Yacht Sailing Cheat Sheet

The key takeaways for beginners – crew roles on board, safe anchoring and the reefing rule of thumb once the wind builds.

Basics & requirements

Item	Priority	Tip
Keel	High	Ballast instead of body weight – yachts barely capsize and often right themselves.
Boat licence	High	Mandatory from 11.03 kW (15 hp) of engine power – true for most cruising yachts.
Crew role	Medium	A fixed task instead of solo decisions – coordinated with the skipper and team.
Logbook	Low	Log hours, waters and boat sizes – charter companies check experience, not just paperwork.

Crew roles on board

The skipper carries responsibility: Overall responsibility for safety and procedure – regardless of who's on the helm.
Helm and trimmer talk to each other: Steering blind without feedback costs speed and control.
Short commands, not sentences: Fixed, short calls for tacking, gybing and docking – they cut through the wind.

The 3 golden technique rules

Factor 1: Heel is a signal, not a drama

Concept: Past 20–25 degrees of heel, the hull slows you down instead of speeding you up. Tip: Rule of thumb: first reef around 15 knots, second at 20, third only above 25 – reef half an hour too early rather than too late.

Factor 2: Anchor by scope, not by feel

Concept: Too little chain is the most common reason an anchor drags overnight. Tip: Calculate water depth plus freeboard times your target scope – standard 7:1, 10:1 in strong wind – let out generously rather than adding chain at night.

Factor 3: Man overboard – quick-stop first

Concept: Any other manoeuvre wastes precious seconds in the confusion of the moment. Tip: Turn head-to-wind immediately, reduce speed, assign one person to point and watch continuously – never lose visual contact.

On board & at the dock

Term	Meaning
Docking	Approach at 45 degrees, pass the spring line ashore first – it draws the boat to the dock under control.
Buoyage	Coming from sea: green-pointed to starboard, red-flat-topped to port (IALA A).
Tides	Course over ground often drifts from your steered course – always plan for it, don't just trust the table.
Watch system	4 hours on, 8 hours off at a fixed time of day beats the classic 4-4 rhythm.

Staying fit for sea

Prevent seasickness: Hits 50–90% in rough seas – not a weakness. Take tablets or bands before casting off, not after.
Plan sleep deliberately: 6–9 hours per 24 belong on the passage plan just as much as course and weather.
Manage propeller risk: Under engine during a man-overboard, shift to neutral early, well before reaching the person in the water.

Pro tip: You'll almost never regret reefing early, and almost always regret reefing late. The moment you ask yourself, “Should we reef?”, the answer is yes – ideally ten minutes ago.