Cruising Skills and Preparation (Sailing stuff)

Prepared by Maryanne aboard Begonia

See all our tip lists | Read our Blog | Where are we now?

Once you have your boat, you need to know it, and learn how to sail that particular boat. And then there are a host of cruising stuff that you'll want to learn too... Here are a few of the things (brain-storming) you should know how to do!

This list is in progress

• Rules of the Road.
  • #1 rule is to keep a good watch
  • The rights of way are clearly defined - you should be responsible and know them (and also be aware that the other people may not - so be prepared to take emergency evasive action)
  • Lights and day signals - it is important that you know these, so you don't run over a scuba diver, or get inbetween a boat and its tow, etc.
  • Sound signals (for passing, fog, etc) - you should know these too.
  • There is a ton of resources and training avaialble, and I recommend a book we like in our Book List
• Playing with sails
  • Reefing (reducing the area) of sail
    • Know how to reef your various sails (understand the lines and the process)
    • Know what conditions (apparent and true wind speeds) to use the various reefs available to your boat in (boat manual?)
  • Know how to heave-to
  • know how to remove your sails (critical if a cyclone/hurricane is headed your way, and necessary for repairs, etc)
  • If you have a spinnaker - practice on easy, light wind days
• Using the VHF radio
  • Learn the Phoentic alphabet (useful for talking on the radio or even to spell things out via the telephone, or face-to-face when language skills are mismatched).
  • VHF - What Mode do I need to use for my VHF Radio (including handheld)? What channels/frequencies are in use? Note Canada, USA and 'International' standards use different frequencies and channel numbers
  • A basic VHF operator course is useful (sometimes required legally, country specific - check the rules/regulations)
  • Your boat may also require a station license (check the rules/regulations)
• Know your rigging
  • Running rigging (the lines that hoist and adjust the sails) - check for chafe spots, wear, ends, etc and look after it.
  • Standing rigging (the wires/lines that hold up the mast(s)) - know the tensions required and check regularly for both tension and wear/damage.
  • Inspect running and standing rigging before every sail, critical for major passages, on long passages we make a point of checking daily (catch any new chafing or other issues early!).
  • Be able to climb the mast yourself - to inspect rigging at the TOP of the mast too (we use an ATN TopClimber, but there are a host of methods) - hopefully you'll never need to do this at sea.
• Weather and weather reporting Reports
  • Do some basic weather learning - there is plenty of online resources
  • Atmospheric Pressure changes influence wind speeds and direction,
  • Wind and fetch also impact sea state
  • Wind is diverted around high and low pressures in a predictable fashion.
  • Between the North and South hemispheres the wind direction around a low or high pressure is reversed!. I always imagine a letter 'S' for the southern hemisphere and drawn from top to bottom. As I draw the S the top (high) 'c' part is around a 'high' pressure going anti-clockwise (in the southern hemisphere) and the bottom part of the S the 'low' pressure is going clockwise around the 'low pressure' region. Reverse for Northern hemisphere!
  • Know how to read a weather report (radio reports, weather charts, etc).
  • Understand what the various sea states mean for your comfort (and how sailing with and against the winds/waves in the same conditions can be very different!). Know your comfort zone!
  • Learn how a passing hurricane/cyclone will influence wind directions and speeds (so you can find the safer area to be in).
• Docking - practice!
  • Slower is nearly always better (and will cause less damage if you hit something). But for steering you need some speed (for the water flow over the rudder).
  • Prop-Walk is the tendancy of your boat to pull to one side when in reverse - you should understand if your boat does this and plan for it / use it to your advantage
  • Test your forward AND reverse gears long before you approach the dock.
  • I like to practice slow speed manouvers by a navigation marker (in deep enough waters) whenever I know I'm going to have to dock a new-to-me boat. I get a feel for how it handles and how the currents/winds influence it.. I practice approaching from different wind angles and aiming to stop the boat just 1m before the marker each time.
• Anchoring
  • Identify WHERE you will anchor. Ideally avoid damaging any seabed life (look for sandy spots, avoid weed, coral, etc). Local knowledge and/or Satellite imagry really helps identify possible locations.
  • Know the tidal range you can expect at each anchorage during your intended stay.
  • Learn how to anchor properly. Bring the boat to a stop (into dominant wind/current) - drop anchor to seabed while the boat is still stationary, continue to let out rode as you slowly drift back (if you start to see much of an angle on the line/chain going out then SLOW DOWN - you don't want to tug on the actual anchor until you have out enough scope). Once you have let out all the scope you require - then TEST (back down at power) that the anchor is set and you don't drag
  • Depth (for Scope) is measured from the seabed (deepest part of your swing circle, highest expected tide) to your anchor roller!
  • Understand that more SCOPE is your friend (where possible). A 3:1 (rode to depth) scope is only any good for a quick lunch stop when someone is on watch.. more is better (where possible). I'd never leave the boat unattended with less than 7:1 personally.
  • When anchoring consider your full swinging circle for any issue (depth, rocks, other boats/hazards). That your boat may swing differently to others (catamarans v monohulls in wind against current situations), etc...
  • Always back down/test your anchor once set to be sure you won't drag. If it does drag, lift and try again (and be sure to clear your anchor of any mud/weed before lowering again).
  • In coral atolls you may need to float your chain - practice how in advance
  • Anchor alarms are really helpful (especially for a good nights sleep)
  • While there are many different types of anchor - don't get hung up on that - scope is way more important that minor nuances between anchor brands.
  • Snubbers are a way to reduce the yank on the rode/system (and for life aboard too).
  • It is always sensible to carry at least one spare anchor and rode (a 2nd/3rd anchor and in the event you lose one).
  • Sometimes you will not be able to recover your anchor - it will be stuck... There are numerous methods to overcome this - learn them. We sometimes use a trip line in areas we are concerned about, but this can have its own issues too!
  • Some situations may require you to set two anchors to reduce swing (generally in a V shape forward of the boat, or a bow and stern anchor, but there are other options too) - work out how you can achieve this (and recover everything afterwards) - practice!
  • Some situations may require you to run a line ashore to tie to a ring/rock/tree - how will you achieve this?
  • If anchoring within a mooring field - understand that your swing circle will be very different from everyone elses.
  • If you don't know what anchor/mooring setup boaters around you are using - then ASK or consider worst case.
• Anchoring etiquette
  • First arrivals gets the rights - if you arrive at an anchorage and other people are already there - they have priority. If they think you are too close, then you should reposition (not them).
  • Don't forget your anchor light (for night) and anchor ball (for day signal)
  • Look at the forecasts and consider how your boat (and others will swing) -
  • Using an anchor float, or floating the chain sometimes isn't possible in a crowded anchorage. Be considerate or find an alternative anchorage.
• Mooring Balls - You may or may not have ever picked up a mooring ball - but even if you have, just know that there are MANY different types out there.
  • Consider approach, communication, pickup and securing your boat - Before you start the process of pickup.
  • Approach the mooring ball pointing into the dominant force of wind/current as it will be much easier to control the boat and not overrun the ball.
  • In some boats it is easier to pick up the mooring ball from the (lower) stern steps and then walk the line forward to the bow.
  • In wind against tide (or very light winds) the mooring ball may bang against your boat - you may need to get creative to avoid that
  • The stranges mooring ball we ever picked up was in Hawaii - where there is NOTHING on the surface, but you basically have to put a swimmer in the water to swim down 2m and put a line through a float and pass that back to the boat...
  • For catamarans - or any boat using 2 mooring lines - make sure each line (on each side of the boat) is totally independant, and you don't have one line threaded from one side, through the mooring ball, and back to the other side - this will simply saw away and chafe the line or the mooring pennant and leave you drifting off to sea!
  • Use your anchor alarm for mooring balls too!
• How long can you last? Understand how much of each resource you use each day/week when living aboard and so how many days you can expect your full tanks to last. If your passage is longer than that - what will you do to reduce usage or carry more? Considering your tank capacity and usage for...
  • Water - understand the size of your water tank(s). If you have multiple it is worth switching often to 'balance' the water between them. Understand how much water you use each day/week when living aboard and so how many days you can expect your full tanks to last. If your passage is longer than that - what will you do to reduce usage or carry more? Remember that if you take on extra crew (or guests) water consumption will likely shoot up! If you have a water maker (great!), then have a plan for what to do if it fails during a passage/cruise when you might suddenly have to reduce your consumption.
  • Propane - for cooking, BBQ, etc (we once had a fridge that run on propane too!)
  • Diesel - for your engines - know what your usages is in Litres/hour at your 'normal' engine RPM speed. Your distance per hour will depend upon sea conditions and travel direction - but always have a good idea of how many nm you have avaiable. We also use diesel for heating our boat so we need to factor that in too if in cooler climates.
  • Petrol (if you use it)
  • Batteries - be familiar what what boat equipment uses what power, and be sure you don't run out (fridge, chart plotter, radar, etc..). It is a good idea to turn things on and off as you watch the power draw (in Amps). Work out how many amp-hours your battery system has and know how low you can draw your batteries (lead acid are very different from Lithium, etc). Will your setup work?
  • Medications
  • Provisioning - a huge topic and another where eveyrone is different
  • Trash/Rubbish - how/where will you store your rubbish? Know the rules regarding what (if anything) you can toss overboard or burn ashore. Best of all avoid taking aboard any packaging that you don't need, and have a plan to clean/crush/store all your rubbish/trash until you can get to an appropriate place to deposit it.
  • etc.. You should know if your boat has other consumables aboard... do the same for everything.
• Major Sea Passages - boats don't tend to sail around the world in direct lines, but capture the currents and avoid the head winds. This means we need to understand the global and local currents and winds and know where to find that information.
  • Pilot Charts - show expected winds for each month of the year for major waterways/oceans.
  • Books such as Jimmy Cornell's "World Cruising Routes" help shortcut that learning process
• Dinghy Docks - this can be a strange world. But there are a few things you should be aware of
  • Know the rules and follow them, is it public/private? is there a time limit?
  • Consider the changes in tide and current that you can expect while you are away from your dignhy? Will your dinghy end up under the docks? pushed against rocks? or exposed nails?. Will it ground? Will your line be long enough at low tide (or will you return to find your dinghy well out of the water and hanging from its line?)
  • However you secure your dinghy - be sure other boats can access/use the dock too. Ideally allow your boat to be moved (if necessary) by other boaters.
  • If you need to secure/padlock your dighy - be extra sure this does not prevent other boaters from accessing and using the dock (may need an extra long lock cable - go prepared).
  • If other boaters are using the dock, then DO NOT lift your outboard engine. Your blades may puncture another dinghy, it's just not cool to do that! If you really can't stay at the dock without lifting the outboard (due to falling tide), then consider beaching your dinghy instead
  • Sometimes you may also want to use a stern anchor to hold your boat off any potentially damaging surfaces (as tides/currents change, especially against a surface of sharp rocks or expposed nails, etc).
  • If multiple dinghys are sharing a cleat/bollard - then please don't secure your padlock so the other boaters are stuck until you return
  • If multiple dinghys are sharing a cleat/bollard - then find a way to be sure they don't all have to undo your line to get to theirs? (Or accept the fact that they will, and they might not secure it back the way you would like)
• Flag etiquette
  • Your Own country flag - normally flies at the back of the boat and (if you are also flying a courtesy flag for the country you are visiting) should be lower than any courtesy flags.
  • Q flag (yellow rectrangle) indicates you are awiting medical clearnance at a country you have recently arrived in. When flying this flag you should not accept visitors (except officials). Once you get clearance you can replace this with the Courtesy flag
  • Courtesy flag (the flag of the country you are currently vising) - should be flown from the starboard spreaders (assuming you are a sailboat).
  • Any Yacht club/other flags should be flown from the port spreaders
  • Any other country flags (guests aboard, whatever) should be flown from the port spreaders
• Health
  • Protect yourself and the crew from Skin Cancer: Shade, sunscreen, hats, long sleeves/trousers, etc. Farmers and Sailors with their outdoor lives have the worst record for skin cancer and it is so easy to protect yourself in you plan ahead.

  See all our tip lists | Read our Blog | Where are we now?