If you were excited by the prospect of measuring your distance off a landmark by vertical angle then today’s lesson in Coastal Navigation is going to completely knock your socks off! Today faithful blog readers, we are going to learn all about using horizontal angles to find out where you are.
One of the other things I need to learn about for my Ocean Yachtmaster exam is Meteorology. Sailors are obsessed by the weather. The conditions directly relate to whether we are going to have a good day or a bad day. You can find us checking the forecasts over and over, checking websites, apps, listening…
I remember going to my Coastal Navigation course about 10 years ago, and sitting right at the front of the class like a swotty nerd that I was. The teacher said that today we were going to be learning how to measure the distance off a landmark and that it was just a case of…
For today’s lesson in navigation we are going to look at one method of determining your position without the use of a GPS! These are always good skills to have, because lets face it, it is super easy to become reliant on your electronic gear, but if it breaks down then you could be in…
Yes… I am back to study mode, ticking off the final few bits of my Ocean Yachtmaster course. Next week I am starting a Meteorology course with some friends, so hold on to your hats for those posts people! But for now you are going to have to deal with a post on yacht stability……
Being a small island nation, New Zealanders have a natural affinity with the water. Here in Canterbury we are particularly lucky to have a variety of different sailing locations to suit everyone’s tastes. If you are a fan of the water, and are wanting to make new friends, challenge yourself and try something new, then sailing…
Even though we are still a wee way off buying our dream boat, I still like to keep an eye out for nice things that we are going to need on board, and I either squirrel them away in a safe place or use them around home or on Wildwood in the mean time. There…
We were sailing along a few years ago, racing in one of the winter series yacht races at Naval Point. We must have been doing ok on this particular day as we weren’t too far behind Legacy II one of the faster yachts. They had rounded the mark in front of us and had hoisted…
When you are out in the middle of nowhere, it is so good knowing that you have got people back home who are able to assist when you need them. We were recently sailing in New Caledonia, and were anchored inside a small reef and the sun was going down. It was a lovely spot,…
There is a saying about a child wandering along a beach throwing the starfish back in to the sea. A man comes along and says “what are you doing? There are thousands of starfish here and this beach is miles long, you can never make a difference” The child picks up another starfish and throws…
Astrolabe Sailing 