7 Tips For Smooth Sailing

Summer is officially here, which means people up and down the country will be free for a week or two to pursue their hobbies and past times. Families may plan a trip on a barge, or a yachting expedition. To the experienced sailor, taking the boat out for a jaunt on the bay or the open ocean can be an extremely rewarding and liberating experience. For the journeyman sailor, yachting can quickly become stressful, even dangerous, if they fail to follow certain procedures. The following are seven tips that every sailor should follow in order to have a smooth trip out on the water.

Inspecting The Sail Boat

Many procedures need to be completed before the sailboat departs the dock, in order to ensure smooth sailing. Ensuring that everything on the sailboat is in working order is essential to having a trouble free time out on the water. Do not over load your boat, make sure all gauges are checked and the deck is washed and tidied. These are some of the many procedures you should follow before setting sail. Everything should be inspected, from the anchor to the navigation system, in order to guarantee that everything is in tip-top, ship shape before leaving port.

Learning On Other Sailing Trips

If an individual owns his/her sailboat, it is extremely likely that he or she has been sailing with proficient sailors before. It is very important to pitch in when necessary on someone else's sailboat. Not only will the captain appreciate it, but more importantly, one will learn a great deal more if they get their hands dirty when taking part in such duties as pulling in the anchor and lines to raising and lowering sails. It is a great way to expedite your learning and gain natural sea faring knowledge with experience.

Packing Carefully

Packing should be done a good deal before a sail is to take place. If packing is done 5 days before a sail, other necessities will continually be added over the next few days and it is less likely you will forget to pack the essentials. It is also important that the sailor only relies on him or herself to do all of the necessary packing, this way, the gear that is present on the boat is already known. Some important items to pack are toiletries and medication, documents, passports and currency, sunglasses with a lanyard, windproof jacket, deck shoes and lip balm.

Abiding By RYA Regulations

Merchant shipping regulations require that certain equipment is aboard every ship or craft that sails in the water. If a boat is boarded by the Coast Guard and the sailor is unprepared with this equipment, some hefty fines might be in order. The equipment required includes personal floatation devices for every individual, a fire extinguisher, and emergency flares. Not only will this equipment protect the sailor from getting a fine in case the Coast Guard boards, but it also is very useful if an emergency were to arise.

Checking Weather Forecasts

This may seem like a no-brainer, but checking weather forecasts can be instrumental in preventing rough waters. Checking the weather a few days in advance, then every day till sailing day will ensure fine weather and calm seas.

Charting A Course On Paper

Although technology now exists that allows a sailor to plot a course electronically, such as GPS tackers, it can be helpful to chart it on maps as well. In the case of electronic malfunctions, a paper map will help a sailor get to where he or she needs to go.

Beware Of Going Overboard

As always, one must always be careful of falling off the sailboat. Someone going overboard and the possibility of drowning is the most dangerous threat to all members of crew. Informing the crew/passengers of the dangers of walking on the edge or running on the boat can help prevent these accidents, as can a sturdy pair of slip proof deck shoes.
Smooth sailing need not be hard with these few simple tips, you can learn some of the bare essentials every day skipper should know. 

Posted in: Boating,Sailing