Illustrated guide to winter navigation – Part 2

In the first installment of this illustrated guide to winter sailing, we looked at some techniques, situations and tips for dealing with seasonal challenges. We then continue with the second – and final – part of the illustrated guide (with methods tested on her skin) by our reporter Erika Baffico.

Review & Anchor

When dropping anchor in the roadstead and expecting a few vagaries of wind, it’s best to do a refresher on anchoring. Before relaxing, make sure the boat has enough room for a full 360-degree rotation from the anchor without running into either rocks or the shoreline. Remember: the wind changes often, so to avoid unpleasant surprises it’s best to do an extra check and then enjoy the roadstead without worry!

Watch out for the buckets

Nature is a great ally when we know how to interpret its messages. Surface turbulence, in fact, can be valuable indicators of submerged reefs and shoals. Keep an eye out, because these natural markers warn you to keep your distance from the most dangerous spots, even if they have never been highlighted with cardinal signs.

Winter Sailing. Geese

Geese-that is, the typical jagged ridges that form on the water in the wind-begin to appear in the sea as early as 15 knots, a sure sign of the wind starting to pick up. In lakes, however, geese appear in stronger winds, since, in the absence of salt, the water is less viscous. In short, at sea or lake, geese are a reminder that “It’s time to put on your hat, the wind has arrived.”

Winter sailing. Row the top

To spin ropes safely, grip them with your hands clenched into fists and thumbs facing inward and close together. Yes, it seems like a minor detail, but a wrong grip can cost sore fingers and thumbs…or worse.
Besides, let’s face it, holding hands like this makes us all feel a little more professional.

Don’t hurt yourself

When it is time to release tension from the line in the cockpit, remember to grasp the winch with your hands on the coils, keeping your thumb upward. It’s like a little “okay” to safe boating, and it reduces the risk of burns on your hands. Easy, right? Although it takes a little practice to make it feel natural….

This is the second part of the Winter Sailors guide. Find the first part here.

Who is the author of this guide

Erika Baffico is an avid sailor. based in Milan. He combines his passion for the sea with his work, designing innovative lighting systems that recreate in the interior the changing color of the sky, long observed and admired from the boat(www.fulcrodesign.com).

She started sailing thanks to a course with the Les Glenans in their almost pirate-like bay near Bonifacio, a place reachable only by sea or on foot. Since then, sails have chased her ashore as well, and she has designed collections of bags and backpacks for BolinaSail. Whenever she goes out to sea she has her inseparable sketchpad on which she illustrates her logbooks. She also made this illustrated report on sailing in Brittany for Il Giornale della Vela, and looks forward to drawing more. Follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fulcro.design/!