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Guide to Cruising

Food
Fresh Water
Emergency Equipment
Planning Routes & Navigation
Boat Crew Handling
Boat Crew Experience
Boat Safety

Cruising offshore in your boat can be an enjoyable experience for sailors who have the time and money to do so, but without correct preparation it can quickly turn into a trip from hell.

If you're reading this guide to cruising, then you're more than likely preparing to skipper a voyage, whether on your own, or with a boat crew on board to assist you. Either way, it's the Skipper's responsibility to ensure that the cruiser is prepared for the journey, with stocks of everything that's required, including emergency supplies and a pre-planned route that can be confidently navigated based on the experience levels of those on board the boat.

Food

Food is an important aspect of any cruise, and should be considered carefully before departure. Cover My Boat's guide to cruising suggests the following:

Prepare a Shopping List - This should be planned well in advance of the voyage, taking into account any allergies or food preferences displayed by the crewmembers.
Food Preparation - During rough weather, food preparation is an extremely undesirable task and therefore easy-to-cook meals can make an important addition to the cruise. Alternatively, why not cook meals at home and freeze them in advance, ready for heating it up at sea.
Food Use By Dates - Ensure food has a long use-by date, and fruit and vegetables are stored in a cool, dry area.

Fresh Water

Along with food, one thing that any good guide to cruising will emphasise is the importance of fresh water as an essential supply. Water should be treated as an extremely valuable commodity at sea. Depending on the length of your voyage, and time between ports, it may be necessary to restrict shower length, or ban them completely, as drinking water is paramount above all other needs.

Emergency Equipment

Emergency equipment on board is obviously essential, so be sure to take the following items on board:

Lifejackets/buoyancy aids - correctly fitted to all on board.
Flares - An appropriate range of flares.
Fire Extinguishers - The correct type of fire extinguishers for each area of the boat.
Radio - Fully functional VHF or other high powered radio.
First Aid Kit - with seasickness pills included.
Life Raft - A life raft is essential (these are sometimes inflatable) and can often be stowed easily.

Planning Routes & Navigation

Before your cruise, you should take time to carefully plan your passage, routes and navigation which including the following:

Check Weather Reports - out weather reports for the times and areas you will be sailing.
Plan Your Route - taking into account any stops that are required along the way, and bearing in mind the length of time your supplies will last between ports.
International Requirements - When visiting foreign countries you must be aware that they may have stricter paperwork requirements than here in the UK, and in many European countries, the International Certificate of Competence is a necessity.
Cruise To Your Experience - Don't plan a route which will take you through waters or weather that you know you and your boats crew will not be able to handle capably.

Boat Crew Handling

As the skipper, it is also your responsibility to manage the crew to maximise performance, as well as ensure that all crew-members are happy. Here are some tips on boat crew handling:

Listen - to and take on board the opinions of your crew.
Watch - Possibly set up a watch system which divides the crew into two or more groups who take shifts sailing and navigating the boat.
Experience - Ensure you are aware of your crew's abilities, and if unsure of their experience, take things steady, especially when in mooring areas.
Good Morale - As long as everyone is having a good time, you are doing a good job.

Boat Crew Experience

While you may typically want to sail with family and friends, finding a boat crew that has some boat crew experience of sailing, boating or cruising is an incredibly useful asset for a skipper, and will ease the pressure of responsibility immensely.

The more experienced the boat crew are then the less effort the skipper has to expend when managing them. Experienced boat crew members will typically have the sailor's instinct - an intuition of what to do and when, which usually only comes with experience of sailing.

And finally, no good guide to cruising would forget to mention that as the skipper, you should be aware that you're not only in charge of your vessel, but you must also take responsibility for everything that happens on board - your crew are your responsibility. Above all you should take extra care over any decisions you make, sail safely, and make sure you don't overestimate your abilities.

Boat Safety

For further information about boat safety visit our information page about first aid, fire safety, dealing with water leaks and when and how to abandon ship.

Cover My Boat's Guide to Boat Safety