When it comes to your child’s safety in the water, whether it be sailing, cruising, or chartering, you want the best gear on the market to keep them safe. As a professional yacht officer of 10 years, the boats I have worked on have had their fair share of child life jackets. These recommendations are…
The only visual distress signal permissible for use at night and no other time is the electric distress light, also known as an SOS distress light. Many approved visual distress signals may be used at night since they are significantly less visible during the day. The electric distress light is the only visual distress signal…
Visual distress signals are those that can be seen by nearby boats, planes, or people. The hand-held visual distress signals are precisely that. Unlike parachute flares fired into the air, hand-held distress flares are kept in a person’s hand while signaling for emergency assistance. Flares are to be ignited (according to accompanying instructions) facing away…
Unless your hands are made of leather, then at some stage, you will want a pair of sailing gloves. But what makes the best gloves for sailing isn’t one size fits all (pardon the pun). So to help you navigate the ocean of buying choices, I’m going to use my 10-year career in yachting to…
If lifejackets are not taken care of, they can become dysfunctional, and their performance is affected. In addition, they can become unsafe to rely on as personal flotation devices should you end up in the water, creating a dangerous situation. You need to have complete confidence and rely on your lifejacket to fulfill its purpose:…
A personal flotation device (PFD) or lifejacket that is well cared for can last many years, but how do you know if it’s time to replace it? Generally, a PFD or lifejacket with rips, cuts, or tears must be replaced. A foam lifejacket should also be replaced if it has areas that are compressed or…
You can use a satellite phone in the ocean. In fact, with a few exceptions, most sat phones can be used worldwide. The only factors which negatively affect the use of a satellite phone on the ocean are any geographical or artificial features, political influences, and system issues relating to the placement of the satellite…
This article is designed to help you choose the most suitable life jacket appropriate for your activities on the water. I break down the factors that must be considered and provide a list to help narrow down the selection. With all the different categories and types, choosing an appropriate life jacket is akin to walking…
The best foul-weather gear overall is the Gill OS2 Offshore Series. However, the equation has more nuance when considering what type of sailing you will do. For example, coastal foul weather gear won’t perform well under open ocean conditions. And ocean-going gear is overkill for day sailing. The team at Sailing Savvy has 20 years…
What is the correct way of talking on a marine VHF radio? You must use the proper channel for the given situations, communications must follow protocol, and the right language and terminology must be used for every transmission. A key aspect of being at sea is safety. A VHF marine radio is a means of…