Safety & Seamanship

Lots of skippers—in fact probably most—do not want to sail solo and I am the last person to try to encourage them to change...

A new generation of fire extinguishers, resembling a fat flare in appearance, promise to solve most of the problems of standard fire extinguishers. The biggest...

A test sail is a great way to weed out the painted vixens before spending your hard earned cash on a marine survey. Sure, you could ride around with a Mimosa in one hand while the broker regales you with tales of far away, exotic lands, but a smarter move would be to approach your test sail with planning and a critical eye. Heres how to glean as much info as possible about your potential purchase during a test sail.

You have probably heard people say sailing solo is dangerous or irresponsible. How can you keep a proper watch? What happens if you have...

Joe Cooper joins us for a full-length interview about safety at sea giving us advice he’s obtained from his decades of ocean sailing and racing including his experience in the America’s Cup, Bermuda 1-2 racing, and his teaching career. We discuss how to mentally prepare for passage-making on typical production-style boats including training seminars, the use of PFDs, jack lines, and crew overboard drills. Joe graces us with his knowledge of the sport and how to stay safe out there in the ocean.

Just another beautiful BVI day. The forecast was for  87 degrees and sunny and the weather Gods were in fine form, with a predictable...

When the mega container ship Dali struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge at 1:28 am on Tuesday, March 26, the world saw a remote...

One of the often overlooked maintenance items in the pre-season rush to the water is the AC shorepower system. Over the years of surveying, Ive amassed a small collection of scary photos from past surveys showing the common examples of neglect to this critical system.

Safety is always a priority on the water. When you add the unpredictable nature of kids to the mix, the stakes are even higher....

Recent fatalities involving racing sailors raised a long-simmering concern weve had regarding the harness and tether design, and the shortcomings of current design when used aboard boats that cruise at double-digit speeds. Although these harness and tethers might keep a sailor from going overboard, the impact loads transmitted via the harness and tether can exceed what the human body can endure (see Building a Custom Safety Tether, PS December 2017).