My Ten Sailing New Year Resolutions

by Lee Mylchreest on 10 Jan 2013 Lee Mylchreest is a cruising sailor but most of these 10 New Years resolutions resonate with racing sailors too. Enjoy

The brand new year is upon us and apart from wishing all a great 2013, I have thought seriously about my sailing over the last year, and this has given rise to my Ten New Year Resolutions. I share them with you below:

1. I promise to always put my house/car keys in a sailing bag and never carry them in my hand while hopping off or on the boat. I also promise not to lock the second set of keys inside the house.

2. I promise to always step off boat onto the dock FORWARD, so that I won't ever again miss the step and fall into the water.

3. I promise to attach my PLB to my inflatable PFD and wear them all the time at sea, so that I can be easily found when I fall overboard. I also promise never again to clean fish on the transom while sailing.

4. I promise never to totally believe my GPS while on the helm and always check by looking around at the real world, or better still listen to the person on the foredeck shouting 'watch out!'

5. I promise never again to attach the dinghy to the boat with a non-floating painter, so that it can't get caught around the propeller.

6. I promise not to argue when the skipper shouts rude things at me, but merely to jump sideways to avoid being hit by the yacht T-boning us.

7. I promise to always use a secure knot to attach the mooring buoy to our deck cleat, so that our boat won't detach itself during lunch and go drifting into the other boats in the anchorage.

8. I promise never to use swear words on a boat again, particularly when my mother comes sailing with us for the day.

9. I promise to recognise that the skipper is nervous and lacking in confidence and that is why he shouts uncontrollably, and to never again dive over and swim home, leaving it to him to get the boat home solo.

10. I promise to try to find another better skipper this year. I am less sure about this one though, because I had the same New Year Resolution last year.

Photo from http://leafydumas.blogspot.com.au/!Leafys_Art_Blog by kind permission.