Table Of Content00Prelims Skippers hdbk:00Prelims Skippers hdbk 31/1/10 13:50 Pag
REEDS
SKIPPER’S
HANDBOOK
FOR SAIL AND POWER
Sixth edition
MALCOLM PEARSON
RYA Yachtmaster Instructor
ADLARD COLES NAUTICAL
LONDON
Dedicated to Jack – my evening star.
May he never lose his way.
And Major – safe in harbour now.
Published by Adlard Coles Nautical
an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP
www.adlardcoles.com
Copyright © Malcolm Pearson, 1993, 1995, 2000, 2004, 2007
First edition published by Thomas Reed Publications 1993
Second edition 1995
Revised 1998
Third edition 2000
Reprinted 2002
Fourth edition published by Adlard Coles Nautical 2004
Fifth edition 2007
Sixth edition 2010
Print ISBN 978-1-4081-2477-2
ePub ISBN 978-1-4081-5629-2
ePDF ISBN 978-1-4081-0772-0
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced in any form or by any means – graphic,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,
taping or information storage and retrieval systems – without
the prior permission of the Publishers.
Malcolm Pearson has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents
Act, 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Note: While all reasonable care has been taken in the
preparation of this publication, the author and publisher accept
no responsibility for any errors or omissions or consequences ensuing upon the use
of the methods, information or products described in the book.
Original drawings by Sherrie Pearson;
Illustrations by Barbara McGavin and Dave Saunders
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CONTENTS
Introduction 1 Taking fixes 53
Using transits 54
Acknowledgements 1
Running fixes 56
Position and distance 2 Electronic navigation 58
Latitude and longitude 2 Using GPS 58
Mercator charts 4 Electronic chart systems 67
Great circles and gnomonic
AIS radar 68
charts 5
The Automatic Identification
Measuring distance 6
System 68
Plotting position 8
Chart symbols 11 Tidal curves 70
Chart correction 12 Standard ports 70
Secondary ports 72
Direction and compass 14
Rule of Twelfths 77
Variation 14
Anomalies – South coast 78
Deviation 15
Checking the compass 16 Finding depths 80
Compass conversion 18 Reduction to soundings 80
Finding depth to anchor 82
Leeway 20
Anchoring – depth by echo
Cause of leeway 20
sounder 84
Allowing for leeway 22
Depth and clearance
Tides and tidal streams 24 below the keel 85
Tides 24 Distance off 91
Tidal patterns 25
MHWS/Distance off 91
Tidal streams 27
Rising or dipping lights 92
Tidal definitions 28
The sextant 94
Effect of tidal streams 30
Tidal stream information 32 Index error 94
Tidal streams – interpolation 34 Distance off 95
Coastal tidal streams 36 Vertical sextant angle 96
Clearance under bridges 98
Course to steer 38
Charted clearance 98
Course to steer –
MHWS 100
short period 38
longer passages 40 Rules of the Road 101
Sailing to windward 44 Steering and sailing rules 101
ETA 47 Lights and daymarks 106
Sound signals 115
Position 48
EP – Estimated position 48 Buoyage 117
DR – EP 50 Buoys and marks 117
Fixing position 51 Light characteristics 120
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SOLAS 121 Sails and wind 168
SOLAS regulations 121 How sails work 168
Passage planning 122 The ‘slot’ effect 169
Apparent wind 170
Safety and distress 123
Points of sailing 172
Distress flares 123
GMDSS/EPIRB 124 Knots, bends and
VHF distress signals 125 hitches 174
Personal safety 126 Knots 174
Helicopter rescue 127 Knots and hitches 175
Life saving signals 128 Hitches 176
Man overboard 130 Bends 177
MOB Cleating sheets and halyards 179
–sailing boat without Rope –characteristics and uses 180
engine 132
Inland waterways 181
–sailing boat using engine 133
Licences/Equipment 181
–motor cruisers 134
Buoyage and traffic lights 182
Communications 135 Rules of the Road 183
Phonetic alphabet/Morse code 135 Locks 184
Flags 136 Signals and signs 187
Weather 138 European Inland
Weather patterns 138 waterways 188
Wind belts 139 CEVNI 188
Anticyclones and depressions 140
Fronts 141 Log check 196
Depressions 142 Measured distance 196
Weather maps 143 Checking speed and distance 197
Local winds 146 Facts and figures 198
Katabatic winds/fog 147 Times, speed, distance/ETA/ Tidal
Beaufort scale 148 stream 198
Shipping forecasts 149 Distance off/Conversions/Sun
Other weather forecasts 151 movement 199
Anchoring and mooring 152 Distance off 200
Anchors 152 Range of lights 201
Anchoring 155 Index 202
Mooring alongside 160
Leaving a berth 166 International Port Traffic
Signals inside back cover
iv
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Introduction I
N
T
R
First published in 1993, Reeds Skipper’s Handbook soon O
became a nautical best seller. It is now sold worldwide D
and appears in several foreign language editions. This U
6th edition has been revised and updated to include C
useful extra information on tides, chart plotting, boat T
I
handling and knots plus a new section on sails and wind. O
GPS and electronic chart plotters have significantly N
affected the way we navigate and made it possible for us
to fix our position with greater accuracy than ever
before.As a consequence, though, there is a danger that
some skippers might become so reliant on their ‘elec-
tronics’ that they forget how to navigate effectively with-
out them. Of course, the electronic device that is
g uaranteed never to malfuntion has yet to be invented
so it is unwise to neglect the traditional skills that will get
you home safely if your GPS fails. Reeds Skipper’s Hand -
bookis designed to explain the basics of ‘traditional navi -
gation’ and seamanship in simple terms, and solutions to
most of the problems that are likely to occur during a
coastal passage can be quickly found within its pages.
Malcolm Pearson
Acknowledgements
In recognition of the leading part played by the RYA in the pro-
motion of safe practice for recreational boaters, it should be
noted that many of the techniques explained in this book
emanate from the RYA and are those routinely taught by RYA
trained instructors to students enrolled on their navigation and
seamanship courses.
The figures on pages 11, 33, 34, 35, 71, 76, 79 and 83 are
based upon or are reproduced from Admiralty Charts or publi-
cations with permission from The Controller of Her Majesty’s
Stationery Office and the UK Hydrographic Office.
The Life Saving Signals on pages 128–9 are based upon
material issued by the MCA and are reproduced with their kind
permission.
Thanks to Practical Boat Ownerfor per mission to reproduce
material previously published in that magazine.
Finally, my special thanks to my wife Sherrie without whose
help and artistic ability this book would not have been published.
NOTE: Every effort has been made to find the copyright holders
of any material used in this book that is not the author’s own.
1
01aSkippers handbook:01Skippers handbook 31/1/10 14:14 Page 2
E Latitude and longitude
C
N
A Latitude and longitude
T
S The network of imaginary lines seen on a globe of the
DI world is used to define position on its surface. The hori-
zontal lines are parallels of latitudeand the vertical lines
D
N that converge at the poles are meridians of longitude
A (Fig 1).
N Latitude is measured vertically along a meridian from
O 0° to 90° either north or south of the Equator (Fig 2).
TI Longitude is measured horizontally round the
SI equator from 0° to 180° either east or west of the
O Greenwich Meridian (Fig 3).
P
(cid:1) Lines of latitude and longitude form complete circles
around the globe. There are 360° in a circle and each
degree can be divided into 60 minutes.
(cid:1) Using these co-ordinates, any place on Earth can be
precisely defined as a position of latitude and
longitude.
(cid:1) Traditionally, latitude is always given first followed by
longitude and in coastal navigation, position is
usually defined to the nearest minute, or if greater
accuracy is required, tenths of a minute can also be
quoted, ie:
Bishop Rock 49° 52´.3N 006° 26´.7W
Mercator projection
To portray the global Earth on a flat chart a projection
called Mercator is generally used. As with a globe,
charts are also overprinted with a lattice of latitude and
longitude but on a Mercator chart, the meridians are
drawn parallel to each other. Doing this distorts the
landmasses in an east-west direction so to preserve the
shape of the land, the north-south distance between
successive parallels of latitude is progressively
increased in proportion toward each pole.
2
01aSkippers handbook:01Skippers handbook 31/1/10 14:14 Page 3
Latitude and longitude P
O
S
I
T
Fig 1 N IO
Meridians west N
of Greenwich Parallels North
A
Meridian
N
EQUATOR EQUATOR D
D
Meridians East I
of Greenwich S
Parallels South Meridian T
A
Greenwich (Prime)
S Meridian N
C
E
90°N
Fig 2 North Pole Northern Latitudes
0° to 90°N
30°N
EQUATOR 0° EQUATOR 0°
30°S
Southern Latitudes
0° to 90°S South Pole
90°S
North Pole
Fig 3
Longitude 135°W 135°E Longitude
0° to 180°West 90°W 90°E 0° to 180°East
45°W 45°E
Greenwich
(Prime)
Meridian
South Pole
3
01aSkippers handbook:01Skippers handbook 31/1/10 14:14 Page 4
E Mercator charts
C
N
A Mercator charts and rhumb Lines
T
S The real value of Mercator’s projection is that although
DI the scale of the landmasses is distorted, direction is
unaffected. This means that a straight line drawn
D
N between any two positions on a Mercator chart will
A cross every meridian at the same angle, so the navi -
N gator has only to measure that angle to obtain the true
O course to follow from one position to the other (Fig 4).
TI A line that crosses all meridians at the same angle is
S called a rhumb line.
O
P
N B
50° Boat’s course
50°T
50°
50°
A
Fig 4
The rhumb line course between two points is not,
h owever, the shortest distance between them, this is
only given by a Great Circle route, but for coastal and
offshore passages of less than five or six hundred miles
in low or middle latitudes, the difference is negligible
and can be safely disregarded.
4
01aSkippers handbook:01Skippers handbook 31/1/10 14:14 Page 5
Great circles and gnomonic charts P
O
S
A Great Circleis the largest circle that can be drawn IT
on the surface of the Earth, and the shortest distance IO
between any two points on the surface lies along the N
arc of a Great Circle that passes through them both. A
N
A Gnomonic chartportrays meridians as straight lines
D
that converge toward the nearest pole. Parallels, other
D
than the Equator, appear as curves. I
S
Gnomonic charts are commonly used to plan long T
ocean voyages because a Great Circle route can be A
N
drawn on a chart as a straight line between the depar-
C
ture point and the intended destination (Fig 5). E
Fig 5
However, unless a boat sailing a Great Circle route is
sailing directly along a meridian or round the Equator,
it would cross each meridian at a different angle and its
heading would have to be altered frequently to main-
tain a perfect Great Circle course. A more practical way
of steering this course is to transfer a series of co-ordi-
nates taken along the Great Circle track to a Mercator
chart and link them to form a series of rhumb lines that
closely mimic the Great Circle route (Fig 6).
Fig 6
5
