Archive for the ‘Boat Handling’ Category

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Rules of the Road – Overtaking boat

Friday, August 6th, 2010

The rule governing an overtaking boat is quite simple. The overtaking boat must keep clear.

When you think about it, it’s the obvious thing to do. If you are approaching and catching another vessel from behind, you have it clearly in your sight. The skipper of the boat you are overtaking on the other hand will be keeping a lookout all around, including behind but most of the time will be focused on where the boat is heading.

As you draw closer, you will have to decide whether you will be able to go above it, i.e. to windward, or below it. If you’re sailing hard on the wind, it’s likely that you will need to spring the sheets and ease away below. Doing so will mean that you will gain boat speed. Hopefully this will result in your sailing through the other boat’s wind shadow quickly.

Meanwhile, if you are the skipper of the boat being overtaken, you must maintain your course and allow the overtaking boat to pass.

And what if you’re not sure whether you are an overtaking boat? In Rule 13 of the COLREGS (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea) it states that:

(c) When a vessel is in any doubt as to whether she is overtaking another, she shall assume that this is the case and act accordingly.

This rule governing the overtaking boat is just one of the Rules of the Road that are illustrated in our self-paced learning and self-test program, the Nautical Knowledge.

Main menu of Nautical Knowledge

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Give your boat a safe home

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Last Friday, a vigorous storm hit Sydney. A number of boats in Manly Cove were driven from their moorings and later towed to safety by the Water Police.

It was a timely reminder that boat owners should check get their moorings checked, preferably every year. If your mooring is owned by a marina or club, it should be maintained as part of your mooring agreement.

Just because you’re paying for someone to service your mooring doesn’t remove your responsibility to check and care for the line that you attach to your boat. Look for signs of wear on the mooring line. If chafe is developing where the line comes over the bow, use a piece of garden hose pipe over the line to protect it.

After picking up your mooring, make sure you stow the mooring buoy correctly. Don’t allow it to drop over the side or bang against the mast.

After a big blow, you should visit your boat to ensure that it is safely moored, exactly as you left it when you were last aboard.

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Alcohol and boating don’t mix

Friday, December 11th, 2009

Approaching the Christmas and New Year holiday period is a good time to remind ourselves that alcohol and boating don’t mix.

Every skipper should be aware of the legal limit for drinking where you sail or go boating and ensure you don’t exceed it. A better alternative is to say no to drinking alcohol while you’re on the water and wait until you’re safely back ashore.

When you are in charge of a yacht, motor boat or dinghy you need to be fully alert. Dangerous situations develop quickly, particularly when there are large numbers of occasional skippers out on their boats celebrating New Year’s Eve.

It’s not just a matter of breaking the law, you could kill or seriously injure someone. And that someone could be you.

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20% off The Boating Bible Manual of Seamanship

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

During December 2009 you can purchase The Boating Bible Manual of Seamanship for only AU$156 – a 20% discount off its advertised price. This multimedia Manual contains the five titles listed below, plus you receive a free bonus 75-minute DVD, The Joys of Sailing.

If you’d prefer, you can buy single CDs for AU$40.50 – 10% off the advertised price. These would make ideal Christmas gifts for your family or friends who share your love of sailing:
* Boat Handling 1 and 2 (not sold separately)
* Navigation and Passage Planning
* Safety and Emergencies
* Skipper and Crew, Knots and The Language of the Sea
* Weathercraft

Order The Boating Bible Manual of Seamanship now to ensure you receive in time for Christmas.

Take advantage of this special offer today before prices go back up!

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Posted in Boat Handling, Navigation and Passage Planning, Safety and Emergencies, Skipper and Crew, Knots and Ropework, The Language of the Sea, Weathercraft | Comments Off

Rules of the Road

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

Whether racing or cruising, you need to know which is the burdened boat, i.e. which boat must give way, in many different circumstances.

Giving way to boats on starboard may seem obvious but what about when you see a yacht running downwind towards you? Can you be sure which side the wind is crossing her deck? In fact, COLREGS state in Rule 12:

(iii) If a vessel with the wind on the port side sees a vessel to windward and cannot determine with certainty whether the other vessel has the wind on the port or on the starboard side, she shall keep out of the way of the other.

This is just one of the rules you can learn from our interactive Rules of the Road quiz, which is one of five comprising our brand new download, Nautical Knowledge.

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Rig your reefing lines

Monday, September 28th, 2009

When sailing offshore or, for that matter, any time when you know from the weather forecast that the wind may strengthen considerably, you must, I repeat MUST, run all your reefing lines.

If your mainsail has two reefs but you only have one reefing line, make sure you run a light line as a ‘mouse’ to the second reefing point in the leech. If/when you need to take in a second reef, you can then tie your reefing line securely to the mouse and gently pull it, drawing the reefing line up through the reefing point and back down to the boom.

Using a mouse is OK but it is preferable to have reefing lines available for all the reefs you can take in your mainsail.

If you don’t rig your boat so that you’re ready for the increased wind strength, when the time comes to take that second reef, conditions will be far too dangerous to allow one of your crew to try to lead the reefing line.

In Boat Handling I and II, I discuss how to reef a mainsail in detail.

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Movable car system

Thursday, August 27th, 2009
Here’s the illustration from The Boating Bible that I mentioned in this week’s newsletter:
With this sliding car system the jib sheet can be adjusted in any conditions and under load.

With this sliding car system the jib sheet can be adjusted in any conditions and under load.

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Maintaining a proper look-out

Monday, August 10th, 2009

Rule 5 of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) states:

Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.

This rule would seem to be common sense. Who would want to have a collision, whether with another vessel, rocks, debris or the land? And yet, how often do we read of vessels of all shapes and sizes that have failed to maintain a proper look-out?

As skipper, when you’re out on the water, you must get your crew to watch out for anything that may hinder your progress. When they see something of concern, they should tell you its position and distance off. You can then assess the risk of collision and alter course, if necessary.

When racing, this is a standard part of a yacht’s routine. When cruising, it is no less important.

And if you are sailing at night, your look-out must be even more alert, as the navigation lights on buoys and vessels can merge with lights on the shore and become hard to identify.

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