Dos and Don'ts ?

[Eric50]

Hi everybody,

Let's try:

Before having the boat:
Do sail as much as you can and on as different type of boat you can.
Do read as much as you can.
Do take course on renown sail schools.
Do take course for license when or where necessary.
Do find what is the material you are the more familiar with (in term of using this material for construction / repair / maintenance).
Do decide what will be your sailing program in the future.

Once you have the boat and before going at sea:
Do check everything from top of the mast to the bottom of the keel once a year.
Do check functions (switch on everything or make it running...).
Do check the engine and also the transmission back anf forward.
Do check the levels of fluids, all.
Do check your equipement to ensure nothing is missing.
Do prepare and gear everything you can before leaving the harbour (sails, ropes...navigation plan, and also food and drinks...), to avoid unecessary activities at sea that waste your time and energy when you need it the most for important action.
Do prepare your navigation for the first day at least, meaning review your routes and charts, set your GPS, etc..
Do check the weather forecast, always.
Do sort and clean the boat (personnal belongings...).
Do set the life lines and harness for everybody.
If you plan to sail at night, do prepare alreday all the "night sailing" gear as projectors, floodlights...
Do check, and replace if necessary, the batteries in the various equipement, clocks, GPS...
Do check the boat's batteries and charge them if not yet done.
Do a safety induction to your guest on safety equipement location and how to use them before departure.
Do a quick induction for VHF and other man over board porcedure for those not familiar with your equipement.
Do remind the safety rules to the crew (harness...).
Do check the boat documentation (the mandatory one and the one you'll specifically need for the cruise).
Do check validity dates for the equipements that have one (flares...).
Do choose an easy start for your cruise (easy navigation, nice weather...).

Once you are ready to leave the harbour:
Do check that everybody is ready, available and aware.
Do ensure that the way to leave the dock and untie is weel understood by the crew.
Do start the engine before releasing the lines...
Do check around that the way is free.
Do ask everybody to look around.
Do choose a place with room enough to haul the sails, off the traffic.
Do sort the mooring lines and fenders before setting the sails.
Set the sails with all the reefing lines on if you are not doing regatta and on a cruise mode.
Once under sail keep the boat tidy before enjoying and relaxing.
update your logbook.
Check the navigation.

Sorry I have to go, but I'll carry on in a next post.

[atoll]

do not sail out of sight of land
,never sail at night
,and make sure you have some rum handy..........

[captainKJ]

Originally Posted by atoll

do not sail out of sight of land
,never sail at night
,and make sure you have some rum handy..........

I think you have been drinking rum for breakfast. Never sail out of sight of land????? how do you cross the atlantic or pacific?????

Never sail at night????? how do you get anywhere?????


rum handy can never have enough onboard

[YankeeD]

Thanks for all the help , people, MarkPierce, you sound like an unhappy guy , don't need your bad vibes.

[YankeeD]

Pierce, you sound like a know-it-all unhappy guy, don't need your advice. Sailing so far has been awesome, positive, fun, challenging , and here you are calling people jerks on the forum. I'm on here to escape people like you on the Washington beltway.

[captainKJ]

Dont make it personal guys. markpierce brought up a valid point for new sailors, maybe could have been worded differently.

[YankeeD]

again, not why I'm on here.

[captainKJ]

then why are you here??

[YankeeD]

well, so much for this thread. It was fun for a while.

[captainKJ]

you asked for does and donts,,,,,if you spend enough time on the water you will see what markpierce was talking about. dont take it personably,

[Khagan1227]

Welcome aboard YankeeD.

My most important rule is to have FUN, otherwise, what's the point?

[SimonV]

Do Not......flush the head, or worse empty the holding tank when the kids are swimming around the boat.

[captainKJ]

That depends on whose kids they are and how noisy they are

[atoll]

Originally Posted by SimonV

Do Not......flush the head, or worse empty the holding tank when the kids are swimming around the boat.

daddy"i found a marsbar floating in the water"............

[captainKJ]

It's no big deal - Caddyshack (1980)


video says it all

It's no big deal - Caddyshack (1980) - YouTube