Sailing Guide For Beginners: Lee-Ho

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Sailing
guide for
beginners
lee-ho
- used by the helm to announce that the vessel is TACKING.
CONTENTS
Basic Sailing page 4
Nautical Terms pages 5-7

Latitude and Longitude page 8-9
Weather page 10-12
Essential knots page 13-15
Lights and Sounds page 16-19
Set Sail page 20
Points of sail page 21

Maneuvers page 22-24
Rules of the road page 25-27
Anchoring page 28
Before sailing away page 30
Safety first page 31-33

Crew roles page 34
Provisioning page 35
Tips page 36
How to pages 37
Man Overboard page 38-39

Fire Onboard page 40-41
Sinking page 42
First Aid page 43
Engine malfunction page 44
Tangled anchor page 45
Propeller issues page 46
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Basic Sailing Set Sail Anchoring Before sailing away How to
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INTRODUCTION
Sailing is becoming more and more a popular sport, but also a
way to spend the holidays and explore new places. It can be
enjoyed by all ages and abilities, even if you sail competitively, or
for leisure with your family and friends. While some people might
think that sailing is a highbrow activity, you might be surprised to
find out how accessible it can be. You don’t even need to have
your own boat to start sailing, because you can anytime charter
one at a reasonable price.
It takes some time to understand the wind whispering in your

sails, but the unique sense of freedom and peace you find on
water towards the horizon will truly make you fall in love with
sailing.
If you’re interested in sailing but don’t have much experience

on the water, it‘s enormously helpful to familiarise yourself with
some nautical terms before going out to sea or starting a sailing
course. The more you know before you get started, the more
prepared you’ll be in your lessons, and the easier sailing will be
to pick up. Enjoy our sailing guide and discover some helpful
things to know before climbing abord.
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Basic Sailing
4
BASIC SAILING - Nautical Terms
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BOW The front of the boat

STERN The back of the boat
STARBOARD The right side of the boat
PORT The left side of the boat
The wing at the back of the boat.
RUDDER
It helps steer the boat
The heavy wing in the middle. It is
KEEL counter balancing the boat, when
the wind pushes the sails
HULL The main body of the boat
ANCHOR &
In front of the boat
CHAIN LOCKER Bow
Port
Starboard
Hull
Anchor &
Chain Locker
Rudder Keel
Stearn
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COCKPIT The space astern

WHEEL Helps steer the boat
ROPE CLUTCHES Grip the lines on the boat
WINCHES Tighten or loosen the sails
Rope clutches
Cockpit
Wheel Winch
Tips
Things to consider when using a winch.
You must turn the lines on the accidents. When you have the
winch clockwise. Start coiling turns on the winch, pull the line
the line from bottom up, the with your hands until is enough
line you are pulling must be tension in the line.
above.
When is too hard to pull the
Make sure the turns are not line with your hands, use the
overlapping. If you have long winch handle clockwise to
hear, make sure is not close to tighten the line. Using the
the winch when using it. winch handle anti-clockwise
you will have more power, but
You can use sailing gloves less speed.
to avoid burns or other
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A tall upright post in the middle

MAST
of a sailing boat
BOOM Attached to the MAST, at right angle
KICKING STRAP Between the MAST and the BOOM
JIB SHEET The sail in front of the boat
MAINSHEET Attached to the MAST at the end of the BOOM
TACK Right corner of the sail
CLEW Left corner of the sail
HEAD Top corner of the sail
The lower part of the sail, Head
FOOT
between TACK and CLEW
The left part of the sail,
LEECH
between CLEW and HEAD
The right part of the sail,
LUFF
between HEAD and TACK
Leech Mast
Jib
Boom sheet Mainsheet
Kicking Luff
strap
Clew Foot
Tack
Tip
While sailing, all sails edges must be

tightened, so the halyard must be as tight as
possible. If the sail is flapping then it won’t
pull the boat. Going down wind you have
to let the sails out, while sailing close to the
wind you will need to tighten them.
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BASIC SAILING - Latitude and Longitude
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WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE EARTH IS NOT FLAT,

IS ALMOST ROUND.
In order to determine a specific point on earth surface, we need to

know the LATITUDE and LONGITUDE.
Both LATITUDE and LONGITUDE are calculated in degrees, minutes

and seconds.
For example, 39°58’03”N 5°54’15”E it’s a place in the Mediterranean

Sea, which equals 39 degrees 58 minutes and 3 seconds NORTH
(latitude), and 5 degrees 54 minutes and 15 seconds EAST (longitude).
Degree = ° Minute = ‘ Second = ‘’
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BASIC SAILING - Latitude and Longitude
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HOW DOES LATITUDE

AND LONGITUDE WORKS?
LATITUDE starts from the equator where

we have 0 degrees, and is measured up
and down, north and south, so at each
pole we have 90 degrees. As you can
see in the picture the lines represent the
PARALLELS or the LATITUDE lines.
LONGITUDE is measured vertically and

the vertical lines are known as MERIDIANS
or LONGITUDE lines.
The 0 Meridian starts in Greenwich UK,

and runs east and west from 0 to 180
degrees. The MERIDIAN that is on the
opposite side from Greenwich is named
International Date Line and is 180 degrees
from Greenwich.
DISTANCE&SPEED - NAUTICAL MILE & KNOTS
If you want to travel from one point to

another point you need to calculate the
DISTANCE.
1 NM = 1852 m (aprox. 6,076 feet)
The distance at sea is calculated in
NAUTICAL MILES (NM).
1 kt = 1 NM/h = 1852m/h Good to know that 1 NM = 1’ of latitude
SPEED is calculated in KNOTS (KT)
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BASIC SAILING - Weather
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You could endanger you,

the crew and the boat.
FIRST THING FIRST. DON’T GO OUT ON THE SEA
WITHOUT KNOWING THE WEATHER FORECAST.
How weather works?

Every boat should have a BAROMETER which measures the
atmospheric pressure at a specific moment in time. If the pressure
is falling, bad weather is coming, if the pressure is rising than good
weather is coming.
If you see the barometric pressure falling, think about riffing the sails or
start the motor or head to the nearest port, safety first, right?
Isobar
Looking at the ISOBARS, you can see that they can be close or further
from another, indicating you the pressure difference on the area they
cover. If there is a high-pressure difference across the area, you will
see a lot of isobars, so you should expect a lot of wind.
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Cirrocumulus
18,000 feet and higher
FRONTS AND CLOUDS
Cirrus Within low pressure systems you get

18,000 feet and higher
Altostratus
6-20,000 feet WEATHER FRONTS. These are shown in a
blue line with triangles and a red line with
semicircles on it.
Stratocumulus
6,000 feet or lower
When the WARM FRONT comes in, there
will often be LIGHT RAIN UNDER STRATUS
CLOUDS and when this passes it should warm
up for a while in the ‘warm sector’.
When the COLD FRONT comes in you

Altocumulus
6-20,000 feet will see very high, dark clouds called
CUMULONIMBUS. The heat from the weather
in front feeds them moisture and energy,
and there will be VERY HEAVY RAIN AND
STRONG WINDS.
Cumulonimbus
0-50,000 feet The barometer on the boat will give you some
information so you can predict the weather.
Cumulus
6,000 feet or lower Look at the CLOUDS, BAROMETER, WIND
SPEED and DIRECTIONS and you can predict
what the weather will look like in the next
hour.
Think twice about your decisions on bad

Stratus
6,000 feet or lower
weather.
The best place to be during a storm

is in the marina.
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THE BEAUFORT SCALE
FORCE CLASIFICATION WIND SPEED DESCRIPTION
0
< 1 knot
Clam sea < 1 mph Sea surface is mirror-like
< 2 km/h
1
1-3 knot
Light air 1-3 mph Scaly ripples, no foam crests
2-5 km/h
2
4-6 knot
Light breeze 4-7 mph Small wavelets, crests glassy, no breaking
6-11 km/h
3
7-10 knot
Gentle breeze 8-12 mph Large wavelets, crests begin to break, scattered whitecaps
12-19 km/h
4
11-16 knot
Moderate breeze 13-18 mph Small waves 1-4 ft becoming longer, numerous whitecaps
20-28 km/h
5
17-21 knot
Moderate waves 2-8 ft taking longer form, many whitecaps,
Fresh breeze 19-24 mph
some spray
29-38 km/h
6
22-27 knot
Strong breeze 25-31 mph Larger waves 8-13 ft. whitecaps common, more spray
39-49 km/h
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28-33 knot
Near gale 32-38 mph Sea heaps up, waves 13-19 ft, white foam streaks off breakers
50-61 km/h
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34-40 knot
Moderately high (18-25 ft) waves of greater length, edges of crests
Gale 39-46 mph
begin to break into spindrift, foam blown in streaks
62-74 km/h
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< 1 knot
High waves (23-32 ft), sea begins to roll, dense streaks of foam, spray
Strong gale < 1 mph
may reduce visibility
< 2 km/h
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48-55 knot
Very high waves (29-41 ft) with overhanging crests, sea white with
Storm 55-63 mph
densely blown foam, heavy rolling, lowered visibility
69-102 km/h
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56-63 knot
Exceptionally high (37-52 ft) waves, foam patches cover sea, visibility
Violent storm 64-72 mph
more reduced
103-117 km/h
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> 64 knot
Air filled with foam, waves over 45 ft, sea completely white with driv-
Hurricane > 73 mph
ing spray, visibility greatly reduced
> 118 km/h
Tips
Keep your VHF open and on CHANNEL 16. Coastguard is always broadcasting news about gales
and storms.
You have a SMARTPHONE, so download any reliable mobile weather forecast app from the stores.
Ask the MARINA you are in about the weather forecast for that day.
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BASIC SAILING - Essential knots
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PLEASE FIND BELOW THREE ESSENTIAL MARINE KNOTS.

YOU WILL USE THEM ALMOST EVERY DAY.
THE BOWLINE
Probably one of the most used KNOTS, because it is
often used for tying a loop in a mooring line or tying
the BOW of the boat to the DOCK.
1. Pass the tag 2. Pass it 3. Hold the 4. The knot is

end through the behind the loop and tag made
rope loop standing part end and pull to
and through the tighten
loop again
hole, round the big

Easy to remember: “Up through the rabbit
goes he.”
tree; down through the rabbit hole and off
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BASIC SAILING - Essential knots
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CLOVE HITCH
Most used KNOT for tying a FENDER to the side of the
boat.
1. Hang rope from 2. Loop around 3. Pass it from

the support the support with behind the rope
the end
4. Pull to tighten 5. The knot is

complete
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THE CLEAT HITCH

This KNOT is used for tying the boat to a CLEAT. You will
use this know when arriving in a MARINA, for example.
1. Take the rope 2. Wrap it around 3. Pass it to the

around the far the near horn and front from the back
horn take it to the back
4. Make a loop 5. Slide the loop 6. Pull the tag end

through the near to complete the
horn hitch
This KNOT is used as a STOPPER KNOT that helps the

lines to slip out of the retaining devices.
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BASIC SAILING - Lights and Sounds
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LIGHTS
Every boat must be equipped with specific LIGHTS, that must be used
from sundown to sunrise or any time needed, for example when
outside is foggy and visibility is reduced.
Do consider that sailboats under power are considered

POWERBOATS, meaning that when using the engine at night you must
have THE MAST light on.
SAILBOATS with sails up during the day, but are also under power,
must fly a black “steaming cone,” with its point downward, where it
can be seen. When under power they must follow the RULES of the
road for powerboats.
mast light Sailboat

under sail
Sailboat
under power port light port light
starboard starboard
light light
stern light
stern light
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STARBOARD LIGHT The green light on BOW-STARBOARD

PORT LIGHT The red light on BOW-PORT
STERN LIGHT The white light at stern
MAST LIGHT The white light on the mast
ANCHOR LIGHT The white light at the top of the mast
Powerboat
starboard
port light light
mast light
stern light
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SOUNDS
When boats are in sight of one another, a POWER-DRIVEN VESSEL

underway must indicate the manoeuvre by the following signals:
ONE SHORT BLAST

meaning ‘I am altering my course to starboard’.
TWO SHORT BLASTS

meaning ‘I am altering my course to port’.
THREE SHORT BLASTS

meaning ‘I am operating astern propulsion’.
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When boats are in sight of one another in a narrow channel or fairway

and one of the boats intends to OVERTAKE the other one, you must
indicate the intension by the following signals:
TWO PROLONGED BLASTS (4 seconds) followed by a SHORT BLAST

(1 second) meaning ‘I intend to overtake you on your starboard side’.
TWO PROLONGED BLASTS (4 seconds) followed by TWO SHORT

BLASTS (1 second) meaning ‘I intend to overtake you on your port
side’.
If you understood the signals you can confirm with ONE PROLONGED
BLAST, ONE SHORT, ONE LONG AND ONE SHORT BLAST.
If you didn’t understood the signals or in doubt you can signal it with 5
SHORT BLASTS.
For all information about sounds and lights you can consult COLREG
on www.capetanos.com
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Set Sail
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SET SAIL - Points of sail
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FIRST LET’S TALK ABOUT WIND
TRUE WIND is the wind felt by a stationary observer, when the boat is
not moving.
APPARENT WIND is the wind felt by the observer by the moving boat.
POINTS OF SAIL represent the principal points of a circle segments
starting with 0°, and have a description for every 45°.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
For almost any sailing

boat between 0°
beating beating and 45° wind is not
no-sail zone mobilized to move the
boat, and is named the
NO-GO ZONE.
beam
beam
reach When sailing at 45°
reach the boat is on BEATING
(CLOSE HAULED OR
CLOSE REACH)
When sailing at 90°
broad broad the boat is on BEAM
reach reach REACH
the boat is BROAD
REACH
running downwind the boat is RUNNING
DOWNWIND
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SET SAIL - Maneuvers
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When heading on a CLOSE HAULED, CLOSE REACH or HEADING DOWNWIND on

BROAD REACH, you have to zigzag the boat in order to reach the destination point
and you can achieve this by TACKING or GYBING.
HOW TACKING WORKS?
Let’s say you want to travel North, the same direction as

the wind is blowing. Because you cannot sail directly into
the wind, you are sailing on STARBOARD TACK, CLOSE
HAULED and your compass heading is 45°(North-East).
The best way to reach North is to zigzag the boat, so you
wind direction
need to TACK through the wind, by turning the boat at

900 315° (North-west).
If you are on a big boat, crew help will be needed and you
must know some manoeuvring commands.
The first command comes from the HELMSMAN - ‘READY

ABOUT’. This means that every crew member must
prepare for the TACK and get to their posts, confirming
900 with ‘READY’. Don’t forget to inform also the one down
below who is cooking, no more food or drinks for the crew
that day.
The HELMSMAN will declare the tacking by saying ‘LEE

HO’.
wind direction
As the bow of the boat swings toward the wind, the sails
900 will come to life flapping (aka luffing) If your pit crew is on
their game, the second the jib collapses into fit of rage they
will be ready to release the JIB on one side and pull it in on
the other side. The helm will turn the boat 90 degrees and
once on the desired course is achieved, they will centre
the RUDDER and allow everyone to catch up.
900 If you consider yourself a ‘pirate’ then you can yell ‘TRIM
TO COURSE’.
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HOW GYBING WORKS?
GYBING means the opposite of TACKING. It means to turn

the STERN of the boat through the wind. With a GYBE, a
boat merely switches the direction of wind from one side
of the STERN to the other.
This manoeuvre is dangerous, so be carefully as someone

could find out why the BOOM is called so. The BOOM
slamming into someone’s head could provoke serios injury
or even death.
As with TACKING this maneuver needs a few commands

to ensure safety. If this is done accidentally, those
commands were never given and proper warning was
wind direction
never afforded the doomed crewmember whose only

crime is being too tall and in the wrong place.
If you are on a big boat, crew help will be needed and you
must know some manoeuvring commands.
The helmsman will say ‘PREPARE TO JIBE’ so he indicates

the desire to turn the STERN of the boat through the wind
and also to make sure that no one will be in the way of the
BOOM. When the crew is sure that no one will be killed by
the swinging BOOM and if the boat is conducive to hauling
in the main amidships and it has been completed, the crew
may then and only then say “READY”.
‘JIBE HO!’ will say the helmsman and will begin to turn
the HELM. When the HELM has initiated the turn and the
swing of the BOOM is imminent, that is the time for a loud
utterance of this command. It should be loud enough for
everyone, including other boats nearby to hear so that
everyone knows the BOOM is switching sides.
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HEAVING TO
This is a way of slowing the boat down from her forward

progress. It is commonly used for a ‘BREAK’, gives you
time to go below deck, to attend an issue, meal break, or
just admire the landscape.
HOW IT WORKS?
n
tio
ec
First, THE JIB can be literally heaved to windward,

dir
using the windward sheet and releasing the other, THE

nd
wi
RUDDER would be put across so as to turn gently towards

the wind. Without the drive of THE JIB, and allowing
time for momentum to die down, the sailboat will be
unable to TACK and will stop hove to. This method may
jib backed be preferable when on broad reach or running before a
strong wind in a heavy sea and the prospect of TACKING
through the wind in order to heave to may not appeal.
Bearing away from the wind so that the HEADSAIL is
blanketed by THE MAINSAIL can make it easier to haul in
the windward sheet.
Alternatively, the vessel can simply be turned normally to

TACK through the wind, without freeing the JIB SHEET.
The MAINSAIL should self-tack onto the other side, but the
jib is held aback. THE RUDDER is put the other way, as if
trying to tack back again. Without the drive of the jib, she
cannot do this and will stop hove to.
This method is fast to implement and is often used as a

‘QUICK STOP’ reaction to a man overboard emergency.
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SET SAIL - Rules of the road
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RULES OF THE ROAD
Boating it’s like driving a car, but like driving, there are some RULES
everybody must follow.
COLLISION COURSE
While on your boat observing another boat, if they don’t change

the position PORT or STARBOARD, then it is likely they will hit you.
Depending on the situation, you have the right of way or the other
boat. However, as soon as you realize the other vessel isn’t getting
out of the way, you must take evasive MANEUVERS TO AVOID the
collision.
MOTOR VS. SAILING BOATS
If you are driving a MOTOR BOAT or motoring your sailing boat you
have to GIVE WAY to a sailing boat using the sails. This rule is reversed
in channels, for bigger ships that have a risk of going aground. In this
case you must get of the way. Another exception would be, if you are
not sure a big ship has seen you, then you must get out of her way.
RESTRICTED IN THEIR ABILITY TO MANOEUVRE

OR TOWING
If you see a barge or ship towing another, or the vessel is not under
command, they have priority over you even if you are under power or
sail on the water.
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FISHING BOATS WHILE FISHING
If a fishing boat is trawling or have their gears over the sides, then
YOU MUST GIVE WAY because they are less manoeuvrable then you.
ANCHORED BOATS
They have PRIORITY OVER EVERYONE unless anchored illegally.
SAILING BOATS UNDERWAY
If you are on the STARBOARD TACK with the wind blowing from the
port side you will have PRIORITY over another sailing boat who is
on the port tack and has the wind blowing over the starboard side.
If they did not see you or if they don’t change course and you are on
the starboard tack, shout ‘STARBOARD’ as loud as you can. If their
bearing is not changing, get out of the way firmly. wind direction
give way
downwind
boat
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When two boats are on the same tack, the WINDWARD BOAT must
STAND OFF while the LEEWARD BOAT has the RIGHT OF WAY.
wind direction
give way
downwind
boat
A boat being OVERTAKING has the RIGHT OF WAY, however she

must HOLD THE COURSE to allow the boat overtaking to pass.
2 short b 1 short b
(1’’ each) last Stand-on vessel (1’’ each) last
Overtaken
2 short b Give-way vessel 1 short b

(1’’ each) last Overtaking (1’’ each) last
(keep clear)
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Anchoring
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ANCHORING
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FISHING BOATS WHILE FISHING
When ANCHORING you should consider the below elements:
1 Is the BOTTOM sandy or muddy? Are there huge rocks on the bottom?
Is it a safe anchorage?
2 What is the WIND DIRECTION? Is it blowing you towards the shore?

Will the wind build up in the next hours, during the night?
3 Are there any YACHTS AROUND? If yes, you should keep a safe
distance of at least three boat lenghts from the next vessel.
4 What is the WATER DEPTH? Remember that as a rule, you must lay three
times the depth of the water. If there are just a few boats there and it is
late, get five times the depth of water to ensure that you won’t drag.
5 Is your BOW INTO WIND? If yes, you can start dropping the anchor.
6 Am I DRAGGING? When the chain length you need is in the water,

make it fast to the bow and then give the engine a bit of reverse thrust
- full astern for 2-3 seconds - and then idle the engine to see if you
have set the anchor. If not, drop a little more chain (one length the
equivalent to the depth of the water) and a quick tug at full astern.
Total rope + chain lenght: trip buoy

3-7 times depth of water
Kellet trip line

on a rope
r ode anchor
anchor chain
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Before sailing
away
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BEFORE SAILING AWAY - Safety first
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Before going to sea you must have a briefing with your crew members,
to make sure that everyone knows how things work around the boat.
LIFEJACKETS
Everyone must have a LIFEJACKET, adjusted to fit them and must be

placed in close reach, so everyone could access them in a matter of
seconds. In bad weather everybody should wear the lifejacket and as
an advice, children should always wear a lifejacket when underway.
LIFE RAFT
Before going out on the sea, everybody must know the instructions on
launching the LIFE RAFT and be aware how to use it. Remember that
in case of need, you must tie the life raft to your boat, give enough
time for everybody to go in it, and only after untie it from your boat.
FIRST AID KIT
It should be in an easy accessible place and everybody must know

where it is. Make sure you know if anyone on the boat has a medical
condition and where he/she is keeping the medicine.
FIRE EXTINGUISHER
The captain should regularly check its contents and make sure the
safety pin is in and shake it to make sure it has not been used, check the
time it was last inspected and make sure it is not overdue. Everybody
on the boat must know how to use it in case of need.
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VHF RADIO
You can only use a VHF RADIO if you have a license. Otherwise,
anybody can use it for emergency situations. Remember to keep it
open on CHANNEL 16 all times you are on the sea.
If you have an emergency like risk of death or loss of the vessel

because of fire, sinking or any other hazard follow the below
procedure:
Switch to channel 16 and, press the speaking button and say:
MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY,

This is yacht (name) and (exact location)
- three (3) times -
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When the COAST GUARD respond, say your exact position and the
emergency you have.
If you have an emergency like heart attack, stroke, serious injuries,

follow the below procedure.
Switch to CHANNEL 16 and, press the speaking button and say:
PAN PAN, PAN PAN MEDICO,

This is yacht (name) and (exact location)
When the COAST GUARD respond, say your exact position and the
emergency you have.
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BEFORE SAILING AWAY - Crew roles
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CREW ROLES
THE CAPTAIN has the ultimate authority and responsibility on the

boat. CREW MEMBERS should follow captain’s instructions when need
it. For example, when going in/out of a marina. For example, who
stays at the helm, who at the bow responsible with mooring lines or
anchor, who astern responsible with the lines.
Sometimes the captain will appoint someone with sailing experience

to be the FIRST MATE to help with navigation, helm and watches
when the captain is resting.
Also, the captain can appoint crew members to assist with the lines
and sails when underway.
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BEFORE SAILING AWAY - Provisioning
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PROVISIONING
Don’t forget about COOKING and CLEANING on the boat. These

two activities can be rotated. At least you will not have the same bad
coffee every day. And speaking of cooking, you should consider the
below provisioning tips:
If you don’t have a huge fridge and you travel close to the
coast line you should only buy FRESH FOOD for one or two
days.
TINNED MEAT last longer and can be stored in the food

locker. Same with UHT MILK and PRESERVED FOOD.
Keep the fridge occupied only with perishable things.
RICE and PASTA are very often in top menus.
If you like FISH, the waters are usually full with fish and no
fish is fresher that the one you just took out of the water.
Have lots of SNACKS, COOKIES as between meals there

will be a lot of munching.
You should also consider the FRESH WATER. The water

tanks do not carry much water, so don’t go nuts with the
water you have abord.
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BEFORE SAILING AWAY - Tips
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If it’s summer and the sun is burning NEVER go

barefoot on the deck.You will get burned or
injured in pointy thing or ropes.
Use SUNSCREEN as much as possible
Use a HAT and SUNGLASSES.
If there are kids onboard make sure that before

you go to sea they wear LIFEJACKETS, and they
wear them at all times needed.
Keep the hatches closed when underway or in

case of big waves.
Remember to check the WATER and FUEL LEVELS

every day.
If you smell GAS, check for GAS LEAKS.
On night shifts underway, should be at least TWO

PERSONS in the cockpit. If someone is going
overboard, it can pass hours before someone
notice their absence.
Tips
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How to
37
HOW TO - Man Overboard
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MAN OVERBOARD
This is probably the worst thing to hear when sailing. If you end up in a
situation like this, you should try everything to get the person out of the
water as soon as possible, because hypothermia or death can occur in
a matter of minutes.
HOW TO REACT IN SUCH A SITUATION?
Shout as hard as you can ‘MAN OVERBOARD’ so all crew can hear
and mobilise on deck.
Point your finger of the direction of the person at all time, and DO NOT
LOSE SIGHT of the person.
If the person overboard doesn’t have a lifejacket on, throw her/him

the LIFE RING, FENDER, DAN BUOY, LIFE JACKET or anything that
floats.
If you are on a sailing boat, turn the boat into the wind, take the JIB
down and the MAINSAIL should be sheeted in tight.
At the same time, turn the ENGINE on and motor close to the person in
a half circle in such a way to be down wind with her/him.
If engine fails, sail on a broad reach around six boat lengths away
from the person, TACK or GYBE as necessary in such a way the boat
points UPWIND of the person. Release the sails and DRIFT down next
to the person overboard.
38
HOW TO - Man Overboard
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In case the engine starts, motor directly UPWIND to the person and
grab her/him with a BOATHOOK if necessary and them with your
hands, or get a line under the person’s armpits and drive her/him to
STERN to get ABOARD.
Be advised that two crew members should lift the person out of the
water, because someone in water is much heavier than ashore.
Man overboard
39
HOW TO - Fire Onboard
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FIRE ONBOARD
FIRE onboard can seriously threaten your life or your crew life’s. Of
course, you can prevent fire by being cautious.
ENGINE FIRE
First you must turn off the FUEL TANK, then turn on the engine room
fire EXTINGUISHER. This will give you enough time to grab the other
powder extinguishers in case the fire extends.
Don’t use water, you will only make the flames travel
around the boat with the water.
GAS LEAKS
If you smell GAS, make sure the gas cylinder valve is closed. Open all
HATCHES, don’t use open fire, or any electrical switches.
COOKING FIRE
If the cooking oil couth fire, use a WET TOWEL to cover it.
Don’t use water because the burning oil will spread everywhere.
40
HOW TO - Fire Onboard
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ELECTRICAL FIRE
First turn off the BATTERIES and then use a POWDER EXTINGUISHER
to kill the fire.
Don’t use water because you can get electrocuted.
After you killed the fire, evaluate the situation and act accordingly.
Don’t put anyone’s life at risk.
41
HOW TO - Sinking
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SINKING
This situation can occur for example due to a HOLE below the
waterline. If the BILGE PUMP cannot handle the situation or the hole
is too big and you are taking in a lot of water, you should think about
abandoning the ship.
HOW YOU SHOULD HANDLE THE SITUATION

WHEN THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO DO?
Everybody must put the LIFE JACKETS on.
On the VHF RADIO, press the speak button and say
MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY,

this is (yacht name, yacht name)
After you get a reply from COAST GUARD, say
I am sinking, my exact position is (Lat, Long),

I repeat I am sinking, my exact position is (Lat, Long)
Launch the LIFE RAFT and get everybody in it.
Don’t forget the PORTABLE VHF RADIO and the EPIRB.
You can also attract attention to other vessels by using the SMOKE
FLARES or the PARACHUTE FLARES.
42
HOW TO - First Aid
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FIRST AID
Hopefully you will never have to deal with serious injuries while
onboard, but if you encounter such a situation please find below
some useful tips. Keep in mind that would be best to attend a FIRST
AID COURSE for better understanding on how to deal with various
situations.
For serious injuries, first you should remove the immediate danger and
evaluate the situation. If the situation threatens the life of the person,
use the VHF RADIO on CHANNEL 16 with the following message:
PAN PAN Medico, PAN PAN Medico.
As soon as you have a reply, explain the detailed situation and act
accordingly, especially for the following situations:
BACK/NECK INJURY
UNCONSCIOUSNESS
HEART ATTACK
STROKE
BLOOD INJURY
BURNS
For SEASICKNESS, you should keep the person out of sun and
preferably ON DECK. The person should eat SALTY CHIPS or
CRACKERS and of course they have to drink a lot of WATER to avoid
dehydration. Keep the person watch the HORIZON or assist you at
helm, it will reduce the seasickness level. Don’t allow the person to
keep the eyes on the phone, if will be worse for her/him.
43
HOW TO - Engine malfunction
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ENGINE MALFUNCTION
As with your car, you could encounter situations when the boat engine
won’t start. Find below some common causes for engine failure.
WHEN STARTING THE ENGINE, NOTHING HAPPENS. The battery

could be dead. Check the battery level.
WHEN STARTING THE ENGINE, IT COUGHS. You might just run out of
fuel. Check the fuel level.
WHEN STARTING THE ENGINE, IT COUGHS. If the fuel level is very

low, you might have water in the fuel tank. check the fuel tank and call
for help if needed.
WHEN STARTING THE ENGINE, IT STARTS AND BEGINNING TO

COUGH. If you have enough fuel, the engine might have air in the fuel
system. Check the injection pump, the pipe or the intake hose between
fuel tank and injection pump.
WHEN STARTING THE ENGINE, YOU SEE WHITE SMOKE ON THE

EXHAUST, AND THE OIL LIGHT TURNS ON. Check the oil level, similar
on how you check on your car, check the oil filter also.
WHEN STARTING THE ENGINE, RUNS FOR A WHILE AND AFTER THE
OVERHEATING ALARM COMES ON. Check the engine room for any
leaks and the water intake, something may block it (like plastic bag).
44
HOW TO - Tangled anchor
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TANGLED ANCHOR
A fouled anchor on another boats anchor or chain is a common thing

in busy or small ports where no fixed moorings are available. Here is
what you can do in this case:
Ask the other boat’s captain to lower his anchor so that you can hoist
yours more easily. Then you need to HOIST your anchor as much as
possible, ideally get the anchor out of the sea. Next you tie a strong
rope around the other boat’s chain and secure both sides of it on the
bows horn cleat.
If you cannot reach the other boats chain, make a BOWLINE KNOT on
the ropes one end, lower the rope till it reaches the fouled chain and
pull the BOWLINE with a BOAT HOOK. By lowering your anchor a bit,
the other boats chain will untangle. Hoist your free anchor now and
untie the rope.
Now you must notify the other captain that his anchor is free so he can
hoist it a bit and the fouled anchor problem is solved.
45
HOW TO - Propeller issues
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PROPELLER ISSUES
Unfortunately the sea is full of waist, and at some point you can end up
with a tangled propeller because of a plastic bag or a fishing net.
You can use the BOATHOOK to remove the plastic bag from the
PROPELLER or if absolutely necessary you or one of your crew
members can DIVE and untangle the propeller. Use a tender or a line
around them so you can hold on them all the time.
46
We hope you enjoyed your first steps into sailing, but as any
seaman will tell you, the best way to learn how to sail is to... sail.
There are lots of sailing schools around the world that can help
you build strong sailing skills.
For some people, taking a sailing course is a way of experiencing

a sport they may always have dreamed about, or simply an
enjoyable way to spend holidays. For others, it will be the
gateway to a lifelong passion.
www.capetanos.com
WWW.CAPETANOS.COM

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FREE GUIDE

Basic Sailing page 4

Nautical Terms pages 5-7

Set Sail page 20

Points of sail page 21

Before sailing away page 30

Safety first page 31-33

Man Overboard page 38-39

It takes some time to understand the wind whispering in your

If you’re interested in sailing but don’t have much experience

BOW The front of the boat

COCKPIT The space astern

Things to consider when using a winch.

A tall upright post in the middle

While sailing, all sails edges must be

WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE EARTH IS NOT FLAT,

In order to determine a specific point on earth surface, we need to

Both LATITUDE and LONGITUDE are calculated in degrees, minutes

For example, 39°58’03”N 5°54’15”E it’s a place in the Mediterranean

Degree = ° Minute = ‘ Second = ‘’

HOW DOES LATITUDE

LATITUDE starts from the equator where

LONGITUDE is measured vertically and

The 0 Meridian starts in Greenwich UK,

DISTANCE&SPEED - NAUTICAL MILE & KNOTS

If you want to travel from one point to

SPEED is calculated in KNOTS (KT)

You could endanger you,

How weather works?

FRONTS AND CLOUDS

Cirrus Within low pressure systems you get

When the COLD FRONT comes in you

Think twice about your decisions on bad

The best place to be during a storm

THE BEAUFORT SCALE

FORCE CLASIFICATION WIND SPEED DESCRIPTION

PLEASE FIND BELOW THREE ESSENTIAL MARINE KNOTS.

1. Pass the tag 2. Pass it 3. Hold the 4. The knot is

hole, round the big

1. Hang rope from 2. Loop around 3. Pass it from

4. Pull to tighten 5. The knot is

THE CLEAT HITCH

1. Take the rope 2. Wrap it around 3. Pass it to the

4. Make a loop 5. Slide the loop 6. Pull the tag end

This KNOT is used as a STOPPER KNOT that helps the

Do consider that sailboats under power are considered

mast light Sailboat

STARBOARD LIGHT The green light on BOW-STARBOARD

When boats are in sight of one another, a POWER-DRIVEN VESSEL

ONE SHORT BLAST

TWO SHORT BLASTS

THREE SHORT BLASTS

When boats are in sight of one another in a narrow channel or fairway

TWO PROLONGED BLASTS (4 seconds) followed by a SHORT BLAST

TWO PROLONGED BLASTS (4 seconds) followed by TWO SHORT

FIRST LET’S TALK ABOUT WIND

HOW DOES IT WORK?

For almost any sailing

When heading on a CLOSE HAULED, CLOSE REACH or HEADING DOWNWIND on

HOW TACKING WORKS?

Let’s say you want to travel North, the same direction as

need to TACK through the wind, by turning the boat at

The first command comes from the HELMSMAN - ‘READY