Answers by experience level
Advanced sailing FAQs
Detailed answers for experienced sailors handling more demanding boats, conditions and passages.
8 advanced answers
How do I prepare for and respond to a man-overboard situation on a small sailboat here?
Immediate action is to shout and point, keep the casualty in sight, assign a spotter, throw a flotation device, and manoeuvre the boat for a controlled recovery while preparing the crew and equipment for the pickup.
Read the answer →How do I plan coastal passages around Perth/Geraldton/Dampier with regard to tides, tidal streams and local hazards?
Plan passages by overlaying predicted tides and tidal streams onto your charted route, timing departures to use favourable streams through constrictions and offshore features, avoiding local hazards (shoals, banks, strong rips) and building contingency waypoints. Confirm with current official tide tables, local pilotage notes and recent Notices to Mariners before departure.
Read the answer →How should I prepare and respond to a southerly buster or rapid weather change common on the SA coast?
Treat a southerly buster as a rapid-onset windshift with a strong increase in wind and sea state; prepare the boat and crew by reducing sail area early, securing loose gear, briefing crew on roles, and identifying shelter or an upwind recovery plan. Respond quickly but deliberately — keep boat controllable, avoid last-minute heavy-handed moves, and prioritise mainsail and crew safety over speed.
Read the answer →How should I plan a crossing of the Bass Strait or other exposed passages from Tasmania—route, timing and weather sources?
Plan the crossing as a deliberate offshore passage with a chosen route that reduces exposure, a weather window that keeps wind, swell and fronts well offshore, and firm alternates and abort points — using up-to-date synoptic and high‑resolution marine forecasts plus local observations to time departure and arrival.
Read the answer →How do I plan a multi-day coastal hop along the NSW coast, including anchorages, fuel and emergency options?
Plan as a chain of conservative daily legs tied to your boat’s real-world fuel and speed in the expected sea state, with confirmed primary and alternate anchorages/berths, fuel legs and back-up fuel options, and a documented emergency/diversion plan (comms, tow and med-evac). Build tidal and weather gates into each leg and carry chart and comms redundancy.
Read the answer →How can I check compatibility between new electronics (chartplotters, autopilots) and my boat’s existing systems?
Systematically compare interfaces, communication protocols and power/ground characteristics, then bench-test or simulate before final installation — confirm physical connectors, NMEA (0183, 2000) and seatalk compatibility, autopilot control inputs, data sentence requirements, and electrical load/voltage behaviour.
Read the answer →What Australian regulations, quarantine or local rules affect taking pets between states and into marinas or national parks?
Taking pets between Australian states and into marinas or national parks is governed by state and territory biosecurity/quarantine rules, local council and marina policies, and the management rules of parks. Requirements vary by jurisdiction and by the species of animal, so check the relevant state/territory biosecurity office, the park management agency and the marina operator before you travel.
Read the answer →What emergency procedures should I practise before attempting longer coastal passages?
Prioritise practising abandoning-ship and man-overboard drills, fire and flooding control, engine/fuel failures, emergency steering, communications and MOB recovery with the full crew and kit you’ll use on passage.
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