sailingsmart
Complete Seamanship for Cruisers
Part 2: Best practices at sea by John Neal
AT SEA
at least every four to six hours. Don’t rely Basic seamanship follows protocols and solely on electronic charts as some reefs rules born from tradition. Competency, and rocks may not be displayed. organization and prudent decision mak- Avoid seasickness and keep everyone ing along with a continual awareness of involved with shipboard life. Try to safety generally creates a happy ship maintain a civilized routine, even in rough with minimal drama. Often an errant weather, with set mealtimes together. event can snowball into something more Maintain hydration and encourage crew serious so trial and error may not be the to keep the boat clean and tidy. Monitor best method of learning for the begin- battery voltage, charging when necesning sailor. Slowly build your skills realizing sary and inspect rigging and sails daily for that everyone learns differently; for ex- signs of wear or anything amiss. Considample, some people are tactile learners, er checking in with a radio/weather net learning by repetition while others are with your daily position report. This often conceptual learners, learning easily by relieves anxiety for those new to passage studying diagrams or instructions. making. Establish a watch schedule. Many cruising couples alternate three-hour watches at night and sharing watches during daylight hours. Standing watch in a sheltered location in the cockpit rather than below increases overall situational awareness. Hourly log entries with position, course, speed, log, wind speed and direction and barometric pressure are an important part of watch duties along with plotting your position on a paper chart 24 Multihulls Today • spring 2023
Ensure that everyone understands the watch instructions and have them written in the log book. Maintain leadership, responsibility and open communication. Encouraging communication of problems promptly is an excellent way of avoiding misunderstandings. Sail your boat to the conditions. Modern sailboats sail best at moderate angles of heel, not with the rail under water due