It is well known that three or four times the maximum expected depth of water is a good starting-point for deciding scope when anchoring with chain cable. This rule is not cast in stone, however, and …
HEADS DOWN, BUT TAKE IT EASY
Gybing an yacht below 40ft or so in a light breeze, it is generally a waste of effort to pull in the mainsheet. Just gathering the parts and manhandling the boom across is perfectly safe. As the wind …
GIVE THE CREW A CHANCE
Always try to steer through a tack rather than just shoving the helm over and hoping for the best. If you go about too sharply the jib-sheet handlers will have a tough job winding in the genoa. Life …
KEEP ON TRACK
For close piloting inshore, it is important to steer down a straight track from one navigation mark to the next. Merely ‘aiming’ the boat will not be enough if there is any cross-set. As soon as you …
HANG ONTO YOUR RUDDER
It is unusual for a modern yacht to lie a’hull in a storm, but if this should ever be your lot, lash your helm amidships. If you lash the tiller to leeward and the boat gathers way after being knocked …
DON’T BE TOO QUICK TO BELIEVE
When dealing with a daymark in an area strange to you, it pays to resist the temptation to leap to conclusions. Sometimes its identity will be obvious beyond any reasonable doubt, but if you have even …
