Blue Water Sailing — June-July 2017

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ball valves and cleaning the antifoul-
ing and prop.
A sailor who knows their location
is one who is more at ease with her
surroundings. Complete a coastal
navigation course and become pro-
ficient at navigation so that you can
quickly and accurately plot positions
on paper charts. Practice using radar
and AIS. Starpath Radar Trainer is an
excellent computer instructional pro-
gram. If your MFD/radar is an older
unit not AIS-compatible, consider
adding a separate, stand-alone AIS
transceiver such as Vesper Marine’s
Watchmate. Another more expensive
option is to install a new integrated
MFD (multi-function display) com-
bining radar, chartplotter and AIS.
If you’re planning extended voyages,
you’ll certainly appreciate the fact that
that newer systems draw considerably
less power and are fully integrated and
easy to operate.
Establish and review emergency
procedures for crew overboard, fire,
sinking, abandon ship, rig and steer-
ing failure, first aid, communications
and tsunami response. A crew that has
an understanding of these procedures

is one that is well prepared.

Post a Sail Reduction Guide so

everyone knows the correct sail com-

bination for specific wind speeds.

Having reliable wind speed and direc-

tion instruments takes the guesswork

out of determining appropriate sail

combinations. Ensure that everyone

understands how the sails are handled,

including reefing and safe winch

procedure. Can the main be reefed in

under three minutes? If heading off-

shore, gain an understanding of storm

management tactics and if possible,

formulate a plan. Practice the deploy-

ment of storm tactics and devices.

Don’t overload your boat as that

makes it slower and more vulnerable

to damage from breaking seas. Estab-

lish dedicated safe stowage procedures

Make sure batteries are safely secured

Provisioning carefully will help crew morale