In this article:
The sun is shining, the wind is only a gentle breeze and the waves are not worth mentioning - everything points to a trip under engine power. If not sailing, then at least off we go! After all, breakfast can be eaten en route and yesterday's baking can be done in one go. The sails are not needed for the time being, so they remain packed away and are steered by the autopilot, because for now a fried egg goes into the pan.
The idyll is perfect until it suddenly bursts like a soap bubble. The motorboat that was so tiny just a moment ago - suddenly big, fast and with a huge wave - races past directly behind my stern. With one hand, I try to fish the almost empty coffee cup rolling off the coffee table out of the air, while the unfinished fried egg frees itself from the pan and disappears behind the hob into the cupboard below.
Wind increases at the push of a button
Shouting my worst swear words at the poor motorboat driver, I try to get to grips with the mess. Once the chaos has been tamed to some extent, I look out of the companionway, see a really dark cloud and realise that the next problem is already looming. In fact, it doesn't take long for the wind to pick up at the push of a button. The sea also suddenly seems really threatening. Below deck, however, there is still hullabaloo.
The description may sound exaggerated, but it can certainly happen that way. The motto "Only the stupid need order, genius masters chaos" is not suitable for sailing. Although the congenial physicist Albert Einstein, to whom it is attributed, was himself a passionate sailor, it is doubtful that he would have spoken out in favour of chaos on board. More likely he would have favoured preparing for a sailing trip with sense and reason.
Cruise preparation is the be-all and end-all
It doesn't matter how big or experienced the crew is. A well-rehearsed crew makes it easier to react to unforeseen situations when travelling, but it is still easier if they are prepared. And for the frequently encountered crew of two, it is even true that whenever one of them is below deck for a longer period of time or is even temporarily absent, the other becomes a single-handed sailor. You should therefore make it standard practice to prepare the boat so that it can also be sailed alone.
Before an Atlantic crossing, of course, you need to prepare differently than before a day trip in fine weather on your doorstep. But even that has the potential for mishaps, which is why a few steps should be part of the on-board routine before setting sail.
On my boat, for example, if you forget to close the sea valves properly after using the toilet, the basin slowly but surely fills up with water. On an even keel, this isn't even a problem as long as you don't sit on it again.
"Are the toilet seacocks closed?"
But it gets really unpleasant when things get moving. When sailing on the Schlei at home, for example, which resembles a crowded motorway on nice summer weekends. "Are the toilet seacocks closed?" is always the question that pops into my head, and I remember the situation when an excursion steamer overtook with a corresponding bow wave. A glance through the companionway confirmed my fears at the time. By the time a fellow sailor had solved the problem, the first five litres were already sloshing around in the bilge, after a diversion through the entire saloon.
Taken in isolation, such scenes are trifles. They are part of sailing and can be tolerated. But Murphy's Law, according to which everything that can go wrong will go wrong, always provides new surprises. It is therefore important to rule out the possibility of anything going wrong. After all, things become difficult at the latest when several unforeseen incidents occur at the same time.
In my previous life as a pilot, it was a matter of course to tackle this problem with a pre-start checklist. A method that has also proved very effective on board. In the simplest case, the routine recorded on it can be memorised; the more complex it is, the more sensible it is to write down the individual steps and simply work through them. The following preparations are standard for us on board before setting sail.
Cruise preparation: below deck
The ship is cleared. I inspect it from the forepeak to the aft berth and check every nook and cranny for objects that could become uncontrolled projectiles in heavy seas.
Things without a fixed place are stored under mattresses or bedding or are fixed in place in some other way. If a rougher journey is expected, all available cushions disappear into the lockers, the contents of which tend to rattle - such as the crockery. This keeps everything intact, but a quiet ship also contributes significantly to the crew's confidence in extreme situations.
Then it's on to the sea valves. There are valves on every ship that can or must be open. But all others are closed. As water not only comes from below, but sometimes also from above, all hatches are checked and locked.
The engine is checked for leaks, the correct oil level and sufficient water for the internal cooling circuit. A panel provides information on the voltage of the supply and starter battery as well as the current diesel supply. Once this has been checked, a flexible 100 W solar panel is mounted on the sprayhood and secured there with four lines. Depending on the solar radiation and output, the refrigerator can continue to cool or, as the largest consumer, must remain switched off.
The lighting system, Posis, steamer light and anchor light are switched on and tested. This completes the area below deck.
Clear as daylight below deck
Cruise preparation: Cockpit
If the weather is not calm, I prepare something to eat for the journey. That way, nobody has to stand below deck or even at the cooker when it's uncomfortable and they might even be prone to seasickness.
The autopilot is the be-all and end-all when sailing with a small crew. Eating, navigating, working on the foredeck and, last but not least, sleeping work much better single-handed or with a small crew if the mechanical or electric helmsman is reliably on duty.
I use a tiller pilot, which is suitable for much larger boats, and a wind steering system. The redundancy makes it possible to continue sailing without any problems even if one system fails. This is particularly valuable when it comes to longer trips with night sailing. Both systems, tiller and wind pilot, are therefore connected or made ready for use before casting off.
The auxiliary heater exhaust is sealed with a cap to prevent water hammer. Several winch cranks are ready to hand. The instruments are running and their function is checked, as is the radio and AIS receiver. In the event that the on-board USB connection fails, an old starter battery is available in the cockpit, which could be used to operate devices such as the mobile phone and tablet independently of the on-board power supply for a very long time. This battery is also checked for a full charge as part of the cruise preparation.
The permanent cockpit equipment
Logbook, pencil, biros, handheld radio, signal horn, hand bearing compass, compass, maps and binoculars are part of the permanent cockpit equipment and are kept to hand.
As a passionate Youtuber, I also have at least two film and photo cameras either permanently installed or at least stored in such a way that they are quickly accessible and ready for use when I'm on the move.
Small items such as a shackle opener, knife, Leatherman, lighter, headlamps, sun cream, baseball cap, sunglasses and spare reading glasses are stored in a separate compartment under the sprayhood.
There are also two clothes pegs on the sprayhood. One green and one red. What are they for? They help with navigation, especially in unfamiliar waters. I clip them to the sprayhood to port and starboard according to the buoyage. If the red buoys are to be passed on starboard, for example, then the red clothes peg is on that side and the green one on the other. A simple but very helpful tip from a friend.
A chamois leather, which I always keep under the sprayhood, is similarly simple and helpful. I use it to clean my camera lenses, the lenses of my binoculars and my glasses. When slightly moistened, it is also so non-slip that a mobile phone, tablet or the obligatory bar of chocolate stay in place even when the boat is heeling heavily.
Everything within reach in the cockpit
Equipment should not interfere
All the sheets, halyards and spreaders that are redirected to the cockpit on the superstructure are cleared here and the ends thrown into the companionway. This way, they do not interfere in the cockpit and hang below deck without being tied down.
A bailer for a wide range of needs and applications is part of the cockpit equipment and is ready to hand. Life jackets, lifebelts and rain gear are hung on the door to the toilet next to the companionway and can be reached from the cockpit without any great effort.
Even if it sounds like I want to sit in the cockpit all day - the exact opposite is the case! I'll only be really happy when the ship is sailing on its own under self-steering and I can devote myself to other things besides the lookout.
But if thunderstorms, rain, heavy seas or strong winds come as a surprise, I'm prepared for them, have everything I need within easy reach and can therefore wait calmly for what may come.
Cruise preparation: on deck
If the wind strength changes, you have to leave the cockpit on my boat - and that's rather unusual these days. I have headsails with staysails. This means that this sail area cannot be adjusted to the changing wind from the cockpit. When others roll in or out from aft, I often have to make the arduous journey to the foresail to change the headsail.
If we already know before our trip that we are likely to encounter bad weather later, we prepare the next smaller headsail in the harbour.
The working jib is fully rigged, the halyard is shackled in, the sheets are led firmly to the clew and into the cockpit and the whole sail is lashed to the guard rail. The tack of the next smaller sail is shackled to the corresponding deck fitting with a soft shackle, as with the working jib. The stays of this sail are all hooked between the tack and the lowest stay of the working jib already attached.
When it's time to change sails, we drop the working jib from the cockpit and lash it to the guard rail. Then we swap the halyard and sheets from the working jib to the other headsail. All that remains to be done is to unhook the stays of the working jib and tie them away. The new headsail is then lowered out of the cockpit.
Prepared for anything on deck
Once all these steps have been completed, the boat is ready to set sail. The skipper should now check that the crew is also prepared. Is everyone dressed appropriately, do they have their oilskins to hand and sun cream on their faces - is everyone full and without physical complaints?
And finally, he himself must be prepared for the tasks ahead, have obtained the sea weather report for the sailing area and have considered the navigational tasks of the upcoming trip. You can read all about what needs to be considered in YACHT 9, where Part II of the cruise preparation is about routing.
Mike Peuker
The pre-start checklist
Below deck
- Clear the entire ship
- Check forepeak, saloon, aft berths and galley for loose items
- Secure the remaining items with lashing straps or under the mattresses
- Secure the cabinets against rattling and breakage with cushions
- Check seacocks for correct position
- Check bilge
- Close hatches
- Engine oil level within the mark
- Cooling water internal circuit sufficient
- Sufficient diesel supply
- Sufficient service water supply
- Sufficient gas supply
- Check battery charge status
- Test lighting
- Test radio
- Attach solar panel
- Switch off the refrigerator if necessary
Cockpit and deck
- Drinks, prepared food, snacks etc. rainproof in the swallow's nest
- Tiller pilot ready for use
- Wind steering system ready for use
- Exhaust auxiliary heating closed
- Winch cranks ready to hand
- Check instruments
- Radio available, switched on
- Spare battery charged
- Mobile phone available, charged
- Tablet available, charged
- Logbook, pencil, biros, horn, hand bearing compass, compasses, maps, binoculars, shackle opener, knife, Leatherman, lighter, headlamps, sun cream, baseball cap, sunglasses, spare reading glasses under the sprayhood
- Cameras installed, loaded, memory cards in
- Red and green clothes pegs available
- Chamois leather available
- Clear sheets, halyards, stretchers, hang in the companionway
- Pütz available
- Lifejacket, lifebelt, rain gear on toilet door, accessible from above
- Attach large halyard
- Open lazy bag
- Prepare main, tie in reef if necessary
- Attach the headsail, prepare a second smaller one if necessary
About the author
Former pilot Mike Peuker sails sporty cruises with his family and single-handed on his Comfortina 32 "Nubia" and conducted skipper training on classic wooden folkboats for years. He wrote down his best practical tips for YACHT
