A whole range of sailing resources that you can use for your voyages. We use a lot of these on our trips. While they should largely apply to sailing vessels of all sizes, they are primarily tailored for boats under 24 meters in length.
- Packing list for cold locations (pdf)
- Packing list for warm locations (pdf)
- Pre-departure checklist (pdf)
- Pre-arrival checklist (pdf)
- Anchoring checklist (pdf)
- Grab Bag checklist for offshore trips (pdf)
- Grab Bag checklist for coastal trips (pdf)
- Boat inspection checklist (pdf)
- Steering system inspection checklist (pdf)
- Rigging spares checklist (pdf)
- Provisioning checklist (pdf)
- Deck walk checklist (pdf)
- Boat maintenance checklist (pdf)
- Offshore First Aid Medical Kit checklist (pdf)
- Joining day plan (pdf)
- Passage planning (pdf)
- Standing orders (pdf)
- Safety briefing / induction (pdf)
- Log Book for cruising under sails - English version (pdf)
- Log Book for cruising under sails - Deutsch version - Logbuch (pdf)
- Crew List (pdf)
- Consumables management log (pdf)
- Boat issues log (pdf)
- Watch systems (pdf)
- Watchkeeping duties and rules (pdf)
- Emergency procedures (MOB, Water, Fire, Abandoning ship etc.) (pdf)
- Medical report form MSF 4155 for emergencies
- Deviation card (pdf)
- Standing rigging tuning - step by step (pdf)
- Hints and advice on rigging and tuning a mast (pdf)
- Line selection recommendations (pdf)
- Steering without a rudder using drogue
- Free online version of Navionics Navigation app (useful for passage planning at home)
- Boat lift procedure - crane lift, syncrolift, drydocking
- Stability guidance booklet for sailing and powered vessels
- Forecasting apps: Predictwind, Windy, LuckGrib
- Synoptic charts covering Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic (online)
- Met Office Shipping forecast and gale warnings for Europe (online)
- Pilot Charts (online)
- Forecasts update times (online)
- Average weather conditions by city and month
- Met information from International Enhanced Group Call (EGC) Service and NAVTEX for all METAREAS
- More weather resources here
- Distress (Mayday) procedure card (pdf)
- Distress (Mayday) respond procedure card (pdf)
- Distress (Mayday) cancel procedure card (pdf)
- Urgency (Pan-Pan) procedure card (pdf)
- Safety (Securite) procedure card (pdf)
- Routine calling procedure card (pdf)
- Ship equipment carriage requirements (pdf)
- Radio equipment tests (pdf)
- GMDSS Radio Log Book (pdf)
- GMDSS operating guidance for ships in distress (pdf)
- Actions by ships upon reception of distress alert (pdf)
- VHF working channels - North Sea and Baltic Sea
Useful knots:
- O-X-O: securing line on a cleat
- Bowline: creating a loop
- Clove hitch: tying fenders
- Figure-8: securing the bitter end of a line
- Round turn and two half-hitches: securing a line to a post or ring
- Reef knot: securing reefed mainsail to a boom using reefing lines
- Sheet and double sheet bend: connecting two lines
- Zeppelin bend: connecting two lines
- Rolling hitch: free up jammed line on a winch or for making a snubber
- Anchor hitch (aka fisherman's bend): attaching a line to anchor, post or ring
- Prusik: securing a loop to a line in a way that can be easily adjusted
- Towboat hitch: secure line over a winch
- Halyard hitch: tying the end of a halyard
- Alpine butterfly: creating a secure loop in the middle of a line
- Lashing: joining spars
- Comparison of knots' strength
Coiling lines:
Splicing for creating eye or joining lines without using knots:
- Instructions (pdf)
- Splicing dyneema lines (video)
- Splicing double braid lines (video)
- Splicing 3 stranded lines with a thimble (video)
Whipping for preventing the end of a line from fraying:
Sail trim:
- Foresail (video)
- Mainsail (video)
- Reaching (video)
- Downwind (video)
- Masterclass 1 (video)
- Masterclass 2 (video)
Goose wing (wing-on-wing) sailing with a pole:
- Poling out headsail with whisker pole (video)
- Poling out headsail with whisker pole and foreguy/downhaul (video)
- All about whisker poles (video)
- Poling out headsail by presetting spinnaker pole with foreguy/downhaul and guy (video)
Symmetric Spinnaker sailing:
- Using Symmetric Spinnaker (video)
- Using Symmetric Spinnaker single handed (video)
- Using Symmetric Spinnaker single handed with double sheets and guys (video)
- How to pack a spinnaker sail (video)
Assymetric Spinnaker sailing:
- Using Assymetric Spinnaker (aka Gennaker) (video)
- Assymetric Spinnaker (aka Gennaker) tips and tricks (video)
Code Zero sailing:
- Captain's Certificate of Passage confirming sea miles (pdf)
- Crew Member's Certificate of Passage confirming sea miles (pdf)
- RYA Yachtmaster logbook template to print off (pdf)
- RYA Application Forms (online)
Agreements
RYA pathway leaflets
- Sail cruising (pdf)
- Motor cruising (pdf)
- Powerboat (pdf)
- Personal watercraft (pdf)
- Certificates of competence (pdf)
- Shorebased courses (pdf)
- Inland waterways (pdf)
- Dinghy, Keelboat and multihull: adult (pdf)
- Dinghy, Keelboat and multihull: youth (pdf)
- Windsurfing: adult (pdf)
- Windsurfing: youth (pdf)
MCA Master Certificate of Competency:
- Navigation proformas (pdf) - pilotage, coastal / offshore and ocean passage planning
- Tidal calculations proformas (pdf) - secondary port and tidal stream calculations
- The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (ColRegs) (pdf)
- Vessels lights, shapes and sound signals (pdf)
- Vessels lights and shapes (online)
- Yachtmaster Shorebased online training materials (online)
- Admiraltiy Tide Stream Atlases for the English Channel (online)
- USCG's Navigation Rules and Regulations Handbook (pdf)
- Symbols, Abbreviations and Terms used on Paper and Electronic Navigational Charts
- Radar Plotting Sheet
- Radar usage and Radar plotting
- Safety of Navigation, SOLAS chapter V
Celestial Navigation:
The content of these resources is put together for the sailing community in good faith and is constantly evolving. If you spot an error or would like to add anything to these resources please contact us.
The information and views contained herein and in the attached documents are not offered as legal advice, and we do not offer any warranty implied or otherwise as to the legality or fitness for the purpose of this information.
Our sincerest thanks for the contribution of the materials goes to Michael Moschny, Krzysztof Wojtyczka, Edvardas Naskauskasm, Maija Soynova and Johann Warkentin. Thank you for your help and support!
Fair Winds and Following Seas!