This isn’t a discourse about surviving heavy weather, dragging anchors or running aground. Those are sailing hazards not cruising hazards and we can, mostly, cope with those. No, the real hazards come from functioning in a different, unfamiliar, environment. For instance, a few years ago I walked into a laundrette in the Bahamas and found …
Let’s take a look at the really useful, perhaps essential, knots the sailor needs. I started out learning every knot in the book but over time I came to the realisation that I actually used the same eight or nine knots over and over again. The first knot most sailors learn is the bowline. This …
Judging by sailing forum debate and yacht club chat you’d think that the racing sailor and the cruising sailor had entirely different objectives. They don’t, of course. Sailing is about harnessing the wind and currents to get you from origin to destination as efficiently as possible and that applies whether you’re racing or cruising. There …
The wind is howling, the rain is teeming down. We need a smile. I think it’s time for another airing of the poem “Poor Trace” , the sorry tale of Tracy’s attempt to find adventure on the high seas. POOR TRACE by Jon Crowley
I don’t suppose anyone would argue with the proposition that the wheel is the most important invention in the history of mankind. However, I would suggest that the compass is up there with the wheel as a significant invention because of its impact on exploration. The compass was discovered in 10th or 11th century China …
If your boat has a keel stepped mast the mast cables – antennas, navigation lights – can exit the mast below decks. If, however, you have a deck stepped mast you’ll need to get the mast cables through the deck another way. You’ll want to look at the Cableport, a wonderful Swedish design that’s standard …
When the sun has melted into the horizon like a knob of butter on a hotplate you flick on the navigation lights and prepare for a night at sea. Night sailing is at times magical, at other times intimidating. Deep water with plenty of sea room, no traffic, a gentle breeze and a big moon …
Many years ago I was crew on a sail training boat when the skipper ordered the trainee helmsman to head up into the wind. The helmsman simply abandoned the tiller, saying: “I have no idea what I’m doing”. This feeling of helplessness at the helm is a condition I’ve noticed with inexperienced sailors many times …
I’ve spent two Christmases, 1991 and 1999, anchored off uninhabited cays in the Bahamas. White sand tropical beaches in the Bahamas remind me of sand dollars and sand dollars make lovely Christmas decorations. Every year we hang our Bahamian sand dollars on our Christmas tree here in England. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year …
I once towed a disabled boat a couple of miles into a marina and received a nice bottle of wine as a reward from the grateful owner. On a sailing forum recently, someone stated that by simply accepting a tow you entitled the captain of the towing vessel to claim ownership of your boat. Nope. …