Alright so to prepare you for this episode you could also listen to:

Life has been throwing me some curveballs lately so I started to wondering if I had somehow broken some sacred oath or fallen on bad luck. I just can't seem to catch a break at the moment, which had me thinking about superstitions and where I may have gone wrong... should I have eaten that banana during that race? Did that black cat on the dock walk in front of me when I wasn't paying attention? I started to whistle along to that song the other day... did that do it?!

Boating Superstition

Put the right foot forward: it was thought that the left side of the body was a bad omen, or associated with evil. Therefore, all sailors stepped onto the vessel with their right foot! If you forgot and stepped on with the left, you'd be tossed overboard, or your shoes would be tossed overboard in an effort to please Poseidon ;-)

Renaming a vessel: I'm going to do an entire episode on this one, but it has been long thought that renaming a vessel is bad luck! Stay tuned for my episode about what you need to say, when and how to make sure you don't curse your boat!

No whistling: it was thought that whistling at sea was a way to taunt Poseidon and Aeolus.

Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in morning, sailors take warning.

Boats are a she... often boats were named by their Captains after their wives or mistresses. It was believed that if the boat was named after a woman the Captain loved, she would bring them home safely.

I am starting something new with Technical Tuesdays! There are SO many items on our boats that need a little bit extra info... hence the Technical Tuesdays where I plan on bringing you quite, and essential, information to help you make informed decisions.

This week I am talking about lines. What type to purchase for halyards, sheets, dock lines, anchor lines, cunningham, boom vang.... so many lines! Enjoy!

Penny

Here are some useful links for you…

Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/sailnelson2

Coming soon!

Alright, we have all been there! You're heading into the dock, speed is great, wind is great, crew are ready,... suddenly a boat starts leaving their slip right in front of you, your crew move aft to tell you only to drop the boat hook in the water, your other crew tries to grab the boat hook and drops the roving fender, and everyone on shore is watching. Yup. We have ALL been there! The lovely trials of docking...

The basic equipment that you need for docking is not complicated, however if you don't take care of it, or check on it regularly, you could find your boat trying to leave without you!

Checking Your Equipment

There are many different types of docks and many different ways to dock a boat. I am going to discuss the basic principles that can be used for all types of docks to limit boat movement within the slip.

Some things to keep in mind:

The key to successful docking is... 

head over to sailnelson.com to find out!

A few more notes about anchoring... show notes coming soon! 

There is something magical about spending a nice, quiet, night at anchor! When we were in Croatia, it was a blessing to be able to get away from all of the other tourists for some quiet R&R! Anchoring is a pretty simple thing once you master some basic steps. Here I will break it all down for you and provide you with some of my pro tips! Enjoy! Don't forget to send me any questions!

Other episodes to check out:

Support me on Patreon!

Technical Anchoring Terms

There are several types of anchors on the market now. The classic anchors include the Bruce, Danforth, and Plough. Newer anchors such as the Mantus and Rocna are gaining a lot of popularity though. Personally I upgraded my small Bruce to a Rocna and absolutely LOVE IT.

Alright, hopefully you have done your pre-trip planning and you have an anchorage (or two) selected for your lovely night! What are some of the things you are looking for in a good anchorage? Here are the key things:

Check out sailnelson.com/podcast for more information...

This week I am talking all about being a good boating neighbour! How to be a safe, and non-jerky, boater! There are a few unwritten rules to keep in mind about boating and how others expect you to conduct yourself while on the water.

At the marina

At the dock

At anchor

On someone else's boat...

In the end, take the high road! Not everyone knows or bothers to follow these simple rules on boating etiquette. We haven't even touched on the Collision Regulations and who has right of way over who. That's a whole other kettle of fish! For today, just work on being a good neighbour!

Alright winter sucks for us northern sailors! True, I am lucky that my boat is in the water, but it's cold! I haven't sailed in months and I'm going through withdrawal! So, I thought I would let you in on my "happy list". The list of things that I do throughout the winter to keep me looking forward to next season and making sure I'm ready to make the most of it! Enjoy!

Other episodes you may enjoy:

A list of things to do...

As always I have a variety of ideas for you to keep the sailing love alive during the winter. Hopefully you find a couple ideas that work for you!

This week we are talking about safety (no surprise there!), but more specifically Personal Floatation Devices, Life Jackets and Tethers! What are they? What are the differences? Which one should you purchase? Where do you purchase them? When do you replace them? So many questions!

Other episodes you may like:

Head over to sailnelson.com for show notes!

This week I am giving you a sneak peak into some of the things I do during the off-season to keep my skills sharp and to get ready for next season. There is personal growth, professional growth, reviewing, renewing, and lots going on! This is pretty typical for me as a "what to do this year" plan.

Other podcast episode you may like:

Every year I have several areas of my sailing growth that I look at: personal growth, professional growth and ongoing maintenance. These probably aren't the best names for these, but that's what I've come up with for now!

So, what does these mean to me? For personal growth, I like to take a look at new things that I can learn as a sailor. What new skills do I want to develop? What areas have I felt have been lacking? Which areas have I not spent a lot of time focusing on?

For professional growth, I take a look at new areas where I want to grow as a coach. Which courses could I take to be a better coach for my sailors?

For ongoing maintenance, I like to review materials from previous courses to make sure I'm still on track. I re-read the Basic Cruising Skills textbook every season, for example.

Other ideas: increase physical fitness, rehab an injury, spend time reading, upgrade person sailing gear items, set small weekly goals around learning a new knot, take new people sailing more often

Professional Growth

Other ideas: don't fear failure, stop procrastinating, be diligent with time, monthly budget updates, update business paperwork

Ongoing Growth

Other ideas: read through owners manuals, review charts of your area

At the end of the day it's all about where you want to go and how you plan to get there. Have fun planning it all out and think outside the box! 

Penny