After centuries of sailors, praying and hoping for a 'magic button' with which to save their lives far from shore on the briney deep, we are now in the 21st century in the enviable situation of having just that built into all newly built VHF and SSB units.  

The incredible functionality of the DSC button and all the other modern electronic life saving devices available, remains somewhat hidden for many sailors however, behind a raft of acronyms, a confusing plethora of device specifications and a shrewd suspicion of the actual benefits of such 'witchcraft'.  

The truth is though, that the 'Global Maritime Distress and Safety System' (GMDSS) is available for all mariners, whether gunk-holing along the coast or crossing oceans.

In this episode we will dig into the incredible technology available to allow you to call for help, if you should be unlucky enough to find yourself in 'Grave & Imminent Danger'.  

If you would like to support the podcast or develop your seamanship skills and overall safety at sea, please consider joining my Patreon community at:

https://www.patreon.com/themariner 

Questions & tangents returns for the last time in 2022 and I have lots to get through, questions I cover this episode range from Man Overboard recovery systems I don't know about to Mainsail reefing systems I don't know about to the safety of smaller boats in heavy conditions which is definitely something I don't know about. 

Plenty of targets and confusion as always- and maybe even some answers to your questions - if YOU have a sailing question or conundrum you would like considering by myself and the Mariner community please write to me at [email protected] and I will try to help out!

If you would like to support the podcast or develop your seamanship skills and overall safety at sea, please consider joining my Patreon community at:

https://www.patreon.com/themariner 

Liferafts are probably the least understood part of the safety equipment on a modern yacht- sure you know where it is (probably), what it does (maybe) and almost certainly what it cost (!) but have you seen YOUR life raft inflated? Have you had extra equipment added to the safety pack inside the raft that could be essential to you in an emergency? Is your raft good for coastal work or offshore voyaging - or is it just the cheapest you could get to satisfy the rules?  All these questions and more will be unpacked this episode as we continue our deep dive into Keith Colwell's excellent RYA Sea Survival Handbook.

If you would like to support the podcast or develop your seamanship skills and overall safety at sea, please consider joining my Patreon community at:

https://www.patreon.com/themariner 

At 0904 on the 6th December 1917 a massive explosion ripped through Halifax, Nova Scotia instantly killing 1600 people, injuring 9000 and destroying the city wholesale. The blast displaced 20,000 souls who then had to deal with a deep winter blizzard over the next few days. It was to say the least a catastrophe and still ranks as the largest non-nuclear explosion created by man. How did it happen?  Through a simple disregard for the International Collision Regulations and an unbroken series of 'red flag' events that caused to ships to have a slow speed collision.  That one of the vessels was carrying af all cargo of munitions bound for the war in Europe would not be realized, until 20 minutes after the collision an explosion equivalent to 2.7 Kilotons of TNT left a scar on the city and on the psychology of it's inhabitants that would still be felt now, 105 years later.

This podcast was recorded at 0900 on the 6th December 2022

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25 cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site at https://www.patreon.com/themariner and select the $5 per month 'crew' option.

If you have any questions please send them to: [email protected] 

Although we have had a few false starts with a round the world sailing project since the podcast began in early 2020- I think everyone will recognize that trying to make any kind of big plans during Covid has been basically impossible.  We got close with the Ocean Globe Race entry in 2021, only to have the Race Committee cancel the race division we were entered into!

I am therefore, extremely excited to be able to report that I have entered the 'Global Solo Challenge' which will set off from La Coruna in Northern Spain at the end of 2023.

This is to be a 'pursuit' race which means the smaller boats (36ft!) set off first in September 2023 and then 2 months later in December, the quickest boats (of which we will be one) start racing.

Once all the boats are on the water the first to the finish line -across the entire fleet- is the winner!  It's a new and unique format for a round the world race, and I for one cannot wait to be involved.

If you want to support the podcast or my Round the World campaign in the GSC hop over to Patreon and sign up to join the crew.  https://www.patreon.com/themariner.

In this episode we investigate handling lines- a wide and varied subject that tests my abilities to stay on subject and not launch into exponential tangents!  I try to make the case for not just doing things 'as they have always been done  historically' particularly with regards to storing rope, and to be sympathetic to the needs of a new generation of rope types that require different husbandry both when working and when being stored. In trying to stay on point I look at the major line handling stations on the boat and talk through the skills required to be safe and effective. Finally I take a brief look at mooring and anchoring and the specific challenges these line handling situations create.

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25 cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site at https://www.patreon.com/themariner and select the $5 per month 'crew' option.

If you have any questions please send them to: [email protected] 

Questions & Tangents is your opportunity to get to the bottom of those nautical problems that keep you awake in the middle of the night such as, 'Is electronic log keeping really a Thing'? & 'Which boat would Chris have if money and maintenance were not an issue?'

You guys lay awake at night thinking about some weird things... but its my pleasure to share my answers- if you can stand the tangents!

Just before you go....

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25 cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $5 per month option.

If you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book with me here: Spartan Ocean Racing & Training

If you have any questions please send them to: [email protected] 

Cheers,

CSM

Another on deck report! This time passing through islands just before I arrive in Iceland. It’s super light winds, flat seas and a rare opportunity to chat and appreciate the scenery as we transit within a few hundred meters of sheer stratified cliffs- Iceland at it’s best:)

Patreon On-Line Seamanship Course

If you would like to develop your seamanship skills and overall safety at sea- check out the options to receive the regular Seamanship Training Videos, extra podcast and YT content over on my Patreon page. 

Check out The Mariner Patreon Page here https://www.patreon.com/themariner 

The loss of Colin Golder from his boat 'Morgan of Mariette' in the 2022 Newport Bermuda Race shocked the race officers and participants alike. In this episode, in an effort to learn from this incident, and in so doing memorialize Colins' memory, I go through the incident report prepared by US Sailing and attempt to distil what lessons I can with the intention of increasing the sailing community's understanding of what was done correctly, what could have been improved and discuss how ongoing Safety at Sea training could be modified to help prevent similar accidents in the future.

Patreon On-Line Seamanship Course

If you would like to develop your seamanship skills and overall safety at sea, check out the options to receive the regular Seamanship Training Videos, extra podcasts and YT content over on my Patreon page.

Check out The Mariner Patreon Page here https://www.patreon.com/themariner 

No mistake made in the title! I wish to put forth the concept that we should be referring to the 'Triangle of Bermuda' rather than the 'Bermuda Triangle' to correctly identify a patch of the world's oceans that contains a known set of meteorological, navigational, oceanographic and seamanship challenges that together have indeed caused a number of ships to go missing over the period of time man has been traversing those waters and keeping logs of their experiences. 

Is it aliens, worm holes or time travellers? No, and therefore the term 'Triangle of Bermuda' needs to be thrown out.

To me the tall tales that surround this area constitute a kind of straw man argument for caution which once disposed of by a rational mind could lull the unwary into thinking we in fact should not give this area any more of our focus than any other, and THAT would be a mistake.

Let us instead recognize and consider the perfectly explainable but manifold risks that the 'Triangle of Bermuda' contains for the sailor,  and plan accordingly.

Patreon On-Line Seamanship Course

If you would like to develop your seamanship skills and overall safety at sea, check out the options to receive the regular Seamanship Training Videos, extra podcasts and YT content over on my Patreon page.

Check out The Mariner Patreon Page here https://www.patreon.com/themariner