SAILING THE WORLD Dick Beaumont spells out what you won’t find in the almanac

PART THREE Port Preparation

One of the most common mistakes that voyaging sailors make is committing themselves to finite departure dates.

This imperative is often created by the requirements of crew departure from the intended arrival point and date, but it must be avoided where at all possible, as sailing vessels run to tide tables NOT time tables.

I have been coerced into accepting that a crew ‘just has to be back by XYZ date’, but all it will do is tempt Zeus* to throw problems in your way to ruin your carefully calculated passage plan.

If you can induce your crew to sail on the basis of ‘I’ll see you when I see you’ so much the better.

Crew

It’s important that all crew know what is expected of them and those specific duties are appointed before leaving port.

By sharing out duties, everyone has a role, feels valued and becomes part of the team.

Clothing

The skipper should make sure all crew members have good, sound heavy weather waterproofs with them. This should be checked several days