10 boating mistakes I learned the hard way, some perhaps obvious, some less so. For example, who would have thought that a bent cotter pin could slice a spinnaker to shreds?

blog.arribasail.com/2016/03/10-boating-mistakes-to-avoid.html

I hope you can avoid them.

DAMA said..
Guilty of #1 , #5 and #7

Only 3? Impressive

Happy Halloween
Not
I'm not a great fan of Aus being an American culture fan
I refuse to answer the door for Halloween
It's UN Australian. As far as Im concerned
But there products yes but not there culture

Come on HG , saying something is UN Australian is well,,,,just,,, UN Australian

In order

1....you MUST clean your feet with vinegar before getting into bed.
2 ....You must do it properly
3....Don't do your lobster traps late in the afternoon. ...always do them early so you have time to wash up properly. ....otherwise you will be barred access too underneath ( note. Same gate keeper will happily take trap spoil and cook and eat no matter how dirty I am )
4...hygiene. ....I get it....you must too
5...plan your new anchorage b4 midday.
6....try and get there b4 dark
7....water water everywhere. ...you can never have enough the fresh stuff.
8....yes...its the worst storm eva...but...it will pass
9...batteries are awesome. ...look after them
10...sleep with your life jacket. ..u never know

Thats my top ten

ChopesBro said...
In order

1....you MUST clean your feet with vinegar before getting into bed.
2 ....You must do it properly
3....Don't do your lobster traps late in the afternoon. ...always do them early so you have time to wash up properly. ....otherwise you will be barred access too underneath ( note. Same gate keeper will happily take trap spoil and cook and eat no matter how dirty I am )
4...hygiene. ....I get it....you must too
5...plan your new anchorage b4 midday.
6....try and get there b4 dark
7....water water everywhere. ...you can never have enough the fresh stuff.
8....yes...its the worst storm eva...but...it will pass
9...batteries are awesome. ...look after them
10...sleep with your life jacket. ..u never know

Thats my top ten

4-10 spot on. My 1-4.
1. Don't put your storm sails on the bottom of your sail locker
2. If you have good seasickness drugs, don't experiment with different ones at the start of a long passage.
3. Don't go to sea on a yacht with a modified rudder.
4. Don't go on an ocean passage without a Fleming wind vane.

The cotter pin is holding the rigging, the split pin is holding the cotter pin. Hey?

"10...sleep with your life jacket. ..u never know "

Never know what? Is there any offshore sailor in Australia who would have been saved had they slept with their life jacket?

Clevis pin then, forgive my mistake.

I have an auto-inflate PFD with manual function. Unscrew the auto sensor, screw in the blocking plug, presto the auto is manual.
If l am not mistaken, if one unscrews the auto sensor on any PFD it becomes manual.
The auto function, if one is clipped to the boat at all times on deck, seldom needed.

The most important thing is, the jack line should not run the whole length of the boat but end about 2-3 metres from the transom depending on the length of the tether. If one falls overboard is not dragged b e h i n d the boat but with at least in level with the transom!
If one falls in on the lee side has an advantage of the sides being lower in the water, thuss easier to climb back on.
An appropriate cutting implement clipped to the PFD might come handy to save ones skin. So does an auto strobe light and a personal EPIRB.

I see the merit sleeping with a PFD on in certain situations. When one is in an emergency just waking up, there is one less thing to be worried about.

Id say ....avoid the worlds biggest rock in a 200 million warship should be in the top ten

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/1400844/Destroyer-runs-into-worlds-biggest-rock.html

As we are off topic....one thing I saw on the rise in Australia that I didn't like was using a company's name for a phone number....such a American thing.

If I want ring youi.....id like to be able to find the phone number...not 1300youi....put that rubbish back in the states.

Nice attempt at getting back on topic southace, however I agree that Americanism is a blot on the Australian way of life lets get rid of it, and, if we promise to be real good, could we please have our fireworks back for Guy Fawlkes night, it is just so wrong that we, as Australians, are not allowed to celebrate a plot to blow up Englands Parliament by letting of fireworks.