Yachting Safety Briefing
Down below
Lifejackets and harnesses – fitting, when to wear, clipping on
Gas – risks, precautions, gas bottles and taps
Fire prevention – extinguishers, fire blanket, where and how to use
Moving around – companionway, handholds, galley safety
Heads – how to use
Seacocks – location of
Hatches – opening and closing, risks
VHF – how to use
Engine – basic operation
Batteries – location
On deck
Hazards – boom, tripping, slipping, hatches
Clipping on – jackstays
Heaving line
Engine controls
Instruments
Lockers – contents
Winches and clutches – safe operation
Anchor – safe operation
Emergency at sea
First aid – kit location
MOB – equipment – throwing line, horseshoe buoy, Dan buoy
Flares – where, when and how to use
VHF – emergency procedure
EPIRB – how to activate
Liferaft – where, when and how to launch
Grab bag – where, contents
Steering failure – emergency tiller, where and how
Flooding – seacock failure, plugs. Bilge pumps. Bailing.
Crew welfare
Seasickness – what to do, how to avoid
Food and drink – use of galley
Kit – stowage
“One hand for you – the other for the boat!”
This post is an extract from the Safe Skipper App for iPhone & Android.
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.
Boat batteries
Under-sized battery banks are one of the key factors behind power failure at sea, as well as the premature failure of batteries, so make sure that your boat battery measures up to the use you want to put it to.
Essential Boat Buying Tips for First-Time Boat Owners
The first question that comes to mind when thinking about buying a boat is: what type of boat? There are more than 20 different kinds, of different sizes, for different purposes, and different pockets. So, your first step is to decide your boat type.
Keel maintenance and repair – Part 1
Keels are designed to act as underwater foils that generate lift as the boat moves through the water, counteracting the leeward force of the wind and enabling the boat to sail closer to the wind. Keel maintenance and repair is essential for the performance of your boat.
Wooden Hull Repairs
While wooden boat hull maintenance is mostly straightforward, it is always a good idea to take expert advice on any repair job needed doing to a wooden boat, unless you have done the job before and know what you are doing.
Passage Planning Advice & Safety for skippers
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.
Essential Knots: Clove hitch
Top five windvane self steering installation questions
Top five windvane self steering installation questions answered by Sarah Curry of Hydrovane International Marine, courtesy of Viki Moore from Island Cruising NZ
First Aid Afloat – fish spine injury
Tools and spares for your boat
Keel maintenance and Repair – Part 2
If you have ever witnessed a boat colliding with a rock or other submerged obstacle you will know that there is an almighty thump and the whole boat shakes and judders. While such hard groundings seldom result in catastrophic keel failure, something has to give and even the sturdiest keels can easily be damaged by such an impact.
Pre-start engine checks
According to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) almost one third of emergency call outs at sea are caused by mechanical failure. Many engine breakdowns are avoidable. The best way to avoid a breakdown is to carry out pre-start checks before heading out to sea.
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:
Seized fixings and fastenings
Maintaining a boat can be a rewarding experience but at times it can also be frustrating. A prime example of this is when you come across a seized fixing or fastening that refuses to budge. Read our tips on how to release and fix them:
Pleasure craft safety equipment recommendations
Getting a tow for your sail or power boat at sea or on inland waterways
Winch Servicing
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.
Cleaning & polishing painted 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.
Understanding marine sealants & adhesives
Sending distress signals
In an emergency situation at sea, it is a top priority is to know how to send and receive emergency radio calls and alert others of your predicament. Likewise, if you receive a distress signal, you must be ready to go to the help of others.
Jester Challenge 2022 – Sailing single handed from Plymouth UK to the Azores: Part 5 – Boat Management
Jester Challenge – A modern experiment in old-fashioned self-reliance, self sufficiency, and personal responsibility. This is the fifth 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.