Powerboat Level
2
TIDES
Earth
Sun
TIDES
Springs
New
Moon
Earth
Full
Moon
Sun
Springs
TIDES
Last Quarter
Neaps
Earth
Neaps
First Quarter
Sun
RULE OF TWELFTHS
1st hour 1/12
2nd hour 2/12
3rd hour 3/12
4th hour 3/12
5th hour 2/12
6th hour 1/12
HW
+1h
+2h
+3h
+4h
+5h
LW
TIDE TABLE
FUNDAMENTAL CAUSE OF 'WEATHER'
Hot Air
Rising
Cold Air
Falling
Cold Air
Falling
Cold Air
Cold Air
SEA BREEZE - EARLY
Returned air falls
to cool sea
Cool Sea
HIGH PRESSURE
Warm air rising
off land creates
LOW PRESSURE
SEA BREEZE - ESTABLISHED
Returned air falls
to cool sea
Clouds form as damp air off
sea rises and condenses
Warm air rising
off land
Cool Sea
LAND BREEZE
Cool air descends
as land cools quickly
Air off warm sea
surface rises
Breeze blows from
land to sea
Land Cools
BUYS BALLOT'S LAW
992 1000
1008
1024
1016
1032
High
Pressure
Low
Pressure
Buys Ballot's Law
In the Northern Hemisphere,
if you stand with your back
to the wind, the
LOW PRESSURE
area is to your left
High
Low
FRONTAL SYSTEM
General Direction
of Depression
L
Cold
Front
F
E
D
C
B
A
Warm
Front
FRONTAL SYSTEM
Alto
Stratus
Cumulonimbus
Cumulus
COLD AIR
F
Strato
Cumulus
Heavy Rain
Showers
E
WARM
AIR
D
Cirro
Stratus
Cirrus
Nimbo Stratus
Stratus
Cumulus
Fog
C
Rain
B
COOL AIR
A
WEATHER FORECAST SOURCES
 National Radio
 Local Radio
 TV
 Marine Call
 Internet
 Teletext
 Met Office
 Navtex
 Weatherfax/Fax
 Coastguard
 Press
 Coast Radio Station
 Look
PILOTAGE
(Navigating Safely in Confined Waters)
USE ALL SIGNPOSTS AVAILABLE
Buoys & lights
Charted landmarks
Transits, clearing bearings
Soundings etc.
PRE-PLAN
Use large scale charts
Pilot books
Local knowledge
As detailed as necessary for the task
PILOTAGE
DETAIL NEEDED
Start of pilotage
Distance and Course to Steer to next mark
Use 6 minute marks for high speed navigation
Repeat until destination reached
Use transits and clearing bearings to
avoid hazards
LATERAL AND OTHER BUOYAGE
KEEP TO PORT OR STARBOARD
Starboard Hand
Any G except (2 + 1)
Port Hand
Any R except (2 + 1)
Safe Water
Iso, Occ,
L Fl 10s or Mo(A)
Direction
of
Buoyage
Special Marks
Yellow, any rhythm
except used for
white lights
MARKS CAN BE BUOYS OR ON POSTS
COLOUR DEFINES PURPOSE
LATERAL AND OTHER BUOYAGE
KEEP TO PORT OR STARBOARD
Port Hand
Any R except (2 + 1)
Starboard Hand
Any G except (2 + 1)
MARKS CAN BE BUOYS OR ON POSTS
COLOUR DEFINES PURPOSE
Safe Water
Iso, Occ,
L Fl 10s or Mo(A)
Special Marks
Yellow, rhythm not
used for white lights
Direction
of
Buoyage
Preferred Channel
to Stbd Fl (2 + 1)R
Preferred Channel
to Port Fl (2 + 1)G
CARDINAL MARKS
Continuous
Flashing
Shows
direction of
safe water
9 Flashes
2 Flashes
3 Flashes
6 Short + 1 Long
PASSAGE PLANNING
 Define objective
 Constraints on operation
Crew, time available etc
 Assemble navigation equipment
Charts, Pilots, Tide Tables and
Tidal Stream Atlases
 Plan provisions (including emergency stock)
 Personal kit
PASSAGE PLANNING
Constraints on departure - locks, sills?
If so - departure time is set within these limits Plan FORWARD
Constraints on arrival - locks, sills?
If so - arrival time is set between these limits Plan BACKWARDS
Passage constraints - races, strong tides?
If so - transit time is set by the phenomenon
If more than one constraint
Plan waiting period when appropriate
PASSAGE PLANNING
 Calculate distance and expected passage time
Calculate times between waypoints for high
speed navigation
 Plan for departure/arrival by day/night
 Plan for optimum use of tide
 Plan waypoints
 Is fuel capacity adequate for passage?
If not, plan refuelling stops
EFFECT OF COMPASS DEVIATION
N
W
E
S
N
N
W
E
W
E
S
S
N
W
E
S
COMPASS DEVIATION TABLE
000
045
090
135
180
225
270
315
360
6
West
4 2
0
East
2
4
6
Ship's Head
Compass (C)
000
022.5
045
067.5
090
112.5
135
157.5
180
202.5
225
247.5
270
292.5
315
337.5
360
Deviation
4W
2W
0
2E
4E
5E
6E
5E
4E
2E
0
2W
4W
5W
6W
5W
4W
Ship's Head
Magnetic (M)
356
020.5
045
069.5
094
117.5
141
162.5
184
204.5
225
245.5
266
287.5
309
332.5
356
MNEMONICS
“Error West - Compass Best
Error East - Compass Least”
“Cadbury's Dairy Milk Very Tasty + Exciting (- W)”
NB Order and sign of corrections are important
POTENTIAL FIX INACCURACIES - 1
LEADING LINES
Keep lights in line on
192°(T) for transit
COURSE SHAPING
PORT ENTRY - CROSS TIDE
Course to be
made good
When close enough to see, transfer to more
appropriate transit until out of tide
MOORING ALONGSIDE
Bow Ropes
Bow
Shoreline
Back
Spring
Fore
Spring
Stern Rope
Stern
Shoreline
Fore spring stops the boat going forwards
Back spring stops the boat going backwards
SECURING TO A CLEAT
KNOTS, BENDS & HITCHES
Sheet Bend
Double
Sheet Bend
Bowline
Figure of
Eight
KNOTS, BENDS & HITCHES
Clove Hitch
Reef Knot
Rolling
Hitch
Round Turn and
2 Half Hitches
COILING A ROPE
ANCHOR TERMINOLOGY
Eye
for tripping line
Fid
(to secure stock)
Shank
Stock
Fluke
Crown
Shank
Fisherman
Can stow flat
Good on rock
Few moving parts
Poor power/weight ratio
Upstanding fluke can foul
chain
Stock pin needs wire
mousing
Grapnel
Easily folded
Best in weed
Useful in small
craft
Poor power/weight ratio
Clumsy to handle
Can pinch fingers
CQR
Good power/weight ratio
Plough digs into most types of ground
Forged steel very strong
Difficult to stow
Can capsize (but usually resets)
Danforth
Can stow flat
Good holding in
soft ground
Shingle can jam or trip
Not good on rock
Hard to break out of mud
Can catch fingers
Bruce
Excellent power/weight ratio
No moving parts to jam
Easy to break out
Difficult to stow except on bow roller
Not good on weedy or hard ground
Smaller sizes may not dig in easily
Delta
Sets fast and digs deep
Excellent power/weight ratio
Does not capsize
Can self-launch/free-fall from bow roller
Difficult to stow except on bow roller
ANCHORING
Anchors in tandem
Running Moor
Strongest
stream
Heaviest
anchor
Scope
Chain - 4 x depth
Warp - 6 x depth
40°
ANCHORING
Be clear of
Fairways
Dangers
Other anchored craft
Depth
Now
LW
HW
Shelter
Now
Later
Tidal Stream
Direction
Speed
Turn
Wind
Direction
Speed
Can you get away?
In a crisis
At night
Type of Holding
GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS)
GPS - FIX ERROR
Position
Spheres
GPS - POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS
 Selective Availability
Random error is built into civilian signal
95% of fixes within 100m
Can be corrected with Differential GPS
 Similar errors to visual fix when intersection
much less than 60 degrees
 Shape of earth - need to use correct datum or
can be as much as 150 metres in error
VHF MAYDAY
DISTRESS CALL MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY,
This is Yacht FAIRWIND, FAIRWIND,FAIRWIND

DISTRESS MESSAGE

Identity
MAYDAY Yacht FAIRWIND

Position
Position is 025°(T) from Braye Harbour, 7 miles

Situation
Struck submerged object, holed and sinking

Assistance Needed

Crew
Six persons on board all with lifejackets

Other Information
Preparing liferaft and will abandon in 10 minutes

Invitation to reply
Over
I require immediate assistance
DISTRESS FLARES
INSHORE
5 miles from land
2 red hand flares
2 orange smokes
Visibility :
COASTAL
7 miles from land
2 parachute flares
2 red hand flares
2 orange smokes
OFFSHORE
Over 7 miles from land
4 red parachute flares
4 red hand flares
2 buoyant orange smokes
Red hand held
7 miles on a clear night
Parachute
28 miles on a clear night
Orange smoke 3 miles in daylight
Fire downwind
15° for no cloud
Up to 45° for
low cloud
HELICOPTER RESCUE
 Communicate on VHF

Pilot will give exact course under
sail or power (Usually wind on port bow)

Brief crew early as too noisy later

Weighted Hi-Line lowered

Earth in sea or on boat before
handling DO NOT MAKE FAST

Pull as directed - stow loosely in bucket

Let diver touch boat before you
touch him
DO AS YOU ARE TOLD
Winch
wire
Beware of
down draught
Diver
Hiline
SAFETY HARNESSES & LIFEJACKETS
WEAR SAFETY HARNESS
•
If the boat is reefed or would be if hard
on the wind
•
If sighting & recovery of YOUR BODY
would be difficult - at night, in fog etc.
•
If about to abandon the vessel
Harness lanyard clipped
Harness lanyard
clipped to strongpoint to jackstay allows crew
to go forward while
in cockpit
secured
WEAR A LIFEJACKET
•
•
•
For dinghy journeys, especially at night
In fog (due to risk of collision)
If about to abandon the vessel