- Spend too much time at the helm
You can’t move forward to help the crew with their deckwork, fix navigational problems, or brief them if you’re at the helm.
Close-quarters maneuvering is an exception, provided that each member of the crew has received a proper briefing on their respective role. For details on a Day Skipper Course, visit solentboattraining.co.uk/rya-sailing-courses/rya-day-skipper-practical-sailing
- Distracted by the deckwork
When you are doing the majority of crew work, it is easy to focus solely on your task and miss important developments, such as approaching ships, outside the boat.
- Waste time with navigation and pilotage
Make sure you have all of the information at hand when planning.
If you don’t need to go below, due to a sudden change in plans or other reasons, consider buying time by lifting-to.
It is vital that you don’t hog the steering wheel as a skipper.
It’s not that skippers do not enjoy spending time at the helm or doing deckwork, such as preparing meals while on board. But it is important to recognise that the role of skipper comes second to these other tasks.
- Get flustered
A calm skipper is one who thinks ahead, and will slow down the boat when things get too rapid.
A skipper can buy extra time by using different strategies.
Examples include heaving to, furling or partially furling the sails, and stopping the tide.
Plan where to go and when
It’s best for your first trip to select an area that you’re already familiar with. This will help make all aspects of the voyage easier, from pilotage and navigating to finding visitors’ moorings.
Try to sail at a time when it is quiet. Mid-week is much more convenient than the weekend during peak season.