ix
A Note to My Fellow Skippers
How many times have you wished for a system of easy-to-learn, easy-to-remember
techniques that work the fi rst time, the second time, and every other time you try
them? Th is book was written for skippers by a skipper who has been frustrated
by the crushing amount of information that—for the most part—doesn’t seem
to quite measure up to what I call the repeatability factor.
Several years ago, commercial fi shermen petitioned the Coast Guard to keep
its Loran-C navigation system active because of its superior repeatability. Once
they’d found a lucrative fi shing ground, these hardy seamen wanted to return
to it again and again. Loran-C earned their highest respect for its ability to take
them back to those exact coordinates time aft er time aft er time.
Repeatability is the essence of seamanship under power or sail. What works
today should work tomorrow on my boat, your boat, or any other boat out
there—without a whole lot of fuss. In fair weather or storm, in pea soup fog or a
sparkling night under a canopy of stars, simple is good and simpler is better.
So it is with navigation skills. You need a system that works in a comfy cabin
or—because small crews rarely have the luxury of navigating from the cabin—in
the cockpit or fl ying bridge, exposed to wind, rain, and spray. I once captained a
Bertram 47 that took spray all the way back to the fl ying bridge, even in moder-
ate weather, yet I still had to navigate with traditional chart and compass. Th is
book will show you how to set up the series of charts for an entire trip and fi t
them onto a portable, one-handed clipboard. We’ll explore the quickest, most
accurate ways to navigate to the next marina, across the Gulf Stream, or to islands
beyond the horizon. If your electronics go on the blink, this book will show you
the easiest, fastest methods to fi nd your way from Point A to B.
We’ll look at the vital skill of short tacking up a narrow channel with
shoals or boats on both sides. I’ve oft en observed apprehension in even the
most experienced sailors when they’re forced to practice this important skill.
And yet, time and again, I’ve welcomed guys and gals from the desert who have
never set foot on a boat, taken them aboard a sailboat of nearly 30 feet, and
had them short tacking like a racing crew in less than 20 minutes. Th e secret
to success lies in preparation, coordination, and crystal-clear communication.
INTRODUCTION