Clouds can give big clues about the weather, so it makes sense for sailors to be able to identify the different types of clouds, and what they might mean for the people sailing below them. While it is easy to focus on what the weather is happening at sea level, clouds give an indication of…
A special thanks to everyone who is still reading my numerous Coastal Skipper revision posts in preparation for the Ocean Yachtmaster exam. I have certainly dredged up some things from the depths of my brain that had long been forgotten. I am flitting around with topics all over the place, which is just typical of…
For tonights Ocean Yachtmaster study I am looking at abandoning ship. I have already visited the Rescue Coordination Centre, and saw how these amazing people are able to muster assistance in the form of another boat or a helicopter to come and help you. I have learnt about EPIRB’s and how they work, what safety gear you…
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.
So how do you go about printing things when you live on a boat? As much as I would like to be a paperless person, the fact is that you still need to print off endless forms and paperwork, and particularly when you are travelling. So what do you do about printing on a boat?…
I think sailing at night feels kind of surreal – it is spooky sometimes, but then you see the millions of stars – more than you will ever see on land, and it is so beautiful. With the loss of your vision your other senses become more alert, you hear and smell new things. It…
After leaving Monsieur Chien on Ile Casy, we set sail for the Isle of Pines. This is the Southernmost Island in New Caledonia and it is absolutely stunning. We visited last year and were keen to go back, despite it being a hard upwind 9 hour slog in 25kts of breeze for about 50 nautical…
Have you ever read the book “An Island to Oneself” by Tom Neale? If not you should absolutely get yourself a copy and read it. It tells the story of how in the 1960’s a man went and lived all by himself on a deserted tropical island. It is a great read. Fast forward to…
New Caledonia is like a little slice of the French Riviera right here in the South Pacific. Last year we had been lucky enough to be invited to go and sail on a friends yacht for a week and this year we were even luckier to be invited back again! We weren’t joining the yacht…
After our fascinating visit to the Rescue Coordination Centre, we went next door to have a look at the Maritime Radio office and were once again welcomed by their super friendly team who were happy to answer all our questions in between taking calls over the radio.
Astrolabe Sailing 