http://www.bwsailing.com^43RESOURCES
On-Board Weather Handbook, Chris Tibbs, International
Marine
Understanding Weatherfax, Mike Harris, Sheridan House
Illustrated Navigation, Ivar Dedekam, Fernhurst Books
Offshore Cruising Companion, John and Amanda Neal, http://www.
mahina.com
World Cruising Routes, Jimmy Cornell
Surviving the Storm, Steve Dashew. http://www.Setsail.com
Radar Trainer, http://www.starpath.com
Heavy Weather Cruising, Tom Cunliffe, Fernhurst Books
Black Wave, John and Jean Silverwood, Random House
Ten Degrees of Reckoning, Hester Rumberg, Penguin BooksSEAMANSHIP AT ANCHOR
Seamanship doesn’t end once your
anchor is down. Make a practice of
always plotting your GPS position on
a paper chart as soon as you drop an-
chor in a new bay. This is a quick and
simple way to check chart accuracy.
Ensure you always have an "out" if
the anchorage conditions change. It’s
prudent to set a course and enter way-
points to an alternative anchorage in
event of a major wind shift. If possible,
dive to check the set of the anchor.
If the wind should increase substan-
tially or change direction, put out to
sea, move to a more protected anchor-
age or set additional anchors. Don't
wait to see what other skippers do.
Monitor the position of surrounding
vessels as they may prove to be your
highest risk.
If you’re safely anchored and an ar-
riving vessel anchors directly upwind
of you or in a way that blocks you from
raising your anchor or you don’t feel
comfortable don't hesitate to either re
anchor in another spot or ask the new
arrivals to move. After you've had a
few boats drag down on you during a
midnight squall you'll understand that
this affects the safety of both vessels.
Sailors can be like sheep, exhibit-
ing strong herd instincts. If there is
only one vessel anchored in a bay, an
arriving skipper may anchor as close
as possible to them. Don't be guilty of
this; perhaps the crew of the original
vessel enjoys their privacy.
Gaining seamanship skills should
be viewed as an ongoing process. Con-
tinually look for ways to increase your
knowledge and practical applicationof shipboard tasks and procedures.
Ensure your vessel is well maintained
and always have consideration for the
comfort and safety of all aboard.John & Amanda’s current boat, Mahina
Tiare III is a Hallberg-Rassy 46 which
they have sailed 198,280 miles since
launching in 1997. They update their
website, http://www.mahina.com by satellite
from around the world.
John and Amanda Neal annually sail
10,000 miles teaching seamanship and
related skills on ocean passages aboard
Mahina Tiare III. Details and expedition
logs on http://www.mahina.com.BWS