicta Mk2, Louisa.
Rudders and steering systems – Part 2
One thing all rudders have in common is that they have three main parts that need to be checked: the rudder, or a steerable drive leg in the case of many power boats; the system that joins the rudder to the steering; the steering control itself.
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.
Jester Challenge 2022 – Sailing single handed from Plymouth UK to the Azores: Part 3 – Preparations
Jester Challenge – A modern experiment in old-fashioned self-reliance, self sufficiency, and personal responsibility. This is the third of a 10-part post where solo sailor, Bernie Branfield, shares his first hand account of his single-handed, 2022 Jester Challenge, from Plymouth, UK to the Azores, in his 26′ Invicta Mk2, Louisa.
Cleaning & polishing gelcoat topsides
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.
Antifouling for leisure boats – Part 1
Boats that are kept afloat can very quickly become a home for small marine organisms such as barnacles, weed and slime. Applying an antifouling paint to your hull is necessary to protect it from these micro-organisms, as a fouled hull can cause problems and will slow down a boat’s maximum speed considerably if left unchecked.
Seasickness – how can you prevent it?
How to improve a yacht’s upwind performance
There are several ways to improve the upwind performance of a sailing yacht. Read on for some useful tips including headsail reefing, heavy weather jibs and motor sailing.
Marine toilets – care and maintenance
There are a number of different types of marine toilet, or heads. They fall into one of three categories – manual, electric and vacuum, the most common being the manual, hand pumped type. These have double acting piston-pumps which both discharge the waste and flush the toilet with sea water.
Points of Sailing
Boat electrics inspection checklist
With the boat ashore, here are some recommendations for carrying out a boat owner electrics inspection. Safety is always paramount so remember to do the checks with the batteries off. Wearing a head torch helps, make notes as you go and only tackle a repair if you are 100% sure you know what you are doing:
How to ensure your boat is in proper working condition
In this article Eva Tucker from Volvo Penta presents a handy check list of all the things that you need to check regularly in order to make sure that your boat is in a seaworthy condition. Including maintenance, safety gear and electrical checks.
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.
Capsize – understanding the risks
Safety at sea principles
Safety at sea is not as simple as just spending money adding shiny new emergency equipment such as liferafts, danbuoys, distress flares, EPIRBs and so on.
The give-way hierarchy – sail boats and power boats
Who gives way to who at sea? Even seasoned sailors sometimes get this wrong and in a crowded harbour this can easily lead to a collision or at best considerable embarrassment for a boat that mistakenly thinks it has right of way over another.