Useful Sailing Rule of Thumb

[CrispyCringle]

When I was in aviation I had probably a dozen or so very handy rules of thumb (Rot) or acronyms to help remember things or to make calculations easy. Im sure there are lots for the nautical world as well.

Things like 60:1 rule easily transfer to sailing navigation. A 1 deg arc, 60 NM out is 1 nm wide- things like that.

Could be for anything- navigation, weather, provisioning, etc. What else do people use? My RoT toolbox is pretty light.

Side note: I did a google search to see if this topic was already covered. The AI summary of sailing Rule of Thumb was pretty useless. Check out this little gem:

Safety- Bring snacks and food on the boat. Keep eating and drinking even if you feel seasick

[jamhass]

Sailing with your wife provides an automatic signal to reef.

[thinwater]

Aviate, Navigate, Communicate is a good one. basically, focus on what is immediate first. A correlary can be to anchor or heave to if a mechanical problems needs fixing, so that you are not doing 2 things at once.

[leecea]

- In the US we have "red, right, returning" for channel markers.

- Lots of people use anchor scope "rules" to calculate the right amount of rode.

- The acronym POW can be a reminder for who is the give way vessel between sailboats (Port, Overtaking, Windward)

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by leecea

- In the US we have "red, right, returning" for channel markers.

- Lots of people use anchor scope "rules" to calculate the right amount of rode.

- The acronym POW can be a reminder for who is the give way vessel between sailboats (Port, Overtaking, Windward)

Re. POW.


It's always bothered me that these really are not in the correct order of priority. Overtaking is give way to everything, including powerboats. Really, the sail/power/work duties come before port/starrboard. Also, the interpretation is slightly different between powerboats and sailboats (tack vs. approach angle); it is two separate rules. Finally, windward/leeward is a sail-only thing


Too simplistic to be a useful rule of thumb IMO.

[El Pinguino]

(compass) Error East,Compass least, Error West Compass Best.

For applying variation to convert from true course to the compass course to steer.

[CrispyCringle]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

(compass) Error East,Compass least, Error West Compass Best.

For applying variation to convert from true course to the compass course to steer.

The variation I learned for that was "East is Least, West is Best". Same thing, but shorter.

[SeanPatrick]

True Virgins Make Dull Company.

Of headings: True + Variation = Magnetic + Deviation = Compass.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by SeanPatrick

True Virgins Make Dull Company.

Of headings: True +/- Variation = Magnetic +/- Deviation = Compass.

Fixed it for you.

[grantmc]

No idea about what RoT for aviators looks like and there are a multitude of different forms that these might take. But in terms of my own boat, and assuming cruising passages of more than a single night at sea, here's a few that might be useful, and assumes we have crew:

• If we can sail then we sail; when it is slow, sailors are patient people.
  
• One hand for the boat one hand for yourself.
  
• If you think about reefing, then you probably need to reef.
  
• When going down wind it’s very easy to not realise the wind is increasing.
  
• Always be thinking ahead, what are the options?
  
• Things break at the worst possible moment, so try to fix things early.
  
• Everyone gets seasick, it’s just a matter of when.
  For yourself, know what works to minimise the risk and always be prepared with same.
  
• Practice, practice, practice.
  
• Push both your own and the boat’s limits when it’s safe to do so, so you have experience to do so when it’s not safe and you’ve no choice.
  
• Whilst time seems to slow down travelling at walking pace, things can go bad real fast, when they do act decisively.
  
• There’s only ever one skipper, so always be available and sleep close to the cockpit.
  
• The skipper is legally responsible for the boat, everyone carried by it and everything in it.
  
• Don’t do drugs or booze and expect to sail safely.
  
• Have standard operating procedures that all crew know.
  Write them down and keep reviewing them.
  Have standing orders listed by the radio.
  
• Gentlemen sail down wind.
  
• When people need to use the toilet or cook, flatten the f...ing boat for them (racers just hold on).
  
• Sailing is most people’s happy place, so don’t sail with skippers who shout.
  
• Breathe, feel the fear, and take another deep breath, then decide.
  Above all, and however you can manage it, don’t let panic creep in.
  
• If the weather forecast is a bit iffy, then enjoy the wait in port.
  
• Avoid sailing to a schedule.
  
• There’s a big difference between crew and passengers. Understand the difference.
  
• There’s always more to learn/experience.
  And the more you do, the more that the Dunning Krugger scope grows.
  
• Keep as good a 360° watch as manageable; the Earth really is round, and ships do seem to appear suddenly.
  
• All storms pass.
  
• Develop the ability to get to sleep quickly and sleep in any and all conditions. Skippers never wear ear plugs.
  
• Ensure everyone onboard understands that nothing goes down the toilet that wasn’t chewed first, because there’s nothing worse than unblocking.
  So have a receptacle handy for unmentionables that haven’t been chewed.
  
• Crew morale is very important, and good food works well to keep it up. Landing a fish is a great morale booster.
  
• Crew not wanting to wear PFDs travel on another boat.
  
• Safety is paramount, so before we leave the dock we have a safety briefing/boat tour.
  Have a list of assigned crew tasks in an emergency by the radio eg.
  Tom - Life Raft
  Pete - Mayday
  Mary - Grab Bag
  
• Crew don't go on deck or up the mast unless there's someone watching them from the cockpit.
  
• No one goes on deck or up the mast in darkness unless there's a real need.
  

There are more RoTs for Racing boats where speed, shortest route and tactics take a much higher priority. Sailing Anarchy is a good source.

[CrispyCringle]

Originally Posted by grantmc

No idea about what RoT for aviators looks like and there are a multitude of different forms that these might take. But in terms of my own boat, and assuming cruising passages of more than a single night at sea, here's a few that might be useful, and assumes we have crew:

• If we can sail then we sail; when it is slow, sailors are patient people.
  
• One hand for the boat one hand for yourself.
  
• If you think about reefing, then you probably need to reef.
  
• When going down wind it’s very easy to not realise the wind is increasing.
  
• Always be thinking ahead, what are the options?
  
• Things break at the worst possible moment, so try to fix things early.
  
• Everyone gets seasick, it’s just a matter of when.
  For yourself, know what works to minimise the risk and always be prepared with same.
  
• Practice, practice, practice.
  
• Push both your own and the boat’s limits when it’s safe to do so, so you have experience to do so when it’s not safe and you’ve no choice.
  
• Whilst time seems to slow down travelling at walking pace, things can go bad real fast, when they do act decisively.
  
• There’s only ever one skipper, so always be available and sleep close to the cockpit.
  
• The skipper is legally responsible for the boat, everyone carried by it and everything in it.
  
• Don’t do drugs or booze and expect to sail safely.
  
• Have standard operating procedures that all crew know.
  Write them down and keep reviewing them.
  Have standing orders listed by the radio.
  
• Gentlemen sail down wind.
  
• When people need to use the toilet or cook, flatten the f...ing boat for them (racers just hold on).
  
• Sailing is most people’s happy place, so don’t sail with skippers who shout.
  
• Breathe, feel the fear, and take another deep breath, then decide.
  Above all, and however you can manage it, don’t let panic creep in.
  
• If the weather forecast is a bit iffy, then enjoy the wait in port.
  
• Avoid sailing to a schedule.
  
• There’s a big difference between crew and passengers. Understand the difference.
  
• There’s always more to learn/experience.
  And the more you do, the more that the Dunning Krugger scope grows.
  
• Keep as good a 360° watch as manageable; the Earth really is round, and ships do seem to appear suddenly.
  
• All storms pass.
  
• Develop the ability to get to sleep quickly and sleep in any and all conditions. Skippers never wear ear plugs.
  
• Ensure everyone onboard understands that nothing goes down the toilet that wasn’t chewed first, because there’s nothing worse than unblocking.
  So have a receptacle handy for unmentionables that haven’t been chewed.
  
• Crew morale is very important, and good food works well to keep it up. Landing a fish is a great morale booster.
  
• Crew not wanting to wear PFDs travel on another boat.
  
• Safety is paramount, so before we leave the dock we have a safety briefing/boat tour.
  Have a list of assigned crew tasks in an emergency by the radio eg.
  Tom - Life Raft
  Pete - Mayday
  Mary - Grab Bag
  
• Crew don't go on deck or up the mast unless there's someone watching them from the cockpit.
  
• No one goes on deck or up the mast in darkness unless there's a real need.
  

There are more RoTs for Racing boats where speed, shortest route and tactics take a much higher priority. Sailing Anarchy is a good source.

That’s a good list. I like it. Thanks.

[Kettlewell]

When in doubt, don't go out.
Red sky in morn, sailors take warn. Red sky at night, sailors delight. (works a lot of the time)
If you fall overboard you are dead! (Yes, we'll try to save you, but don't count on it.)
Never enter an unfamiliar harbor at night.
Stay offshore until you are 100% sure where you are going and can do it under control.
Reef early. It is always easier to shake the reef out than to put it in.
Never follow the crowd blindly. Make your own decisions.
Sleep on it before making major repairs--extra thought always helps, as does a good night's sleep.

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by CrispyCringle

That’s a good list. I like it. Thanks.

Me too. Thanks Grant!

[Tupaia]

Very British, the word POSH for upper class passengers crossing the Atlantic to NY, derived from P_ort O_ut S_tarboard H_ome as this is the is the sunny side of the ship.


Tying a bowline; make a loop, the tree grows out of the ground, the rabbit comes out of the hole runs round the tree and back down the hole.

[TrentePieds]

Kettlewell said: "When in doubt, don't go out."

I was 12. Standing on the wharf in the fishboat harbour of the little town where Granny lived. A geezer, a retired fisherman, was getting his new lovely little gaff-rigger ready to go out.

With the innocence of a 12-year-old I said: " Gee, Sir - I bet you could take that boat out in some really bad weather!"

The geezer looked at me penetratingly and said: "Look Boy — You don't take them OUT in bad weather!"

Quite so, Sir :-)!

TrentePieds