Warning: main(../../include/menu_up.php) [function.main]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /mnt/web3/30/52/51243352/htdocs/pages/infos/tips.php on line 88

Warning: main() [function.include]: Failed opening '../../include/menu_up.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/opt/RZphp4/includes') in /mnt/web3/30/52/51243352/htdocs/pages/infos/tips.php on line 88

PLEASE BE CAREFUL!
For your safety and to protect the boat, wear deck shoes and do not bring sand or worse on board. Walking barefoot on deck can result in bruised toes.
Blankets, pillows and cushions are not easy to dry on a boat. Do not take them up on deck. If there is any risk of their getting wet. After you swim or shower put on something dry to protect the upholstery.
Keep charts and pilot books inside the boat at all times and avoid putting food or drinks on the chart table.
Keep cartoons out of the board. They can hide insects or their eggs which could infest your boat.
Ask your skipper before using unfamiliar equipment.
Dispose of refuse in the bins provided in ports. Do not throw refuse in the sea.
Never leave the cooking stove unattended if lit.

YOUR SAILS:
When unrolling your Genoa always keep the reefing line in tension ; otherwise the roller reefing mechanism may jam. Pulling on the sheet by hand, through a winch is sufficient to unroll the Genoa. If undue force is required, this is probably caused by accidental slack in the Genoa and/or spinnaker halyard which was found itself round the forestay.If this happens you must free and tighten the halyard(s). Continue unrolling by hand. NEVER use the winch handle to unroll your Genoa ; you may break the forestay and bring down your mast. Before hoisting your main sail ensure that the boom is supported by the topping lift high enough to avoid breaking the runners on the mast track or tearing the sail. The boom vang and main sheet may have to be loosened. Undo the sail ties, keep the boat in to the wind and pull on the halyard. The sail should rise smoothly. If too much force is required have good look to determine the reason. It may be a forgotten sail tie or the reefing lines at the clew jamming in their brakes. When hoisted the halyard should be winched until the mainsail luff is straight along the mast. Then the topping lift should be eased in order to stretch the leach as well.

To unfurl a roller reefing main sail pull on the clew line while maintaining some tension on reefing line. You may need to loosen the main sheet and boom vang. If you experience difficulty check whether the furried sail is protruding from the mast slit. This may occur if the sail has been rolled loosely or with slack in the halyard. DO NOT apply excessive force ; you could cause permanent failure. Release the tension and roll back a little so the folded sail goes back into the mast. Then continue unrolling carefully while one of your crew assists rotation by levering round the tack of the sail. When the main is unrolled, check the halyard and tighten it if necessary. Do not over tighten the clew outhaul.

Correct sail trim gives your boat maximum speed and protects your sails from damage.Adjust the Genoa sheet roller so as to pull equally along the leech and the foot of the sail. Over tightening sheets only causes undue strain and may result in serious damage. Never let your sails flog. Flogging sails can be torn in seconds.

Reef early! If the boat heals more than about 25° it is time to reef. Heeling hard may feel exciting but experience shows that a yacht sails more slowly-increased water resistance - and drifts sideways under these conditions.

Catamarans do not heel, and do not forgie the imprudent. Consult the manual about reefing and always be on the lookout for freshening winds! Remember that winds can be considerably stronger round a point, in straits and to the lee of high hills.

Slab reefing is easiest if you heave-to. First of all the boom will have to be raised a little by tightening the topping lift. The sail will then have to be lowered until the appropriate eyelet at the luff can be hooked at the goose neck; some of the mast track runners may have to be slid out of the mast track. The main sail halyard must then be tightened. Next the appropriate reefing line at the clew end of the sail must be tightened to bring this eyelet as close to the boom as possible. Make sure the sail is supported only by the tack, clew and head of the sail. The intermediate reefing lines are finally tied loosely ( in order to prevent tearing the sail ) so as to hold the sail cloth below the boom.

Roller reefing is best carried out while sailing off the wind. You do not need to raise the boom in order to reef a roller furling main. Ease the sail clew and winch in the reefing line.

When stowing conventional mainsails it is important to tighten the topping lift and have the halyard clear before coming into the wind and dropping your sail smartly. Then the sail is fan folded on the boom. To do this easily and neatly you can use the mast track runners as guides for the width of the folds. Pulling the sail at the leech with every fold is essential in order to stretch the sail on the boom. Finally bind the sail with the ties provided.

To avoid flogging and damage, ensure that while roller reefing sails are stowed there is a little tension on the clew. Roller mainsails can jam when unfurling if not reasonably tightly rolled when stowed.

MIND THE BOOM:
Gybing a small boat requires care. Gybing your yacht without sheeting in your main sail can cause major failure especially in winds over about 15 knots. While running in anything but a light breeze, avoid the danger of a gybe by sailing under Genoa only. This will also make the helm lighter and help prevent broaching.

Winch manufacturers warn : When pulling a line through a winch by hand two or three turns round the winch are enough. When using a winch handle, however, you must quite cover the winch with line, especially with self tailing winches. If these are adjustable for the thickness of the line, make sure that you have adjusted them before use in order to avoid damage.

YOUR ENGINE:
Every day check the oil and cooling water level before starting the engine.Top up if necessary. For your engine to start and function properly it requires: Clean diesel fuel(water or dirt will stop the engine and may cause damage) Cooling water (seacock open) Stop knob returned to fully in position (Yanmar and Volvo engines) Battery switched on and in good condition.

Starting: Put the throttle lever in the neutral (upright) position.Switch on at the engine control panel. The alarm will sound and warning lights will light up.Push the starter button and the engine will turn and start. Once the engine is running the warning lights should go out and the alarm will stop after a few seconds.

Ensure there are no lines near the stern of your boat when you engage the propeller.
Fouling your propeller is not only annoying but also dangerous.You may cause serious damage to the engine mountings, gearbox and prop shaft or drift and collide or ground.If anything is caught on your propeller, switch the engine to idling immediately and decide whether you must anchor or hoist sail. Before motoring again the engine must be turned off so that someone can dive and clear it.Do not start the engine again until the diver has cleared the propeller, inspected the prop-shaft, supporting bracket and propeller and returned to the boat.

Stopping: Under normal conditions, let the engine idle for a few minutes and cut the fuel either by pulling on the knob or pressing the STOP button on the panel (depending on the engine model).The warning lights should then go and the alarm should sound.Turn the key off.
Warning: Turning the key to the off position while the engine is running does not stop the engine and may cause permanent damage to your electrical system. While motoring keep an eye on the engine control panel. It displays valuable information and gives early warning of any malfunction.

Do not exceed the maximum speed of your engine. You would only increase your fuel consumption, the engine may overheat, burn oil and fail.

Maximum speeds:
Perkins 50 - 80 hp engines: 2200 rpm
Perkins 80 hp TURBO engines: 2800 rpm
Volvo and Yanmar engines: 2200 rpm

If the engine smokes reduce throttle.

If the alarm sounds try to determine the reason ( low oil pressure or overheating ) and switch off the engine immediately. Correct the fault before restarting your engine.

Do not use engine if the boat is healing more than about 20°

If the engine slows down and stops it is most probable that you have run out of fuel or there is water in the fuel If you are not sure which is the cause assume both. Add some fuel in to the tank from a spare jerrcan, purge the water from the fuel/water separator and prime the engine before attempting to restart your engine manual.

If you are unable to start your engine, use your sails, anchor in safety and seek help.

ANCHORING:
Your boat carries a main and a kedge anchor. While under way, anchors should either be stowed or secured with a short line to the boat in order to prevent an anchor falling off the boat.
Before you drop your anchor ensure that the sea is shallow enough for the anchor to be recovered. 10 m of depth is normally the limit.
If your main anchor does not hold, this is probably because the scope is too short. Putting out your kedge anchor, also on a short scope, will only result in two dragging anchors. It is preferable to always lay your main anchor with maximum scope. This applies particularly when coming stern-to a dock. Winds can come up quite suddenly and there is always the risk that your anchor may be lifted off the bottom in crowded harbours.

Your kedge anchor should be lowered and raised from the bows even if you intend to secure it to the stern. It is the only part of the boat designed for this type of work and you can use your windlass. Damage to the hull, safety lines, toe-rail etc. may result if you try to drop or recover your anchor from the side or the stern of the boat.

Ensure your engine is running when using your electric windlass. If the windlass motor is overloaded its fuse may blow or a circuit braker may trip. Make sure you know where this is and how to restore power to the windlass.
If the motor works but the windlass is not driving the anchor chain either the brake is loose - tighten it - or the windlass is damaged.

Coming astern to a pier you may experience some difficulty because of the "kick" of the stern due to the wash from the propeller. If you are not familiar with this, you may find it useful to go astern in clear water in order to get feel of the boat. More serious is the side wind in this manoeuvre which turns the bows of the boat down wind. To counter this, place the boat with the bows upwind as you stop before going astern a long way from the pier with the rudder straight. Once you have a little speed the helm answers a lot better.

Fenders: To avoid losing fenders rest them on the deck while tying to the safety rail or untying them. Hang your fenders round the boat before coming alongside another boat or a pier and only remove them when you are away. When another boat comes alongside yours, ensure that fenders are adequately protecting the boats.

INSTRUMENTS:
Electronic instruments are only aids to navigation and safety. Their performance can be affected by many factors including electrical interference, environmental conditions and improper handling or use. They can not replace common prudence and navigational judgement which it is your responsibility to exercise.

LOG:
Boat speed and logged distance are at best accurate over water - not over ground.If your log does not work at all, the impeller on the transducer is probably fouled with barnacles, floating sea weed or a gull's feather ! Carefully remove the transducer, clean it and replace it, taking care to screw it all the way down and line it up with the hull. It is enough to plug the through-hull hole with the flat of your palm or the heel of the bare foot while cleaning but a screw cap is provided for this purpose.

DEPTH SOUNDER:
The depth sounder may show incorrect depth depending on the quality of the bottom, the boat speed and other factors. The depth shown is under the boat. The depth sounder cannot replace navigational accuracy.

WIND:
Where fitted, wind instruments provide a useful aid for meteorological observation, sail trim and timely reefing. Remember that both wind speed and direction relate to apparent wind.

YOUR TENDER:
Do not tow the tender and do not jump into it ; it is not built to take it. Sharp rocks, sand and ofcourse sea urchins can make holes.
Before letting go the painter, make sure the oars and rowlocks are in position even you have an outboard motor.
Rowing against strong winds is very hard, if not impossible. Before setting off, consider the wind direction and if in doubt, make sure someone is watching in case the wind is stronger than you are. Do not leave the things in the tender. A strong gust can turn it over even with a child inside it. When landing on a beach do not drag the tender; lift it well away from the surf and tie it down.

OUTBOARD:
The outboard motor uses a 100:1 fuel/oil mixture. Check that the tank is full before starting off. Apart from screwing firmly to the transom, tie the motor with a short line. Always keep the outboard motor upright. Otherwise fuel may spill and sea water from the cooling circuit may run into the cylinder through the exhaust port which will permanently damage to motor.
To start the outboard motor, open the breather at the top of filter cap, open the fuel tap, set the throttle lever to the starting position, open the choke if the motor is cold and make sure there is nobody and nothing near the propeller before pulling the cord. Turn the choke after a few moments. If the motor does not start after two or three pulls on the cord it is probably flooded. Close the choke and try again. While motoring, use the tiller for steering, regulate your speed for the conditions and avoid fouling the propeller and hitting the bottom. Keep a distance from swimmers!
To stop the motor turn the throttle down and push the stop button. Then turn the fuel tap off and screw back the breather at the top of the filter cap.

ELECTRICAL:
Your safety and confort depends on your electrical supply which is stored in your batteries. To maintain your batteries :
· Run your engine at least two hours every day at about 1200 rpm.
· Only switch on your electrical refrigerator or windlass while the engine is running.
· Switch your electrical services to one battery only when the engine is not running. Drawing power from all your batteries at once, you may find yourself in the unpleasant situation of being unable to start your engine.
· Economy is very important, take care to switch off lights if not used.
· Keep an eye on your voltmeter or charge indicator on the main control panel.


PLUMBING:

FRESH WATER:
Your water supply is stored in at least two tanks and is pumped to the water outlets by a pressure controlled electrical pump. The pump works automatically when any outlet is used and the pressure in the system drops. Ensure you are only using one tank, selected by a switch so that you can check on your water reserves and refill your tanks before they run completely dry.
If the pressure is low, the filter on the tap is probably blocked. Remove completely as a test, clean it and replace it.
If the water tank in use is empty, no water comes out of the taps. Switch over to another tank. If you leave the water pump running for a long periods, it will be permanently damaged.

BILGE PUMP:
The bilge pump can be switched to draw from all the bilges in the boat. It can be operated by the electrical switch in the saloon or in the shower. If you leave it running for long periods when there is no bilge, it will be permanently damaged. At the inlet to the bilge pump there is a filter fitted to protect the pump. You must clean the filter periodically for the bilge pump to work efficiently. To do this, you remove the transparent cover and stainless strainer from the filter body, remove hairs etc. rinse it clean and refit taking care to fit the strainer in its seat at both ends and the 0-ring gasket between the body and cover of the strainer.

TOILETS:
Toilets in yachts are designed to accept only human waste. Paper, towels etc. can block the toilets and must be disposed of in the small bin provided for this purpose.
After washing liberally with sea water. Which is introduced by the toilet pump (the small lever on the pump body must be in the flushing position) the toilet must be emptied completely (lever in the dry position) by at least ten strokes of the pump and the lever must be left in the dry position.
There is nothing to be gained by shutting the toilet or other sea cocks during sailing and putting undue force on these will break them.

EMERGENCIES:
The best way to deal with emergencies is not to have any. Common sense and a few basic precautions will forestall emergencies.
Avoid accidents. Stay clear of the boom, anchor chains, mooring lines, sheets, winches etc. while in use. Do not leave port adequate supplies of fuel and oil or if any equipment has failed. If in doubt contact the office.
The skipper should familiarise himself and all his crew with the safety equipment on board, its location and the way it should be used in an emergency.
Water in the boat does not mean that you are sinking. You can use electrical bilge pumps, the deck hand operated pump to empty the boat. While emptying, determine weather the weather salty or fresh ( shower left running, leak in fresh water tank , broken water bottles etc..) and try to find out where it comes from. Check hatches, toilets and sinks. If there is a lot of water use a bucket to empty water down the sink.
If the water is knee high or more reduce sail to improve stability.

MAN OVERBOARD:
Do not fall overboard or cause someone else to do so while under way or at anchor. Do not jump in to the sea in order to save someone who has fallen over unless they are completely incapable of helping themselves. Two man overboard is considerably more trouble than one.
It is best never to have to undertake the recovery of one of the crew who has fallen overboard. The success rate of performing this " exercise " in real emergencies is very small indeed. It is much better to always have " one hand for the boat ". If you have to go up on deck in rough weather use a safety harness and still hold on.

Techniques for reaching and recovering someone who has gone overboard are the subject of basic training in sailing schools. While you are doing everything possible to recover the man overboard get one of your crew to announce your predicament on the VHF radio telephone, channel 16, so that any other ships in the area may assist.

MEDICAL PROBLEMS:
Medical problems require medical attention. Apart from first aid, you should seek assistance at the nearest port. If things seem more urgent put out a " Pan Medico " signal on your VHF radio telephone, channel 16 while proceeding to the nearest port as far as possible. Advise the authorities of your arrival and the nature of the medical problem.

FIRE:
Everyone on board must know where the fire extinguishers are and how they work. You should also know where the fire extinguishing access to the engine compartment is located and how it is to be removed in case of fire.
While frying, regulate the cooking stove to the minimum acceptable and watch continuously. Fire in a frying pan is best put out by covering the frying pan with a saucepan lid or plate. Do not use water. Turn off the gas.
Ensure that matches and cigarette ends are properly extinguished before throwing away. If you find candles irresistibly romantic, rest them in a dish or bowl with some water in it.Ensure there is a clear height of at least 50cm above the candle flame.
Any smell of burning should be investigated immediately.

RISK OF COLLISION:
Keep a constant look out over all the horizon (360°) and act early if needed. You should be familiar with the rules for preventing collisions at sea, if in doubt, however, there is one very simple rule : Determine which side of the other ship you are seeing. If you are presenting the same side to the other ship continue on your course with vigilance. Otherwise change your course so as to prevent the other ship with the same side of yours while increasing your distance from the other ship.

GROUNDING:
In order to avoid grounding, study your charts for reefs and shallows. If you have to navigate near such a hazard, proceed very slowly and post some of your crew either side of your bows to warn you of the depth. The worst danger is lee shore. Keep a minimum distance of one mile from a lee shore or a hazard to the lee.
If you do ground, stay calm and determine the type of bottom you are and the direction in which your boat will be most easily freed. Then decide on the action you must take to sail away. The means at your disposal for pulling the boat clear are the sails, the kedge anchor, the mooring lines and the engine. Heeling the boat, effectively reduces the draft and facilities getting off. You can use the sails, the kedge anchor tied to the spinnaker halyard and the weight of the crew to heel the boat to one side.
If you ground near a lee shore on anything other than an isolated hazard put down your main anchor and pay out your scope if the boat drifts on shallow ground towards the shore or other hazard. Do not attempt to pull on your main anchor until you have laid out all tour scope, straight along the sea floor or the hull is in danger of pounding.
Grounding is not dangerous in itself. Do not abandon ship unless the hull is actually broken and water is coming into the your boat faster that you can bail out despite your efforts to locate the track or hole and plug it from the inside. After grounding, lift the floor panels and examine the hull for cracks near the keel bolts. If there is any damage to the hull or rudder seek our advice at the first opportunity.

DISMASTING:
To avoid dismasting, treat your rig and sails with respect. Do not attempt to adjust shrouds and stays. Do not over tighten sheets. Avoid accidental gybes. If a stay or shroud fails, use your halyards to support the mast and proceed to port. If you do get dismasted, use your lines to secure the mast and rigging on the deck and proceed to port. Notify the office immediately.

HELM FAILURE:
Too much sail and bad sail trim result in unfair loads on the helm. If the helm is heavy on a reach or while beetling you probably need to sheet out the mainsail. Do not put your weight on the wheel. Do not steer wheel locked. Do not let the wheel or tiller slip out of your hands when reversing !
If the wheel fails, use the emergency tiller to get into port and notify us.

REQUESTING ASSISTANCE:
Our technical staff is at your disposal. If you have an urgent problem which must be solved while at sea, use your VHF radio telephone ( Channel 72 ) If you are in range, to contact the base office for advice. Through our experience of thousands of sailing charters we have probably had to solve the same problem before. There is no voluntary body similar to RNLI to assist mariners in distress but ofcourse every captain would come and save life peril.
If you have to request assistance another ship Hellas Radio, ( channel 16 ), will broadcast your predicament if necessary. Make sure you agree with the captain in advance how he proposes to go about helping you and how much he is going to charge for it. Ensure that the authorities have witnessed your agreement over the VHF. This is absolutely essential if you intend to accept a tow which may constitute salvage, irrespective of the reason for your request. Salvage law is firmly on the side of the ship rendering assistance. Arguing afterwards is useless.
If assistance you require involves moving things or people do not come alongside another ship in anything but absolute calm. Use your tender or that of the other ship. Coming close to a ferry boat, tanker etc.may completely damage your yacht.
Many ships will help without expecting to gain from it. Show your appreciation.
Most MAYDAY calls are the result of panic and most abandoned yachts are still floating the next day. Many have been found washed up on the shore with hardly a stretch on the hull. However, if you feel that your ship is in imminent danger of sinking and you must abandon ship make your preparations in an orderly manner.

· Make sure you always know where you are, as accurately as possible.
· On channel 16 of your VHF radio telephone speak clearly and say: " MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY from sailing yacht.....(name of your ship)... (position of your ship )"
Listen for a minute or so and repeat until you get a response
In the meantime :
· Get everybody to eat, preferably something warm or sweet.
· Get everybody to dress warmly and wear life jackets.
· Prepare your liferaft for launching. You may also decide to launch you tender.
· Prepare your distress flares in order to show your position when the assisting ship requests you to or to draw the attention of a passing ship.

Stay calm. Panic is more dangerous than the situation which causes it.



Warning: main(../../include/menu_down.php) [function.main]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /mnt/web3/30/52/51243352/htdocs/pages/infos/tips.php on line 307

Warning: main() [function.include]: Failed opening '../../include/menu_down.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/opt/RZphp4/includes') in /mnt/web3/30/52/51243352/htdocs/pages/infos/tips.php on line 307