When you are aground and struggling to heel the boat over so as to reduce her draft, a handy method is to swing the boom as far out as it will go with a crew volunteer hanging onto the end ─ the …
GIVE THE DIVER AN EVEN BREAK
Learning all the code flags is no longer a part of any yachting syllabus, but every watchkeeper must be aware of the meaning of flag ‘A’. It says, ‘I have a diver down. Keep well clear at slow speed.’ …
IF IN DOUBT, WIND SHIP
Occasionally it is necessary to sail off a mooring with other yachts moored abeam on both sides and all of you head to wind. Having decided on the favoured tack, you will usually be confident either …
WHOSE RIGHT OF WAY?
A useful aide-memoir when crossing another vessel in daylight with both boats under power, is to ask yourself which of her sidelights you would be seeing if it were dark. A red (port) light would …
A LULL IN THE STORM
The cold front is often the most spectacular feature of a weather system, with violent squalls, towering cloud formations, veering wind and perhaps dramatic quantities of precipitation. After the …
HEELING ERROR
The effects of changes of heading on some steering compasses are well known and are tabulated as deviation. Heeling can also displace a compass needle in some vessels on certain headings, especially …
