(^40) BLUE WATER SAILING • June / July 2017
{ FITTINGOUT }
both above and below decks. Evalu-
ate and eliminate items on deck and
below to keep your boat free of clutter
that might become airborne during
storm conditions or slip down into
the bilge and block the bilge pump.
Prepare your vessel for a knockdown
or for a large wave dumping into the
cockpit; you may need to add a pin or
strap to secure companionway wash/
drop boards. Ensure that batteries,
floorboards, locker doors and drawers
are substantially secured.
Keeping your crew hydrated and fed
is important not only for morale but it
turns into a seaman-
ship issue in heavy
weather. A crew that
is not well nourished
or properly hydrated
will sooner suffer
from fatigue, which
often leads to poor
judgment. Provision
with meals that are
easily prepared by
anyone aboard and include some
freeze dried meals and healthy, high-
energy snacks such as trail mix, gra-
nola bars, instant porridge and soup,
dried fruit and nuts. A top plunger
Thermos strapped into a corner of
our galley counter saves us having
to boil the kettle each time we’d like
a hot drink or instant meal. If a boat
has skanky-tasting tank water, plan
on thoroughly cleaning the tank and
consider installing a quality water
filter to purify your drinking water.
Nothing affects your safety and
comfort on the water more than
weather. Learn the dynamics of
weather patterns by ideally taking
a marine weather course, or at least
studying Chris Tibbs’ RYA On-Board
Weather Handbook. Get in the habit of
checking the weather daily, whether
via internet, on the television, in the
newspaper or on the VHF. Have a
method for getting weather updates
at sea. A simple no-cost resource we
use daily worldwide are GRIB (grid-
ded bianary files) forecasts from http://www.
saildocs.com received over an Iridium
satphone. Occasionally, requesting a
detailed text forecast from a private
weather router such as http://www.com-
mandersweather.com or http://www.wriwx.
com can prove invaluable, particularly
in an area of dynamic and volatile
weather conditions such as crossing
the Gulf Stream or Bay of Biscay.
When undertaking a passage with
two people where there is an in-
creased chance of rough conditions,
consider taking an experienced third
crew person. An extra watch person
greatly decreases your chance of sleep
deprivation (three hours on watch and
six off instead of three on, three off).
This may also be a requirement of your
insurance company, particularly on
your first offshore passage.
AT SEA
Basic seamanship follows protocols
and rules born from tradition. Compe-
tency, organization and prudent deci-
sion making along with a continual
awareness of safety generally creates
a happy ship with minimal drama.
Often an errant event can snowball
into something more serious so trial
and error may not be the best method
of learning for the beginning sailor.
Slowly build your skills realizing
that everyone learns differently; for
example, some people are tactile learn-
ers, learning by repetition while others
are conceptual learners, learning easily
by studying diagrams or instructions.
Establish a watch schedule. Many
cruising couples alternate three hour
watches at night and sharing watches
during daylight hours. Standing
watch in a sheltered location in the
cockpit rather than below increases
overall situational
awareness. Hourly
log entries with
position, course,
speed, log, wind
speed and direc-
tion and baromet-
ric pressure are
an important part
of watch duties
along with plot-
ting your position on a paper chart
at least every four to six hours. Don’t
rely solely on electronic charts as some
reefs and rocks may not be displayed.
Avoid seasickness and keep every-
one involved with shipboard life. Try
to maintain a civilized routine, even
in rough weather, with set mealtimes
together. Maintain hydration and en-
courage crew to keep the boat clean
and tidy; we even post a duty rooster.
Monitor battery voltage, charging
when necessary and inspect rigging
and sails daily for signs of wear or
SECURITÉ CALL
- SECURITÉ, SECURITÉ, SECURITÉ
- This is the Sailing Yacht__
- Our position is__
- Our course is __ degrees magnetic and our speed is
__knots. - We are sailing in reduced visibility