Your Pocket Sailing Instructor Podcast

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Life has been throwing me some curveballs lately so I started to wondering if I had somehow broken some sacred oath or fallen on bad luck. I just can't seem to catch a break at the moment, which had me thinking about superstitions and where I may have gone wrong... should I have eaten that banana during that race? Did that black cat on the dock walk in front of me when I wasn't paying attention? I started to whistle along to that song the other day... did that do it?!

Boating Superstition Bananas: yup. We have a superstition about bananas onboard a sailboat. There are several origins to why bananas are believed to be bad luck on a boat. One involves the fact that they spoil quickly. Any ship carrying a cargo of bananas needed to deliver their and so the captain always had to get to his destination quickly to deliver his banana shipment and so

Put the right foot forward: it was thought that the left side of the body was a bad omen, or associated with evil. Therefore, all sailors stepped onto the vessel with their right foot! If you forgot and stepped on with the left, you'd be tossed overboard, or your shoes would be tossed overboard in an effort to please Poseidon ;-)

Renaming a vessel: I'm going to do an entire episode on this one, but it has been long thought that renaming a vessel is bad luck! Stay tuned for my episode about what you need to say, when and how to make sure you don't curse your boat!

No whistling: it was thought that whistling at sea was a way to taunt Poseidon and Aeolus.

Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in morning, sailors take warning.

Boats are a she... often boats were named by their Captains after their wives or mistresses. It was believed that if the boat was named after a woman the Captain loved, she would bring them home safely.

These are just a few examples! Listen to the entire episode for more! Penny

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There is something magical about spending a nice, quiet, night at anchor! When we were in Croatia, it was a blessing to be able to get away from all of the other tourists for some quiet R&R! Anchoring is a pretty simple thing once you master some basic steps. Here I will break it all down for you and provide you with some of my pro tips! Enjoy! Don't forget to send me any questions!

Other episodes to check out:

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Technical Anchoring Terms

There are several types of anchors on the market now. The classic anchors include the Bruce, Danforth, and Plough. Newer anchors such as the Mantus and Rocna are gaining a lot of popularity though. Personally I upgraded my small Bruce to a Rocna and absolutely LOVE IT.

Alright, hopefully you have done your pre-trip planning and you have an anchorage (or two) selected for your lovely night! What are some of the things you are looking for in a good anchorage? Here are the key things:

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A list of things to do...

As always I have a variety of ideas for you to keep the sailing love alive during the winter. Hopefully you find a couple ideas that work for you!

Head over to sailnelson.com for show notes!

Every year I have several areas of my sailing growth that I look at: personal growth, professional growth and ongoing maintenance. These probably aren't the best names for these, but that's what I've come up with for now!

So, what does these mean to me? For personal growth, I like to take a look at new things that I can learn as a sailor. What new skills do I want to develop? What areas have I felt have been lacking? Which areas have I not spent a lot of time focusing on?

For professional growth, I take a look at new areas where I want to grow as a coach. Which courses could I take to be a better coach for my sailors?

For ongoing maintenance, I like to review materials from previous courses to make sure I'm still on track. I re-read the Basic Cruising Skills textbook every season, for example.

Other ideas: increase physical fitness, rehab an injury, spend time reading, upgrade person sailing gear items, set small weekly goals around learning a new knot, take new people sailing more often

Professional Growth

Other ideas: don't fear failure, stop procrastinating, be diligent with time, monthly budget updates, update business paperwork

Ongoing Growth

Other ideas: read through owners manuals, review charts of your area

At the end of the day it's all about where you want to go and how you plan to get there. Have fun planning it all out and think outside the box! 

Penny

Top Tips for Boat Shows

As usual I think that planning your trip out will help you get the most out of your boat show time. Plan out who you want to go see for any free educational seminars, figure out which vendors are interesting for you, and see if there are any great deals to be had for any upgrades you are looking to do. Most of all, have fun dreaming about your future boating adventures!

Penny

Every project will take three times longer than you think. You need to be a jack/jill of all trades, or have very deep pockets.

Prepare to order several sizes for all spare parts. You will likely never find the one you need the first time around, so save yourself some trouble and order several sizes from the get-go.

You think you will get out sailing more. You won't. You'll get sucked into boat projects that never end. LOL. But seriously, get a good crew bank going as it always seems to be difficult to get people out!

Do your research and figure out what type of insurance you need. Surveys are pretty much a must now, so find a good local surveyor as well.

List

Make specific checklists for your annual maintenance specific for your boat. Include the little odds and ends that are specific to your boat.

Research which boating services are available in your area. Marinas, moorings, divers, surveyors, marine mechanics, diesel technician, sail maker, canvass repair, etc.

As noted above, projects take three times longer than you expect. If you are not handy, do not buy a fixer-upper. You will be working on it far too long and will probably begin to resent the boat.

Look over weather patterns and find out about local hazards. Get your hands on charts and talk to local boaters about where you are thinking of keeping your boat.

Many used boats come with an extensive sail inventory. They are often garbage and should be replaced. Be prepared to invest in new sails. They will make a big difference.

Don't change things on your boat because another boat in your marina has something fancy that you think you should have. Take a couple of seasons to get to know your boat before you make upgrades and changes. Often you will find that you don't need the extras that you thought you might!

Not only should you have all of the required and recommended Transport Canada safety gear on your boat, but everyone on board should know how to use it! If you are incapacitated somehow it is important for others on the boat to know what to do and where to locate things. Make a list and diagram of the safety gear on your boat and put it up for all to see. Better yet, have your kids do a scavenger hunt and create the diagram for you! Crafting at its best. That way while you are preparing the boat (doing your pre-departure checklist of course) they can hunt around the boat for safety items and fill in the diagram. Then, assign a couple of items to each person so they can help out in the unlikely event of an emergency. My kids know where the flares are located, how to use the fire extinguishers, how to put on (and fit test) a personal flotation device (PFD), where to find flashlights, paddles, anchor, … you get the idea. Just because you may have “non-boaters” out with you does not mean they cannot be involved. And that definitely applies to kids! Kids love being part of the adventure, so think of ways to include them and this will also take some of the pressure off of you.

Make sure you go over any boat rules with the kids. When do they have to wear their PFD (aka lifejacket)? Where do they sit while you are underway? How do they walk around the boat while you are underway (if they are allowed)? How can they help when you are anchoring? What is their role is someone falls off the boat? What do they do if THEY fall off the boat? There are many different things to discuss, but remember to try and keep it light and fun! Discussing, brainstorming and practicing different scenarios helps to prepare everyone for a great day out on the water. Before I sailed across the Pacific Ocean from Hawaii I played a “Name a disaster!” game with my daughters. Sounds daunting, but in the end we all learned a few things and exchanged ideas. More importantly, it helped them to feel connected and confident in what I was doing.

FREEBIE alert! Downloadable checklist available at sailnelson.com/podcast

Key Tips With Boat Winterizing

Overall, winterizing your boat properly and thoroughly will help you make sure that you can kick off next season quickly, and with fewer headaches! Put in the work now, and reap the rewards next season.

My Pinterest board for make boat meals.

Lunches

I like to keep lunches pretty straightforward as well and am a fan of anything that can be premade. This way you do not have someone down below trying to make food, and also, as soon as you get hungry it is available. I often get so busy on the boat that I don't realize I am famished, until it is too late! HAHA. So I try to keep a schedule and keep meals at the ready.

Lunch Ideas: wraps, sandwiches, soup (depending on sea state), charcuterie board, veggies and dip, salads

Many charter boats do not have BBQs, so don't plan on having one, or ask the charter company about it first. For dinners I love one pot meals, salads, charcuterie, and I don't tend to do many oven meals. Depends on the time of year and what the weather is like, but sometimes you do not want to be down below cooking away in a hot galley after a long day out in the sun. So try to have some uncooked meal ideas.

We started off our journey at Kastela Marina on the mainland. This is where we picked up Luna from Croatia Yachting, got checked out, and hit the high seas! We also did most of our provisioning here, but I'll chat about that next week.

I absolutely LOVED Stari Grad and could definitely had done another day there. Unfortunately Mother Nature kept us a bit busy and we moved on. This is also where I realized I had caught COVID. Darn.

This was a cute little stop and very well sheltered. There was a nice swimming beach and anchorage on the other side of the island. Most of the crew went off for a day trip to explore Hvar, while I slept off my COVID.

This was a beautiful marina with excellent facilities and accessibility to the town, shops, restaurants, tours, etc. The crew spent one day going to Dubrovnik and there was also a wine tour. We spend two days here doing some swimming, laundry, shopping and relaxing.

This was our first anchorage and a much needed break for doing all the touristy things. We swam, ate, played cards, visited, star gazed, and had a great anchorage sleep :-)

This is a MUST SEE if you are going to Croatia! We loved Vis. It was a beautiful place to anchor, and we also did a military tour (must do) and we rented scooters so we could head over to Komiza and explore where Mama Mia was filed (the famous restaurant scene). Scootering around was lots of fun!

This was a nice, small, stop. Beautiful marina facilities and cute town with shops. Not too much to explore, but there was a fun tiki bar and beach area that we frequented a couple of times ;-)

Here is anchored for another night and had fun watching boats drag anchor and then had a thunderstorm roll through. Was a nice quiet anchorage sleep after the storms were done!

Overall things were very affordable. You could buy towels, beer, food, clothes, etc., for very reasonable prices (bought a ball cap for $4 CND). The food was unbelievable! I was not expecting to have so many amazing meals. Again, at a very reasonable price. The octopus is a must try, especially when cooked traditionally by peka (try Rokis restaurant on the Island of Vis!). I think it will take years for that craving to go away... unbelievable. The other favourite thing we ate: PIZZA!! Wow they make amazing pizzas there! Loved the food scene...

Beer and wines were also very affordable. I did find it hard to find a red wine that I really liked. I tend to prefer dark, leathery, smoky, red wines, and the Croatian reds were a bit lighter for me. But I kept trying ;-)

The marinas also had great facilities and were quite reasonable in my opinion. Our 42' boat would be about $50/night which included fresh water and hydro, along with shower and washroom facilities. Now it was VERY busy when we were there, so the hot water in the marina showers was pretty much non-existent. But with water and power at your slip, a hot shower on the boat was a breeze. Marina staff were pleasant overall and Mediterranean mooring is much easier than most people think.

Apparently in January 2023 Croatia will be adopting the Euro, so I anticipate that between the new currency, and the increase in tourism to the area, things are going to go up in price quite a bit.

This is always my favourite part!! I totally geeked out and I purchased the chart for Croatia, a cruising guide as well as the newest edition of Lonely Planet. As always, I used my favourite nautical book store, The Nautical Mind, and started reading up! I also found a few great blog sites including The Blonde Abroad.

Basically for me I am researching all of the water aspects that I need to think about as a skipper while sailing in Croatia. Secure and safe anchorages for various wind directions. Fuel and marina services. Docking and facilities for crew and available boat maintenance. I'm also checking tide and current tables (negligible in the area) as well as any navigational hazards along our planned route. I will make notes and marks on the chart to make sure I'm keeping everything together.

So last week I introduced you to some ideas on how to be a prepared sailing crew. Well, this week we are going to look at the other side and talk about how to be a prepared skipper! First though, I want to acknowledge that I have hit 12,000 downloads!! What?! This is amazing. I'm so glad people are enjoying the podcast and taking it all in!

Ok, back to business. So this week I'm looking at ways for a skipper to be prepared to have new people out on the boat with them. What should you bring? What will they most likely forget and need? What to do if things just aren't working? So many questions...

To get yourself ready for this episode, you may want to head back and listen to a couple previous episodes:

So who have you invited on your boat? Is it a friend of a friend? A neighbour? Random person who said "hey I used to sail can I come with you sometime?" Regardless, you should ask your new crew some basic questions:

New sailor - you will need to spend time introducing them to your boat. Take the time to show them the ropes (lol) and even label things for them if you think that will help. Be sure to state the obvious things and to lay out your safety gear and its location. Teach them how to move safely on the boat and help them with a short packing list (hat, sunglasses, layers, water, snacks, garden gloves, good shoes).

What do you need? Patience!

Regular sailor - introduce them to the boat and any specific quirks your boat has. Ask them what safety gear or personal gear they will bring with them. Ask them which position they like to do on the boat and if there's anything that they want to work on or learn more about. The down side with a regular sailor is that you may have some bad habits or they may have a chip on their shoulder to work out.

What do you need? Patience!

Have a think about how to use this person on your boat. Generally sail trim is more of an art than helming (in my opinion). You can tell someone to point at a stationary object on land, and they should be able to do that. However, reading the ticklers, and creases on a sail, are not as obvious to a newer person.

Be prepared to work at their pace. It will be stressful for everyone involved if you try to push the boat or the crew beyond their comfort zone. As a coach I often have students who have had bad experiences out on the boat. Whether it's getting stuck in a storm, or being out with a skipper who like to yell, that's really not fun for anyone!

Penny

Alright time to get organized to hop on someone else's boat! Yay! But what is essential for you to bring to be a prepared sailing crew?

So you have the gear organized and ready, but are YOU ready? What have you done to prepare yourself? Here are some ideas:

Once you have had your great day out on the water, don't forget to follow up with your skipper and say  thank you! Let them know how much fun you had crewing for them and if you're available again. Who knows where this could lead? If you dare, ask them which skills they think you could improve on and which things you did well. It's always nice to get some feedback. But remember, opinions can vary greatly so take it with a grain of salt!

As for your own reflection, how did the sail go? How did it feel to be out on that particular boat with that crew? Did you feel like a prepared sailing crew? Do you think you'd join them again? How was your gear and were you missing anything? Is there anything else you'd add to your kit for next time?

Overall, if you show up with some food/water, proper attire and a big smile, you should have a great time and be most welcome on any sailboat! I would say you are a prepared sailing crew! Go out there and have fun! 

Penny

This is a loaded question and can be a very personal question for some. I, personally, think you should invest in a boat survey. A lot of insurance providers will require one as well. I will discuss that more below.

What is the value of a boat survey? Well, a surveyor will have tools and information that are unique to the industry and your type of boat. If you are buying a boat in the $10k range I would get a survey. If you are looking for a fixer-upper around $2k-$3k, then you may forgo the survey knowing that you are buying the boat as is...

Some boat owners will decide to add the boat to their home insurance, while others will get a boat-specific insurance. Overall I find that the insurance landscape for boaters is changing and more often than not you are required to provide photos and an up-to-date survey for your boat. Some home insurance companies in Canada will no longer let you add your boat to your home policy. A couple boat specific companies in Canada include Skippers Plan and Navis.

Depending on what amenities are available in your area, you may need to purchase extra things with your boat such as a trailer. Spindrift came with a boat cradle which is typical for the East Coast where there are lifts at every marina. Unfortunately out here in Nelson, there are no lifts, so the cradle has been repurposed as a fancy wood pile frame.

Yearly - bottom coat, standing rigging, keel bolts, thru-hulls & soft wood plugs, lifelines, stanchions, all hardware bedding for leaks, propeller, handrails, engine (spark plugs, wiring & hoses)

Seasonally Spring/Fall - pre-departure checklist --> engine maintenance, plumbing flush and check for leaks, wiring, brightwork (wood restoration), running rigging,

So you are looking at boats! This week on  Your Pocket Sailing Instructor podcast I am going to share with you some key information and questions that you should ask yourself and consider when purchasing your first boat.

So a big part of your boat shopping will revolve around the type of sailing you want to do. Are you looking to race? Are you looking to cruise? Are you looking for a boat camper? Do you want a chameleon that gives you a bit of everything? These are all important and equally valuable questions to ask yourself!

This may seem like an odd question, but some inland lakes and waterways will limit the type of sailing you can do. For instance, if your lake is very deep, it may be difficult to do boat camping as there will be few anchorages available.

Do you have marinas available to you? Or will you be putting your boat out on a pin? If you are on a pin, how will you get back and forth? Where will you store your dinghy? What type of dinghy should you get? Where will you put it when you're not sailing? So many considerations!

This goes along with the point above, but knowing about the local hazards in the area will also help to shape the type of boat you purchase. We are in the mountains out here so the water is deep and the winds are wild! We tend to not have much current, however the lake has a dam system which can cause the lake to fluctuate significantly depending on how much snow we get in the winter.

This is a very important question when you are deciding to become a boat owner. Are you prepared to be out by yourself, or will you always require crew? I have seen many enthusiastic sailors have their dreams snuffed out because they cannot find crew and they do not feel confident enough to sail on their own.

Do you have sailing clubs in the area? Will you be able to find other like-minded sailors to head out with? Will there be regular social events that you can attend? Check out EP 6: 10 Ways to Meet Other Sailors for some other ideas too...

If you are interested in projects, a boat is good for you! LOL. Kidding. There are also lots of boats available to those of you who are not interested in rolling up your sleeves. The pool of boats will be smaller and more expensive, but a plug and sail boat is definitely worth it!

Penny

This week on Your Pocket Sailing Instructor podcast we are digging into knots! This is a list of the top 10 knots I use when sailing. I think that they are valuable and you should learn them as well. Being able to tie quick, efficient and reliable knots is key for your sailing toolbox.

#1 Bowline

#2 Rolling Hitch

#3 Round Turn & Two Half Hitches

#4 Eight Knot

#5 Reef Knot

#6 Double Sheet Bend

#7 Cleat Hitch

#8 Highwayman's Hitch

#9 Alpine Butterfly Loop

#10 Clove Hitch

So your sailing school has told you what to expect from your course, but what should you expect from your sailing coach? There are many different teaching styles and several different learning types. Depending on how you like to learn, your sailing coach might have to get creative. However, there are some key things that you should expect from them. Here are my thoughts...

Your coach should ALWAYS have your safety in mind. What does that look like? It means that they are teaching you how to safely get on or off of the boat. They are teaching you how to safely move around the boat; explaining why you should not be walking around on the leeward side of the boat; and should be educating you as you move through the course about safety on the vessel.

Your coach should ask you what your goals are and have an idea about why you are taking this sailing course. Did you sail as a youth? Are you brand new to sailing? Do you want to sail around the world one day? All of these things are important to be aware of so the coaching can be tailored to your goals.

The ultimate responsibility of your coach other than safety, is support. They are there to guide you through this sailing journey and to, hopefully, provide you with an amazing experience that has you wanting more! It can be really tricky being a coach as you have a lot of material to cover, but you also want to work at a pace that is comfortable for the students. Sometimes you need to push them out of their comfort zone to keep the course moving. Hopefully you can do it in a way that keeps everyone happy!

Sailing is a whole new language! I often congratulate my students at the beginning of a course, as they will leave the course bilingual! There are a lot of unique and odd terms used on a sailboat. Your coach should teach you the common and appropriate terms for everything so that when you take your sailing education on another boat, you can speak the language with the rest of the crew. Calling things "doohikeys" and "thingamabobbers" won't do the trick ;-)

Seamanship is the art of sailing without incident. What does this mean? This means that you have the knowledge and skills to work through whatever tasks or issues arise on the boat. You know your knots, you can helm precisely, you trim the sails well, etc. Seamanship is your overall knowledge. It allows you to safely and efficiently work the vessel, and your coach should be teaching you proper skills and habits from day one.

This is a tricky one and can be quite an art! Providing clear, relevant, feedback to your students is not always easy. However, it is essential to be a great coach. You need to be able to correct or redirect behaviours that are not ideal or not safe.  Your coach should be able to provide you with feedback without making you feel belittled or discouraged. Not always easy, but it is necessary for your growth as a sailor!

Alright, so you listened to my last episode and you have signed up for a course! Congrats! Now what? Hopefully the sailing school that you signed up with will be providing you with some pre-course learning materials. But if that is not the case, this week I provide you with some ideas. For this episode I will assume you are signed up for a day sailing course. I'll do a different episode for liveaboard sailing.

Ok, you are getting excited and figuring out what to pack for your course. If you are day sailing, you should check the weather each day and dress accordingly. What does that mean? If there's rain, invest in rain pants and a rain jacket. Bring extra layers, spare socks, hats, etc. Unless otherwise indicated by the sailing school, you should not need to bring any person safety items to a beginner course.

Basically plan to wear active, or hiking, type of clothes. I find these work best and avoid jeans. Something comfortable, something that moves with you, something that dries quickly, etc. Footwear should be comfortable and with good tread. No flip-flops. Listen to Episode #2: New Sailor Sailing Gear for other ideas and tips.

Now I'm looking at extra items to bring to make your course fun and enjoyable. Here's a short list:

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See sailnelson.com/podcast for more show notes... 

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seasickness [ see-sik-nis ] - noun

nausea and dizziness, sometimes accompanied by vomiting, resulting from the rocking or swaying motion of a vessel in which one is traveling at sea.

Motion sickness: A disorder of the sense of balance and equilibrium and, hence, the sense of spatial orientation that is caused by repeated motion such as from the swell of the sea, the movement of a car, or the motion of a plane in turbulent air. Motion sickness is due to irritation of a portion of the inner ear called the labyrinth.

Source: https://www.medicinenet.com/motion_sickness/definition.htm

Your inner ears, in particular, help control your sense of balance. They are part of a network called the vestibular system.

This system includes three pairs of semicircular canals and two sacs, called the saccule and the utricle. They send information about what’s going on around you to the brain.

The semicircular canals hold a fluid that moves with the turns of your head. The saccule and utricle are sensitive to gravity. They tell the brain whether you’re standing up or lying down.

Your brain takes in all this data, and it usually comes together and makes sense. But sometimes your brain gets confusing signals.

On a flying plane, for example, you feel like you’re moving, but your eyes tell your brain that you don’t appear to be going anywhere. The opposite is true as well. After a long sea voyage, you can stand still on dry land but still feel like you’re moving.

The result is the same: motion sickness.

Penny

This episode is for those of you who are interested in offshore sailing. Unlike my other episodes in this Sailing Goals series, I am not going to focus so much on courses. Instead I'm going to focus on physical and mental preparation required for offshore sailing. In 2018 I participated in a boat delivery for the Vic-Maui International Yacht Race. What an adventure it was!

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I would be lying to you if I told you that offshore sailing is anything short of magical. Don't get me wrong, it can be very uncomfortable at times and is not for everyone! But if you are interested in offshore sailing it can be a life-changing experience.

When you decide to join an offshore sailing trip, make sure it is NOT your first time sailing at night! If you discover that you are prone to seasickness, cannot handle sleeping in shifts, or are just plain old grumpy when out of your comfort zone, offshore sailing may not be for you. The first thing I suggest you do is get a couple off night sails under your belt. I would also recommend that you try to do them during times when the weather may be challenging. This way you get some yucky weather sailing under your belt, and you'll start to see what you're made of. CONCLUSION: get out of your comfort zone.

Be prepared to share your bunk space with others. I learned early on that if you do not stow away your pillow and sleeping gear, it will most likely get used by someone else. Ewww. Be ready to share small spaces with smelly, snory, people who are just as uncomfortable and excited as you. It is a process. We all get to the point of exhaustion and laziness, so try to keep your space simple and clean. CONCLUSION: it's gonna get uncomfortable.

This is an area where I failed miserably on my last trip. I kept saying that I would get myself into a good routine at the beginning and end of each shift. Instead I pulled myself out of bed and put on my gear in a zombie-like state! I wish I had spent more time giving myself a few minutes to get into a better state so I could at least try to enjoy the shift changes a bit more. It may be the only time you get to spend with the other half of the crew! I would suggest picking 2 or 3 simple things you can do to ground yourself before heading out of your cabin. Feet on the floor, change into clean clothes, brush your teeth. You'll start feeling human again at some point. CONCLUSION: remember to take care of yourself!

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The race sailor is an experienced day sailor looking to take their sailing to the next level. They have probably already completed several introduction or basic sailing courses. They may own their own boat, or they may be crewing regularly for someone else. Perhaps you have already dabbled in the world of beer can racing and now you are curious about larger, or maybe even offshore, races.

There are a few different ways that you can expand your sail racing knowledge. Here are some of my thoughts:

The day sailor is probably someone who is just starting out to explore the amazing world of sailing! Alternatively, you've been a sailor for awhile, and are continuing to sail while dabbling in other hobbies as well. Either way, you love to get out for a day of sailing with family and friends and may participate in occasional beer can races put on by your local sailing club.

Here is my short list of courses to help you achieve day sailor perfection:

HABIT 1  Pre-departure Check: As a day sailor this should become second nature for you and something that you automatically do prior to every departure. Don't assume that the boat is as you left it! Download my boat checklist or create your own and make it automatic.

HABIT 2 Safety Gear Check: I have decided to break out safety gear and boat check as I think they both warrant a good once over. For your safety gear you are checking the required gear, as well as recommended gear. Is your ladder still securely fixed to the transom? Does your boat hook still telescope properly? Are your flares dry and readily available?

HABIT 3 Include Your Guests: get into the habit of coaching others and including them in your boat prep. This will help them feel involved, and will help you feel a little less stressed about potentially having non-sailors onboard. Ask Uncle Rob to read the flare instructions. Teach Aunt Helen how to tie eight knots at the ends of the sheets. Teach neighbour Bob how to start and turn off the engine. These are all relatively small tasks, but if you need help from someone at some point while day sailing, you now have someone who has already been exposed to the information and your specific boat.

HABIT 4 Practice Your Crew Overboard: Regardless of whichever COB recovery method you use, you should know it inside and out as a day sailor. Especially if you often have non-sailors out with you on the boat. The last thing you want to be doing while Sally is in the water is trying to remember where to put the boat while 3 other people are asking you what to do. Make it automatic.

First off I need to figure out what I need. I currently have Keen sandals for summer, Salomon runners for summer, and then Helly winter boots, so I am doing pretty good. What I really need are summer/off-season sailing boots to keep my feet dry and warm-ish. So I need basic cruising boots. My wishlist includes:

Now that I have figured out basically what I am looking for, time to start pricing things out! Here are the brands I am looking into (I have left out Gill and Helly as I already have boots/shoes from them and want to test something new!):

How did I narrow down my list you ask? Well I did a quick Google search and then I canvassed some of my Facebook sailing groups. 

Check out sailnelson.com/podcast for the rest of this article!

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One of the most common synthetic fabrics used for base layers is polyester. However, you may also find a combination of nylon, rayon or polypropelene. Synthetics have a bit of a spandex feel which give you a nice snug fit.

5/5 wicking             4/5 durability            3/5 odor- resistant

Merino wool is soft and has ultrafine fibers and is nothing like older wool clothing and blankets. Wool can also be blended with other fabrics, like spandex to enhance fit and flexibility. Merino wool has the following characteristics:

4/5 wicking            3/5 durability             5/5 odor-resistant

Silk is an ideal fabric for low-key activities like an easygoing fall hike or an evening concert outdoors. It has the following characteristics:

FREEBIE ALERT! Download my FREE foul weather gear selection checklist to help you make sure you buy the RIGHT gear for you! Available at sailnelson.com/podcast

There are several things to consider when you are purchasing foul weather gear. These are the ones at the top of my list: quality, versatility, budget and durability. Do you see my Scottish side bleeding through? LOL. I want good bang for my bucks! However, price aside, I know that investing in good gear is a very wise choice. Not worrying about how wet and cold you are and being able to focus on your sailing adventure is SO key. So don't let the price tag sway you... maybe you just need to up your budget and save up for a little bit longer.

What type of sailing and you doing and when? This will really decide what you need in the end, but for your gear you are looking for: windproof, waterproof, breathable, lightweight and durable. This applies to the pants and jacket.

Accessory Lists

A few years back I signed up to deliver a boat from Hawaii to Victoria. I was in the market for new gear so I wrote up a blog post about some of the things I looked into when I was shopping for my new gear. You may find some useful tips in there!

Penny

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The stages of #boatfail grief:

Don't Worry

Take Stock

Get Angry

Write it Down

Take Responsibility

Check Your Habits

Move On

Experiencing a #boatfail says NOTHING about you as a successful boater. We all make mistakes. We all fall, then we get back up. Learn from it. Embrace it. Talk about it. And most important of all.... Don't forget about it.

Happy boating!

Penny

The first part of your trip plan is determining when you’re going to head out. Depending on your area this could depend on winds, tides, currents, or crew schedules. Regardless, your planning should start several days before your intended departure. The types of things you should be researching include:

The purpose of the trip plan is to have someone follow it. This could be a spouse, family member, friend or even just a vigilant neighbour! Either way, try to find someone who will keep track of where you should be and when, and they should notice when you do not check in.

I suggest creating your own trip plan document that contains your boat specific information and emergency contact information populated that you can just re-use each time you want to head out. Then you only need to fill in the crew section, destinations and check in times!

Happy Planning!

Penny

Off-Season Training: Boating Skills

This is a great way to meet other sailors! The setbacks would include financial commitments. Some clubs can be a bit pricy, but most places offer social memberships if you are not looking for boat mooring. Have a clubhouse, or a place to gather, is a great way to meet others. Grab a pint, break bread, and soak up the local sailing banter!

Boat shows are not only visually pleasing, but you can meet so many people from many different areas. Sailors tend to flock to these shows from great distances sometimes, so if you can get to a boat show I highly recommend it. Also, many boat shows have excellent guest speakers and training sessions that you can join to add to your credentials. Be sure to include them in your sailor resume!

3. Sign up for a Crew Bank

There are many different crew banks available online where you can highlight your experience and publish your interests. This is a great way to meet other sailors. Don’t assume that skippers already have their crew and don’t look at these crew banks! They do!

Facebook has many different engaging boating groups. If you are looking for some humour, join the Boat Fails group, or if you’re looking for something more serious, search for some cruising groups. They could include groups in your area, or maybe an area that you would like to sail to one day. These groups are also a great place to get added value and information (such as “WTF is this thing on my boat?!” or “Sewing on Boats”).

This one sounds a little daunting from the title, but even creating a pub night for local boaters is a great idea to get people out! Just create a FB event with a date, time and place and note that it is for boaters. I did a paint night once where we learned how to paint sailboats! It was fantastic and I met all kinds of new sailors.

Well clearly I think this is a great idea as I run a sailing school, but you would not believe how many of my students get together and sail together after their courses! It makes sense as they have now trained together for several days, and some of them even go into boat ownership together. Taking a course not only improves your skills, but helps to increase your social circle. This is how I ended up doing a Maui to Victoria boat delivery in 2018.

There are some cities that have very active meetup groups. These groups do all kinds of outdoor activities together. I would say that you could even join in on other outdoor enthusiast activities and you’ll probably find other sailors in the group. I have found that many sailors are also skiers, climbers, and scuba divers.

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Here is a list of things you can work on in the off-season that will increase your seamanship skills:

Off-Season Training: Boating Projects

Winter is an excellent time to complete some boating projects that will make your vessel top-notch! Some of these include:

Off-Season Training: Personal Growth

Finally, this is a great time to brush up on person skills and plan for your future sailing adventures.

Personal Growth Courses & Activities: there are several non-boating related courses and activities that I would recommend. These include: a first aid course, try conditioning workouts, and online weather courses.

Making Plans: start researching some destinations you’d like to sail to. Make a passage plan, watch YouTube videos, purchase some charts, read some online forums, and start dreaming about your future destinations!

The off-season is a great time to look ahead to where you want to be next year with your sailing journey. Knock off some projects, get more familiar with your boat, and learn a few new tricks! Most importantly, have fun!

Penny

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Here is the list of acts and regulations that I touched on include:

Transport Canada Safe Boating Guide is your reference for all safety gear mentioned.

What items do you require for your SUP, kayak or canoe? Here’s the list:

In this case we need to add a few things:

NOTE: You cannot wear an inflatable PFD/Lifejacket on a personal watercraft.

There are a few things that need to be added when we move up to this size vessel:

Create a grab bag for emergencies. Storing your gear together in a dry location will help to make sure it can be quickly accessed and is ready to be used when you need it. Another idea is to create a diagram of the location of safety gear on your vessel. When you have guests on your boat they can refer to the diagram to learn about the boat. Then you have more people who can help if you have an emergency onboard.

Happy grab bag planning!

Penny

I’ve put together some thoughts and ideas on what type of gear you need to get out sailing. You’ll see that it is pretty basic and probably all things that you own already.

To start off there are only a few things that you will need, and I don’t think you’ll need to run out shopping just yet. There are two different scenarios we will look at:

Personal Gear: hat, sunglasses, shorts, pants, t-shirt, sweatshirt, shoes, gloves. Layers, layers, layers

Will I be comfortable? Do the items that you are wearing make you comfortable? Can you sit for long periods of time, or standup and sit down easily? Do you have any issues walking around in what you’re wearing?

Will I stay warm? Do you have a few different layers to add, or take away? Are they easy to put on or take off? Do they fit in your backpack and will they be kept dry?

Will I be dry? Do you have the right outer shell to keep the wind and rain out? Some layers will keep the wind out, but the rain just soaks right in. I find that staying dry on the water is key to a happy sail.

Am I protected by the sun? The sun is getting stronger and stronger. It is becoming more and more important to cover up and keep the UV off your skin. I have purchased several UV sun shirts that I wear regularly all summer long.

3 Places You Should Invest Your Money:

In the end, clothing can easily be upgraded and changed as you go. Try out different materials, styles and brands to see what works for you. Try to wear quick-dry, light fabrics in the summer, and warm, comfortable fabrics in the winter. Clothing that you use for other outdoor activities work well too. I wear my ski pants in the winter if it is cold enough! Just get out there and enjoy yourself.

Sail on my friend!

Penny

Head on over to Sail Nelson to get your FREE shopping list! 

This is my Top 10 list of some of my favourite comfort items that I have on my sailboat! They make my time on the boat more comfortable, easier, and some are just fun to have! Hope you enjoy this first episode! 

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