Several decades ago, entering Morro Bay around sunrise, I was at the helm of a 30’ wooden ketch while the rest of the crew slept below. It was near a full moon, and the boat was bucking about a 3-knot ebb with her 4.5 knots of speed through the…
We offer several types of article covering a wide range of topics. Choose your topic or article type below:
- Feature Articles. Discussions of one or more topics regarding Seamanship, Safety, and best practices afloat.
- School of Hard Rocks. First-person narratives of ... challenging ... experiences and lessons learned.
- Safety Moments. Short items suitable for a quick read or presentation to a group.
- White Papers. In-depth dives into topics of interest.
- Travelogs. Stories of near and far journeys afloat, including selected articles from our Voyages magazine
- Videos. A growing library of streaming content, from weather seminars to member highlights.
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Safety Moment
Subject:
AIS
After two major collisions with substantial loss of American lives between US Navy destroyers and merchant ships, many of us went to websites that provide histories of the movements of the ships in the area up to the minute of the collision. Using…
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Feature Article
Subject:
AIS
AIS, or Automatic Identification System, is one of the most significant marine safety innovations in a decade. Required on much of commercial traffic and available (and highly recommended) for recreational boats and even personal gear, AIS devices…
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Feature Article
Subject:
Medical, Medical
The Bermuda Race’s medical chair (a race skipper) describes the causes, prevention, and treatment of this all-too-common and potentially dangerous condition.
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Feature Article
Subject:
Seamanship and Awareness
A collection of a few tips from the acknowledged masters of sailing
Anticipation
“A seaman laboring under an undue sense of security becomes at once worth hardly half his salt.” (Joseph Conrad, The Mirror of the Sea)
“The rule…
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Feature Article
Subject:
Overboard
From The Annapolis Book of Seamanship
Here are accounts of two successful rescue efforts in the stormy 2011 Chicago to Mackinac Race. Each rescuing crew was awarded an Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal by U.S. Sailing.
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Feature Article
Subject:
Seamanship and Awareness
Adapted from the foreword to the 4th edition, The Annapolis Book of Seamanship,
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Feature Article
Subject:
Overboard
The methods for dealing with Man Overboard emergencies on a short-handed boat require a few modifications from the standard recoveries taught for fully-crewed race boats. The purpose of this note is to highlight those differences in technique and…
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Feature Article
Subject:
Fire/Flooding, Abandon Ship/Liferafts
CCA Member John Jourdane sailed the 2008 Hobart Race on the Spencer 65, Ragtime. He witnessed a successful rescue of all the crew off a sinking boat. The following is from John’s journal.:
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Feature Article
Subject:
Fire/Flooding
You have been reaching along fast and you step below after a great watch on deck, and splash, your foot goes up to the ankle in water in your boat. Oops, no one wants this scenario. Like many other emergencies, water in the boat can be minimized…
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Feature Article
Subject:
Heavy Weather
You're cruising with friends on inshore waters and are suddenly confronted with what has become known as “severe weather”, usually a line of discrete cells, any one of which is capable of producing straight line winds over 50 knots. The cells we…
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Feature Article
Subject:
Safety Gear, Boat, Sails and Rigging
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Feature Article
Subject:
Tools and Spares
This list of tools and spares is intended to be a minimum guide to tools and spares that might be helpful in routine maintenance at sea or effecting emergency repairs when outside assistance is not available.
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Feature Article
Subject:
Emergency Signalling
This note presents the results of the work of CCA member John Brooks in investigating the position of the U. S. Coast Guard with regard to “laser flares”. It also contains some description of the devices and links to other information about the…
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Feature Article
Subject:
Abandon Ship/Liferafts
Larry Glenn, owner of Runaway, a J44 is very thoughtful, plus he is organized and disciplined about his thinking regarding emergencies. Larry knows that you cannot assign tasks in the middle of a crisis; you have to plan and organize ahead…