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Sailing Hints & Tips
Sailing Hints & Tips by Yannis Moraitis
I spend almost all my summers sailing around the Greek islands. With this
small article I would like to share some sailing hints with you that will help
you enjoy the most out of your sailing holidays.
When moored or
anchored, use your sun tent and stay under it most of the time. Our friend, the
Sun, sometimes can be dangerous, especially during summertime.
Be
cautious on board and if possible, always wear a pair of soft boat shoes. This
way you will protect your feet and the deck surface. When sailing, avoid walking
on deck without particular reason and in rough weather, remember to use your
life belt.
If you have children on board, let them sit outside but
always in the cockpit wearing a life vest.
Before operating the
electric anchor winch, start the motor and run it at aprox 1.200 to 1.500 rpm in
neutral. This is necessary in order not to exhaust the service battery, as the
consumption of the winch is extremely high. Our recommendation is to low your
anchor manually and collect it using the remote control. Whenever using the
anchor winch (dropping or collecting your anchor) be very careful with your
fingers. An electric anchor winch is a great facility but also extremely danger
with careless use.
Remember to use the electric refrigerator only with
the motor running.
Many yachts are equipped with a switch with which
you may connect the two batteries, to have more power to start your motor. You
can keep them connected, as long as your motor is running. When you stop the
motor, remember to disconnect them. This will protect you, to be without
electric power in case that you will forget, for example, the electric
refrigerator running.
When you moor in a port, always have a fender
between your yacht and the quay, so even if your anchor for any reason is unable
to keep you in position, the yacht will not touch the quay. Take care of the
swell that big ferries cause and avoid mooring the yacht close to the place
these boats anchor.
Before you put your engine in gear, have a look
around the yacht for floating ropes that may block or damage your propeller or
gearbox. When you want to go from forward to backward, do it after you let the
engine speed drop to idling.
Avoid towing your dinghy especially in
rough weather, as you may lose it. It's better to keep it secured in front of
the mast. Remember that lost items are always charged to the charterer. In case
you need tug help and before you accept it, agree on the price and ask for a
receipt that clearly states that no further payment will be asked.
Avoid dropping papers or napkins in the toilet bowl. It's better to use plastic
bags for the waste papers. Toilet pumps are not able to dissolve such things.
Remember to close the main switch at the top of gas bottle when you
don't use the gas stove or when nobody is on board.
While refilling
either water or fuel tanks, make sure not to mix fuel with water or water with
fuel. In both cases the situation becomes unpleasant and difficult to be
repaired.
Keep always an eye on the hour counter of your motor and make
sure that you have sufficient amount of fuel in your tank. The fuel gauge is not
always reliable, so check the hours that you have used the motor.
Do
not throw plastic bottles, cans or any other waste in the sea. Keep them on
board and remove immediately at the first harbour.
It is also
requested not to raise any flag, other than the Greek, at the aft side of the
yacht, as it is against Greek and International marine
regulations.
CAUTION : If the yacht is equipped with DSC VHF, DO NOT
PRESS DISTRESS SIGNAL BUTTON UNLESS IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY (FIRE - COLLISION
- GROUNDING - SINKING).There is a penalty for the unnecessary use.
- For
more information please check http://www.seascope-sailing.com
Submitted by: michelle
Hits: 0
Added: Tue Nov 07 2006
