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oats are a good idea. Certainly ownership, while awesome, is not for everyone. Too often, I see circumstances where the investment has exceeded the reward.

Don’t read me wrong. I love boats. In particular, I enjoy the lifestyle they provide.

Captain John Rahm

I am a boating lifestyle advocate.

However, too often, the benefits are few and far between. I say, mostly in jest, that 20% of boating makes the other 80% worth it. There is large truth in that statement. We can discuss the ratio of good to less-than-good, but, without doubt, there is a balance.

As a sailing instructor and boat captain, I am committed to reducing the less-than-good and providing more balance in ‘Enjoyment Ratio.’ When coaching, I like to talk about enjoyment factors. So, I thought you might like to hear a few pearls of wisdom from someone who has experienced a lot of the less-than-good.

Number one: Reef the boat early.
Late reefing is one of the easiest ways to turn your sail into a nightmare. Late reefing manifests in two ways. Either you will wrestle with an over powered boat or you are going to send a loved one forward onto a pitching foredeck with the winds howling. Both are dangerous.

Please, when in doubt, reef the boat.

If you are thinking, “Maybe I should reef,” the answer is YES. Practice reefing. Reefing is an essential sailing skill. Do not leave the pier unless you and your crew are proficient reefers. Can you put the reef in before leaving the dock? Most times yes. Always easier to shake it out than put it in. Do you want to automatically reef the boat while underway at night?

In short, the enjoyment ratio will be highly damaged by late or improper reefing.

Number two: Want to have a miserable time on a boat? Then, sail to a schedule.
When cruising, our friends and family will want to join us.

My rule is, they can pick the time or place. But, not both.

If they choose time, I say where. If they choose place, I say when; never, ever both. Avoid planning for both when and where. Airline reservations are some of the worst offenders.

Also bad is a going-back-to-work deadline. I have a hundred stories of boaters getting beat-up coming back from Ocracoke on a Sunday having to return to work on Monday.

Plan smart. Add some flexibility in your schedule. Speaking of planning…

Number three: Know where you are at all times.
If you don’t know where you are at all times, you are technically lost.

Don’t be a slave to your navigation system. Your nav is aboard as a crutch. When going somewhere big, do some planning. And, I think I have blogged about that enough.

Planning reduces risk, alleviates angst and makes the trip more enjoyable.

Four: Use a preventer downwind.
I’ll save some words here and refer you to TownDock.net October 22, 2010.

A friend was knocked overboard by the boom during inadvertent jibe. In the water, he was unconscious but still breathing. He drowned very quickly.

I attempt to tell this story to every one of my new friends. Use a preventer, be attentive when sailing downwind and lastly, bad things can happen on the best of weather days.

Be on your game and bring your best self aboard.

Next is a quick one: keep your lines in good shape.
They are part of the machine you own. Stiff, worn or unusable lines reduce enjoyment and make sailing/docking more difficult.

Remember, you are trying to reduce difficulty. Difficulty skews the enjoyment ratio. Bad lines are a drag.

Check the quality of your lines.

And speaking of drag…

Six: Dragging up on a beach is will instantly eliminate any enjoyment.
I don’t want to write about anchoring. But the most common failure is thinking anchoring is over once the anchor is wet.

For anchoring, we’ll need proper anchor type, depth for tidal change, scope, swinging distance, protection from wind and waves, good bottom etc. Perhaps I should write an anchoring blog. Anchoring does require planning and preparation.

Seven: planning and preparation are the single largest methods to reduce risk aboard your boat.
Planning and preparation are complimentary. I contend most of the harrowing sea stories are caused by lack of planning and preparation. I point you to my January 2022 blog, “What’s Your Plan?” (linked below)

Planning is designing a specific roadmap and schedule for your sail. It is a linear sequence of steps. Preparation is equipping yourself with the skills, resources and mindset to handle whatever actually happens aboard your boat.

Preparation ensures you can adapt, recover, and succeed when your boating deviates from the script. Planning assumes the future is predictable while preparation assumes the future is unpredictable and chaotic. There are very few excuses for not having a skill or item because you haven’t planned and prepared.

Sir Ernest Shackleton, famous Antarctic explorer, said adventure is caused by lack of planning; so too with boating.

On to the next; I am most guilty of the next detractor (confession).

Eight: never assume your crew can handle a situation as well as you.
Training and education can often overcome lack of crew experience. However, we all know it is hard to substitute for experience. There will be times when you should manage the situation.

One year returning from Florida, friends were driving our boat. Instead of finding us at the Beaufort inlet, I awoke to find us north of Cape Lookout. Yikes! Ultimately, bad on me.

Crew members and owners should not receive undue professional courtesy. Trust, but supervise.

He said he could judge an upwind tack…

Nine: being boat poor is no way to go through life. (Dean Wormer, Animal House, 1978, paraphrased)
I spend a lot of time with owners having boats new to them. There is a tendency to spend money without a firm foundation for requirements.

Ownership should not begin with the boat on the hard. It is best to be patient. Don’t dump money prematurely.

It is hard to recover from financial mistakes, and it is sad to see owners who don’t enjoy their boats immediately.

And lastly…

Ten: never ignore the feeling something is wrong.
Another category of harrowing sea stories start with, “I felt something was wrong but I ignored it.”

If you have these feelings, gather some motivation and get to the bottom of it. Unresolved angst is telling you something. Better resolve it before the enjoyment ratio takes a plunge.

In summary, I like thinking about the enjoyment ratio. It helps perspective and can be a good tool for making decisions. The above are just a few detractors that come to mind. I am sure you have others.

I contend that through education, training and thoughtful expenditure you can boost that 20% worth it and knock the 80% ‘not so much’ way down. Reach out if I can assist.

Fair winds,
Captain John Rahm

Related Links

• What’s Your Plan?

Captain's Blog on TownDock.net is all about making your time on the water enjoyable. Captain John Rahm teaches sailing and boat handling at Third Wave Sailing.