A gallon can of malt vinegar costs next to nothing compared with most yacht unctions, yet it has many uses on board. In addition to revitalising a plate of chips rendered beyond salvation by a route …
Lifting a swimmer
The subject of how to lift a man-overboard casualty is endlessly mooted in sailing schools and among cruising people. If a boat has an electric or hydraulic anchor winch with a warping drum, however, …
Sea fog cooking in the islands
The sort of fog caused by warm moist air moving over colder water often clears up as you approach a shore-line with the wind blowing off it. This is because the air is dried as it passes across the …
Heads down, but take it easy
The secret of happy gybing lies in how the boat is steered. With enough breeze to make gybing an issue, steer 5° or 10° above a dead run, then heave the mainsheet right in and make it fast. Now steer …
Running a Back Bearing
This method for keeping a boat on track as she moves down a safe line from a known charted object is moderately accurate. The trouble is that deciding which way to turn when the reversed bearing …
Checking for drag
By far the best method of observing whether or not an anchor is dragging is to find a natural transit of two objects more or less abeam when the boat is head-up to the hook. For crispness, these want …
