Solo Sailing and Casting off!"A boat in a harbour is safe, but that's not what boats are built for!" We are going solo sailing and we are nearly ready to cast off!! First though we must put in an accessible place every piece of gear we may need for the voyage.
• Things like binoculars, a screwdriver and sharp knife should be close by.
• A jacket or wet weather gear and sailing gloves plus sunglasses ready to put on.
• Sunscreen and lip gloss to protect your skin.
I also like plenty of iced water and some easy snacks ready to go in a small esky/ice box on deck and out of the way. If it’s cold out side some hot coffee or soup in a flask with crusty bread.
Preparation complete!! And now everything is ready to go sailing!!
Think it through ...your motor is running ... you have not left any lines still tied to a cleat to hold you back (seen that happen a few times)and you have a couple of lines ready to be easily released. Put your engine in reverse slowly, assuming the bows facing the marina, throw off the last line and you are away. If at anchor ... your motors running ... hopefully you have an anchor winch ... start pulling it up. It may take a trip back to the helm to motor up to it before you get it on board. Now back to the helm and you are underway!
Click - You can’t go Solo Sailing unless you Raise the Sails!
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