Boating inland on rivers and canals brings its own special set of circumstances that need extra consideration when afloat. Canals are generally man-made and have little or no water flow, as any level changes are done with locks. Rivers always have a flow of water downstream from the river head to where they either join another river or become tidal.

Again, locks are used to ease the passage of boats along stretches of river when the water level change is too great. These are usually accompanied by a weir and sluices to control the level and flow of the navigable river.

When boating inland, there are some special considerations that you need to take into account and that may affect your choice of vessel. The boat we used for this article was a Delphia 11 Flylounge powered by a single 150hp Yanmar engine.

Although this would allow for some coastal work, it was perfect on the river as it gave a tick-over speed of just under 2 knots, with good rudder control and added manoeuvrability from both a bow and stern thruster. Faster sea-going vessels aren’t designed to cruise for long periods of time at the inland speed limit of 5-6 knots and may struggle to maintain steerage.

We were blessed with a quiet, sunny autumn day but in the height of the season, dealing with traffic can be complicated, and some inland waterways, especially those with a lot of commercial traffic, have additional rules known as CEVNI regulations.

Both rivers and canals suffer from shoaling at the edges so care is needed when mooring along the banks or travelling around river bends where the inside of the turn is often very shallow, causing serious congestion on a narrow river. I like to travel roughly down the centre, moving to starboard when other traffic or moored boats mean that I need to move over.

Floating or hidden debris is another potential hazard, especially after heavy rain and flooding. Overhanging branches can also complicate things when manoeuvring. Other than locks, which we will cover next month, the main
feature you’ll need to deal with is bridges. These often cross the waterway at an angle, due to the direction of the road above, rather than at 90 degrees to the waterway.

The technique, especially if going downstream and with some current or wind with you, is to position your boat absolutely straight between the piers and then engage the minimum power that allows you to maintain steerage. Too slow, and any swirling water can easily push you towards the piers or arches; too fast, and if you do get it wrong, the consequences will be very expensive!

Stay alert

Here, the entrance from the river to the marina has shallowed dramatically and the red buoy is there to keep you away from the bank; the overhanging trees help focus whoever is at the helm!

Obey signs

The weir stream is used to divert the main flow of water away from the lock. Be really careful not to get swept into its path, especially after heavy rain when the flow can increase dramatically.

Deceptive conditions

While this was a slow-water-flow
day on the river, the volume going over the weir was still considerable. Getting caught in it doesn’t bear thinking about.

Floating obstacles

This large log was floating less than a metre from the boat. Not only could it damage the hull, but if it gets sucked into the propeller the repair bill could be substantial.

Negotiating bridges

You can see that this bridge is built at an angle to the waterway, so you need to control your speed carefully and get your vessel parallel to the arch before passing through it.

Rounding bends

All bends need to be treated with caution, as the inside often shoals and reduces the available depth. On this bend, the deeper outside line is further complicated by overhanging trees on the bank.

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Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

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This article How to cruise rivers and canals appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Understanding buoyage and how to use it is crucial for safe navigation. Most countries use an inland and coastal system. Inland is usually from above the first sea lock. Coastal systems are further split into IALA A and B. The main difference is the colour of the marks as the shapes remain the same.

Area B covers the Americas, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. In this area the port side of inbound channels is marked by green buoys, which are pillar-shaped, and show a green light (if lit). The starboard side is marked by cone-shaped red buoys and a red light.

Area A covers pretty much the rest of the world, including Europe, Australia and New Zealand. In this case the port side of inbound channels has red pillar or can-shaped buoys and red lights. Starboard has green cones and green lights. I find a simple reminder is that when your boat’s port and starboard navigation lights match the buoyage then you are travelling inbound into a port.

Both systems have safe water marks (red and white vertical stripes with a single red sphere on top and a white light) and isolated danger marks (red and black horizontal stripes with two black balls on top and a white light). They also have special marks (yellow with an X topmark and yellow light) and emergency wreck marks (yellow and blue vertical stripes with a vertical yellow cross as the top mark).

Article continues below…

Both systems have cardinal marks but they are rarely used in IALA B. Cardinal marks are used to show you where the safe water is around a potential hazard. They do this by the arrangement of the yellow and black colours, the cone-shaped top marks and a white light when lit.

At night they are differentiated by the timing of the lights. This is usually indicated by the small letters below the buoyage on a chart. On a plotter, you need to hover over the mark and press for more information.

If you are venturing out after dark, then a study of the light sequences is essential. The marks themselves are usually named or numbered and can be as small as 30cm high to 5m or more. Mostly they are floating cans but they could also be posts or even branches driven into the sea bed identified by the top mark and colour. Just remember, the smaller the mark, the less the channel is used, so always ask yourself does that confirm what I expect?

Buoyage is expensive to install and maintain, so, a bit like markings on the roads, the more markers there are, the more hazardous the area is and the more you need to pay attention.

The questions that you should ask yourself about every mark are: What is it warning or guiding me about? Does that apply to me? Where should I be in relation to it? And must I comply with the information given or is there sufficient depth for me to safely navigate outside of an area or channel. Here are the main buoys you need to be familiar with…

Channel choice

This chart shows the entrance to Poole harbour. There are two channels, the main Swash Channel (blue arrows) marked with large red and green buoys, and a smaller Boat Channel (red arrows) running alongside it marked with red posts. You can choose which one best suits the size of your craft.

Photo: Richard Langdon

Size matters

You can see that the main Swash channel is about 200m wide and suitable for large ships and ferries, so depth permitting if you’re in a smaller craft it’s often prudent to navigate in the Boat Channel.

Channel markers

Port hand marks are red and ‘can’-shaped. Starboard ones are green and ‘cone’-shaped. These ones are ashore for repairs. Note the size of them in comparison to the car – they are huge!

Cardinal mark west

This west cardinal mark is identified by the ‘waisted’ top mark and its yellow-black-yellow colour sequence. The safe water is to the west of it. East cardinals have an ‘egg’ shaped top mark and a black yellow-black colour sequence.

Photo: Richard Langdon

Cardinal mark south

This south cardinal mark is identified by its two top cones pointing downwards and yellow on top of black colour sequence, indicating safe water to the south. North ones have two cones pointing up and black over yellow.

Photo: Richard Langdon

Lateral mark

This starboard hand lateral mark could do with a lick of paint but it’s still a valid navigation tool. There is no topmark but it does have a newly installed green light for night- time navigation.

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

This article How to use buoyage to navigate appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Using a tidal current or river flow to move your boat sideways is called ferry-gliding. The term comes from the traditional practice of using the flow of water on a river to move a ferry boat sideways across it. When a good flow of water is present, it provides ‘free’ sideways propulsion with barely any need for oars or an engine.

It works by simply pointing the boat, either bow or stern first, into the flow of water (bow first usually works best due to the pointy shape) and then turning it at an angle across the flow so that one side is receiving more flow than the other. This puts more pressure on the up-tide side, creating sideways movement. The steeper the angle the greater the sideways force.

Of course the flow will also start to push the boat backwards, which you will need to counter using small nudges of ahead or astern so the motion is only sideways and not fore and aft.

It works on all vessels as the hull shape and keel (if present) are what create the sideways motion. On a single-engine shaftdrive craft, such as the Duchy 27 in the photos, control of the angle is done with the rudder alone. On twin-engine craft, this can be enhanced by using alternate engines.

Larger rudders make fine-controlling the angle easier, but all boats can keep control by using some helm combined with clicks of gear, usually just in ahead but also in astern if you inadvertently use too much ahead.

Our Duchy 27 has a relatively long but shallow keel, a single prop, and a fairly small motorboat- style rudder. This allowed us to keep good control at very slow speed in ahead. In astern, the rudder worked to some degree, but being a single shaft-drive boat, the prop walk always wanted to push the stern to port.

This meant that it was very hit or miss – if you got it set up perfectly on approach it would just about work, but any adjustments mid-approach quickly ended in an abort as the boat would always pull to port regardless of rudder position.

So, if your vessel is compliant when bow-to the elements but a little ‘interesting’ in astern, I would only use this very elegant technique when the bow is facing into the wind and/or tide.

Face the flow

Position the boat facing into the tidal flow. You can see this from the back eddies and smoother water at the stern of the moored boats. The aim is to ferry-glide across into the marina to starboard.]

Angle into flow

By turning the wheel to starboard, the water flow over the rudder turns the boat and presents more of the portside to the flow, causing the whole boat to start crabbing sideways to starboard.

Balance tidal flow

The flow will also start to push the boat astern, so use a click of ahead with the wheel still to starboard to keep the boat stationary fore and aft while still ferry-gliding across to starboard.

Increase angle

The steeper the angle the more the boat gets pushed (or ‘ferries’) to starboard. Be careful as it can move quite quickly. Another click of ahead may be needed to keep the fore and aft transit.

Slow down

If you feel the movement is too fast, all you need to do is put the wheel to port to reduce the angle of attack. If that’s not enough, one click ahead and the boat will straighten and stop.

Come back out

Keep that wheel to port to change which side of the boat is facing into the flow. Now the starboard side is facing into it and the boat is moving to port. Maintain the fore and aft transit using clicks of ahead.

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This article How to ferry-glide sideways in a motor boat appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Single shaftdrive boats are relatively rare these days but the reduced costs of buying, servicing and fuelling such a simple but reliable drivetrain does mean they are making a bit of a comeback. The main disadvantage is that single shaftdrive boats aren’t as manoeuvrable as twin-engined ones or those fitted with sterndrives or outboards.

There are millions of yachts out there with this set-up, and they seem to manage okay, so what’s the difference? Well yachts usually have deep keels and larger rudders to give maximum stability and steerage at speeds below 10 knots.

Motor boats on the other hand tend to have shorter keels and smaller rudders to reduce drag and steering effect at speed. The flipside of this is that they also have less directional stability and steering effect at lower speeds, making them more sensitive to being blown about by the wind.

So before helming a single shaftdrive boat, it’s worth finding out a bit about its hull shape. It may have no keel at all, a small stub keel or, like this Duchy 27, a longer keel which protects the propeller. This will give the first clues as to how it’s going to handle.

Look out for unwanted stern movement when using the bow thruster

Your next job is to establish which way the propeller turns. If the shaft is easily accessible, you can simply watch which way it rotates, or if that’s difficult, you can watch which way the stern moves and how water exits from the hull when the engine is engaged.

All propellers have something known as prop walk or transverse thrust. It is most apparent in astern gear, as the blunter transom makes it easier for the propeller to move the boat sideways rather than backwards. So as astern gear is engaged, you can usually observe the stern of the boat moving to one side and the wash from the propeller exiting amidships on the opposite side. This turning effect can be harnessed to give you a ‘best’ direction when attempting to turn the boat.

Your next job is to find out how well the boat steers astern. On some, the rudders will steer the boat in both directions. On others, the prop walk overpowers the rudder and it will only steer in the direction the prop wants.

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You also need to see if a ‘dab’ of power helps the situation by making the turn tighter or if it makes it worse. Having established the propeller rotation, try going ahead with the helm hard over to starboard and then to port.

Complete a full circle in both directions and look carefully at how they differ to see if it turns quicker one way than the other. Now see if you can combine this with the astern prop walk to get a nice tight three-point turn working in both ways or just one. This knowledge will aid the approach to every manoeuvre you make.

One technique that is useful in ahead gear is to use a small blip of power after engaging, as you can then squirt water directly onto the rudder and really aid turning without too much forward momentum. Lastly, if you have a bow thruster, see how powerful it is. Does it move the bow much? Does the stern go the other way and if so, by how much?

Check hull shape

The shape of the hull plays a large part in how your boat will handle. This Cockwells Duchy 27 has a shallow but almost full-length keel, which aids directional stability in ahead but makes steering astern more difficult.

Propeller rotation

The Duchy has an easily visible shaft, which makes it easy to see that it rotates clockwise in ahead and anti-clockwise in astern. This means that it will pull the stern to port in astern gear.

Static test

If you can’t see the shaft, you can still check it when tied up by engaging astern gear and seeing which way the boat moves. Here you can see the stern has moved to port, pushing it against the pontoon.

Straight astern

With practice, you can go in a fairly straight line astern by using a burst of power to get the boat moving backwards, then going into neutral so the rudder can work without fighting the prop walk effect.

Turning ahead

Try turning ahead in both directions to see which is tighter. In this case, our circle to starboard is slightly tighter than to port, aided by the propeller turning to the right in ahead and hence moving the stern to port.

Bow thruster test

When the bow thruster is used, you can see that although it moved the bow very nicely to port, it also moved the stern to starboard. That could make it hard for the crew to get a stern line ashore.

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

This article How to handle a single shaftdrive boat appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

The vast majority of boats are made of GRP, a highly flammable material, so prevention is far better than cure. With that in mind, it’s worth having a walk through your boat, considering what your plan of action would be if you do have a fire and how you would escape if you can’t put it out.

If not contained, a fire will spread quickly so speed of action is vital. Fire and carbon monoxide alarms in every cabin and enclosed space will give you the best chance of spotting it early, followed by immediate shouts of fire to alert your crew. Your immediate priorities should be to get everybody to your muster point, put out a Mayday call and grab any available extinguishers to try and fight it.

The most likely sources of fire are engines, fuel and electrical systems, so ensure you know where and how to trigger the engine room extinguishers, the fuel cut-offs and the battery isolator switches. Some electrical bow and stern thrusters also have a dedicated extinguisher, so add it to your annual check sheet. Rechargeable lithium ion batteries in water toys, bikes, drones, phones and computers are another potential fire hazard if overcharged or exposed to water, so make sure you know what’s on board and don’t leave them charging unattended.

Boats built within the last 30 years will have at least one manual fire extinguisher fitted and if it has an enclosed engine space, a fire suppression system too. Most extinguishers have a maximum life span of ten years so portable ones will need to be replaced and larger ones serviced, preferably annually.

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I’d also add a portable extinguisher to each cabin and a fire blanket for the galley.

If you need to use an extinguisher, aim it at the base of the fire and use it in short bursts. Always try to have an exit behind you so you can escape if it gets out of control.

Planning your exit is vital. On a small boat it’s pretty obvious but larger craft with multiple decks and cabins present a much bigger problem. Do you have escape hatches fitted? Do you know where they are? And can you actually fit through them? Older or larger guests may not be physically capable of using them.

Amazingly, despite being surrounded by water, most craft I go on either don’t have any buckets or have buckets but no lines attached, so you can’t easily haul up water to put out a fire. Lastly, if you have to abandon ship make sure you can access and launch the tenders/liferafts quickly. Consider launching them early as a precaution and keep them tethered alongside on the windward side (on the downwind side they risk being damaged by the flames or filled with smoke) until you know whether they are needed. You can always recover them if not.

Get to know your extinguishers

Know where your extinguishers are kept and how to use them – these ones had quite different pull-pins. Buckets for collecting sea water are also a useful extra resource but they need a lanyard to reach the water easily.

Switch off the fuel supply

In the event of a fire the fuel supply will need to be switched off, otherwise you are literally adding fuel to the fire. Then manually pull the engine room fire control.

Engine room extinguisher

Many engine rooms have automatic extinguishers like this one, which also cut the engines. The little switch allows you to restart the engines, once you have put out the fire.

Check the pressure gauge

The engine room extinguisher is auto and manual but the pressure gauge is placed where it’s hard to see, so I use my phone to check what it reads – in this case, it’s nicely in the green.

Test exit routes

I was pleasantly surprised to find that I fit through this foredeck escape hatch, especially as there is no extinguisher in this cabin to aid my escape back through the boat.

Plan your escape

If the fire envelops the boat and you can’t fight or extinguish it, how are you going to exit the craft? This boat has a liferaft and an easily launched tender.

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

This article How to guard against fire on board a boat appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

With ten years of boating and a Day Skipper qualification under my belt (not to mention being an avid viewer of Saving Lives At Sea and the equally gripping Deadliest Catch), I thought I was fairly well aware of the potential hazards of putting to sea.

But of course accidents pay scant regard to all that, and the night my wife and I found ourselves bobbing around in the pitch black after a poorly executed transition from a tender to our boat was something of an epiphany for us.

It wasn’t so much that we had lost our footing and gone in. We know that’s always a possibility, so we were both wearing lifejackets. It was two other factors that really took us by surprise.

After an unnerving incident on his boat, Phil enlisted the help of Steve Nottingham

Firstly, we had never experienced our auto-inflating lifejackets in operation; and secondly, we had no real plan for how to get out of the sea and back onto our boat.

In the event, our lifejackets certainly did their job. The buoyancy they provide is more than adequate but that only served to highlight the fact that our crotch straps were far too loose.

As a result, our jackets rose up above our ears, which is by no means that useful in an emergency. After tightening our cords (which is simply a matter of tugging the forward strap downwards) we realised the only way to board the boat was to deploy the bathing platform ladder. And it was at that point, as I was fumbling in the darkness, that I vowed to sign up for the RYA Sea Survival course.

Taking the plunge is a key part of the course

Lessons learned

The course I opted for was delivered by the Hamble School of Yachting (HSY). This was partly because the timing suited me and partly because they are based in Mercury Marina, just down the road from our Hamble base. Despite its name, HSY also caters for motor boaters.

That said, of the 15 delegates on my course, every one of them except me was a yachtie. Some were on a 17-week Yachtmaster course, some were in training for the annual trans-Atlantic ARC event and some were simply attending in a bid to refresh their sea survival skills.

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In addition to examples of best practice and lashings of common sense, the course syllabus draws heavily on the lessons learnt from past maritime disasters, most notably the 1979 Fastnet race. That year, 15 yachtsmen lost their lives, seven of them after taking to their liferafts.

Subsequently, it was discovered that all seven came from yachts which were still afloat, leading to one of the course’s key takeaways – your boat is your best liferaft. Do not abandon ship unless it’s sinking or is uncontrollably on fire.

Righting and climbing on board is a major mission

Liferaft etiquette

In spite of the advice above, liferafts do still form an integral part of the RYA Sea Survival course and after a couple of hours in the classroom, instructor Steve Nottingham led us to the local swimming pool for a two-hour encounter with an eight-man raft.

Togged up in wet weather gear, we undertook exercises on how to work as a group to deploy, right and board our floating refuge and how to rescue an unresponsive casualty.

Conditions on a raft are far less pleasant than the smiles suggest

It proved to be an obstinate brute (the liferaft that is, not the casualty) which appeared to do everything within its power to repel invaders. Nonetheless, we all eventually managed to scramble aboard into a decidedly unwelcoming environment.

It is said that there is no etiquette on a liferaft and after a few minutes on board, you can see why. Lord alone knows how Dougal and Lynn Robertson, plus their three children and Robin Williams, coped when they spent 38 days in a dinghy and a liferaft back in 1972.

Back to the classroom

After lunch, it was back to the classroom for another intensive session. Such was the level of engagement, with numerous questions and discussions, that we overran by an hour and a half.

Testing the raft in non-emergency conditions is a valuable exercise

To his great credit, our instructor didn’t rush as the clock ticked away, and at the end of the day, receiving our RYA course certificates felt like a genuinely worthwhile achievement. It would have been nice to have had a few more motor boaters around to share the moment, but having finally got the course done, it’s certainly something I would recommend.

Whether you’re a seasoned boater or not, having that first-hand experience of what to do when things go wrong adds a fresh level of awareness and confidence to your boat life that you really can’t put a price on.

This article 'We had no real plan for how to get back onto our boat' - lessons from a man overboard appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Commercial shipping has been moving away from paper charts and onto a plotter-based system called ECDIS for more than 20 years, and the Admiralty’s recent decision to stop printing charts by 2030 indicates the passage of travel for the leisure world as well.

Many in the leisure world have already moved almost exclusively from paper chart based navigation to GPS plotters known as Multi-Function Displays (MFDs). That’s all well and good provided that you have a reliable means of checking that your plotter is as accurate as it appears to be.

Tidal information is a good case in point; we used to scour the Almanac for the day’s tide and height and then calculate what the difference would be at the secondary port we were heading to.

Nowadays a couple of quick touches on the MFD screen and it will give you a real time height or direction at any given place or time. It’s the same with some smartphone- based apps. But how do you know that all these navigational sources are using accurate data in the first place? One simple way to check is to look at the marina ramp or harbour wall to see how much water there actually is compared to what your screen is telling you.

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Out at sea, you can check the accuracy of the GPS by looking at the ‘accuracy’ information screen. This will show a number based on HDOP: 1 is great, between 1 and 2 is fine, anything above that needs treating with caution. It’s also worth checking the date of the charting system by looking at the data screen. Another simple way to check it is to pass a known point or navigation mark and see if the view from the window matches what the screen is telling you.

If slightly further away from land you can check it by using the MFD’s range and bearing function to a visible object or headland and comparing that with a physical bearing taken using a hand-bearing compass, the boat’s compass or even a compass app on your phone. If that feels a bit simplistic then take three bearings for a three-point fix. Use the MFD to give you three bearings to objects, then compare your compass result with the MFD’s. It only takes seconds and you have confirmed your position and the accuracy of the system.

Some systems now allow you to draw lines on the screen. This has huge advantages, especially if the weather is poor or it’s night-time, when you can easily become overloaded with navigation and helming duties.

These lines can be used as clearing bearings for a difficult approach or by giving the helm a heading and then marking a safety line on the screen which they must not cross or even drawing the transit you want on the screen as a ‘to follow’ guide. Perhaps their greatest aid is to use a heading sensor to assist with a ‘course to steer’ simply by bringing the double headed ‘course over ground’ arrow to align with the intended heading.

MFD or Almanac?

MFDs are far quicker at sourcing information. For instance, the Almanac only shows tidal heights for main ports like Southampton, so for secondary ports such as Warsash you have to do calculations. The MFD gave me the Warsash tidal station with one click.

Check chart dates

Having up to date charts is vital. These Raymarine Lighthouse charts were created on 20/09/2023 and can be relied upon for all but very recent changes. If your plotter was installed a while back and the charts haven’t been updated, it could jeopardise your safety.

Checking accuracy

An easy way to check your plotter’s accuracy is to click on a visible known object and see what its bearing gives. You can then check this bearing by using a handheld compass.

Triple bearing check

If you’re still not sure or want a higher degree of accuracy do three bearing lines on the MFD and check them by hand – almost like a three-point fix but quicker and with no calculations.

Placing lines

Placing lines on the screen for the helmsperson to follow or avoid crossing is very handy. Here I have placed a do-not-cross line in front of the shallows to guide the helm away from this potential danger.

Adding a waypoint

Doing this allows me to improvise a course to steer by keeping the double-headed arrow over the bearing to our waypoint. I’ve also placed a line on the transit we wish to turn in on.

This article How to check your chartplotter’s accuracy appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Correctly sized and positioned, boat fenders cushion the initial impact and dissipate the kinetic energy of your boat’s momentum, thereby avoiding costly damage to your own or other people’s craft.

The first task with all fenders is to attach them to the boat. Unless you have built-in fender buttons or use aftermarket clips, this usually involves tying the fender lines to a guardrail.

There are two boating knots I find suitable for this; the clove hitch, and the round turn and two half hitches. I always seem to find myself using clove hitches, as they are simple to do and easy to adjust.

However, they do have drawbacks, namely they are prone to slipping unless you add an extra locking hitch to make them secure for the longer term. A round turn and two half hitches is more secure and therefore better suited for occasions when you plan to leave the boat unattended.

They are also easier to tie when attaching them to the base of vertical stanchions, particularly when stretching up from the dock. There’s another good reason for doing this, as the lower the attachment point, the less stress they place on the guardrails.

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So, I usually tie them to the top of the guardrails when coming in to moor but then lower them to the stanchion bases before leaving the boat so they put less strain on the deck joints.

I am also a fan of having the fender closest to the stern hung off a deck cleat using a loop, as this allows for quick deployment and leaves more room on the cleat for stern lines and cross springs. It also means that it’s easy to grab if you need a ‘roving’ fender in a hurry.

The type of fender used is often dictated by how much room you have to stow them on board; cylindrical fenders are easier to stow in lockers and look neater when tied in a row on the stern.

Ball fenders, whilst a pain to stow, offer more protection for awkward stern quarters, and where the shape of the bow makes a vertical fender harder to deploy accurately. Being round, they are also very handy for pivoting the boat on or around to assist with exiting an awkward berth.

How you position your fenders is also vital. For coming onto a pontoon, I like them to be positioned with about a third of their length (around 6in/15cm) below the edge of the object they’ll be touching.

This allows them to roll a bit as you dock without being dislodged. Too high and they can pop out, too low and they can be pushed under the pontoon. For contact with quay walls, or if rafting onto another vessel, you want them to be protecting the widest point of the boat, usually the rubbing strake where the hull and topsides meet.

On a motorboat, the relatively square stern is often the most venerable spot, so position your biggest and best fender there. Then, I generally go for three more cylindrical fenders along the flat mid-sections of the topsides, with a ball fender just as the curve of the bow moves away from the dock.

The ball allows a slightly bolder approach when coming alongside without the aid of thrusters or IPS. They also make leaving with a wind-on situation easier as you can pivot around the ball fender and reverse away.

Lastly, keep them clean, as any dirt, grit or salt they collect will be ground into your hull, wearing away the polish and eventually the gelcoat, causing dull patches where the fenders have been hanging. Fender covers help but will need periodic washing to avoid the same fate.

First published in the January 2024 issue of MBY.

This article How to set up your boat fenders correctly appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

As a result they tend to handle very differently too, so making the switch from something like a single-engined planing sportsboat to a twin-engined semi-displacement cruiser requires a certain amount of readjustment from the skipper too.

So how do you go about doing that? For me, having a clear understanding of what’s happening when and why is vital to grasping what steering and throttle inputs are needed. This particular boat is a perfect example.

It’s a brand new Dale Classic 37 with a semi-displacement hull driven by twin Volvo engines on shafts and rudders. There’s a shallow keel running the length of the hull, which gives it slightly better grip on the water than a full- planing hull, but the tall bow means it’s likely to have a reasonable amount of windage too.

The drive system’s power delivery to the water and how to use it can be split roughly into thirds. Both propellers turn outward in ahead gear and inwards in astern.

However the positioning of the propellers, offset to either side of the centre line, gives one third of the turning ability; put port ahead and it will induce a turn to starboard and vice versa, with a pivot point about a third of the way back from the bow.

Putting that same port engine in astern will produce a similar turning motion by pulling the stern to starboard but this time with a pivot point closer to the stern. It’s a bit like pulling or pushing on one side of a shopping trolley’s handle.

Article continues below…

How to: Turn a single-engined boat in a tight space

Prop walk explained: What it is and how to use it to your advantage

The second third of our turning ability comes from the ‘paddle wheel’ effect of the large propellers. As well as driving the boat forward or astern, at slow speeds the shape of the blades also paddle the stern of the boat sideways.

In this case both propellers are paddling in the same direction as the offset – outwards in ahead and inwards in astern – helping the boat to turn to starboard when the port engine is in ahead or to port when the starboard engine is in ahead.

The last third comes from the rudders. Motor boat rudders are relatively small (when compared to sailing yachts’) as they are optimised for high-speed cruising efficiency rather than low-speed manoeuvring.

One way to increase the turning effect is by accelerating the flow of water past the rudder with the aid of the propeller in front of it; by throwing water at the rudder in this manner it dramatically increases the rate of turn – a technique that is often forgotten by the person at the helm.

Forget it at your peril, as on a windy day you will struggle to get the bow round and through the wind without using the rudder and the propeller in unison – or a lot more power! Lots of power can work but it also greatly increases the risk of things going horribly wrong.

Just remember that this technique only works in forward gear – when going astern the effect is negligible. The final tool in your locker is a bow thruster, which when used at slow speed (less than 2 knots) helps move the bow in the direction it is pushed but don’t forget that it also makes the stern move the opposite way.

First published in the December 2023 issue of MBY.

This article How to manoeuvre a shaft-drive boat: Expert skipper's tips with Jon Mendez appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Firstly, store it correctly; older 2-stroke outboard engines can usually be stored at just about any angle, provided the fuel is turned off and the breather is shut, but 4-strokes either need to be stored upright or laid down on the correct side to prevent oil running into the wrong parts of the motor.

Some (but not all) engines have special little lugs to rest on but if in doubt check the owner’s manual as it’s not always obvious. Modern engines like clean, fresh fuel. It sounds obvious but these days petrol contains up to 10% bio-ethanol, which has a shorter shelf life, so try to use Premium E5 rather than regular E10 when filling up.

My 20-year-old 4-stroke does not run reliably on E10 fuel as it gums up the carburettor. Above all don’t expect the fuel to last from one year to the next, as it will go stale over the winter and any fuel left in the engine’s filter, pump and injection system will slowly evaporate and leave behind contaminants, which can clog the system and make starting difficult.

The cure is very simple – before you finish for the season, turn the fuel off at the fuel cock and run the engine until it stops. I am pedantic about outboard maintenance, so I run it dry every time we use the engine, even if we intend to use it again tomorrow.

Plans change and tomorrow’s outing may not happen, leaving me with an engine that won’t start. I try to judge it so that I turn the fuel tap off as I arrive back at the boat and then leave it running at a fast idle until it stops.

Article continues below…

Best small outboard motors: Electric vs petrol in head-to-head group test

How to winterise a boat: Top tips for putting your boat to bed for the off-season

If you are not going to use it for a few weeks, I also like to flush it through with fresh water. Most small outboards are raw water cooled, using sea water to cool the engine and the exhaust.

This means that the salt water, whilst providing cooling, is also slowly corroding your engine’s internals, so flushing it through with fresh water will help prevent this. You can either use muffs clamped over the water inlets attached to a hose or run it in a tank of fresh water.

Most marinas have one but I often take it home and use a garden bin. I like to let it run for a good 10 minutes so that the engine has time to warm through and flush out any salt deposits before turning off the fuel and letting it run dry.

If you are finished for the season it’s also worth draining any fuel from the tank. This can be quite tricky if it’s an integral tank so I try not to fill it too much and either run it dry, tip it out or use a syphon hose to pump it out. I don’t like leaving an engine in an unvented locker with fuel in it as petrol vapour is highly explosive.

Tender engines often run less than 20 hours a season, so barely enough to warrant a full service with an oil and impeller change but lack of use over a longer period can cause other issues, so I use two simple steps to extend its life.

First, when used at sea the engine’s air intake system is likely to ingest salt spray, so I like to add a touch of lubrication to stop further corrosion. Some people use fogging oil, which you spray in the air intake whilst it’s running, but you can achieve almost the same effect by removing the spark plug, adding 2ml of oil down the spark plug hole then pulling it over a couple of times with the starting cord to circulate it through the engine.

Now put the plug back in and cover the air intake with a plastic bag and a rubber band. This prevents damp winter air getting into the engine. Lastly, lubricate the swivel points with a grease gun.

First published in the November 2023 issue of MBY.

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This article Outboard maintenance: How to keep you tender engine in great shape appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

On a recent cruise to the Channel Islands, we had to deal with multiple cases of fog, some of which were forecast but others not, and it made me realise afresh just how intimidating it can be. If I was on a boat without radar and fog was forecasted, I’d consider very carefully whether I really needed to leave port.

However, if you are already at sea when fog comes down unexpectedly, I would take the following navigating in fog precautions to keep everyone safe:

1. Put lifejackets on (if not already being worn)
2. Double check your boat’s position and write it down
3. Start making the appropriate sound signals
4. Slow down to a speed at which you can react to any threat given the available visibility
5. If it’s really thick fog, head for shallow water and consider anchoring
6. Keep a good lookout using your ears as well as your eyes – stop occasionally to listen for other vessels.

Thankfully, the boat we were on had a radar, which I had used many times before. It wasn’t the very latest broadband style radar (they are amazing) but it was still a very capable 4ft open array with a 12in MFD screen.

Having used it many times before, I was comfortable that I had the settings correctly adjusted for the sea conditions of a light chop (Rain: off, ITC: on, Gain: about 65%, Sea clutter: on 10%,) so I was confident any targets would show clearly on the display.

I had made those adjustments previously, using a harbour wall and some small boats so I knew I was seeing what was there. It’s good practice to do this every time you go out so it becomes a habit.

I set the radar up in dual-screen mode with one screen showing the chart in North-up and the radar overlay on to confirm my position and the other displaying a single radar screen in Head-up, as I feel that is easiest for the crew to use while keeping a visual looking out for any targets and relating them to the picture on screen.

Article continues below…

How to: Set up a boat radar system properly

Driving a boat at night: How to enter a harbour after dark

We were progressing at 17 knots, about 20mph, in visibility of around 300m. If that sounds quicker than expected, it’s because the boat is really stable at this speed, it holds a good steady course (invaluable for radar) and we were well away from any rocky areas.

I set the radar on a three-mile range with each range ring at ½ a mile. At 17 knots it will take roughly 3½ minutes to cover a mile, so in effect I am looking ten minutes ahead in all directions. One of the hardest tasks when navigating in fog is keeping your heading correct.

Inexperienced skippers wander all over the place as they are used to having a visual point to aim at. For this reason an autopilot can be a big help in fog but if you don’t have one you can use a rolling road on your chartplotter or, as I did, an active waypoint.

This allows you to judge how straight a course you are holding. Even if you just have a basic plotter and no radar, this is still a valuable way to help maintain a heading when navigating in fog.

First published in the October 2023 issue of MBY.

This article How to deal with fog at sea and top tips for navigating in fog appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

With their enclosed wheelhouses, safe walkaround decks and facilities for overnighting, pilothouse boats has become extremely popular with everyone from solo skippers to first-time buyers looking for a family boat and amateur anglers in search of a year round fishing boat.

The only downside of this design is that it creates a lot of windage close to the bow relative to the size and weight of the boat, making docking a single-engined shaft-drive pilothouse boats notoriously tricky.

These days they are almost all fitted with single or twin outboard engines giving better manoeuvrability at slow speeds as well as more performance when cruising, but the issue of a lightweight boat with lots of windage forward still applies when it comes to docking an outboard-powered pilothouse boat.

The trick is to berth stern-to the elements wherever possible so that the bow is less prone to being blown off course. The only downside of outboards is that the small propellers used on these fast revving engines give less thrust at tick-over.

This means you need to master the art of adding a puff of revs to give control when manoeuvring, as at tick-over alone there often isn’t enough drive to overcome all that windage. By a puff I mean raising the revs just enough to give the propeller some bite. It may be as little as an extra 100 revs but it can make all the difference.

Article continues below…

How to dock a boat: Coming alongside in a single-engined RIB

How to dock a boat: Three simple methods for single shaftdrive boats explained

This should allow you to reverse into most berths, get the boat stationary, put the gearbox in neutral, step into the cockpit and drop the stern line over a suitable cleat. Once made fast you can then return to the helm to take up the slack by going gently ahead and pinning the boat alongside the pontoon.

This works really well and allows the whole task to be completed single-handed. Downwind berths mean you are being accelerated into possible danger so the technique is to go in bow first using the “puff” method to give a bit of steerage as and when required without building up too much speed.

Once in the berth use astern gear to stop with your stern adjacent to a suitable cleat or, if the berth is long enough to allow it, to carry on just past the cleat so you can then reverse upwind the last foot or two for even greater control.

I like to step away from the controls with the boat stationary and in neutral to attach the priority stern line before the wind starts to push you forward. When it’s attached and tensioned, put the engine back into ahead and pin the boat alongside whilst you sort the other lines.

First published in the September 2023 issue of MBY.

This article Docking a boat: How to berth a pilothouse boat appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Keeping your boat on a towable road trailer allows you to explore destinations well away from your local boating area. It can also save you a small fortune on berthing fees provided you have somewhere sensible to store it.

We’ve already covered off how to launch a boat from a trailer and how to recover a boat onto a trailer, that just leaves the small matter of getting it to and from your chosen launch site.

In the UK, if you passed your driving test before January 1997, you are usually allowed to drive a vehicle and boat/trailer with a combined weight of up to 8,250kg. For licences issued after that date it is the weight of the boat and trailer that matter, in this case a MAM (Maximum Authorised Mass) of 3,500kg.

In both cases this is also dependent on the legally authorised towing weight of the vehicle. This is usually displayed in the handbook and/or on a sticker under the bonnet or in the passenger compartment.

Other countries may have different rules so check local regulations. As well as the very real safety risks of exceeding this, the financial penalties can also be draconian – in the UK, fines tend to be based on a scale of £2 for every 1lb overweight.

Article continues below…

How to launch a boat from a trailer

How to recover a boat on a trailer: Jon Mendez's expert guide

The key to staying on the right side of the law is knowing what your rig weighs, not just the stated weight from the manufacturer but what you have added in terms of kit, lines, fenders and anchors. It all adds up. Fuel and water are also important considerations.

If in doubt the local weighbridge is usually happy to assist, giving you an accurate figure for the whole lot. Nose weight (the static weight placed on the tow bar by the trailer hitch) is another important figure. You should be looking for a downward pressure of around 50–75kg (the exact figure will be in your car’s handbook and the trailer manual).

Too little nose weight and the trailer will want to lift the rear of the car over bumps, making it highly unstable. Too much and the trailer will be pushing down on the rear of the car, reducing weight on the front wheels and adversely affecting both steering and braking.

To check yours, winch your boat fully against the winch post, then place the trailer’s jockey wheel on a set of scales. If it needs adjusting it can be done in two ways. If the nose weight is too light, the easiest solution is to move the winch post forward a couple of inches then winch the boat up to meet it.

If the post is already as far forward as it can go then you will need to move the axle(s) further back. If the nose weight is too heavy, move the winch post further back or bring the axles forward. A movement of as little as 5cm can dramatically change how much weight is on the coupling.

The next job is to ensure the boat is securely tied down with straps. These must be in good condition, with a weight rating of at least double the boat’s weight. I like to use plenty of these.

First, I make sure the boat is winched hard up against the post. Next, I add either a pair or one long strap from a strong point on the trailer around 2m aft of the winch post, up through the bow eye and back down to a point the same distance behind on the other side, pulled tight.

Then I add two aft ones from the eye bolts on either side of the boat’s transom to a point 2m forward on the trailer. Once pulled really tight, these stop the boat trying to move.

Lastly, fit your light board and extend it as far back as possible, check all the lights are working and the number plate matches the tow vehicle’s. Then put something bright on
the rearmost part of the boat or trailer – we used a bright red prop bag.

First published in the August 2023 issue of MBY.

This article How to set up a boat trailer for a smooth and safe journey appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

We’ve previously explained how to launch a boat from a road trailer, but in this video we are looking at how to recover it back onto the trailer.

If you are recovering it at the same site that you launched from, then you will know the slipway’s key characteristics; how steep it is, how slippery it is, whether there is a drop off at the end and whether there are any tidal constraints. The slipway in these photos is only usable about 2.5 hours either side of high water.

The last thing you want to do is rush the recovery process so arrive early and take time to get everything ready. Your first task is to drop one of your crew ashore to retrieve the car and trailer and position it ready for recovery.

The trailer needs to be on the slipway with the wheels of the tow car just above the water’s edge and the trailer deep enough for you to drive the boat onto it, preferably all the way to the winch post. This may not be possible if the slipway has a gentle slope – generally speaking the steeper the slipway, the easier the recovery.

There are two main styles of trailer; those with carpeted bunks and those with rubber rollers. Rollers have less friction and tend to allow a shallower recovery, while those with bunks usually need the trailer to be deeper in the water.

Article continues below…

How to launch a boat from a trailer

How to dock a boat: Three simple methods for single shaftdrive boats explained

In both cases you will need to pull out the winch strap far enough for it to be attached to the bow eye on the boat once it’s at least half the way onto the trailer. This can be clipped on either by the person ashore or by the person in the boat. If it’s the latter, your shore crew will need to lay the strap on the trailer so the helm can lean over the bow to collect it.

For trailers with rollers on pivoting sections, ensure the pivots are tilting the right way to meet the shape of the hull. You could use bungee cords to restrict their movement. With a steep enough slipway it’s possible to drive the boat straight up the trailer all the way to the winch post. Failing that you will need to winch the boat the last few feet to the rubber stop.

How to recover a boat: Approaching the slipway

The steps leading up to this point are simple. Firstly, get your boat organised with a bow line ready to tie around the winch post – don’t rely on the winch hook alone to hold it, especially on a steep slipway.

Trim the engine up a bit to help lift the bow as you mount the trailer, and be prepared to lift it further to avoid grounding the propeller as you drive further up the trailer.

From a distance of a couple of boat lengths, line the boat up on a transit of the first central roller and the winch post at the far end of the trailer, making sure you allow for any offset of your boat’s helm position.

Your angle of approach will also depend on how much wind and tide there is, so hold station for a few seconds to see if you are being blown or swept around before committing. The key is to make sure the bow is centred on the trailer, so if in doubt, back off and try again. Approach the trailer as slowly as you can whilst still maintaining steerage.

Once you are certain the bow is located centrally between the bunks or on the first keel roller, you can start to apply more power while steering towards the far end of the trailer.

How much power will depend on the trailer and steepness of the slipway. This one needed a two-second burst to get the rollers moving. Once you are certain you are far enough onto the trailer not to risk slipping back, leave the helm and go forward to attach the winch strap.

Get your shore crew to winch it on as close to the post as possible then pass your bow line around the winch post and secure it back onto the bow cleat. Next, turn the engine off and raise it fully before the car starts to pull up the trailer.

Finally, give it all a good wash down, especially the trailer wheels and bearings, attach the straps and lights, drive forward a little way and check the brakes are working. After a couple of miles, find somewhere safe to pull over and do the same all over again to check it’s all still secure.

First published in the July 2023 issue of MBY.

This article How to recover a boat on a trailer: Jon Mendez's expert guide appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

For many of us, our introduction to boating would have been a small trailer-launched boat that we towed to the water whenever we fancied getting afloat. If it was a launching site that was unfamiliar, there was always that moment of trepidation when you first saw the slipway and discovered how usable (or unusable) it was.

Google Maps and Street View have helped remove some of that trepidation but you still need to carry out a basic survey before launching your boat. How steep is it? Is there a drop-off at the end? Is it clear or covered in weed and slime? Is there a fee to launch? Where do you park to get set up and what about the trailer after you’ve launched?

Having arrived, I like to park well away from the slipway while I get ready to launch a boat. My task list usually follows a pattern. Remove all the boat items from the car and place them in the boat. Turn the boat batteries on, check the trim is working, remove the trailer board and then tie the boat to the trailer on a bow line that I can release from on board.

Then remove all the tie-down straps, except the winch strap. Crucially, make sure that the stern bung is in place and that, if you have them, the stern drains or elephant trunk drains are up and secured.

The exact order of the boat launch depends on how steep the slipway is. But a key point is never to allow anyone to walk behind the boat and trailer, as that can be highly dangerous. In this instance, we used a trailer with launching wheels holding the boat’s weight.

Article continues below…

Boat fail: how not to launch a brand new boat

We can only imagine how the owner in this boat fail video must have felt as they watched their new

How to dock a boat: Three simple methods for single shaftdrive boats explained

In contrast to bunk-style trailers, that means you don’t have to go too deep into the water to launch. Position the boat at the top of the slipway and trim the engine down slightly. Now gently drive backwards so that the trailer wheels are just at the water’s edge.

I now release the winch strap so just the bow line is holding the boat’s weight before climbing aboard. Now I ask the car driver to reverse 2m, so that the car wheels are just at the water’s edge. I use a system of two fingers for 2m, one finger for 1m and a clenched fist for stop.

I can now lower the engine, just until the water intakes are covered. Go and have a look if you are at all unsure. But if it’s deep enough, then start the engine and let it idle for a few moments while looking for the cooling tell-tale. Then lower it a touch further.

At this point, I go to the bow and release my bow line that was holding the boat onto the trailer. Now get back to the helm, make sure the wheel is straight, put the kill-cord on, and engage astern, just at tick-over to start with. Having the engine still trimmed up is helpful as it slightly lifts the stern off the trailer while also pulling backwards.

Depending on your trailer setup, you may need a few extra revs to get the boat moving astern, or you may need to drop the trailer deeper into the water. As soon as the boat starts moving off the trailer, drop the revs or even go into neutral to prevent things happening too quickly.

When off and clear, move to deeper water, fully trim down and, if practical, go and moor up so you can help park the trailer and collect the rest of your group.

First published in the June 2023 issue of MBY.

This article How to launch a boat from a trailer appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

In addition to your normal safety equipment, the key points to think about before attempting a night entry are to check that your navigation lights are working, keep a small head torch close to hand for seeing what you are doing on the boat and a red light for chart checks that won’t ruin your night vision – I like having two separate torches so you don’t blind yourself with the wrong switch.

Lastly, get a decent handheld spotlight in case you need to illuminate something or someone afloat. The next step is to plan your approach so that you and your crew have a clear idea of what should happen when so they can play a crucial role as lookouts.

The boat we used did not have a radar, which can be a real aid at night, especially on a bigger boat, but it’s perfectly possible to manage without. In fact, while a night entry can be daunting at first, personally I find it far simpler, as each individual buoy is lit with its own distinctive colour and pattern, making it much easier to identify than during the daytime, when they all look much the same – either red, green or cardinals.

Here in Poole we have a huge harbour but that presents its own challenges as once through the main harbour entrance there are three possible channels with so many lights that you need to know exactly what you are looking for and how to identify it.

The area is covered by IALA ‘A’, which means the buoyage is identifiable by three key features: the colour and combination of colours on the buoy itself; the shape of their topmark; and, for night passages, the colour and flashing sequence of the light.

Article continues below…

How to use pilotage skills to enter any harbour without a chartplotter

How to: Set up a boat radar system properly

Starboard-hand markers all flash green, port-hand markers red and cardinal marks white but the colour, flashing sequence and timing are all marked on the chart beneath each buoy. So, for example, the first starboard buoy in the channel leading to the harbour entrance is Bar Buoy No1.

On the chart this has Q.G marked beneath it, meaning a Quick Green light every other second. The next is Fl.G.3s (Flash of Green every 3 seconds) and the one after that is Fl.G.5s (Flash of Green every 5 seconds).

There are corresponding red marks on the port side of the channel. In reality, this information is much easier to see and absorb from either a paper chart or the relevant page in the almanac, rather than from an electronic chartplotter – as you normally have to hover over each buoy with the cursor to see the light’s characteristics.

Just before the entrance itself, is a West Cardinal Q(9)15s ,which means 9 quick white flashes every 15 seconds. Immediately after that is a second West Cardinal again Q(9)15s, so you need to be certain which is which.

From here there are three choices: west towards the smaller Islands or north-eastwards to choose either the Main Ship Channel, or the smaller North Channel. The marks for both are remarkably close together and some have the same timings for their lights, so it’s crucial to spot the correct channel as in between are sandbanks that dry at low tide.

Once you have chosen your channel the new challenge is to spot your marks against the myriad lights of Poole town and the quay behind. Once at your intended marina, organise lines and fenders, then try to bring your boat alongside and secure your lines from the safety of the cockpit before stepping ashore as it’s easy to misjudge distances in the dark.

This article Driving a boat at night: How to enter a harbour after dark appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Those cold crisp days when the water is as clear and still as vodka and free from the usual summer crowds are perfect for boating. However, winter boating does require a little more forethought and planning.

The lack of other people or boats at this time of year means there is less likely to be assistance on hand if you need it. Therefore, some consideration must be given to what is available and whether you are placing them at extra risk from your own lack of preparation.

I recommend using a winter boating checklist to make sure you’ve covered all the usual bases such as daily engine checks, spares, safety equipment, spare kill cord, crew briefing as well as some sensible extra additions to ensure that you have taken every possible step.

Firstly, make sure that others ashore know exactly where you are and when you will be back. Marina staff are a good starting point as they are often glad to have a chat. If your vessel has AIS then having someone ashore who knows about the marine traffic app and website is a good start.

I also use a tracking app called RYA SafeTrx which has largely replaced the old Coastguard CG66. This allows you to upload a destination with an ETA (estimated time of arrival) and tracks your progress via your mobile phone.

Article continues below…

How to winterise a boat: Top tips for putting your boat to bed for the off-season

Toy of the month: The Cruden boat simulator is your winter boating fix

It can even assist with a 999 call, giving your position if all else fails. Once on the boat, check the decks are clear and free of ice. I also make sure I have a flask with a hot drink and lots of extra clothing.

In winter I wear my handheld VHF on my lifejacket as my mobile phone is often buried under several layers and hard to get at. Even going back and forth to your boat, especially alone in the early morning or evening, when the pontoons are icy and dark, can add an element of risk.

The water itself is so cold at this time of year that it literally takes your breath away and falling in becomes a major risk, especially if there’s nobody around to help you get out.

That’s why I always take my lifejacket home with me at this time of year rather than leaving it on the boat so I can put it on the moment I leave my car. What type of boat you have also has an impact on how long you can go out for and how far.

A wheelhouse boat with heating is far more appealing for winter boating than an open RIB in which the wind chill becomes a serious consideration even before you factor in the effect of any spray.

Of course, wearing the right clothing also plays a part in this; good breathable base layers, followed by mid-layers for added warmth and waterproof breathable outer layers can make all the difference.

Good quality neck buffs, hats, gloves and boots are equally important. Given all those extra layers and the weight of them when wet, your lifejacket also needs to be up to the task of keeping them and you afloat.

I use a 190N lifejacket with double crutch straps in winter rather than my usual 160N summer one. And make sure the light works. Lastly, don’t forget to keep tabs on your crew – they may not be enjoying winter boating as much as you, so factor in some early comfort/warming stops or just keep journeys short.

Even if the day has been sunny and windless in the morning, the cold sets in very quickly once the sun starts to drop by mid-afternoon. Make the most of these precious winter boating trips but above all, stay safe.

This article How to go winter boating: Top tips for staying safe and warm appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

To maintain that just-fitted look takes a lot of work, ideally with a weekly hose-down or a bucket of sea water and a gentle wash and squeegee off.

However, for most of us that frequency just isn’t possible so a deep clean at the beginning and end of each season becomes even more important.

There are two golden rules when it comes to cleaning teak: firstly, never use a pressure washer as the power will strip out any softer wood; secondly, never scrub along the direction of the grain or you will wear away the surface and leave the black caulking strips proud of the worn wood.

Traditionally, thick teak decks were cleaned with a flat stone and a bucket of sea water by scrubbing up and down. Nowadays the teak tends to be a lot thinner and there are easier methods that rely on eco-friendly soap solutions or chemicals to loosen the dirt and restore the colour.

The latter usually involves a two-step process with an acid solution to loosen the dirt and bleach the wood, followed by an alkaline one to stop the reaction and restore the colour.

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How to clean teak

Techniques and safety are key here. The chemicals are harsh on skin and the environment so you need to protect yourself with waterproof overalls and gloves. Whatever cleaning process you use, the first step is to wash off any loose dirt and grit, then use a squeegee to remove excess water to leave a wet but not flooded surface.

If using the environmentally friendly approach, apply a copious amount of the detergent to an area about 1m square and then work it into the surface with a circular motion (never with the grain), using a sponge to start with followed by a pan scourer and then, and only if needed, a brush with reasonably soft bristles.

You should see the dirt lifting off in the form of a grey/brown-coloured scum, depending on how dirty the teak is. Give this a good rinse off with the hose on a shower setting, then repeat the whole process until the soapy suds coming off are white with no discoloration.

A final rinse and a good squeegee to remove any traces of detergent should complete the job but check by wiping a wet cloth along the direction of the grain to see if any bubbles form on the surface. If they do, you need to rinse and try again.

The chemical approach is far more dramatic but it’s strong stuff and needs to be treated with caution. Carefully read the mixing strengths (ours was 5:1) – if you make it too strong it can damage the wood and make the black caulking strips go sticky.

Follow the instructions on the bottle. This step invariably involves applying the acid solution first and working it into the wood using a sponge or soft bristled brush in circular motions.

It takes far less effort than a detergent and don’t be alarmed if the wood goes dark brown. Leave it for about 10 minutes for the chemicals to do their bit before giving it a good rinse with water and a squeegee.

Next, apply the alkaline solution with a sponge, working it into the wood. You should immediately start to see a dramatic bleaching action, although you may need to go over it twice to make sure you have worked the solution into every corner.

When you rinse this off, a golden sheen will show through the wood and whilst it’s wet you will be convinced that you have done a much better job than a more labour-intensive clean with soap suds.

However, after 24 hours when it’s all completely dry again, the end result tends to be much the same. The chemical clean may be a touch lighter and requires less elbow grease, but given the environmental benefits of the eco-friendly approach, please try this first.

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This article How to clean teak: Top tips for keeping your boat’s decks pristine appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Winter can be a great time to use your boat but it’s also an opportunity to put it to bed for a few months and catch up with other things. Whatever you decide to do, a few simple steps will ensure it stays in good nick for the next time you use it.

How to winterise a boat exterior

Whether stored or used, the outside will need to be cleaned and protected against wind, rain and snow. Wait for a dry day to wash it down and add a layer of polish to protect the GRP and stainless steel. The same goes for canopies; add an extra layer of waterproof sealant to help keep the rain out.

If you don’t intend to use the boat over winter, consider investing in an all-over boat cover and, if staying afloat, add extra lines and anti-chafe measures.

How to winterise a boat interior

The cockpit upholstery and interior are most prone to suffer from damp over winter so if shore power is available, use a boat dehumidifier to remove moisture from the air and add a little warmth. Leave cabin and bathroom doors open and try to locate it above a sink so it can self-drain.

If shorepower is not available, moisture traps and desiccant bags are available that don’t need power, albeit with limited capacity. Air circulation also helps prevent mildew so try to encourage a flow of air through any enclosed spaces.

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I leave a porthole open and a skylight on a locked vent. Cushions and mattresses will also benefit from being propped up to maximise air circulation around them.

If your boat has air conditioning, it may have a winter dehumidifying mode; if not then add tube heaters in key locations, preferably with built-in thermostats. They take the edge off the cold without using too much energy.

The fresh water system will either need to be drained, especially if laid up on land where the air temperature drops well below freezing and may cause pipes and fittings to crack, or if staying afloat, reduced to a minimum level to prevent it stagnating over winter.

You should also close the seacocks on the heads and clean them with an eco-friendly cleaner. If it’s a manual toilet, pour 50ml of cooking oil down the pan and pump it through to lubricate the seals.

Engine room

If the boat is staying afloat, the engineroom is unlikely to freeze unless it gets really cold. That said, sensible precautions are to install a tube heater and close any seacocks. If it’s a shaft drive boat, check the stuffing boxes are not leaking; if it’s an outdrive one, trim the legs fully down to prevent barnacle growth on the rams.

Some owners like to cover the engines with old duvets to keep the chill out but if you do, put a large note on the ignition; I know of one boat fire caused by someone who forgot to remove them before starting the engines.

If being stored ashore, then service the engine(s) so it’s sitting there with nice clean oil on the moving parts. If possible, cover the engineroom intakes to reduce the cold air entering and consider slackening any belts and removing the impeller so it does not get stuck in that shape.

Before you do that, fill the sea water cooling system with an antifreeze mixture. Don’t rely on heaters alone; if the power fails you could face a very expensive bill.

Lastly, make sure the batteries are linked to an automatic charger or if your boat is on the hard, remove them and charge them at home.

Fuel

If it’s a petrol boat then run the tank level as low as practical, add fuel stabiliser and run it up to distribute it through the system.

If it’s a diesel boat and you can source diesel with a low biodiesel content (less than the 7% in B7 road diesel) then fill the tanks, leaving a little room for expansion. This will minimise condensation on the tank sides and reduce the risk of diesel bug.

If you can’t source biodiesel-free fuel, then leave the tanks low as some biodiesels attract water. Either way, add a dose of diesel bug preventative.

Lastly, remove or cover any tenders mounted on the stern so they don’t fill with water and strain the platform/davit mechanism, and either stow or take the outboard home to avoid light-fingered opportunists and frost damage.

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Until you see the berth, you don’t know for certain if it will be wind on or off and what the tide or current is doing. Of course, tide tables and weather forecasts give a good indication but the conditions around marinas can be very changeable so a drive-by is usually the best way to assess exactly what is helping or hindering.

A drive-by of this berth established that it had a slight ebb tide and a breeze pushing the boat off the berth. So ideally you need to approach from a downwind/downtide position and use the momentum of the boat to counteract the elements and slide into the berth, allowing yourself enough time to leave the helm and either lasso the cleat or step ashore with the stern line before the boat starts to get pushed back out.

Larger motorboats have one big advantage over smaller ones – weight. Used correctly that weight can be turned into momentum to assist with manoeuvring. The hull shape and drive system can also play a large part in how the boat behaves.

A deep-draught displacement or semi-displacement boat tends to be easier to control and less prone to windage than a lighter planing boat, while shafts tend to be more predictable than IPS pods, outdrives or outboards.

My suggestion for this berth is to deliberately drive the bow past and down element of the berth then bring the boat to a stop so that it’s at roughly 30 degrees to the pontoon ready to go stern first into the berth.

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With the helm centred, use alternate engines astern to start the momentum while using a transit astern to keep a check on the angle. The outside (port) engine takes the stern towards the berth, the inside (starboard) engine takes it away.

When happy with the angle you can also use a brief touch of both astern to give that positive momentum. As the starboard quarter gets close, use a click of starboard astern to take the stern out, that also brings the bow closer and gives more momentum towards the berth.

You can assist that bow swing to starboard with the bow thruster. Then as the boat comes parallel, use starboard ahead to stop the boat and bring the stern close enough to tie up.

With a bit of practice, you should be able to hold it stationary fore and aft while it’s still sliding gently onto the pontoon. This allows enough time to leave the helm, make your way back to the stern and lasso the cleat or step ashore with the stern line.

You can then make your way forward to collect the bow line from where you’ve left it hanging over the rail and attach it to a cleat before adding some springs.

This article How to drive a boat solo: Coming into a berth single-handed appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

It’s especially useful when teaching new crew what to do as they can watch the first time, help out the second time and do it all themselves from then on.

Driving a boat solo also has some important safety considerations as it makes you realise what can be accomplished alone and what is just too difficult or dangerous.

Leaving an alongside berth single-handed on a 60ft craft takes planning and requires using the boat’s controls and the prevailing conditions to your advantage.

The boat we’re using has twin shafts and a bow thruster, and we are starboard side-to with a gentle breeze holding us on, there is also an ebb tide on the stern. The first step is always to work out what will happen and how.

If I undid all the lines at once, initially the boat wouldn’t move with the wind but as the ebb tide edged it forward along the berth, the breeze would then pivot us around the end of the pontoon, and both the wind and the tide would continue to push it across onto the other boats.

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So, with the dangers established – the corner of our own berth and the boats opposite – how should we leave? Before you do anything first check that the engines are running, the gears engage and the bow thruster is working.

Next take the springs off so that there is only a bow and a stern line holding you in place. A quick glance should confirm that the bow line is reasonably slack, while the stern line is taut from the ebb flow.

Also check that the boat fenders are correctly positioned as you will need to move the bow away from the pontoon, which will push the stern in towards the pontoon.

Once satisfied, remove the bow line first and lay it along the side deck as you walk back toward the stern in case you need to put it back on at short notice.

With this sorted, prepare to remove the stern line. I like to pull the taut part of the line slightly to reduce the tension before starting to undo and coil the excess line from the cleat.

Now release the last loop which is securing the boat either from the boat itself or the pontoon and step onboard making your way swiftly to the controls.

Next check that the boat hasn’t already started moving along the pontoon, if it has a small click of the pontoon side engine astern will stop that movement and bring the stern slightly away.

Next use the bow thruster for long enough to push the bow well away from the pontoon. This also pushes the stern closer, so to prevent it getting too close you will need to use the outside engine ahead. This will pivot the boat and move the stern clear.

As the boat comes clear and roughly parallel to the pontoon either use both engines ahead for half a second to gain some momentum or alternatively each engine in turn to walk the boat out of the berth. I generally keep the helm straight ahead for this movement.

The next key point is to stop the boat mid-aisle so that you don’t turn with any momentum and get swept onto the boats opposite. In this instance we need to turn to starboard to leave so either both engines astern to stop or just starboard astern so that you are not only slowing but starting the turn for your exit.

I like to use a transit to my side to check that I am turning on the spot with no down element drift. The turn can be accomplished either by using one engine at a time or one ahead and one astern to make the turn more positive.

I use the helm for the turn on the ahead engine. Always aim slightly up-element as you finish the turn so that you are heading towards the safe side for your exit.

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This article How to drive a boat solo: Leaving a berth single-handed appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

A wander around any marina will show a multitude of different ways of doing this, some neat and sensible, some less so!

Larger boats bring extra concerns when moving up from smaller craft. The 60ft (18m) flybridge motoryacht used for this demonstration weighs around 25 tonnes. That displacement together with the windage means that all the dock lines and fenders also have to be larger in size and weight.

Owners of craft up to 40ft generally use two lines to secure their boat, making sure the bow and stern lines are long enough to double up as springs. By the time your boat reaches 60ft I would recommend using at least four individual lines because it reduces the weight of each line and makes any adjustments simpler.

All berthing manoeuvres require the skipper to decide which line goes on first, where it is going to go and whether the crew steps ashore with it or lassoes a cleat from on board, followed by the next line and so on.

Always double check that you have made your plan explicitly clear to the crew. On larger craft the height of the bow and the weight of the lines makes any form of lassoing from the bow pretty much a non-starter so that generally means that the first line ashore will be a stern line.

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This can be set up either as a short lasso or a working end that the crew will step ashore with when called upon by the skipper. Prepping the lines so you are ready before you arrive is key.

I like to do this by walking the bow line forward from the aft cockpit, with either a tied bowline or a spliced loop in hand, passing this over the top rail and onto the bow cleat from the outside to ensure it doesn’t end up fouling the rails, then walking back towards the cockpit, making sure the line is lying neatly along the side deck.

I then place the loose end onto the rail ready to be grasped by whoever steps ashore. Next I prepare the stern line so it is ready to be used either as a short lasso or an open end you can step ashore with.

Once I have manoeuvred the boat into position and am certain it’s stationary, I will, if alone, leave the helm, walk to the stern and lasso the stern line, making it fast before stepping ashore and walking forward to pick up the bow line.

As soon as these first two lines are secure, add an aft spring to stop the boat moving aft and a fore spring to stop it moving forward. Leaving some slack in the bow and stern lines allows for limited movement but try to keep the spring lines as long and taut as possible.

The size and positioning of cleats on many larger boats are often geared around Med-based berths where the craft all lie stern-to the dock. This often means that they are not best placed for an alongside berth.

This can make it hard to use a long enough line for the stern without presenting a trip hazard. I combat this by using a cross line from an offside aft cleat to a shoreside point well behind the boat. If expecting winds or a longer stay, reverse all the lines by taking the loop ends onto the dock so all the loose ends can be stowed on the boat.

Also double up the bow line, using a second securing point, and add a cross line on the stern. Lastly, do your best to avoid short lines; in windy weather they will snatch and cause damage. If short lines are unavoidable use rubber snubbers to give a degree of stretch.

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This article How to dock a boat: Tying up a 60ft flybridge motoryacht appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

It’s best to practise when the conditions are not too challenging so that each step of the process becomes as smooth and controlled as possible.

First, as ever, carefully assess the turning area. Work out where the prevailing wind and tide are coming from and which way you are going to turn (it’s always easier to turn towards those elements).

Look for any craft that present an extra hazard by sticking out further than the rest and any empty spaces that might give you extra room.

Remember the pivot points on your vessel – about a 1/3 from the bow in ahead and 1/3 from the stern in astern – because that means the remaining 2/3 of the boat will be prescribing a wider arc than you might imagine.

On approach, try to get your boat stationary and balanced against the elements. This will allow you to keep your speed as slow as possible.

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As you move into the area, keep monitoring the conditions as the wind will usually decrease when you pick up shelter from other craft, while any current will become slacker the closer you get to the shore.

Allow for this with your approach angle and keep looking well ahead for any changes. Use clicks of ahead gear to keep your speed down. When ready to turn, allow the boat to slow then use full lock towards the up-element side of the area and engage ahead.

Use the space ahead of you to full advantage – it’s usually easier to see the bow than the stern – so go as close as you feel comfortable with. I find that using a couple of small clicks ahead is better than opting for one large one as it allows me to keep the speed slow.

Before the space in front of you gets too tight, go into neutral, reverse the wheel to full opposite lock and engage astern. Again, small clicks of astern are generally better than one larger one, allowing you to use all the space and keep the speed low.

Be careful, though, as this is the down elements side of the area so you will be pushed this way quicker than the up-element side.

Before you run out of space, go back into neutral, reverse the wheel, engage ahead and drive out. If the boat has not completed the turn and there is not enough space to leave, then repeat the last two steps until you have enough room to drive out, taking into account the stern’s wider turning arc.

As you leave, keep the boat angled slightly towards the elements so that you don’t get pushed into danger again.

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This article How to drive a boat: Turning an outboard-engined boat in a tight space appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

It’s usually easiest to push the bow out as it’s lighter and moves quicker than the stern. When leaving in forward gear be careful not to steer away from the dock too soon or the stern may swing in and hit the pontoon.

Any additional wind or current will either help or hinder you. If these are pushing you away from the berth, it should be possible to just let go and let the elements take the boat away.

However, if they are pushing you back onto the berth and making it much trickier to leave, what should you do? If possible, you should try to leave into the elements, as this gives the most control and allows the slowest departure.

So, if the elements are on the stern, then it’s best to leave stern first. The shape of the bow helps here as there is already a small gap between the point of the bow and the dock, which it can pivot into as you steer the stern away from the dock.

In light conditions this may allow you to simply apply full steering lock away from the dock and engage astern. If the conditions are a bit stronger, then you can increase the angle of departure by putting the bow closer to the dock before departing.

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To do this, first make sure there is a fender to lean on, then apply full helm towards the dock before engaging a brief click of ahead gear then immediately back into neutral. Now apply full lock away from the dock and engage astern gear.

This drags the boat away at a wider angle and enables a good, positive departure. If the elements are on the bow, then in light conditions you might get away with one of the two stern first above techniques described above but, ideally, you want to leave bow first into the elements.

This poses two problems. Firstly, many small boats don’t have a bow thruster to help push the bow away from the doc. Secondly, the stern is often square, difficult to fender and easy to damage on the dock.

So, if there is no bow thruster, the best way to get the bow out is to use a stern spring. Rig a line leading forward from the boat’s stern cleat to a cleat on the dock at least one metre ahead of it.

Loop it round the cleat and then take it back aboard, preferably to the same cleat you started from. Only use as much line as you need – too long and it might snag when trying to release it – and fender the stern well, even on a RIB, as the tube will be pushed against the dock making it vulnerable to damage from sharp protrusions.

Now engage astern so that the line goes taut and levers the bow away from the dock. As soon as the bow is out as far as you need it to be, engage neutral, slip the line bringing it all inboard smartly and drive ahead, once again keeping a close eye on the stern’s proximity to the pontoon.

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This article How to drive a boat: Leaving an alongside berth in a single-engined RIB appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

If you’re new to the boat I’d always recommend establishing how many turns there are lock-to-lock on the steering before you try any coming alongside manoeuvres, then centring the helm and briefly engaging ahead and astern at idle.

That way you’ll know where the engine is directing its thrust and how much the boat moves when you use a single click of gear engagement in either direction.

For this demonstration of how to dock a boat we used a single-engined 7.5m (24ft) RIB, which behaves like any other small sportsboat, and two pontoons to practise on – a large hammerhead with an offshore wind to contend with and a mid-river pontoon affected by wind and tide.

The key here is that the angle of approach is not governed by a set number of degrees but by when you are able to balance the boat against the conditions using minimal steering or throttle inputs – this is your ‘start’ position.

You can now govern your approach speed using clicks of ahead, neutral and the boat’s natural momentum to bring you gently alongside.

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Approaching the pontoon

When coming alongside with your bow to the elements, as you close the pontoon turn the wheel away from the dock and use a click of ahead to take the bow away from the pontoon while still maintaining enough momentum for the boat to carry on drifting towards it.

Once the bow has started to move away, go into neutral and turn the helm towards the pontoon so that when you engage astern to stop the forward momentum, it will also bring the stern in gently against the pontoon.

Ideally you will end up perfectly parallel and stopped alongside. If your stern ends up touching first, then you need less lock towards the pontoon; conversely, if the bow touches first, you need more lock towards it.

Neither of these is a big problem provided you have ensured the boat has come to a complete stop rather than impacting the pontoon while still moving ahead or astern. Boat fenders will help with any accidental contact but there is only so much impact they can absorb.

If you find yourself approaching downwind and tide, then you have two choices; either carry on past the pontoon then turn around so that you are coming in bow to the elements or moor stern to the elements by reversing back towards the pontoon.

This requires extra caution as the square stern means that it’s harder to get alongside. In this situation it’s often easier to put the stern line on before it touches the pontoon, make it fast and then use a click of ahead with the wheel towards the pontoon to bring the boat alongside.

If coming alongside single-handed, a mid-ship line is a good way to hold the boat alongside while you sort out lines. The key is to get that balanced start position nailed.

This article How to dock a boat: Coming alongside in a single-engined RIB appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

What many people don’t realise is that that boat polish isn’t just an aesthetic nicety, it’s also a vital extra layer of protection for the gelcoat that forms the outer skin of your boat’s hull and superstructure.

A GRP surface, especially one that has been allowed to get dirty or chalky, looks like the surface of the moon when viewed under a microscope, with pitting, small craters and other surface irregularities that encourage further degradation.

Some of this is inevitable as the gelcoat gradually fades and wears over time but you can help counter this by regular cleaning, polishing and, if needed, careful use of a cutting compound to remove the worst of those surface imperfections.

The polishing part is particularly important as it fills in any minor surface irregularities, preventing dirt, dust and other air or waterborne contaminants from settling in the microscopic dips. A second coat of polish gives further protection and helps maintain the shine by encouraging water to run off.

The amount of cutting back and polishing depends on how poor the existing surface is. A very chalky dull finish would suggest that it hasn’t been polished for a while. If left untreated this can lead to longer term damage which would require serious cutting back or even repainting.

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Areas with rust marks around stanchions bases or cleats and algae staining around the waterline are best treated first with an oxalic acid cleaner such as Y10 gel that can be applied with a brush and left for 15 minutes before being hosed off.

How to polish your boat

For a routine polish, the normal process is to wash the boat with a mild detergent to remove surface contamination, grease, and grime, then assess whether it needs cutting back with an aggressive cutting compound or whether a much milder all-in-one cutting/polishing product will suffice.

Our test boat, which has a partly blue hull that shows every mark, needed a moderate cut back all over with extra attention to the blue parts, followed by a milder cutting/polishing compound that would restore the shine and protect it.

Coloured gelcoats, particularly dark blue or red ones, tend to show any chalkiness earlier than white ones, so you may need to polish these areas at least twice a year.

If polishing by hand, which I prefer for small areas, you’ll just need one soft cloth to rub the polish in and another clean cloth to remove it. If using a mechanical polisher, then you’ll need an applicator head and a separate polishing one.

The most important rule of using a mechanical polisher is not to allow the surface to get too hot. Keep the speed of the head slow and use a water bottle or spray to dampen the surface as you move along. Follow this with two applications of a pure wax polish to leave a good shine and protect the cleaned surface underneath.

On this 30ft (9m) boat the whole process took the best part of two short winter days, taking care to wear overalls, gloves and safety glasses when using the mechanical polisher.

Access to all parts of the boat was possible with a simple two-step ladder but larger craft may require longer ladders or even a platform to maintain a safe working height. Once the whole process is finished, it’s good practice to rinse the boat off to remove any residue and leave it ready for launching.

Check out YBW’s guide to the best boat wax and polish

This article How to polish your boat for the best shine and protection appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Contrary to many boat owners, antifouling is one of my favourite off-season jobs. If done well, it will ensure you get a full season’s boating with very little fouling and minimal loss of performance or fuel economy – even a small amount of fouling can increase fuel use by 20% or more.

Most (but not all) antifoulings are toxic to certain forms of marine life but they can also be harmful to humans, so you will need personal protective equipment before starting.

How to antifoul: Equipment

At a minimum I’d suggest overalls, gloves, a face mask and a hat and goggles for working under the boat, but make sure you read the paint tin and hazard sheets for further guidance.

Most boatyards pressure-wash the bottom of the boat for you when they lift it. This will remove most of the growth from the hull, props and drives but make sure you wash off any barnacles or slime they may have missed, especially in awkward to reach areas such as bow thruster tunnels and behind chines.

Our test boat came out reasonably clean and simply needed a good scrape with a sharp-edged scraper around the waterline to remove irregularities from the previous year’s antifoul, followed by some 40-grade sandpaper to key the surface for the new paint.

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This is the moment when the mask and goggles are very important, due to the dust it produces. You need to be extra thorough around rough patches of old paint or areas that may have been missed, such as where the lift’s slings or support chocks were.

If the previous layer of antifouling has started to lift or flake off, you will need to scrape it right back to the gelcoat and key and prime it again. Lastly, rinse off any areas you have sanded and allow it to dry properly.

The next task is to mask off the waterline, so as to leave a nice clean edge, and around any metal outdrives or outboard mountings, taking care to leave a 1in gap between the paint and the metal to prevent the copper compounds in the antifouling causing galvanic corrosion of the aluminium alloy.

How to antifoul: Method

Before applying the antifouling, I leave the pots upside down for 30 minutes so that all the heavier active ingredients aren’t stuck at the bottom, then give it a really good stir for 5-10 minutes, making sure the stirrer reaches right to the bottom of the pot. I also re-stir it each time I fill the paint tray.

I find that a small paint roller with a high-density foam head is best for the main underwater sections as it gives me more control than a large roller but is still quicker, smoother and gives a more even thickness than a brush.

However, I use a brush for greater accuracy along the waterline (working away from the edge of the tape), around the hull fittings and along the inside edge of the chines.

Unless the boat is huge, I go around the whole waterline first, working down to the first chine, then complete the hull underneath, by which time the paint around the waterline is dry enough for its second coat.

A good even coat that hasn’t been rollered out too thinly is essential. The tin will say what the coverage should be so use it exactly as recommended – don’t skimp.

Most advise at least two coats (antifoulings are designed to wear away gradually over time to reveal fresh biocide beneath) but I often add an extra coat around the waterline and other areas of high wear.

I like to lift the tape off after coat one to check that I have a good edge before applying more tape for coat two. This is also a good time to ask the boatyard to reposition the support chocks so you can fill in any areas that you couldn’t get to during the first coat, although some yards prefer to touch these in when they lift the boat for re-launch.

Once complete, and having used up any paint left in the tray, I dispose of the brushes and roller heads safely, then go about removing the waterline tape.

My sneaky tip here is to pull the tape from the end you started taping with first so that all the overlaps are picked up and you end up with one continuous piece that you can roll into a ball, then tuck into the centre of your glove as you remove it ready for convenient disposal.

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This article How to antifoul your boat: The best way to protect your hull from fouling appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Make no mistake, the person who has never got it wrong off a wave has never been out on a really rough day!

The skill comes from knowing what to do and by reading the waves well ahead of the one you are on – not easy if you can barely see over the next one.

There are a couple of simple steps to follow; firstly, think about the boat’s trim angle as it encounters each wave – if the bow is dropping then add a touch more power to lift it. Likewise, if the bow is rising then consider easing the power so you don’t fly off the top of it.

Secondly, never travel too fast as at some point you may need more power to lift the bow and if there is no throttle left it can go horribly wrong.

The direction of travel also affects how you deal with the waves. Waves tend to be less intimidating downwind when you are riding on the backs of them rather than climbing the faces.

Article continues below…

How to throttle and trim an outboard engined boat

How to make fast turns in a boat: S turns and U turns explained

The technique here is to sit on the back of the wave, letting the wave’s speed dictate your progress, then, as it starts to dissipate, power up to drive onto the back of the next one.

However, it can also be the most risky. Go too late and the breaking crest of the wave can cause you to lose drive as the propeller struggles for grip in the frothy white foam, leaving you to get swamped by the next breaker.

Go too early and you risk punching through the wave with spectacular results but a very wet boat. In both cases you may need to ease the power just enough to regain drive.

How to drive a boat upwind in rough water

Upwind is generally hardest. Here you need to drive every wave as an individual crest – the key is to avoid shooting off the top and landing heavily in the trough beyond.

Generally, the larger the wave, the deeper the trough behind it, so it’s crucial to ease the power before the top so that you lose momentum as you come over the crest.

Then, as the bow starts to drop, power up again to lift it ready for the next one. Beam seas can offer the best opportunity to make good progress by picking your way through the flatter water between each wave set.

The key is looking upwind to see what’s coming then deciding how to deal with each wave. The first option is to turn upwind and ease over the crest.

The second is to turn slightly downwind to outrun it, then come back onto your course. The final option is to ease the power and let the wave pass in front of you.

With practice, it’s possible to make good progress in all three conditions. However, the defining factor will always be the capabilities of your boat and crew.

This article How to drive a boat in rough water: Big sea throttle techniques explained appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Driving a fast boat safely will always involve making turns, either pre-planned ones to reach your destination or when avoiding other craft, debris or waves.

Practising turning the boat at speed so that you know how much helm, throttle and trim to use before it starts to skip sideways is crucial to avoid endangering yourself, your crew and your vessel.

The key to a safe, high speed turn is a smooth coordination of hands, throttle, trim and vision to minimise changes in the balance and attitude of the boat.

A sudden decrease in power will pitch the weight forward, pushing the bow deeper and raising the stern, increasing the chance of losing grip at the stern.

Conversely, a sudden increase in power will raise the bow and lower the stern. Turning with any sudden change of direction will increase the angle of heel, this change in speed and lateral g-force will further test the hull’s ability to maintain its grip on the water and the heel will bring the propeller(s) closer to the surface, making it easier for them to suck in air.

Article continues below…

How to throttle and trim an outboard engined boat

VIDEO - How To: Helm in a beam sea

In our latest How To guide we demonstrate how to trim your boat if you are travelling in a beam

This aeration when turning can also trigger hull slide. Ultimately, if you are heavy-handed with the controls, you are more likely to induce hull slip or even a “hook”, when the stern loses all grip, the bow digs in and the whole boat pivots rapidly and violently around it with dramatic and sometimes dangerous results.

The ability to turn the boat smoothly and consistently is key to maintaining speed and safety. I like to break this down into three steps.

1. Look

You should be keeping a good look-out at all times anyway but before turning you need to look intently, not just at where you are going but at the water you intend to turn onto.

Is it clear of other boats and debris? Is it flat with no breaking waves or peaks that could upset the boat? Most importantly, do not just look at the bow, instead, look and steer where you want to go. The boat will follow.

2. Trim

The boat/engine needs to be trimmed down a bit from where it was before the turn. If you’re running upwind, you may already have it trimmed down so it could just need a small adjustment.

However, if you’re heading downwind or in flat conditions with the engine trimmed up then you will need to trim it down enough to increase the propeller’s bite.

3. Throttle

It’s good practice to ease the throttle before the turn, not by much as this risks upsetting the balance, just enough to let the bow settle.

Now turn the helm with a steady motion. Any turn slows the boat, so as you turn, gently increase the throttle so that you are maintaining a steady bow angle. Too much throttle and the bow will rise, too little and it will fall.

Lastly, as you start to exit the turn and straighten the wheel, add more throttle to lift the bow and accelerate away.

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This article How to make fast turns in a boat: S turns and U turns explained appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

The first thing to sort is your driving position. At speed, the relationship between the wheel and throttles becomes crucial and it’s imperative, especially in smaller boats, to keep control of them even when being bounced about.

Your seating position is vital too: you need to be stable but relaxed so that you don’t accidentally move the controls. Lastly, the single most important item is the kill cord, this needs to be attached as soon as the engine is running.

When speeding up, the actions required are similar in any sea direction. What does differ is how you trim the engine and any trim tabs fitted to the boat.

The first step is to have a good look round to ensure it’s clear, then with the helm straight, the engine trim in the fully down position and the tabs up, engage ahead at tick over.

Now progressively push the throttle forward so that the boat starts to increase speed. As the bow rises, add more throttle until you are fully planing.

You don’t need to go that fast – many craft will plane at 15-16 knots. I find 20 knots a safe, sensible speed to practise at. When at a steady planing speed, trim the engine up slightly, usually for around two seconds – you will hear it, see it on the trim gauge and the tachometer will show the revs rise a small amount and the speed increase.

This is because lifting the bow means there is less boat in the water and therefore less drag. If you are running into the waves, you may want to reduce the trim to keep the bow down so that the sharper forward part of the hull is cutting through the chop rather than slamming into the waves with the flatter aft section.

If you have trim tabs fitted these can also be lowered to raise the stern and push the bow down even more. An easy way to remember this is: upwind, bow down.

Article continues below…

VIDEO - How To: Helm in a beam sea

In our latest How To guide we demonstrate how to trim your boat if you are travelling in a beam

VIDEO: How to - Head to windward

In our latest boat handling video, Jon Mendez shows how best to trim the boat when you head to windward

Conversely when going downwind, you want the bow up and out of the water so you don’t stuff it into the back of the next wave as you overtake the previous one.

Trim the engine up and lift the tabs; don’t lift it too high, though, as this may cause the boat to porpoise. This time, the phrase to remember is: downwind, bow up.

To slow down, check there are no boats coming up fast behind you then trim the engine back down as you bring the throttle back towards tick over.

Keep it progressive, though – if you slow too quickly your stern wave may catch you up and flood the transom. Once the stern wave has dissipated, go back into neutral.

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Be first to all the latest boats, gadgets, cruising ideas, buying advice and readers’ adventures with a subscription to Motor Boat & Yachting. Available in both print and digital formats, our monthly magazine will be sent directly to your home or device at a substantial discount to the usual cover price. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

This article How to throttle and trim an outboard engined boat appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.