by Simon Jollands | Boat Handling, Boat Maintenance, Communications, Crewing skills, Emergencies, Navigation, Preparation, Yacht ownership
What are the main dangers a vessel may face at sea and what should skippers do to reduce the risk of these happening? Collisions with other vessels The Collision Regulations apply to “all vessels upon the high seas and in all waters connected therewith navigable...
by Simon Jollands | Boat Handling, Communications, Crewing skills, Emergencies, Navigation, Preparation, Yacht ownership
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. 1. Fatigue, seasickness and...
by Simon Jollands | Boat Handling, Communications, Crewing skills, Emergencies, Navigation, Preparation, Yacht ownership
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. While these items are important, it’s better to view them as an insurance that offers a potential lifeline when...
by Simon Jollands | Boat Maintenance, Preparation, Yacht ownership
The term “stern gear” encompasses propellers, propeller shafts, shaft couplings, rudder tubes, rudder assemblies, propeller shaft brackets, propeller shaft seals, stern tube assemblies, bearings and more. The stern gear of a boat needs to be checked...
by Simon Jollands | Boat Maintenance, Preparation, Yacht ownership
Boat owners who grew up sailing boats without engines often treat the idea of boat engine maintenance with a fair amount of trepidation, whether inboard or outboard varieties. This trepidation has a tendency to go up a notch when the subject of maintaining an...