Duncan Wells - 101 Tips for Stress-Free Sailing

Thanks to James Littlewood for his invaluable contribution in casting a cool eye over the Tips and advising accordingly.

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First published in 2021

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CONTENTS

Here are some of the tips and tricks that I have discovered during my boating life. Most of them are a result of errors I have made and hopefully learned from. The key, of course, is trying not to make the same mistakes over and over again!

You will see that I have included some techniques for casting off and coming alongside. It is absolutely key to an enjoyable boating experience that we take off in style, without drama, and that we return in style, without drama and using my robust techniques, that is exactly what you will do. They make the difference between a happy crew and a skipper who has lost his crew because he shouted once too often because he wasnt confident when mooring the boat and was making a mess of it. With my techniques and the crew fully involved, or indeed managed single-handedly, mooring will be a breeze!

I have also added in a couple of tips about the weather, because knowing what the weather will do when we are out there is key. For some reason, understanding weather is always a big issue with my students, both Yachtmaster and Day Skipper, and so a few hints wont go amiss.

I hope you find these tips useful and that they go some way to making your boating stress-free.

The first rule of good seamanship is:

Try to avoid situations that require good seamanship.

Actually, that sounds a bit glib. A skipper needs to be on top of everything:

state of the wind, tide and sea

visibility

traffic density

navigational hazards

depth of water

weather forecast

welfare of the crew

motivation of the crew

the boat

the sail plan

the navigation

where the next problem could come from

The more you can keep on top of all these things, the less likely you are to find yourself in a situation that tests your seamanship.

The second rule is:

Always run with a sail plan that can be managed by the crew available in the anticipated conditions and that can be reefed easily and quickly.