Articles

We offer several types of article covering a wide range of topics. Choose your topic or article type below:

Pros and Cons of Personal Safety Gear

by Chuck Hawley, | Safety Moment
Subject: Safety Gear, Personal
Bottom line: safety gear is a compromise. Too foolproof, and it may be either too expensive or too difficult to use. Too heavy, and people leave it below decks. Too much maintenance required, and it may not work when it is supposed to. 

Lessons from a Croatian Charter

by Chuck Hawley, | Safety Moment
Subject: Preparation of Boat and Crew, Seamanship and Awareness
I had the wonderful opportunity to charter a Moorings 4600 catamaran in Croatia for two week in late May, and in fact I am writing this Safety Moment from the catamaran as I sit in the lovely Palmizana marina on the island of Klement.

Anchor at the Ready

by Chuck Hawley, | Safety Moment
Subject: Anchoring
Several decades ago, entering Morro Bay around sunrise, I was at the helm of a 30’ wooden ketch while the rest of the crew slept below. It was near a full moon, and the boat was bucking about a 3-knot ebb with her 4.5 knots of speed through the…

For Whom the Boat Tows: Practice this essential skill

by Chuck Hawley, | Safety Moment
Subject: Good Practices Underway
Many of us have a general idea about how we’d tow another boat back to the harbor or gas dock or a safe anchorage. While most sailboats don’t generate a lot of pull, they can generally tow a similarly-sized sailboat at four or five knots, which…

The Search for Sailboat Stability: Reflections on the Sydney-Hobart Race, 2004

by Chuck Hawley, | Safety Moment
Subject: Preparation of Boat and Crew
  “Safety Moments, presented at CCA Stations and Posts”

Observations from a Safety at Sea Course

by Chuck Hawley, | Safety Moment
Subject: Practice and Safety Training
Safety Moment, Cruising Club of America