Bluewater Briefings
Library of briefings and resources to educate the Bluewater Dreamer and to support the Bluewater Cruiser
Bluewater Dreamers
Both Dreams & Cruisers will find the extensive library and resources helpful whether in preparation for a life-at-sea or in maintain a vessel and making safer passages.
Library
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Working Sample Briefing
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Bluewater Briefings
Concise, practical topics for cruisers updated regularly and written by request.
| Title | Summary | Created | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
AIS & Radar Utilization |
AIS tells you who and what; radar proves something is there. Learn to fuse them: chart overlays, Doppler/MARPA, guard zones, and CPA/TCPA calls. Tune each watch, verify mismatches, and keep a Rule-compliant lookout so day, night, and fog decisions are faster—and collisions less likely. | ||
Abandon-Ship Decision Model |
When things go bad, decide with discipline—not panic. This model walks crews through Stabilize → Communicate → Prepare → Decide → Execute. Use clear triggers, drill grab-bag and raft launch, and layer DSC/MAYDAY/EPIRB for rapid SAR. Step up into the raft only when the hull can’t keep you safer. | ||
Anchoring Fundamentals |
Anchor with confidence: choose the right gear, pick sand or firm mud, calculate scope, and set hard in reverse. Transfer load to a snubber/bridle, confirm swing room, and use transits/alarms for drag detection. Adjust for shifts, current, and crowding—and avoid sensitive habitats. Calm, repeatable process = calm nights. | ||
Anguilla |
Anguilla for cruisers: clear in/out at Road Bay (Sandy Ground), then buy a cruising permit to visit other bays and marine-park moorings. Anchor in sand, mind northers, and follow no-anchoring zones. Expect fees for clearance, permits, and some moorings. Stock up, snorkel Prickly Pear/Sandy Island, and enjoy easy shore access. | ||
Antigua & Barbuda |
Antigua & Barbuda for cruisers: clear at English Harbour, Jolly Harbour, or St. John’s; fly Q on arrival. Expect cruising/port fees and possible overtime. Trades steady Dec–May; plan conservatively in hurricane season. Anchor in sand, use park moorings. Visit Barbuda, Nelson’s Dockyard, and west-coast services. | ||
Aruba |
Aruba—outside the main hurricane belt—has steady trades and reliable services. Hail Port Control on VHF 16 and clear at Oranjestad (immigration → customs → port); fly Q until admitted. Anchor only where permitted; marinas simplify clearance. Fuel/repairs in the capital; highlights: Antilla wreck, Arikok NP, Palm/Eagle beaches. | ||
Auxiliary & Redundancy |
Practical playbook for building graceful failure into your boat: independent backups for propulsion, steering, power, bilge, fuel, water, nav/comms, and anchoring. Design choices, spares, and drills make redundancy resilient and testable for passagemaking crews. | ||
Bahamas |
700 islands, clear banks, steady trades—then winter fronts that clock winds. Pre-file in Click2Clear, fly Q, and clear in person at a Port of Entry. Permit tiers (≤49’, 50–99’, 100+); fishing permit separate. Cross banks in daylight; cuts rip in wind-against-tide. Depart with C28A/C36A outward clearance. | ||
Barbados |
First landfall for many Atlantic crossings. Clear at Bridgetown—immigration → customs → port authority—then anchor in Carlisle Bay or berth as directed. Approach via marked channels; mind reefs and swell. Expect modest fees, good provisioning and services, reliable trades, and easy island exploring. Verify visas, forms, and hours before arrival. | ||
Battery Tech (AGM vs LiFePO4) |
AGM: simple and cold-tolerant; plan ~50% usable DoD and slower charging. LiFePO₄: 80–90% usable, lighter, fast-charging, long life—needs a solid BMS, alternator current-limiting/DC-DC, and low-temp charge lockout. For either, protect every conductor, use shunt-based SoC, and document settings for survivable failures. | ||
Belize |
Reef-protected cruising with shallow banks and coral cuts—plan daylight eyeball nav. Clear at Belize City, San Pedro, Placencia (and other POEs): fly Q, master ashore, Immigration → Customs → Port. Many nationals visa-free; typical initial stay ~30 days with extensions at Immigration. Marine reserves use fees/moorings; fishing license required. Prime season Dec–May; Jun–Nov brings squalls/tropicals—tuck early for northers. | ||
Bermuda |
Bermuda is a key North Atlantic stop for yachts transiting between North America, the Caribbean, and Europe. This brief covers entry rules, clearance, ports, cruising logistics, fees, weather windows, and safety for recreational crews. | ||
Bilge Systems & Flood Control |
Detect early, pump hard, and wire clean: fit high-water alarms in all compartments, staged pumps (independent circuits/float switches), and short, large-bore discharges with anti-siphon breaks. Size from real pump curves (head, friction, voltage drop), provide manual overrides, and keep portable/crash-pump options. Drill damage control (soft plugs, collision mat, raw-water diversion), and maintain with routine tests, clean strainers, and labeled schematics. | ||
Boat Electrical Systems |
Design for clarity and fault-tolerance: sources → protection → distribution → loads, with AC and DC kept distinct. Fuse every positive near the battery, size tinned cable for ≤3% drop, and use sealed crimps. On AC, fit ELCI/RCD at the inlet, correct neutral/grounding, and consider isolation/galvanic protection. Right-size banks and coordinate charge setpoints (LFP needs BMS, low-temp charge lockout, and alternator limiting); monitor with a shunt. Keep labeled schematics, strain-relieved wiring, and do seasonal torque/ELCI tests plus bilge-circuit checks. | ||
Bottom Paint Strategy |
Match chemistry to your waters and use: ablative for movers, hard for frequent scrubs/trailers, hybrid for balance, foul-release for clean active use, aluminum-safe for aluminum or fresh water. Verify compatibility (log existing coats; tie-coat or strip), fix blisters, control film build, and apply within temp/dew-point windows while honoring recoat/launch times. Plan maintenance—gentle cleans matched to paint, seasonal fouling checks, photo-doc at haul-out—to keep performance high and costs predictable. | ||
Brokerage Strategy |
A practical playbook to buy or sell through a broker: define your mission brief and non-negotiables, pick a buy-side specialist, and source via MLS, off-market, and class networks. Move fast from LOI to a PSA with insured escrow, tight timelines, and a smart contingency stack (clear title, survey/sea trial, engine/rig inspections, insurance/financing). Use comps and survey deltas to negotiate, and pre-book haulout, documentation, and logistics so you can close cleanly and get underway. | ||
Canada |
Canada offers vast cruising from BC’s Inside Passage and Atlantic Canada to the St. Lawrence, Great Lakes, and canals. On first landfall, report by phone to CBSA at a designated TRS/M site with passports and a full goods declaration (most visitors get up to six months; eTA isn’t required for marine arrivals). Carry vessel papers and required safety gear, monitor CCG/Environment Canada for NAVWARNs and weather, and plan for seasonal lock hours, Parks Canada fees, and regional environmental rules. | ||
Canvas & Brightwork Care |
Keep canvas, sailcloth, and brightwork shipshape with a field-ready program that makes fabrics bead water, zippers glide, and varnish hold its gloss. Covers cleaning and reproofing, hardware and seam upkeep, disciplined varnish cycles, plus seasonal workflows, documentation, and a minimal kit you can execute anywhere. | ||
Catamaran Sail Plans |
Build the inventory around a square-top main (3 reefs) and self-tacking jib, then add a furling Code 0/screecher for 5–15 kt and an asymmetric or Parasailor for deep reaches to keep the engines off. Reef early, tune the rig, and use structured-luff/continuous-line furlers—backed by a storm jib/trysail and critical spares—for fast, repeatable, short-handed sailing across a broad wind envelope. | ||
Charging Failure Underway |
Lose charging underway? This playbook walks you through immediate load-shedding, five-minute meter checks, and the most common alternator/regulator failure patterns—plus lithium-bank protections to avoid alternator damage. Finish with get-home contingencies (solar/DC-DC/“dark ship”) and a tight spares/tools list so you can stabilize, diagnose, and keep moving without frying expensive gear. | ||
Charging Systems & Inverters |
Build a predictable, standards-aware AC/DC charging system: alternator + smart regulator or A2B/DC-DC (with temp/current limiting for LiFePO₄), quality shore/solar charging, and inverter/chargers with correct transfer switching and ELCI/RCD protection. Put OCP near every source, keep DC negative/AC ground/bonding tidy and documented, then commission with logged temps, verified setpoints, and a clear run/shutdown checklist. | ||
Choosing Your Cruising Grounds |
Pick cruising grounds with intent: align seasonality and prevailing winds, match routes to your boat’s draft, range, and crew, and verify visas, permits, and environmental rules. Weigh infrastructure, safety, and insurance limits. Choose fast loops vs slow arcs, then execute with pilot charts, routing, and a practical pre-departure checklist. | ||
Coastal Piloting |
Coastal piloting demands meticulous planning, conservative margins, and constant cross-checks—visual/radar/echo-sounder against chart/ENC and GNSS—with frequent fixes and early, small course corrections. Build routes around ranges/transits, clearing & danger bearings, tides/currents, comms, and explicit abort points; brief roles and tighten fix intervals as risk rises (night/RV, traffic, shoals). Keep Coast Pilot/Sailing Directions, ENC updates, and checklists (pre-dep, approach, night/RV, post-transit) current to turn complexity into a repeatable workflow. | ||
Coastal Weather Tactics |
Turn forecasts into decisions: anticipate with synoptic charts and tides/currents, then nowcast with buoys, radar/satellite, barometer, and what the water’s telling you. Exploit or avoid microclimates—sea-breeze bands, headland/gap jets, wind-against-current rips, and fog pockets—by timing departures, skimming lee pockets or tapping jets, and setting tripwires (max wind, gust factor, wave steepness, bar limits). Reef early, route with bail-outs every 15–25 NM, slow or heave-to for squalls or fog, and keep reserve RPM for bars. | ||
Collision Avoidance Culture |
Build a collision-avoidance culture, not just COLREGs recall: brief the plan, set CPA/TCPA guardrails, keep a proactive lookout, and take early, unmistakable Rule-compliant action. Use radar/ARPA/AIS as aids (not crutches), lean on parallel indexing and visual bearings, slow down when in doubt, avoid VHF “agreements,” and train closed-loop comms with post-event debriefs so safe habits stick. | ||
Communication Failures |
Stabilize, spin up an alternate path, then run the five-minute triage: voltage under TX, antenna/SWR integrity, config & GPS feed, placement, and device self-tests—before system-specific checks for VHF/DSC, AIS, SSB, and satellite. Make fixes durable with labeled wiring/NMEA paths, spare antennas & connectors, and scheduled tests that log TX current, RSSI, and SWR so faults are caught early and resolved fast. | ||
Communication: VHF & DSC in Practice |
Practical VHF/DSC playbook: install a Class-D set with a proper masthead antenna and GNSS feed, program your MMSI, and keep a disciplined Ch 16 watch. Use DSC to set up calls and for one-button distress with position; drill the Mayday script and test GNSS/DSC, range, and audio before passages. | ||
Communications at Sea (Overview) |
Layer your comms: VHF/DSC and AIS for coastal traffic and distress, MSI/NAVTEX for warnings, satellite links offshore, and registered EPIRB/PLBs as the backstop. Clean installs, proper licensing/watchkeeping, routine tests, and built-in redundancy turn that stack into a resilient system from day hops to bluewater. | ||
Corrosion & Bonding |
Keep underwater metals at the same potential with a clean, continuous bonding network tied to correctly sized anodes (aluminum for salt/brackish, zinc for salt, magnesium only for fresh). Verify with measurements—not guesses: continuity checks, Ag/AgCl potentials, and stray-current hunts (clamp meter on DC negatives, voltage to seawater). Add shore isolation (galvanic isolator or isolation transformer), log anode wear vs. water type, and fix root causes fast. | ||
Cost of Cruising (First Year) |
Your first year afloat blends living costs with a front-loaded wave of outfitting and catch-up maintenance. This guide maps the big drivers, realistic budget bands, and line items—insurance, berthing, fuel, spares, comms, formalities—and shows how to control spend with anchoring, DIY, seasonal planning, and monthly tracking. | ||
Costa Rica |
Costa Rica cruising guide for yachts. Covers arrival formalities, visas, zarpe procedures, ports of entry, required documents, fees, seasonal weather, security, and marina logistics for safe coastal and international passages. | ||
Crew Dynamics 101 |
Practical playbook for small-crew harmony offshore. Establish clear roles, simple watch systems, and spoken handovers; protect sleep and psychological safety; brief and debrief maneuvers; use closed-loop comms and headsets; build morale rituals and resolve friction early. Drills make responses automatic, turning competent passages into calm, safe, enjoyable ones. | ||
Crew Fitness & Fatigue |
Build a boat-wide fitness and fatigue program that protects sleep, manages workload, and keeps judgement sharp. Choose watch systems deliberately, detect fatigue early, and apply controls (naps, light, second lookout, slow down). Add simple mobility/strength routines, smart fuel and hydration, clear comms culture, and honest work–rest records. | ||
Cuba |
Operational country brief for Cuba: entry/exit steps, visas and D'Viajeros, documents, ports of entry, internal movement permits, fees, seasons and weather, reef navigation, marina logistics, fuel/water variability, safety and conservation notes. | ||
Damage Control Kit |
A purpose-built Damage Control Kit lets a small crew slow flooding fast and buy time to reach shelter. Stock soft/foam plugs, neoprene and a collision mat, underwater epoxy, wraps/clamps, wedges, lighting, and simple job aids in a waterproof, color-coded case (with spot kits), and pre-rig plugs at seacocks. Drill quarterly (plug/patch/pump), assign clear roles (Conn, DC Lead, Systems, Pumps, Comms), and replace consumables on schedule. | ||
Deck & Handling Gear |
Field guide to deck and handling gear for cruisers: anchors, windlasses, lines, winches, and docking systems sized for worst conditions. Focus on ergonomics, chafe control, preventive maintenance, and repeatable playbooks for safe short-handed operations. | ||
Defining Bluewater Capability |
Pragmatic framework to assess and build true bluewater readiness—vessel and crew able to operate safely offshore. Covering structure and watertight integrity; stability, motion, and reefable sail plans; propulsion, power, and tankage; redundancy and damage control; navigation, weather, and GMDSS; safety culture and medical prep; plus a commissioning/shakedown ladder. | ||
Determining Best Time to Depart on a Sailboat |
A structured guide for choosing safe sailboat departure windows—balancing weather, seas, tides, currents, and crew factors. Offers a repeatable workflow, key decision signals, and day-of runbook to maximize comfort, safety, and passage efficiency. | ||
Ditch Bag Essentials |
A ditch bag turns chaos into grab-and-go survival. Keep a buoyant, waterproof kit by the cockpit with EPIRB/PLBs, handheld VHF/DSC, signaling gear, water and thermal protection, trauma meds, and essentials in color-coded pouches (aim ≲12 kg). Drill retrieval and rotate batteries/expiries quarterly so you can move early while options are still reversible. | ||
Docking & Line Handling |
Docking is high-consequence, low-margin work—win with prep, clear comms, and minimum control speed. Rig fenders early, brief roles, and lead a midship spring first to “pin” the boat, then make breast and other springs; use lines, not bodies, to fend. Work springs to walk on/off in wind or current, and choose the last line off (usually a spring) so departures stay controlled and unhurried. | ||
Dominica |
Cruiser brief for Dominica: clear entry steps, documents, visa/ED forms, ports of entry at Portsmouth and Roseau, fees and office hours, moorings vs anchoring, seasonal weather and security notes, provisioning and repair options. | ||
Dominicon Republic |
Cruising brief for the Dominican Republic: outlines entry/exit rules, visas, passports, and documents; ports of entry like Luperón, Samaná, La Romana, Santo Domingo, Punta Cana; fees, despachos for coastal moves; seasonal routing, marina services, and skipper checklist. | ||
EPIRB/PLB & GMDSS |
Beacons and radios that get you found fast. Learn EPIRB vs PLB roles, why GNSS and registration matter, how to mount and test without false alerts, and how to wire GNSS to VHF DSC. Drill the distress flow, know cancel procedures, and use the quick troubleshooting cues to keep gear rescue-ready. | ||
Electrical Shorts and Smells |
Smell something electrical? This playbook shows how to act without feeding a fire—assign roles, de-energize suspect branches, ventilate smartly, and use IR/clamp checks to trace DC/AC shorts, overheated connectors, or battery overcharge (rotten-egg) safely underway. It closes the loop with standards-based fixes and prevention: correct OCP near sources, chafe protection and marine-grade terminations, shore-power sanity checks, documented torque/tests, and crew drills logged in your ops app. | ||
Electrical Systems |
Field guide to marine electrical systems for cruisers: design safe AC/DC architecture, size conductors and OCP, integrate alternator/solar/shore/generator, manage lithium and lead-acid banks, prevent corrosion, and apply a structured troubleshooting playbook. | ||
Electronic Nav 101 |
A practical, system-of-systems playbook for small-boat e-nav: install and calibrate GNSS/radar/AIS, keep ENCs current, and run disciplined displays with safety contours, guard zones, and CPA/TCPA alarms. Build confidence with cross-checks (radar ranges, soundings, visual transits), redundancy, and watch routines that hold up in fog, night, current, and traffic. | ||
Electronics Selection Roadmap |
Anchor choices to mission, power budget, and integration: NMEA 2000 for sensors, vendor Ethernet for radar/sonar, and 0183 bridges only where DSC/GPS require them. Sequence by risk reduction—wire VHF/DSC with GNSS first, then add AIS, radar, and finally sonar/comfort add-ons—while sizing/fusing the backbone correctly and labeling every run. Build resilience with an independent GPS/tablet, a handheld VHF, and backed-up configs (MMSI/AIS set, reset card aboard). | ||
Engine Derate & Limp-Home |
Engines derate/limp-home to save themselves—your job is to protect people, stabilize the boat, then methodically triage fuel, cooling, and electrical causes. This playbook shows how to read alarms, restore safe minimum power (filters, impellers, belts), and pilot conservatively to shelter using redundancy and clear comms. Treat limp-home as time bought, not failure: respect limits, avoid throttle bursts, and log fixes to prevent repeats. | ||
Engine Room Orientation |
Make the machinery space predictable: learn the layout, hazards, and major subsystems, and keep housekeeping tight. Run WOBBLE + SAFER checks before every start, re-check vitals in the first minutes underway, and shut down with cooling/ventilation routines. Drill fire-safe responses (ports/fixed pulls, fuel & electrical isolation) and stick to simple inspection intervals to keep leaks and surprises at zero. | ||
Financing & Insurance Basics |
Clear roadmap to marine loans and coverage. Compare lending channels, terms, collateral limits, and survey requirements. Build an all-in ownership budget (insurance, taxes, moorage, maintenance, upgrades). Choose agreed value vs. ACV, set liability and navigation territory, plan for storms, and sequence offer→survey→financing→binders for a smooth closing. | ||
Fire Prevention & Suppression |
Prevent, detect, suppress: design out ignition sources, manage combustibles, enforce LPG/electrical hygiene, and treat lithium packs conservatively. Fit loud smoke/heat detection, stage the right portable agents at exits (dry chem/foam/ABF + blanket), and install a clean-agent engine-room system interlocked to shut engines/blowers and keep the hatch closed. Train monthly and log inspections so drills, checklists, and maintenance keep you three steps ahead of a fire at sea. | ||
Fire at Sea |
Boat fires escalate in minutes. This briefing gives you an underway playbook: prevent ignition (wiring, fuel hygiene, extinguisher placement), drill roles and comms, and in the first five minutes size-up → isolate energy → attack early with the right agent—keeping engine hatches shut. Plug it into your checklists, drill logs, and equipment lifecycle tracking. | ||
Flooding Control |
Treat any rising bilge of unknown source as flooding—pumps alone won’t keep up unless inflow is stopped. First five minutes: lifejackets on; assign Helm/DC/Comms; power and verify pumps; find and isolate the source; apply plugs/wraps/collision mat/epoxy/shoring while logging times, levels, and position. Favor portable high-capacity de-watering, keep strainers clear, and if control slips, transmit DSC (PAN-PAN/MAYDAY) and ready the liferaft. | ||
Fuel Contamination Response |
Recognize fuel contamination fast—rising vacuum, dark bowls or water, engine sag or surge—and protect searoom while you restore flow. Switch duplex primaries, drain water, change elements, bleed per manual, then monitor vacuum and bowl clarity as you proceed to shelter. Prevent recurrence with polishing, shock and maintenance biocide dosing, tight seals and vents, and disciplined logs and spares integrated into your operations app. | ||
Fuel Management |
Plan conservatively to arrive with a protected reserve, using real burn data and range math. Track fuel state with calibrated sensors and reconciled logs; adjust speed, hotel loads, and generator hours to extend range. Keep fuel clean and dry with staged filtration and disciplined transfer practices, and use decision gates to slow, divert, or abort before reserves are breached. | ||
Galley at Sea |
Cooking on a moving platform changes the rules—this handbook turns hard-won best practices into a working galley playbook. Learn safe layouts and fuel discipline, smart provisioning and stowage, and food-safety routines that work when the boat is bouncing. Use the checklists to standardize menus, energy budgets, and daily habits so crews eat well, minimize risk, and keep morale high offshore. | ||
Gas & Diesel Safety |
Gasoline vapors pool low and ignite easily; diesel can atomize into high-energy spray—treat both as critical hazards. This briefing standardizes ventilation and “sniff-then-blower” starts, fueling discipline, vapor/CO detection, and diesel integrity (filtration, leak recognition, spill control). Load the drills and daily/monthly checks into your ops app so crew can rehearse and log leak response, CO alarms, and fueling-fire actions. | ||
Gelcoat Repair & Color Match |
Restore chips, scratches, and crazing with a repeatable workflow: diagnose, tint-to-match before catalyzing, overfill, fair through fine grits, then compound to gloss. Covers safe ISO/NPG practices, pigment limits, and epoxy-overcoat cautions, plus color-matching that accounts for cure shift. Use the QC checklist (low-angle inspection, thermal cycling, logged ratios) to verify near-invisible, durable results. | ||
General Country Check In/Check Out Procedures |
Before landfall, confirm ports of entry and any pre-arrival e-notices, then proceed directly to the designated arrival point. Present a tidy clearance pack and work the three streams—Immigration (people), Customs (vessel/goods), Biosecurity (hull/stores)—with courtesy and receipts. Mirror the arrival/departure checklists in your ops app so crew know roles, fees, and contingency steps if offices are closed. | ||
Greenland |
Greenland cruising guide: non-Schengen entry, visas may be required. Clearance with immigration, customs, port. Ports include Nuuk, Ilulissat, Sisimiut. Short summer season, ice/katabatic winds. GREENPOS reporting mandatory. Self-sufficiency essential. | ||
Grenada |
Grenada cruising brief: tri-island state with main entry at St. George’s, south coast bays, and Carriacou’s Tyrrel Bay. SailClear pre-arrival, Q flag, Customs/Immigration clearance required. Good services, MPAs with fees, secure dinghy/yacht, respect park moorings. | ||
Grounding Prevention |
Groundings are predictable—and preventable—when you build margin into every leg. Convert failure modes into controls: set a numeric UKC policy with dynamic allowances (squat, heel, waves, CATZOC), standardize ECDIS safety depth/contours and no-go areas, and verify with radar PI lines and visual/radar clearing ranges. Pre-brief abort points and speed profiles; if sensors disagree or margins shrink, slow down, open distance, or wait for tide. | ||
Guatemala |
Guatemala cruising brief: entry at Livingston, Puerto Barrios, Santo Tomás (Caribbean) or Puerto Quetzal (Pacific). Q flag, Immigration, Customs, Port Captain clearance. Zarpes required. Río Dulce refuge with marinas/repairs. Livingston bar shallow—time tide. | ||
HVAC & Comfort |
Comprehensive guide to marine HVAC and comfort systems: design, installation, power planning, and upkeep of AC, diesel heat, ventilation, and dehumidification. Covers sizing, maintenance, troubleshooting, and safety for reliable, quiet comfort at sea. | ||
Haiti |
Haiti cruising brief: Entry via Port-au-Prince or Cap-Haïtien; Q flag, Immigration, Customs, Port. Six-month passport validity advised; visas may be required. Limited services, security risks, fuel/water by jerry can. Anchor in sand, avoid coral. Daylight arrivals only. | ||
Health Afloat |
Cruising takes you far from shore-side care—use this guide to prevent most issues and manage the rest with targeted training, scaled medical kits, and disciplined routines. It covers seasickness, heat/cold and CO risks, food/water hygiene, trauma basics, telemedicine setup, and daily/watch checklists. Standardize crew health info and drills so small problems stay small on passage. | ||
Heavy Weather Sailing Tactics |
Storms are a system test—this guide turns heaving-to, running off with a drogue, forereaching, lying a-hull, and anchoring for fronts into step-by-step procedures you can execute at sea. Reef early, protect against chafe, pre-rig jacklines/storm sails/drogue or para-anchor, and use short watch rotations with clear triggers to shift tactics. Apply the decision matrix to match sea state and crew endurance, prioritizing motion control and fatigue management. | ||
Heel & Stability Management |
Control heel to stay fast and safe: reef early, depower with traveler/outhaul/twist, shift crew weight, and choose modes that turn puffs into height without stalling foils. Set targets for heel (≈15–20° upwind) and rudder angle, and in squalls preserve righting energy with balanced storm canvas, heaving-to, or prudent motorsailing. Standardize pre-departure checks and log wind/heel/rudder data underway to build your boat’s reliable “flat and fast” gears. | ||
Honduras |
Honduras cruising brief: Entry via Bay Islands (Roatán, Utila, Guanaja), La Ceiba, Puerto Cortés, or Pacific Gulf of Fonseca ports. Clearance with Capitanía, Immigration, Customs; zarpes required for movements. Carry full documents, insurance, crew list. Reef pilotage, hurricane prep, and security awareness essential. | ||
Hull & Structural |
Field guide to hull and structural systems: how loads flow, where failures start, and what to inspect ashore/afloat. Covers composites, aluminum, steel, and wood; damage assessment, repair methods, preventive care, documentation, and a passage-readiness checklist. | ||
Hurricane Preparation |
Hurricane prep: decide early—haul out, in-water, or relocate—then run the T-timeline. Strip windage, double long lines with chafe gear/fender boards, seal openings, ready pumps/power, and document for claims. | ||
Hurricane Survival at Anchor or Port |
Choose the safest refuge—haul out if possible; otherwise a sheltered marina with tall pilings, a verified helix mooring, or a sand/mud hurricane hole. Rig long elastic lines (crossed springs/dual pennants), heavy chafe protection, oversized fenders/boards; finish by T-12 and never remain aboard. | ||
Hurricane Survival at Sea |
Avoid, don’t endure: stay outside the 34-kt wind field and never cross the track. Set early triggers, rig storm gear, and choose simple tactics (heave-to, controlled run with drogue). Protect crew, power, steering, and communicate clearly. | ||
Import/Tax Considerations |
Cross-border cruising brings customs/tax rules that affect costs, stay limits, and paperwork. This briefing explains duty vs VAT/GST, Temporary Admission/Importation (EU/UK/NZ), and key regimes (U.S. duty, Canada GST/HST, Mexico TIP, Bahamas permits). Keep proof of status (VAT-paid/RGR), a robust papers kit, and logs/receipts to avoid surprise assessments. | ||
Interior & Domestic |
Practical guide to interior and domestic systems on cruising vessels: safe water and sanitation, galley fuel safety, efficient refrigeration, lighting and ventilation, berth comfort, and housekeeping. Includes routines, checklists, and troubleshooting for reliable daily life afloat. | ||
Jamaica |
Jamaica cruising brief: Entry at Port Antonio, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Falmouth, Kingston. Q flag, Port Health → Immigration → Customs. MAJ cruising permit required for domestic moves. Six-month passport validity advised. Reef approaches, ENE trades, northerly swells. Hurricane prep June–Nov. | ||
Jury Rigging |
Stabilize first, protect the hull, then build controllable jury systems. Steer with a drogue on a midships bridle or a lash-up rudder; rig a boom/pole as a short mast with Dyneema guys and heavy chafe gear. Use clear decision gates (continue/divert/assistance) and drill these setups. | ||
Jury Steering |
Stabilize and diagnose, then restore control with drogue-on-bridle steering, warped towlines, an emergency “soft” rudder, or (for twins) differential throttle. Lead loads to strong midships points, keep speeds moderate, and trim asymmetrically from cockpit winches. Define crew roles and decision gates (continue/divert/assist) and keep a ready kit—drogue, tackles, chafe gear, emergency tiller—drilled before you need it. | ||
Keel Types & Performance |
The keel is your underwater wing and ballast: its geometry and ballast placement set lift, leeway, and righting moment—driving pointing, motion, and safety. This guide compares major keel types and shows how fairness, alignment, structure, and mission fit convert into real VMG and seamanship gains. | ||
Kids & Schooling Afloat |
Schooling afloat: choose homeschool, virtual public, or accredited online, and align with home/host laws. Build an offline-ready curriculum, keep strong records, and schedule assessments, exams, and transcripts around cruising windows. | ||
Liferafts & Survival Craft |
Match raft to area/crew; mount for one-person launch; service on schedule; drill painter/EPIRB/boarding; stream drogue & close canopy; ration water/heat; pair EPIRB+PLBs+AIS; debrief & service after any deployment. | ||
Lifestyle Reality Check |
Clear-eyed primer for would-be liveaboards. Weather drives schedules; space, energy, and comfort are limited; maintenance and costs are variable. Build core skills, use checklists, plan risk and safety systems, and align budget and expectations. Agree crew roles and red lines. Use this to test goals and readiness before the leap. | ||
Light-Air Sailing Strategies |
Build speed first; keep flow attached. Trim deep with slight twist; ease halyards, headstay sag. Sail hotter angles; steer with sheets, small helm. Weight forward/leeward; quiet deck. Code/A-sails on; chase dark water. Log marks; motor if needed. | ||
Living on Your Boat |
End-to-end liveaboard guide: choose and configure the right boat, sort domicile/insurance, design power-water-waste systems, and set up reliable connectivity. Build safety culture, daily routines, and maintenance habits; manage comfort, provisioning, anchoring etiquette, budgets, and family/pets—plus a practical 90-day onboarding plan. | ||
MOB Recovery Under Power |
TL;DR (≤250 chars): Alarm–Point–Mark–Call. Upwind bow or side-on drift; keep casualty forward of prop. Neutral/engine off to recover via ladder/Lifesling/cradle (horizontal if cold). Assign roles, use MOB/AIS, avoid stern-first. Drill often. | ||
Man-Overboard Prevention |
TL;DR — Prevent > respond: clip in, wear PFDs w/ lights, rig inboard jackstays. First minute: shout/point, hit MOB, throw flotation. Approach on lee, secure & hoist. Use AIS/DSC beacons. Drill day/night. Treat for cold & aspiration after. | ||
Masts & Spars |
Offshore-ready rig guide: prioritize reliability and inspectability; set repeatable rake/pre-bend and tensions; maintain, protect, and log; carry spares and jury-rig options to keep masts, booms, and fittings safe under load. | ||
Medical Non-Trauma Events |
Underway medical playbook for non-trauma events: rapid recognition, 5–8-min triage, stabilize (ABCs, rewarm/cool, rehydrate), escalation thresholds, consult/evacuate early. Record vitals. Covers hypothermia, heat illness, anaphylaxis, stroke. | ||
Medical Readiness |
Owner-operator medical readiness: prevent illness/injury, tailor a medicine chest, train & drill, use checklists/logs, and set telemedical and evacuation workflows. Includes risk appraisal, core playbooks, and readiness checklists. | ||
Mexico |
Mexico cruising brief: routes on Pacific, Sea of Cortez & Caribbean; step-by-step entry (Capitanía, FMM/immigration, customs/TIP); required docs, ports, fees/zarpe; seasons & hazards (hurricanes, Tehuantepec); services, protected areas & permits. | ||
Mission Profile Worksheet |
Structured worksheet to turn voyage intent into an executable plan: define objectives and windows, architect primary/contingency routes, verify vessel readiness, set comms and tracking, align crew roles and medical, plan supplies/weight, pre-write risk gates, confirm documentation, then execute and debrief. Designed for coastal/offshore; complements float and passage plans. | ||
Multihull Considerations |
Practical guide to choosing, outfitting, and operating cruising multihulls. Covers geometry, bridgedeck clearance, appendages, rig and loads, weight/payload, heavy-weather tactics, anchoring/docking, maintenance, and a selection checklist. | ||
Navigation & Electronics |
Comprehensive guide to navigation and electronics for passagemaking: building a reliable stack of GNSS, radar, AIS, sensors, and MFDs with clean power and robust networking. Covers installation, watchstanding, maintenance, troubleshooting, and redundancy for safe coastal and offshore voyages. | ||
Nicaragua |
Nicaragua cruising brief: Entry via San Juan del Sur, Corinto, Marina Puesta del Sol (Pacific) or Bluefields/Corn Islands (Caribbean). Immigration → Customs → Port Authority. Six-month passport validity advised. Papagayo winds Nov–Mar, reef hazards on Caribbean side. Agents helpful. Carry copies, spares, cash. | ||
Night Operations |
Night-ops playbook for skippers: plan routes/alternates, verify lights–radar–AIS, maintain lookouts at safe speed, manage fatigue with watch bills, use standing orders, and pilot/anchor conservatively after dark. | ||
Oil Analysis & Trend Watching |
Used oil analysis (UOA) for cruising vessels: sample hot/clean, trend lab results (wear metals, contaminants, viscosity, TAN/TBN) to spot faults early, optimize service, and guide repairs. Includes sampling SOPs, thresholds, and logging. | ||
Outfitting Priorities |
Prioritize upgrades in five layers: 1) legal/lifesaving, 2) hull & propulsion reliability, 3) navigation/comms & visibility, 4) power, water & spares for endurance, 5) comfort. Use checklists, budgets, and shakedown debriefs to guide spend. | ||
Panama |
Panama cruising brief: Entry at Balboa/Flamenco, Cristóbal/Colón, Bocas del Toro. Clearance with Immigration, Customs, Port Captain; Q flag until pratique. Canal transits follow ACP small-craft rules. Guna Yala, Bocas, Pearl Islands, and Chiriquí offer top cruising. Pacific has big tides, Caribbean steadier trades. Six-month passport validity, insurance, and organized documents recommended. | ||
Paper Nav Refresher |
Refresh practical paper-chart navigation: plan safe routes, convert true/magnetic/compass, compute set/drift & course to steer, plot DR/EP, take fixes/running fixes, use tides & official pubs, keep logs/checklists for resilient piloting. | ||
Passage Planning (Coastal) |
Coastal passage planning with APEM: appraise weather, tides, charts and notices; plan safe routes, tide gates and refuges; brief and execute with pilotage notes; monitor conditions, adapt, and log. Checklists keep safety margins high. | ||
Pathways to Circumnavigation |
Strategic overview of popular circumnavigation pathways, seasonal windows, and decision gates (Panama, Suez, Good Hope). Covers trades-route timing, pilot-chart use, risk and paperwork, and crew/vessel readiness—so you can sequence oceans safely and align weather, bureaucracy, and energy. | ||
Pets Aboard |
Cruising with pets made practical: fit pet PFDs, train relief/reboarding, manage shade, hydration, seasickness, pack a pet med kit, and carry health/microchip papers for border entry. Includes tips & checklists for pre-dep, underway, and port entry. | ||
Plumbing & Fluids |
Field-tested handbook for small-craft plumbing: design, refit, and upkeep of potable water, sanitation, raw-water circuits, bilge/greywater, and fuel. Emphasizes reliability, safety, compliance, and serviceability with clear diagrams, materials, filtration, and routines. | ||
Post-Rescue Actions |
After a rescue: secure the boat, ABCD primary survey, strip wet layers, insulate & rewarm, keep casualty horizontal, watch for afterdrop/respiratory distress, log vitals, update authorities, and divert early if symptoms persist. | ||
Power vs Sail for Crossing |
Power vs sail for ocean crossings: power passagemakers give predictable schedules, comfort, and stabilization but require rigorous fuel planning; sailboats offer energy independence and quiet tradewind speed but demand rig care and crew work. | ||
Pre-Purchase Maintenance Dossier |
Structured records that prove care, work quality, and compliance. Learn which documents to demand and how to validate serials, dates, and standards so your survey, sea trial, and pricing decisions are grounded. | ||
Propulsion & Powertrain |
Comprehensive field manual for propulsion and powertrain: diesel/gas engines, gearboxes, shafts, seals, props, and wet exhaust. Covers selection, installation, alignment, inspection, troubleshooting, and emergency modes, with checklists, spares, and baseline logging for safe at-sea operations. | ||
Propulsion & Transmission Care |
Systems-first care for inboard propulsion: keep fuel, oil, and temps clean/controlled; align shafts; service seals and bearings; trend noise/heat/vibration; and follow haul-out intervals for smooth, reliable passages. | ||
Provisioning |
Practical provisioning playbook for cruising vessels: plan menus and calories, manage water and power, optimize cold storage and stowage, shop and repackage smart, uphold food safety, and build resilient routines for varied climates and crew needs. | ||
Redundancy by Design |
Apex card description (≤250 chars): Build fault-tolerant cruising boats: eliminate SPOFs, layer independent backups, label for fast switchover, and drill. Redundant pumps, fuel filtration, steering, power, nav/comms, and water/medical keep control when gear fails. | ||
Reefing Systems |
Apex card description (≤250 chars): Specify reefing systems small crews can use fast and repeatably. Compare slab, in-boom, in-mast; line layouts and marked settings; step-by-step SOPs; load-aware hardware, chafe control, mono vs cat cues—and the prime rule: reef early. | ||
Refrigeration Failure |
Troubleshoot BD35/BD50-based marine fridges underway: stabilize food, check power/LED codes, airflow/waterflow, and thermostat before refrigeration work. Diagnose fast, avoid guess charging, log trends, and apply prevention for durable fixes. | ||
Refrigeration and Freezing Afloat |
Troubleshoot BD35/BD50-based marine fridges underway: stabilize food, check power/LED codes, airflow/waterflow, and thermostat before refrigeration work. Diagnose fast, avoid guess charging, log trends, and apply prevention for durable fixes. | ||
Registration & Flagging |
Practical guide to vessel registration & flagging: decode licensing vs. registration, US/UK options, docs, eligibility & mortgages, and how to sequence with survey/insurance. Avoid reflagging pitfalls; keep papers ready. | ||
Rig Inspection & Maintenance |
Practical, ocean-ready rig care: inspect mast, standing/running rigging, furlers and deck gear; tune for balance and speed; follow a maintenance calendar with spares; detect failures early and prep field repairs for safe passages. | ||
Rigging & Sail Systems |
Guide to rigging and sail systems for offshore use: covers standing and running rigging, sails, furling gear, deck hardware, and winches. Emphasizes inspection, maintenance, redundancy, and safe practices to reduce crew loads and ensure reliability on passage. | ||
Rigorous Watch Logs |
Disciplined, hour-by-hour watch logs that boost safety, navigation, and maintenance. A simple, repeatable template—paper or digital—captures position, weather, rig/engine, risks, decisions, and handovers for clear, auditable passages. | ||
Rudder Configurations |
Overview of spade, skeg-hung, transom-hung, and twin rudders—how geometry shapes control, efficiency, and resilience—plus trim/balance guidance, inspection points, and emergency-steering checklists for bluewater reliability. | ||
Running Gear & Shaft Health |
Here’s a tightened, field-ready edit with clearer triggers, step-by-step SOPs, and a quick triage you can run underway. I kept your tone and structure, fixed the “&” artifacts, and added a few acceptance limits you can actually use on the dock. | ||
Running Rigging |
Practical guide to running rigging - halyards, sheets, furling and reefing lines. Choose low-stretch cores with durable covers, size for handling, color-code and mark, keep leads fair and friction low. Maintain, rotate, splice for reliable night ops. | ||
Safety & Emergency |
Comprehensive safety program for recreational vessels: integrates prevention, detection, and emergency response. Covers PFD/tether use, fire, flooding, MOB, comms, weather readiness, and damage control. Emphasizes drills, checklists, and redundancy for predictable outcomes offshore. | ||
Safety Culture & Checklists |
Build a safety-first boat: brief the crew, assign roles, and use short, living checklists for departure, watch relief, fueling, and emergencies. Reduce incidents, improve decisions, and make every voyage more resilient. | ||
Sail Balance & Helm |
Achieve neutral, predictable helm. Diagnose weather/lee helm fast, then tune trim, mast rake, and weight using clear cockpit drills and playbooks. Enjoy fingertip steering, less drag and fatigue, and faster, safer passages. | ||
Sail Care & Repair |
Practical sail care for cruisers: inspect, clean, protect from UV, prevent chafe, make at-sea repairs, and know when to call a loft. Covers Dacron, laminates, nylon; repair kit, storage/handling, furling care, and a passage-prep checklist. | ||
Sail Trim & Shape Control |
Turn sail-trim theory into a watch-friendly routine. Set draft, twist, and angle of attack with a clear sequence; read telltales and helm feel; adapt for sea state and multihulls; reef early for faster, safer, lower-effort miles. | ||
Sail Types |
Choose a cruising sail inventory by route: mains, jibs/genoa, Code 0, kites, storm jib & trysail. Covers wind angles, handling (furlers/snuffers), cloth/cut, mono vs. multi notes, care, and a simple decision checklist. | ||
Sailboat Docking & Maneuvering |
Step-by-step docking for cruisers: plan and brief, rig fenders and lines early, approach slow and steerable with wind/current in mind, use prop walk and spring lines to rotate/hold, set clear crew roles and abort criteria; follow checklists. | ||
Saint Kitts & Nevis |
Saint Kitts & Nevis cruising brief: Entry via Basseterre, Southeast Peninsula, or Charlestown. Immigration → Customs → Port Authority; Q flag until cleared. Despacho required between ports. Moorings off Nevis; services at Port Zante & Charlestown. Trades Dec–Apr, hurricane risk Jun–Nov. | ||
Saint Lucia |
Saint Lucia cruising brief: Entry at Rodney Bay, Marigot Bay, Soufriere, Castries, or Vieux Fort. Immigration, Customs, Port Authority required; Q flag until cleared. Marine park moorings off Pitons—anchoring restricted. Rodney Bay/Marigot full services. Trades Dec–Apr, hurricane risk Jun–Nov. | ||
Saint Vincent & The Grenadines |
Saint Vincent & Grenadines cruising brief: Entry at Kingstown, Blue Lagoon, Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Union Island. Clearance via Customs/Immigration; Q flag until pratique. Tobago Cays marine park moorings, fees apply. Bequia & Blue Lagoon best for repairs/provisioning. Trades steady Dec–Apr, hurricane risk Jun–Nov. | ||
Seasonal Maintenance Planning |
Build a repeatable seasonal plan: prioritize safety systems, use checklists and logs, and budget time and cost. Covers winter layup, spring commissioning, midseason checks, and fall decommission—plus spares, tools, and risk controls. | ||
Security & Piracy Awareness |
Security and piracy awareness for cruisers: assess regional threats, brief the watch, harden access, and use deter–detect–delay–deny–report. Includes comms/reporting (UKMTO/IMB), citadel planning, immediate actions, and post-incident steps. | ||
Skills Audit & Training Plan |
Deliberate pathway to crew competence: audit skills across seamanship, nav, met, engineering, comms, medical, safety, and CRM; rate with a clear proficiency scale; set role-based targets and decision gates; design training (formal courses, weekly micro-drills, monthly scenarios); capture evidence and refresh cycles so capability steadily compounds. | ||
Solar & Energy Budgeting |
Plan and run marine solar right: build a daily energy budget, size bank and array together, mitigate shading, set MPPTs and protection correctly, monitor with a shunt, and use checklists for quiet, reliable autonomy at anchor and underway. | ||
Spares & Redundancy for Sailboat |
Build graceful degradation offshore: identify mission-critical functions, stock compact spares and whole-unit swaps, organize tools and kits, track dates with QR lists, and rehearse repairs so failures stay inconveniences, not emergencies. | ||
Spares Philosophy |
Turn parts hoarding into a risk-based spares system. Set mission and tiers, stock to consequence and lead time, link parts to equipment, track condition and location, and align reorders with maintenance: lean, traceable, findable, passage ready. | ||
Specialized Anchoring for Sailboats |
Anchor anywhere with confidence: size modern ground tackle, set and proof-load with proper scope, add snubbers/bridles, adapt for kelp/coral/tides (Bahamian, V-moor, stern/kedge), engine ready in blows, and inspect windlass, chain & chafe gear. | ||
Stability & Comfort |
Comprehensive handbook on vessel stability and comfort: explains hull-form effects, roll physics, and GM/RAO fundamentals. Covers passive (bilge keels, paravanes, tanks) and active (fins, gyros, trim devices) stabilization, plus operational tactics, seasickness mitigation, maintenance, and emergency playbooks for predictable, safe motion at sea. | ||
Stabilizers & Hydraulics |
Keep fin/gyro stabilizers reliable: do leak/flow checks, keep hydraulic oil clean/cool, service filters/coolers, replace seals per OEM, verify park/zero, and log trends to plan haul-outs and avoid overheating, leaks, and downtime. | ||
Standing Rigging |
Offshore rig reliability: inspect wire/rod, chainplates, toggles, and turnbuckles; tune with a Loos gauge and log tensions; re-bed/replace on schedule (≈10–12 yrs or on condition); carry emergency rigging; add post-blow watch checks. | ||
Steering & Control |
Concise executive guide to vessel steering: covers mechanical, hydraulic, and EFU systems, plus autopilot setup, inspection, and symptom-based troubleshooting. Emphasizes preventive routines, clear feedback, and redundancy. Provides doctrine for emergency tiller, drogue steering, and crew ergonomics to ensure predictable handling offshore. | ||
Steering Anomalies |
Diagnose and control steering anomalies underway. A safety-first workflow separates symptoms from root causes across mechanical, hydraulic, and electronic systems, with dock/sea-trial checks, autopilot tuning, maintenance, and redundancy. | ||
Steering Systems |
Ocean-ready steering: mechanical, hydraulic, and autopilot systems; correct sizing and redundancy; clean installation/commissioning; watch routines and maintenance; troubleshooting, spares, and stabilizer integration for reliable course-keeping. | ||
Step-By-Step Plan for Moving From Home to Boat |
"Step-by-step plan for moving from house to boat. Covers finance, legal domicile, vessel choice, refit, safety, downsizing, training, and phased onboarding with checklists and shakedown cruises." | ||
Stern Tie Anchoring |
Stern tie anchoring: set a bow anchor then run a stern line ashore to shorten swing, protect seabeds, and fit tight coves. Covers when/why, gear, two-crew workflow, singlehanded tips, etiquette, SOP, and common errors. | ||
Strategy for Minimal Budget Cruising |
Field-tested playbook for small-budget cruising without sacrificing safety or joy. Define mission and monthly envelope, pick value-dense boats, build low-draw energy/water systems, anchor-first habits, DIY maintenance, frugal provisioning, right-size comms, stay visa/insurance smart, and use sample budgets to script resilient routines. | ||
Survey & Sea Trial Playbook |
Buyer/broker playbook for pre-purchase surveys and sea trials: pick an accredited surveyor, set contract terms, prep boat and haul-out, run instrumented trials, grade findings, document for insurers and lenders, then renegotiate, remediate, or walk. | ||
Tender & Outboard Care |
Keep your tender and outboard mission-ready with a watch-friendly maintenance program: fuel/cooling/corrosion prevention, weekly–annual checklists, Hypalon/PVC care, at-anchor troubleshooting, and standardized logs for crews. | ||
Tender & Outboard Selection |
Choose the right tender/outboard by mission, load, and stowage limits. Compare RIB vs inflatables, Hypalon vs PVC, and gas vs electric. Check davit all-up weight, transom ratings, and run a full-load sea trial. | ||
The 7/700 Standard |
A practical baseline for bluewater self-sufficiency: operate seven days away from shore and cover ~700 nm between reliable fuel stops. Build conservative fuel/range plans, sustain power and water, stock critical spares, layer communications and safety, and script watches and routing—expanding options while reducing dependence on shore schedules. | ||
The Refit Triangle |
Plan refits with the triangle in mind—scope, budget, time. Set one priority, one guardrail, one flex. Build a WBS, lock gates, fund contingencies, and phase commissioning to control risk, costs, and launch dates. | ||
Tides & Currents Essentials |
Practical guide to tides and currents for small-craft skippers: understand heights and streams, use official predictions and onboard checks, plan windows and margins, compute course to steer, and make safe, realistic ETAs. | ||
Toolkits & Field Repairs |
Field-tested guide to boat toolkits and repairs afloat: mission-led loadouts, modular organization, corrosion control, and safe, rapid fixes for engine, electrical, rigging, plumbing, and leaks—so anyone can act fast in rough conditions. | ||
Transiting the Panama Canal |
"Step-by-step guide for small craft transiting the Panama Canal, covering planning, fees, equipment, line handling, lock procedures, safety, and advisor coordination." | ||
Trinidad & Tobago |
Trinidad & Tobago cruising brief: Clear at Chaguaramas, Scarborough, or Charlotteville. Sequence: Port Health → Customs → Immigration. Q flag until pratique. Trinidad ideal for haul-out, refit, hurricane layup; Tobago for beaches, reefs, and relaxed bays. Fees apply for clearance, moorings, parks; overtime outside office hours. Trades brisk, with tropical waves in wet season. | ||
United States |
Operational guide for recreational yachts entering the U.S.: visas/ESTA, CBP ROAM and clearance steps, required documents, fees and ports of entry, pet and agriculture rules, seasonality, cruising highlights, and a quick planning checklist. | ||
Vessel Risk Assessment Matrix |
A practical framework to turn likelihood × consequence into clear go/hold/stop decisions. Build a 4×4/5×5 matrix, calibrate with evidence, tie rules to roles, and integrate PEACE (find hazards), STAAR (choose controls), and GAR (sense-check). Update dynamically underway; log outcomes so the matrix actually changes behavior. | ||
Vibration Diagnostics |
Practical guide to diagnosing and fixing onboard vibration. Identify sources (prop, shaft, mounts, cavitation), run structured checks and measurements, and verify with sea trials. Reduce wear, noise, and risk for smoother, safer operation. | ||
Watchstanding Basics |
Practical watchstanding guide for small crews: continuous lookout, safe speed, collision risk assessment, bridge resource management, handovers, checklists, night/visibility protocols, VHF comms, and standing orders. Train, brief, sail safely. | ||
Water Systems & Water Makers |
Reliable offshore water made simple: clean tanks, robust plumbing, and RO best practices. Sizing, filtration, TDS monitoring, flush/pickle routines, and contingencies to keep safe, good-tasting water flowing on passage. | ||
Waves for Mariners |
"Practical guide to wave science for mariners. Learn how seas form, why period drives comfort, and how currents, bars, and shoaling create hazards. Includes planning tools, heuristics, and crew checklists." | ||
Weather Deterioration Enroute |
Here’s a 250-character summary suitable for your Oracle APEX card: **Card Description:** Practical underway playbook for worsening weather: link forecasts with real-time nowcasting, safeguard crew, maintain control, and apply heavy-weather seamanship with structured checklists and evidence capture. | ||
Weather Literacy for Beginners |
Beginner’s guide to weather literacy: understand temperature, pressure, wind, moisture, and clouds; interpret forecasts and charts; and make safe, informed decisions by combining official products with local observations. | ||
Winches & Sail-Handling Gear |
Essential guide to winches and sail-handling gear: selection, sizing, installation, maintenance, and safe offshore use. Practical tips for short-handed crews to trim efficiently, avoid overrides, and reduce fatigue on passage. |
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