How to prepare yourself for coastal sailing

Coastal sailing typically involves experiencing changeable sea states, weather patterns and tidal movements. 

Preparing and reacting to this in the best way is both enjoyable and satisfying. 

Coastal sailing should really only be tackled by experienced skippers who have done many sea miles in charge of a vessel. 

This is something that can be learnt by joining other crews or undertaking courses that lead to certification.

Sail training courses are available via Australian Sailing's Discover Sailing (DS) website, with the UK-based Royal Yachting Association (RYA) providing internationally recognised qualifications. 

Courses are available for sail and power boats. Those seeking local skills could start with AS Start courses, which are a series of 12-hour training programs.

For yachts, these are Start Crewing, Start Helming, Start Skippering and Start Racing.

Sailors who aspire to charter overseas should consider completing the RYA courses that include Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper and the highest qualification, Yachtmaster.

The Yachtmaster qualification is also a first step for those considering working professionally in the industry. Achieving the RYA’s more advanced certificates requires substantial real-world experience.

Yacht preparation is equally important. You can have the newest and best yacht on the water, but if you don't know how to operate all its systems, disaster can strike. 

Yachts handle differently depending on if they are using their engine or sails. 

Under power, a sailboat can experience propeller kick, also known as prop walk, where the water being forced off the propeller can push the stern of the boat sideways. 

While prop walk is sometimes a problem, it can be used to your advantage when going astern or backing into a berth. 

Weather-cocking is another thing to watch out for. It is when the bow of the yacht tends to turn into the wind as the boat pivots around its propeller. 

A bow thruster can stop this happening, but only in relatively mild conditions.

Under sails, boats will always tend to drift sideways, particularly while going upwind. On a long passage it can mean you will miss your mark by a big distance.

Sail handling, the ability to hoist, trim and reef sails, is essential.

Changing weather requires changing the size of sails – the more wind, the less sail – so it's important to understand how reefing a sail works. 

Traditional slab reefing has little to go wrong, but automated in-mast or in-boom reefing systems that furl the sails inside the mast or boom use mechanisms that need to be fully understood. 

For example, in-mast furling a badly flapping sail can give the sail a fatter profile, which in turn could jam the furling system. In this instance, it may pay to have a little bit of wind pressure on the sail to flatten it before furling.

Anchoring is another essential skill, both for pleasure when you want to make the boat as stable as possible, and for emergencies such as an engine failure or sitting out a storm. 

Deploying the rode (anchor, chain and warp) in the best possible way could save your boat and even your life. Carrying at least one spare anchor and rode is essential.

Navigation is an essential part of boating despite the virtual reality created by electronic screens. 

Setting a course to account for tide and wind while understanding how basic non-screen navigation works is essential for coastal voyaging. It’s also a handy skill should the boat’s batteries or electronics suffer a catastrophic failure and go completely dark.

Paper charts have not been a legal requirement for offshore cruising around Australia since 2016, but they remain an essential backup tool and a record of the voyage. Of equal importance is a deck log that insurance companies will always ask for should the worst happen.

Crew preparation may include ensuring someone else other than you can operate the vessel single-handed, or training the entire crew in drills such as recovering someone who goes overboard, lifejacket etiquette and on-board safety procedures.