by Simon Jollands | Boat Handling, Communications, Crewing skills, Emergencies, Navigation, Preparation
Sailing solo into a storm – some lessons learned Weather forecasting has become increasingly accurate in recent years, thanks largely to weather satellite technology and ever increasing computer power. As a result, those of us who go sailing on a regular basis,...
by Simon Jollands | Boat Handling, Communications, Navigation, Preparation
All competent sailors need to have a good basic understanding of how to interpret a weather forecast. They also need to be able to interpret the actual conditions they are experiencing. Most weather forecasts present a general picture of what to expect in a given area...
by Simon Jollands | Boat Handling, Crewing skills, Preparation
Essential yacht tender safety – the dangers inherent in using a dinghy to get ashore from a moored or anchored yacht are all too easily underestimated. A recent experience caused me to have a serious think about essential yacht tender safety. Recently I faced...
by Stuart Batley | Boat Maintenance, Navigation, Preparation
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...
by Safe Skipper | Boat Handling, Navigation, Preparation
Sailing & Motoring in Fog You can only measure the visibility accurately if sailing & motoring in fog when you have another object in sight so assume that it is less than you think. It can take time to ‘see’ another vessel as you may not be looking directly at...