3 Square meals a day comes from the British Royal Navy where the sailor’s food was served on square wooden boards? Sailors were promised 3 squares (meals) a day when they signed on. Splicing the Main Brace was of the same origins and ran until July 1970 when the Royal Navy stopped issuing rum on…
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Knots perform important tasks in sailing and boating, and it is useful to know which is which. The purpose of knots in sailing is mostly to secure something using ropes, sheets, or lines and it is said that there are eight basic knots. Most of the knots in use have been developed and used since…
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When it is a Sheet. In general terms a rope is not called a rope when on a boat, so what is it called and why does it matter? It matters because communication is important when sailing on any boat where there are two or more people crewing, using the correct terminology is not about…
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Outboard motors have been around for many years, and they are noticeable across the world in one form or another from the most primitive to the ultra-sophisticated and massively powerful. Essentially an outboard motor is a very useful independent propulsion unit that is not an integral part of the boat. Mounted onto the transom, at…
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There is a lot of truth in the old adage for boating people especially. But, what is the tide and what does it mean to you? Experienced boaters and commercial mariners know how to work with the tides, newbie boaters and inexperienced sailors are advised to attend an approved training course to receive guidance about…
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All boats have a hull, from a dinghy to a super-yacht they all have at least one, some are tiny – size of tea tray (Hydrofoils) whereas others are vast. Since man hollowed out a tree trunk in order to paddle to where he wished to go boats have sat in the water with a…
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A Buoy of course! A buoy is a floating object that will perform any of a number of functions, they may be secured in position of floating depending on what their job is. Essentially, they are a warning or advisory marker telling boaters to take note. A sea mark buoy is in place to mark…
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‘Red sails in the sunset’ says the old song and a boat decked out in good looking sail does look good, sails are far more important than just something to amuse the rest of the sailing club, although eye-catching sails are great fun. Sails have been used to propel boats since man first set…
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People often use the old saying, ‘Knowing which way the wind is blowing’ but in fact this is vital information and may not always be as it would seem. Winds are designated based on from where they originate, a wind blowing from the sea in the direction of the shore is an on-shore wind, conversely…
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Boaters are often out of sight, depending on what size of boat you are sailing and where you are. Larger and professionally operated boats take going to sea very seriously and do not put themselves, their passengers and crews, at risk. Should problems happen may be both out of sight and out of mind –…
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