Recent content by Doug_Stormforce

The diagram you posted confuses a "course" and a "position line." These terms mean entirely different things but the author interchanges these terms freely. As the bearing of the oil rig has probably been taken using a hand bearing compass there is no deviation correction to apply either...

When you buy a house you make an offer, haggle a bit and once you have agreed a price you start spending money on surveys etc, however in England the seller can change his mind, accept a higher offer from someone else or do what he likes. When buying a boat you are in a much safer position. Once...

There is evidence the crew abandoned to a raft. Firstly they were taking in water for some time so had the opportunity to prepare for abandonment. Secondly once the first PLB stopped transmitting, the second one was switched on shortly after. As these are PLBs worn on your life jacket, this...

I work on the basis that there is little point in paying an expert for advice and then ignoring it. If a surveyor recommends replacing things like gas pipework (and standing rigging) then its probably a good idea. The orange flexible gas hoses found at each end of the gas system on many...

Pete SOLAS, ISAF and ISO rafts all use this particular standard. I'm pretty sure Ocean Safety (original OP) don't make any "budget life rafts" that don't fall into one or more of these categories. The days of un certified rafts that are not built to any recognised standard are I believe pretty...

I'm afraid thats not actually the case. The standard is that if one of the two tubes burst the other could still support the crew. This is i think the cause of your confusion. This does NOT mean a 4 man raft can support 8 people when both tubes are inflated as in fact there WILL NOT be enough...

Pm sent

Irl, agreed but I took the decision on the water to be belt and braces so that waters could not be clouded later and to give boat E the chance to correct their mistake. As it happens we are not sailing in the UK, (the ISAF Protest chairman and his wife laughed at me when I told them I was a...

Thanks Nick, this is what I thought but had not wanted to lead the discussion by stating. Agreed LW395, thanks for your interest, even us coaches like to discuss things with others and this forum is often a good place. I'm a yacht skipper, not a protest committee chairman, as such I...

The SIs make no reference to time penalties for boats failing to sail the course.I had a chat with the chair of the protest committee in the bar after the verdict. He told me he has discretion to apply whatever penalty he felt appropriate, he did not however explain why this penalty applied...

So, it's day 2 of a 3 day regatta. 5 boats in a fleet, although one of them (Boat A) is nearly twice the size of the others and on a different leg when the incident below occurs. Boats B, C, D and E are all on the same leg of the course in alphabetical order. Boat B mis identifies the mark...

Seeing as the threads is entitled astro.... Having 3 suns is going to make astro a whole lot easier. No more run between sights etc.

Sounds to me like the owner has been very fair and honest, he has paid for a survey, he has told you about the problem, he has offered to fix the problem at his expense before you purchase. i would make him an offer, based on what I think the boat is worth, once the problem has been fixed. the...

This is exactly how the exam should be run. The examiner briefs the candidates at the exam start on how the exam will be run and what is expected. Most examiners will cover a variety of "house rules" at the start to ensure candidate know the rules they are being examined by. This overcomes all...

As already mentioned the blind Nav exercise that is often used on a Yachtmaster exams usually allows the candidate to use depth, compass, speed/log and time. It is principally a Nav exercise using depth. The reason I value it as an exercise is NOT to ensure the candidate can cope in restricted...