Sayings that help us remember!

[Nostrodamus]

When it comes to sailing there are a lot of things to remember such as Col Regs, lights, buoys, sounds, weather, tidal heights, anchoring and the list goes on.

Some of these we understand instantly, some we have trouble remembering, and some leave us scrambling for books to look them up.

Often there are acronyms, sayings or ways of remembering that once we know them makes life so much easier.

One I got told was “Wind on the right, in the right” (in general) and of course there is “Port and left have the same amount of letters” and “a glass of Port is red”.

Which ones do you know that help you remember?

 

[wotayottie]

"If to starboard red appear, tis your duty to keep clear" ( motoring only)

 

[capnsensible]

Red over white, frying tonight...... extra lights on fishing vessels

Error west, compass best..... compass variation and deviation

Dennis the Menace.... isolated danger mark

To name a few!!

 

[snooks]

No red port left.

Is a common one. no don't cross a red light when motoring, red is port, it's also left

But I also have...

Goths Wear Really Peculiar Kit
glasses, wallet, ring (wedding ring which I take off while sailing) phone and keys

Which stops me forgetting my (important) personal stuff when I leave the boat, I have to admit I nicked it off Tom Cunliffe though

 

[chewi]

"Is there any red port left for me too?"

(2 horns, red, port, all mean left)

"Tiller to spiller". (steering to telltales)

 

[Poignard]

'When the sea-hog jumps - look to your pumps'

 

[prv]

'When the sea-hog jumps - look to your pumps'

Coarse Cruising?

Never needed anything to remember port/starboard/red/green/etc, that's baked in from an early age. Didn't always know colregs down pat, but don't know of any rhymes to remember them. Crossing situations under power is fairly obvious given the red or green light that you'd see.

Couple of square rig (specifically, Stavros S Niarchos) ones:

Fat Sailors In Ostend - Flying jib, foretopmast Staysail, Inner jib, Outer jib - downhauls from left to right across the focsle fiferail.

From the top down, 1, 2, 3 - how many "extra" things you have to remember to tend before hoisting or lowering each lifting yard:

• Royal - 1 - royal braces
• Topgallant - 2 - topgallant braces, royal sheets
• Upper topsail - 3 - upper topsail braces, topgallant sheets, lower topsail lifts

Pete

 

[timbartlett]

Which ones do you know that help you remember?

Several years ago I wrote a book about navigation that included the mnemonic "True Virgins Make Dull Companions" (I do not claim to have invented it!) We were up to about the third edition when someone wrote to the publisher saying that she was referring us to the Sex Discrimination people for such a discriminatory remark! I suggested that the publisher write to her on a sheet of virgin paper, and offering her a book about the (virgin) rainforest as a token of goodwill!

On another tack altogether, I remember "Rub your b011ocks with grease" (The colours of the flags on the distance line when replenishing at sea) even though I've had no use for it for the past 30 years!

 

[Bobc]

Red over white - fishing at night
Green over white - trawling at night
White over red - pilot in bed

 

[armchairsailor]

Not specifically sailing related, but very useful in maintenance when dealing with siezed nuts - lefty loosey, righty tighty. Saved my bacon a few times, especially whilst servicing my jeep...

I always thought it was "Pass the red port to the left"?

Also there's that right red returning, but is that only for US ports?

 

[Seajet]

There's the cardinal marks one of course, 'Wests have waists'.

 

[snowleopard]

Red right returning is for IALA B. Best forgotten over here

I recall a few from my days of learning morse when it was required for the BoT Yachtmaster...

Q: Here comes the queen --.-
C: Charlie charlie -.-.
D: D for dog -..
F: did it hurt you? ..-. (an extra step in this one)

 

[Twister_Ken]

There's the cardinal marks one of course, 'Wests have waists'.

Or "West winds wool"

 

[Twister_Ken]

Applying deviation:

West is best, east is least.

Five blasts:

Get Out Of My Way

 

[alant]

Several years ago I wrote a book about navigation that included the mnemonic "True Virgins Make Dull Companions" (I do not claim to have invented it!) We were up to about the third edition when someone wrote to the publisher saying that she was referring us to the Sex Discrimination people for such a discriminatory remark! I suggested that the publisher write to her on a sheet of virgin paper, and offering her a book about the (virgin) rainforest as a token of goodwill!

On another tack altogether, I remember "Rub your b011ocks with grease" (The colours of the flags on the distance line when replenishing at sea) even though I've had no use for it for the past 30 years!

The fun things you sailors get up to at sea!

 

[ancientsailor]

I did a bit of research on this a few years ago and summarised it:

http://www.sailskills.co.uk/colregs/sailskills_lights&shapes_mnemonics.html

 

[Angele]

CADET - from Compass ADd East deviation to get to True.

 

[Touchwood]

An old shepherd's saying.......


Red sky at night.........the sheep are on fire

 

[Poignard]

'Worm and parcel with the lay,
turn and serve the other way.'

 

[prv]

Red over white - fishing at night

I knew that one as "frying tonight"

No obvious mnemonic for the difference between trawling and other fishing though.

To be honest, not sure what the different reaction ought to be. Obviously you don't want to cut across the stern of a trawler, but I wouldn't know what to do with a "fishing" boat except keep well clear. Since you wouldn't want to cross under the bow of a trawler either, it seems to amount to much the same thing.

White over red - pilot in bed

And that one as a white-topped official's cap over an angry red face

Pete