Our 9th trip is coming up in June. Here are my 2 cents..
-Have an itinerary but a loose one. Check weather every morning and have a plan B and maybe C if it isn’t what you expected . We use windguru and find it fairly accurate.
-If you see dark clouds ahead plan for a blow. If you are thinking about reefing you should have already done so. Reefing is your friend if in doubt reef - don’t try to be the hero.
-Always close hatches when leaving the boat, even if the sky is blue. A shower /downpour can come out of nowhere and a wet bed sucks.
-Resist the overwhelming temptation to laze in the cockpit and hug your mug all morning. We try to get away reasonably early so we can make a few pit stops (lunch and snorkelling) along the way to our destination for the night.
-Know how to anchor and if your planned destination is conducive to this prior to getting there in case all the balls are taken. Ward loves his range finder for anchoring to judge swing room and helps to evaluate if your anchor spot is a good one. Snorkel your anchor to see if it set well, after you back on it and take a mark ashore. Use your GPS and iphone apt to take a reading so it will alarm if you move at night. The “ lets check to see if we are dragging hatch dance “ at night got old real fast so we use technology now for a better sleep. Still be alert when anchored- weather can change in a heartbeat .
-When mooring if you miss the ball circle around and try again- again heroics are stupid.
-Wear bug spray or some sort of deterrent when ashore in the evenings, sometimes even in the day time ( really happy to have had some on our a recent hike around Sandy Cay). I usually bring a small bottle with me in my purse along with my small flashlight ( never leave the boat in early afternoon for happy hour without a flashlight- may get carried away and leave after dark ) been there done that. Hard to navigate a mooring field in the dark .. and again stupidity to try to do so . We also have solar lights on our bimini which make it really easy to see – especially after a night ashore with some liberations .
-If enjoying liberations ashore, especially at Willy T remember that all the grey dinghies may look the same when you go to leave. We lock ours and also a good idea to tie a colored strip of material or bandana around the cleat where you tie off so its easier to find. Ours is yellow so usually pretty lucky here.
- always bring a portable clock with me. I am notoriously unable to sleep past sunrise when in the BVI and wake up anytime after 4 or so. Having a clock to check to see “ is it time to get up yet daddy” helps me sleep a bit longer. Hate to miss a sunrise ya know! Also after 2 weeks on vacation the alarm is needed just in case the one day I decide to sleep late is the day we need to catch a ferry for our departure home.
- Also find that I have had some itchy rashes on some trips and have found that rinsing off with a fresh water stern shower after being in the water prevents this.
-RE food. We bring some and buy the produce there usually. I find it really convenient to make lunch after breakfast for easy access if sailing or just saves time for more fun things like exploring ashore or snorkelling.
-If on a mono tell newbies who may have never sailed that the boat may “ lean over” but we will not tip. Freaks them out if they do not expect this, especially when they see the smaller monos beside them with rails in the water.
-We love our beverages so bring insulated cups from home- the steel ones from costco keep ice for hours and hours. Careful tho the goose bite is brutal- moderation only especially on the first night- again speaking from experience. Chum is no fun.
-speaking about chumming- if guests are at all prone to be a bit nauseated aboard tell them to sit so they either face forward ( the pointy end) or sit to look out over the stern,. Sitting sideways in the cockpit is a recipe for the bucket if they are a bit yucky feeling at all. If it is about to happen pass the bucket rather than risking a newbie overboard.
- Water , water and more water. Before the liberations and between. Dehydration and sun = a very bad day. We have used the gallon jugs and the small bottles and find that guests drink the small bottles best cause they can grab and go. Again the plastic bottles from Costco are great for water . Come in all colors and are spill proof.
This is something that was posted here on TTOl that I have saved , printed and insist that newbies read on each trip. I have it printed and in a book aboard to review before each trip with first timers.
Tips for Newbies on a sailboat
1. Lots of suntan lotion
2. Don't use the lifelines for stability, use shrouds or handholds instead
3. Don't carry bags in or out of the boat (carry yourself first, then have someone hand you the bags)
4. Watch out for flying elbows when starting the dinghy engine
5. Eat crackers if you are feeling sick
6. Don't get your feet tangled in the sheets
Ginger snaps/crackers or drink are best if you are queezy
7. Shorten dinghy painter when picking up a mooring or anchoring or entering/leaving the dock.
8. Bring 1/3 the amount of clothes you think you need and 3x as much money.
One hand for you, one hand for the boat.
2. Never shut off the engine until you are secure at anchor, on a mooring ball or at the dock. Then shut it off and have a beer.
Newbie Safety tips
-- Don't throw the wash bucket overboard with a rope tied to it and to your wrist while the boat is moving
-- Don't sneak up behind a dude while he is peeing off the back of the boat at 1:00 am
-- Learn ahead of time what the term "we're coming around means". Also, learn what the difference is in "to tack and to jybe"
-- Explain why they call the "boom, the boom"
-- When you are beaching the dinghy, the water may be deeper than you think
Never untie the dinghy from the boat until you have started the dinghy motor and let it run for a few minutes ensuring it will continue to run.
2. If your dinghy ever shuts off abruptly after running fine, you can count on a dislodged fuel line at the motor or at the tank. Make sure both are secure and start again.
3. Never leave the charter co. dock until you're sure your dinghy motor will raise up and stay there. If it won't you'll never be able to dink ashore to any beach.. like White Bay, Sandy Spit or Sandy Cay!
Our Captain has aways made a strong point about man overboard procedures when he gives us the safety briefing. Not that we'll have to do the boat work but that we should yell "man overboard" and point where we saw the person go over, and continue to point.
When picking up a mooring ball, if things go terribly wrong, let go of the pole. You won't be able to stop the boat with it! (see MOB drill)
Just off the top,
1. If the captain asks you to go ashore for more ice, obey him. He's the captain and plus running out of ice creates a very unsafe condition on board.
2. Do not keep asking the captain to adjust the white flappy things so they stop blocking your sun.
3. Leaving your stateroom hatches unsecured while under way can cause no end of bad things to happen up to and including your being pitched overboard halfway to Anegada.
4. Do not shout helpful advice to the Captain whilst he's in the process of docking. He has a great deal of experience doing this and despite the fact that it isn't helping, neither will your rookie advice.
5. It is considered unsportsmanlike to stand around and laugh uproariously should the captain fall from the dinghy while attempting to disembark at Foxy's. Instead, the experienced seaman should be prepared to immediately throw the skipper a line and a cold beer, though not necessarily in that order.
Flotsam: you de man
-- When the boat comes up to the dock, do not use your leg as a fender
-- When you have a man over board (MOB), you just mark the spot on the GPS and go on. It makes the paper work easier at the end of trip and teaches the other Newbie's to hold on tighter.
-- Only the captain gets to carry a sword and gun (see "mutiny" in Wikipedia)
-- Don't swim near the boat if you hear a pumping sound
- go slow, nothing really bad can happen then (this from a power boater!)
- carry at least a flash night when the dinghy is in operation at night and see above point as well
- use said flashlight to watch for anchor lines when coming back from the bars at night
- after safely aboard at night, use said flashlight to shine light into the water and watch the array of BIG fish come around to the light, tarpon and sharks
- no night swimming (see above)
- the captain's always right and if he's not, he's the one with his name on the contract and bears that responsibility if he's not
- don't be afraid to ask if you don't know and always offer to help out
- take navy showers and always turn the tap off when not in use anywhere on the boat
A few things I have not seen mentioned:
Move your dink as far away as possible from any BBQ.
Make the crew understand the BBQ is HOT even if the lid is closed.
I had a buddy lean his arm on the lid during a discussion,next trip with him I brought yellow caution tape and cordoned off the area, he got a kick outa it but still had the scar.
USE the dinghy kill switch lanyard!
If any crew are doing the stern shower and hair conditioner thing make them follow with a deck brush, bucket and dish soap to remove the slippery slime the conditioner leaves on the swimstep!
Have a knife handy if trolling, any MOB, cut the lines!
Make sure all crew is aboard and accoutnted for before dropping a mooring or putting the boat in gear.
If you raise your main on a mooring do open the traveler and mainsheet and back off the mooring nose to wind and anticipate the main powering up and your ability to safely avoid other yachts/people/dinks in your vacinity..I have seen many get way outa control with a raised main in an anchorage..
There are many more, gotta get another beer
Ok, nobody has mentioned handling sheets, halyards, etc.
Any newbie crew members that will be helping out with the handling of lines needs to know the golden rule:
Always have the tail end of any line running thru a rope clutch on winch with several wraps and tension before releasing the clutch, i have seen nasty rope burns and can imagine worse things can happen.
Also a good idea to bring any crew aft of the blocks for the headsail when tacking, the sheets can whip wildly and cause nasty insuries or MOB, same goes when furling.
When releasing main halyards either control the line with a winch or let it run free and keep hands and all body parts clear of the line!
Only wish I had found TTOl before my first trip- just think how much learning from my mistakes I would have avoided <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />
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