This article suggests how the principles of handling emergencies on large ship can be applied to smaller private yachts – yachts capable of being cruised comfortably by two people. The principles can be easily extended to crews of more than two people, larger yachts, and professionally crewed vessels. Read more
Articles are of general interest to the entire CCA membership, and are not particular to any specific station. Categories include Feature Articles, Safety Moments, White Papers and For Ocean Racers.
- "What If?" is an excellent game to play onboard or ashore, with both experienced and inexperienced crew, day or night, at anchor or underway. Read more
Our highly successful all-day weather seminar is available in video form. Presented by acclaimed experts including Frank Bohlen, Lee Chesneau, and more, this series provides a comprehensive overview and drill-down into many aspects of coastal and offshore weather. Attendees agreed that this was time well spent. Please enjoy these videos and feel free to share them. Read more- Lithium batteries are a fact of life in this day and age, and, like so many other things aboard, we must treat them with care. When I wrote the CCA article on Fire in the Boat – Prevention, I gently danced around the issue of fires in smaller Lithium-Ion and Lithium-Metal batteries. There I talked about the issues of charging them (don’t let that happen in a bunk or under a sail), and the high heat they generate when shorted. Read more
In this reprinted article from SAIL magazine, CCA member Rich Wilson shares the tale of a terrifying capsize at one of the roughest patches on the water.
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Techniques, Tactics and Equipment
As weather conditions get progressively more severe, there is a line that is eventually crossed.
Excerpts from Passage East (the skipper/author’s log of the 1952 transatlantic race aboard his yawl, Caribbee)
By Carleton Mitchell
Read moreIn the attached article, Ralph Naranjo reviews his development as a sailor.
Opening paragraph:
Read moreBy John Rousmaniere, The New York Yacht Club: A History © John Rousmaniere
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Good seamanship should include the ability to assess, address, and anticipate. The best offshore sailors use sight, smell, hearing, and feel to monitor what is going on below, on deck and in the wider environment for whatever may come next. Experience lets the crew member distinguish the significant concerns from normal variations. In a perfect world, every issue would be caught before it becomes a problem or emergency. Let’s snap back to reality—it’s not going to happen… Read moreBy John Rousmaniere, A Berth to Bermuda (2006) © John Rousmaniere
Read moreBy John Rousmaniere, A Berth to Bermuda © John Rousmaniere
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