While sailing coastal waters, we might see lights of different colours at night, and buoys of different shapes and colours during the daytime. With just a few differences, the light characteristics, shapes and colours will be the same all over the world. You will need to know what they mean in order to sail safely, …
Read more “Sail training theory tutorial 8: buoys and buoyage part I”
Continued from part I (go back). Cardinal marks These show sailors where they can expect safe water. A north cardinal mark means there is safe water to the north of the buoy (maybe also the east and west, but don’t be certain), an east cardinal mark means there is safe water to the east of …
Read more “Sail training theory tutorial 8: buoys and buoyage part II”
Porpoises, whales, dolphins, sturgeon… any of these within three miles of the UK coast technically belong to Queen Elizabeth II, and she’ll have you in the Tower for a swift height-reduction operation if you bother them. Well, maybe the punishment isn’t really that extreme – but anyone who harasses, injures or kills a cetacean in …
Read more “Environment: don’t disturb the dolphins (or the Queen will be very angry)”
Gone are the days when a skipper in the UK could hop aboard their own boat and go exploring Europe without a care in the world. Brexit has locked British sailors into not so splendid isolation, effectively making any passage more than 12 miles from shore a bureaucratic nightmare. So what’s changed? And who is …
Read more “Captain’s notes: how Brexit bombed British sailing (and who to blame)”
Anyone who spends their sailing life in the Baltic or the Mediterranean could be forgiven for thinking that the sea is a constant. Either it’s there, or it’s not. Sure, there can be significant current where water funnels through narrow spaces such as the Messina Strait or the Strait of Gibraltar, but no tide to …
Read more “Sail training theory tutorial 7: introduction to tides”
The radio on your boat is one of the most important pieces of safety equipment. With a fixed unit at the chart table and a handheld in the cockpit, you’re always set up for communication whatever the situation – whether you’re calling the marina to announce your arrival, letting Dover know you’re passing by, or …
Read more “Sailing resources: top 10 tips for getting the most out of your VHF marine radio”
Sailors can be a superstitious bunch. It’s hardly surprising, given the dangers of life at sea in years gone by – but even now, there are some who look out for portents that might please or displease Neptune (pictured below in Gdańsk), and none of them are taught on the RYA Dayskipper courses. So what …
The Shipping Forecast is practically a British Institution. It’s listened to by sailors and landlubbers alike for the poetry of its sounds. It’s also complete gibberish unless you know the special code, which is also used in many other forecasts. So what does it all mean? Before reading on, we recommend that you download your …
When land and sea come into contact, this will inevitably influence the behaviour of the wind. And, the temperature of the land, sea and air will combine to produce different types of fog. Understanding how these happen will help you sail more safely, and this knowledge is vital for Yachtmaster and other sailing qualifications. In …
Read more “Sail training theory tutorial 6: weather – sea fog, land fog and coastal winds”
Amid lockdowns, travel restrictions and other COVID-19 curbs, many boat owners won’t have had an opportunity to get their boats out of the water and lavish a little TLC on the hull. We’re among them, so we started looking at issue of antifouling with a view to finding a compromise between the needs of Amneris …