Sailing Safely at Night – Best Practice
by Safe Skipper | Boat Handling, Communications, Crewing skills, Emergencies, Navigation, Yacht ownership
Sailing at night can be a magical experience – the peaceful solitude, starry skies, and gentle lapping of waves create an unforgettable atmosphere. However, nighttime sailing also presents unique challenges and risks that require careful preparation and vigilance. This comprehensive guide will cover essential safety practices to ensure your nocturnal nautical adventures are both enjoyable and secure.
Fixing position at sea using traditional methods
by Simon Jollands | Communications, Crewing skills, Navigation, Preparation
This post looks at some traditional methods used for fixing a vessel’s position at sea, within sight of land. Electronic fixes using chart plotters are very straightforward to record, but if for some reason a vessel’s electronics are faulty it is essential that a skipper knows how to use traditional methods.
ESSENTIAL BOATING APPS >>

Safe Skipper App – a practical guide to managing risk at sea
Fast access to essential boating tips, emergency guidance & MAYDAY call support. Record vessel details & crew information. Save favourites & location. Be better prepared!

US Inland Navigation Rules App
Complete Inland Navigation Rules for all U.S. inland waters and the Great Lakes.
With 100+ specially produced explanatory illustrations and captions, for all recreational and commmercial vessels navigating US intracoastal waterways and the Great Lakes.

ColRegs: Navigation Lights & Shapes App
Provides skippers and crew of sailboats, power boats and commercial vessels worldwide with a quick reference tool to identify vessels in their vicinity and the activities they are engaged in.

Knot Bible App - Knots Made Easy
Learn the 50 essential boating knots for mooring, anchoring and rigging, with step-by-step photos, save favourites, search, clear instructions and practical Knot Scores.

ColRegs: Buoys & Lights App
All the essential quick reference knowledge you need to quickly recognise and interpret the buoys and the light markers and improve your overall boating skills and safety on the water.
As specified by the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) Systems A & B.

Boating First Aid at Sea App
This app provides rapidly accessible guidelines for dealing with medical emergencies in a small boat or yacht at sea.
As well as detailing medical procedures the app also provides information on emergency communications.
Take a look at the new features!

ColRegs: Rules of the Road App
Learn the essentials of yacht sailing with 100+ expert illustrations, useful crewing tips, quick search, save favourites, quizzes and reliable offline access.

Start Sailing: Yachts App
Learn the essentials of yacht sailing with 100+ expert illustrations, useful crewing tips, quick search, save favourites, quizzes and reliable offline access.

ColRegs: 3 App Complete Collection
The ColRegs Complete Collection brings together three highly visual reference, learning and revision apps for skippers and crew of sailboats, powerboats, fishing boats and commercial vessels.
Boat maintenance log
Learn ColRegs: Traffic Separation Schemes
Learning about diesel engine maintenance
Marine diesel engines are internal combustion engines that are designed specifically for use in maritime applications. These engines are commonly used in a variety of watercraft, ranging from small boats and yachts to large ships and vessels. Learn about marine diesel engine maintenance courses.
Cutless bearing replacement
Cutless bearings can last for many years but if the propeller shaft is out of alignment they will wear through more quickly. If you have noticed a clunking sound when motoring then it could be a worn cutless bearing that is causing the problem.
Leaking decks
Leaking decks are perceived as a nuisance by some boat owners, but if leaks are ignored a much more serious situation may well be developing, especially in the case of boats with balsa or plywood deck cores. So deck leaks do need to be investigated and dealt with.
Medical Emergency at Sea
Jester Challenge 2022 – Sailing single handed from Plymouth UK to the Azores: Part 9 – Around the Azores
Jester Challenge – A modern experiment in old-fashioned self-reliance, self sufficiency, and personal responsibility. This is the ninth of a 10-part post where solo sailor, Bernie Branfield, shares his first-hand account of his single-handed, 2022 Jester Challenge, from Plymouth, UK to the Azores, in his 26′ Invicta Mk2, Louisa.
Boating Etiquette: Do’s and Don’ts on the Water
Boating etiquette is essential for ensuring the safety, enjoyment, and harmony of everyone on the water. Whether you’re a seasoned boater or new to the boating community, it’s important to be aware of the do’s and don’ts of boating etiquette. Take a look at our guidelines:
Boat Security: Protecting your vessel from theft & vandalism
Boats are susceptible to theft and vandalism. Protecting your vessel from these risks requires a proactive approach to boat security. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the various threats to boat security and provide practical strategies and technologies to safeguard your investment and enjoy peace of mind on the water.
Boat ownership
Essential Boat Safety Briefing
Marine engine electrical system
The typical basic electrical system associated with a marine engine includes a dedicated engine starting battery, a starter motor, a charger in the form of an alternator, a solenoid and some engine sensors and instruments.
Preparing for sailboat cruising
Preparing for a sailing trip entails a lot of planning. In this blog, we take a look at some of the many safety aspects that a skipper needs to consider before heading off on a cruise.
Boat engine fuel system
If engines are installed and serviced correctly then most marine engines are very reliable, but one of the most important parts of the engine to check and service is the fuel system.
How to improve a yacht’s upwind performance
There are several ways to improve the upwind performance of a sailing yacht. Read on for some useful tips including headsail reefing, heavy weather jibs and motor sailing.
Wooden Hulls – Part 2
It is important to ensure the essential hull maintenance of a wooden boat is done, even if you are paying others to look after your boat for you. The priority is to prevent rot from taking hold. The protective layers of paint and varnish over wood are far more critical than on GRP boats, where the topsides are painted more for cosmetic reasons.
Essential Knots: Round turn and two half hitches
Light characteristics – how do navigators identify lights at night?
Saildrive maintenance
There are less maintenance tasks to carry out on a saildrive transmission than on a traditional inboard shaft drive system with its associated stern gear. However, there are a few critical things that require maintenance, as recommended in detail by the engine manufacturers, and should be adhered to.
Nautical paper charts – a reminder of the basics
The nautical chart is an indispensable tool for navigation. A chart is a graphic representation of an area of the sea which might also include coastlines, estuaries and islands. All cruising leisure boats should carry up-to-date paper charts.
Boat batteries
Under-sized battery banks are one of the key factors behind power failure at sea, as well as the premature failure of batteries, so make sure that your boat battery measures up to the use you want to put it to.
Passage Planning Advice & Safety for skippers
Boat Handling – anchoring
Is Boating Good for Your Health and Happiness?
Five dangers a vessel may encounter at sea
What are the main dangers a vessel may face at sea and what should skippers do to reduce the risk of these happening?
Welcome to the Safe Skipper website.
Safe Skipper is run by boating enthusiasts who also have a background in publishing and TV production, design and app development. As well as creating great content for the website, we’ve developed a range of popular boating apps that allow you to get safely out on the water whilst having essential information to hand, covering International ColRegs: Nav Lights & Shapes, Rules of the Road, Buoyage & Lights to knot tying, nautical chart symbols and first aid at sea – all information available to you when on the water, on your phone or tablet, when you need it.
We’re regularly adding new articles to the site, hope you’ll bookmark us and visit again soon.
Before you go, scroll down to our boating quizzes and check your boating knowledge!
Know your Navlights & Shapes – essential for all skippers
Cleaning & polishing gelcoat topsides
The gelcoat topsides of a GRP boat can be pampered and restored to their former glory relatively easily when it is ashore. Gelcoat is only a very thin outer layer of the hull, often less than 1mm thick, so you should avoid cleaning it with highly abrasive cleaners, or an-ything that could potentially damage its surface.
Safety at sea principles
Safety at sea is not as simple as just spending money adding shiny new emergency equipment such as liferafts, danbuoys, distress flares, EPIRBs and so on.
Essential Boat Buying Tips for First-Time Boat Owners
The first question that comes to mind when thinking about buying a boat is: what type of boat? There are more than 20 different kinds, of different sizes, for different purposes, and different pockets. So, your first step is to decide your boat type.
Fractures, sprains and dislocations at sea
Moving about a boat at sea often results in a few knocks and bruises, but if a crew member has a fall or major bump and is in serious pain, they should be examined and treated accordingly.
Marine engine oil system maintenance
The regular maintenance of a marine diesel is key to preventing engine failure at sea. This means doing regular checks of the fuel, cooling, electrical and oil systems.
Getting a tow for your sail or power boat at sea or on inland waterways
The VHF DSC Radio jargon buster
Essential Boat Spares for Safety
Boat interior varnishing
Most boat interiors have a combination of varnished and painted surfaces including solid wooden joinery, plywood laminates with thin hardwood veneers and glass reinforced plastic. When making your assessment of what you are going to do, bear in mind that the varnishing process consumes a lot of time, especially if the existing surfaces are in poor shape.
I have just downloaded and am using ColRegs Nav Lights & Shapes app, a brilliant training and reference device
Instructor
Beautifully produced and very simple to use, a cool learning tool
Sailor
Nav Lights & Shapes app – downloaded by 1000s of seafarers worldwide. Just one of our popular boating apps to download from the appstores for Apple and Android devices.
Stern gear maintenance
The stern gear of a boat needs to be checked carefully when the boat is ashore as this is something that can only be done when it is out of the water. The same applies for any maintenance and repairs that may need doing, so it is best to check it all over as soon after an end of season lift out as possible.
Boat engine cooling systems
Some boat engine breakdowns are unavoidable but those caused by lack of maintenance or regular checks can be avoided. Failure to maintain an engine’s cooling system is a well known example of this, so it is well worth spending time checking over the cooling system both when the boat is ashore and afloat.
Finding your way at sea: waypoints
Any sea voyage needs a certain amount of planning before it is undertaken. It makes sense to think about where you are going, how you will get there and what factors might influence your plan. Planning the route itself is also critical. One of the essential parts of modern navigation is the use of waypoints.
Peer to Peer yacht charter – How can you monetize your boat?
First aid at sea – four common emergencies
In this blog we look at what to do in the event of a crew member choking, drowning, or suffering from hypothermia or fatigue. Knowing how to cope with them could well save a life, while not knowing could result in an avoidable tragedy.
ColRegs – avoiding collisions at sea
Top 5 Reasons Why an Inflatable SUP Should Be Your Next Yacht Accessory
Sailing into a storm
Weather forecasting has become increasingly accurate, but despite this, I was caught out recently by a forecast that considerably underestimated the wind strengths and consequently was sailing single handed in to a Force 8 gale, which proved to be challenging!
Common marine electrical problems
Most problems with marine electrical systems arise from four possible sources, a lack of maintenance, a poor standard of initial installation, insufficient battery capacity, or ineffective charging systems.
Water ingress is a frequent issue – salt water can corrode contacts very quickly. If connections are not scrupulously clean – or are loose – resistance will be increased, resulting in progressively reduced power.
Boat batteries
Under-sized battery banks are one of the key factors behind power failure at sea, as well as the premature failure of batteries, so make sure that your boat battery measures up to the use you want to put it to.
Boat Engine Failure – what to check
Boat interior varnishing
Most boat interiors have a combination of varnished and painted surfaces including solid wooden joinery, plywood laminates with thin hardwood veneers and glass reinforced plastic. When making your assessment of what you are going to do, bear in mind that the varnishing process consumes a lot of time, especially if the existing surfaces are in poor shape.
Fire prevention on boats
Pleasure craft safety equipment recommendations
A simple guide to understanding tides when passage planning
Navigation safety: a quick-reference mobile app to learn the ColRegs NavLights and Shapes
Estimating your position at sea
Navigators use a combination of techniques to estimate their position at sea. The primary method used today is GPS (Global Positioning System), a network of 24 satellites that became fully operational in the 1990s and was originally restricted for use by the United States military.
Boat surveys
How to read nautical charts
Whilst most sailors today rely on GPS to find their way at sea, nautical charts are a crucial tool for any sailor to navigate safely and effectively. Here is a reminder of some of the basic steps involved in reading a nautical chart:


