by Fin | Fri Mar 2017 | Boat Smart, Deep Waters, Head to Wind, Rules & Regs
Being back in North American waters has highlighted a rather unique feature of being a Canadian – units of depth. Canada falls somewhere between the metric system and the US (Imperial) system of measurement. We’re caught at that dangerous crossroads between modernity...
by Fin | Tue Feb 2017 | Boat Smart, Head to Wind
Few safety issues in sailing face as much scrutiny and controversy as the man overboard scenario. So much so that it is now more correct to refer to this potentially life threatening situation as ‘crew overboard’ – presumably to make the prospect of drowning a more...
by Fin | Thu Jan 2017 | Head to Wind, Rules & Regs
The RYA has made a big effort to facilitate the numerous requests for an alternative pathway to the much coveted OOW. Officer of the Watch is a key stepping stone for those looking to eventually ply their trade as a Captain on a superyacht. The BIG problem is most...
by Fin | Wed Dec 2016 | Boat Smart, Head to Wind
Sail trim is easy. Okay, no-one thinks it’s easy, not even seasoned sailors. It’s one of the things about sailing which makes sailing such a challenge. It can get to be ridiculously technical and at the Yachtmaster level I’m not above throwing out lines like “let’s...
by Fin | Sun Dec 2016 | Deep Waters, Head to Wind
Spoiler Alert: If you’ve never watched the iconic Judy Garland movie The Wizard of Oz then stop reading right now! (FYI – probably the most unsailorlike line I’ve ever written) Sailboats can be intimidating. There’s rope everywhere, winches, blocks and big flappy...
by Fin | Fri Dec 2016 | Deep Waters, Head to Wind
Zombie Sailing Advice: Zombies can’t swim. They certainly can’t sail. Sailing is a bit too complicated for Zombies. You’ll never hear a Zombie telling another Zombie to ‘ease the jib sheet’, which comes out as ‘unhunhhhunhhhhunhh’ and means zip, nada, nothing. And if...
