DUTCH SKIPPER’S TIPS
Lt. Cdr. Harry Dekkers skippers the Royal Netherlands Navy’s 90ft training ketch Urania, and his own 35ft cutter Lady Blue42 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com MARCH 2016
WINDDOCKAlways practice SOB
(Stay On Board), not
MOB. That means
always moving along
the windward side,
always being harnessed
on deck and always
making sure the tether
is kept short: it should
never be longer than
from your midriff to
your boots. Remember,
a human head is only
20cm tall: not much to
see when it’s bobbing
on the surface.PHOTO: DICK DURHAM/YM GRAPHIC: MAXINE HEATHA short tether, no longer
than midriff to boots, will
help you stay on boardStay on board
Mooring up short-
handed in a breeze
Take the time to
get to know your
engine better
When entering a Dutch box berth
shorthanded in a crosswind, don’t worry
about rigging lines and fenders both
sides. Instead, rig one or two fenders
to leeward, plus bow and stern lines
to windward. Let the wind push you
alongside the neighbouring boat. Once
you’ve got the bow and stern lines on and
the boat is secured, then you can worry
about the leeward mooring lines.
We have a lot of locks in Holland so
we’ve learn how to moor easily. Rig a
bow spring from the leeward headsail
sheet winch, it’s usually within reach
of the helm and more in line with the
yacht’s pivot point than a midships cleat.
Stop the boat, secure the bow spring to
the leeward side of the lock, then engage
forward. With the engine running and the
helm a touch over to push her bow onto
the wall, the vessel remains under control- you may not even need a bow line. I
have used the method for over 20 years,
often solo, and it has never let me down.
Finally, if you hand lines to someone
ashore, always tell them what you want
them to do with it, then hand them a
nicely coiled mooring line or just the loop.
PHOTO: DICK DURHAM/YMLook at your engine as a symphony
of systems: combustion (fuel),
cooling (coolant) and lubrication
(oil) - not just a collection of parts.
Find out where all the pipes go and
which fi lters they go through. The
MCA carries out a fi ve-day course,
and it’s well worth attending.Understand
your engine
and you’ll be
able to fi nd
and fi x most
problems