Where more than one rope must be made up on a shoreside cleat or bollard, always pass the loop of the second and subsequent lines through the loop that was there first. The geometry of this is hard to …
NO HOOKS ON THE LEECH
Few abominations can compare with a ‘motoring leech’, but the leech line should really be the last resort in subduing the horror. If you over-tighten the line, it will end up by 'hooking’ the leech of …
MAINSAIL TWIST – THE SIMPLE TEST
When applying kicking strap or mainsheet tension to control the leech twist of a conventional mainsail, the question arises as to how hard you should be pulling. In the context of a cruising yacht, …
Tom’s Blogcast ~ 1 November 2012
TC Blogcast 1 11 12 – Greenland 4 To access this post, you must purchase The Sea Chest membership (Annual Payment) or 1 Year Gift Membership. …
WELL HEELED AND FLOATING
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.’ …