Preparation and checks before departure
Most trouble at sea starts at the jetty. Use the checklist F-L-E-W-R and a few extras.
- Fuel: enough for the trip and back, plus a spare third.
- Life jackets: one for every person, the right size, easy to reach. Wear them.
- Engine: oil, cooling water, propeller clear, neutral gear, cut-off cord (see the Engines lesson).
- Weather: read the forecast for wind, waves, rain and storms. If in doubt, do not go.
- Ropes and anchor: mooring lines, an anchor with enough line, a paddle.
- Safety kit: bailer or pump, torch, first-aid kit, drinking water, a working phone or radio, flares if required.
- Tell someone on shore: where you go, who is aboard and when you will be back.
- Papers and rules: licence and boat papers if your place requires them, and load only up to the safe limit.
Unmooring and mooring
Mooring (tying up)
Approach slowly, pointing into the wind or current if you can, because it helps you stop. Hang fenders on the side that touches. Step ashore with the bow line first, then the stern line. Make fast to cleats or bollards. A line from the bow going backward (a spring line) stops the boat sliding forward and back. Leave a little slack for rising and falling water (tide).
Unmooring (casting off)
Start the engine and check it is in neutral. Check no boats are near. Take off the lines one at a time: the one that keeps you from drifting is kept until last. Pull lines aboard so they do not trail in the propeller. Fenders come in. Then move off slowly, and go straight away from the jetty before turning.
Always keep fingers, hands and feet clear of ropes under strain. A rope pulling tight can hurt.
Knots and ropework
A good knot is quick to tie, holds under load, and comes undone easily when the load is off.
- Cleat hitch: ties a line to a cleat. One full turn round the base, then figure-of-eight turns over the horns, then a locking loop. The 3D shows the three stages.
- Bowline: makes a loop that does not slip or tighten. Good for putting a loop round a post, or for a rescue loop.
- Round turn and two half hitches: ties a line to a ring or post. Strong and easy to undo.
- Reef (square) knot: joins two ropes of the same size. Not for heavy loads.
- Clove hitch: quick tie to a rail or pole, but it can slip if the load changes, so add a half hitch.
- Sheet bend: joins two ropes of different thickness.
Rope care: keep ropes dry, coil them neatly, never step on them, and replace worn rope. Learn to coil a line and throw it.
Direction finding: compass and bearings
Sailors measure direction as an angle from North, going clockwise. A full circle is 360 degrees, written with three digits.
- North = 000°, East = 090°, South = 180°, West = 270°. North-east is 045°.
- A heading is the direction the boat points.
- A bearing is the direction from you to a landmark, such as a lighthouse or a buoy.
- Reciprocal bearing is the opposite direction: add or subtract 180°. The reciprocal of 065° is 245°.
- Relative bearing is the bearing measured from the bow: relative = bearing − heading (add 360 if negative). 0 to 180 is on the right (starboard), 180 to 360 is on the left (port).
A boat compass needle points to magnetic north, which is a little different from true north. Charts show how much (variation). For a small boat a good hand-bearing compass and a landmark are enough. Taking bearings of two landmarks and drawing the lines on a chart gives your position where the lines cross.
Key formulas and definitions
- F-L-E-W-R: Fuel, Life jackets, Engine, Weather, Ropes
- Bearing: angle clockwise from North, 000° to 359°
- Reciprocal bearing = bearing ± 180°
- Relative bearing = bearing − heading (+360° if below 0)
- Cleat hitch: 1 turn, figure of eight, locking loop
Worked examples
1. A lighthouse has a bearing of 135°. Which direction is that and what is the reciprocal?
135° is half-way between east (090°) and south (180°), so south-east. Reciprocal: 135 + 180 = 315°, which is north-west.
2. Your boat heads 040° and a buoy has a bearing of 100°. Where is it relative to the bow?
Relative bearing = 100 − 40 = 60°. It is 60° to starboard (right of the bow).
3. Your boat heads 300° and a tower bears 250°. Find the relative bearing.
250 − 300 = −50, add 360 gives 310°. That is 360 − 310 = 50° to port (left of the bow).
4. List the order for casting off from a jetty.
Engine on and in neutral, check around, fenders ready. Take off the stern line, then the bow line last. Pull lines aboard. Move away slowly, then turn.
Common mistakes
- Skipping the weather forecast because the sky looks clear now.
- Leaving ropes trailing in the water when starting, so they wrap round the propeller.
- Tying a reef knot to hold a boat. It can slip under a heavy pull.
- Measuring a bearing anticlockwise, or forgetting to add 360° when the relative bearing goes negative.