Boating Insights
By Above & Beyond Boating
Boating InsightsSep 18, 2022
Your next big adventure
Do you have a new boating adventure starting to form as an idea?
The more adventurous and challenging the plan, the more planning you need to undertake. A significant factor in trip planning can be how much of the skills development you do for yourself and how much is suitable for the others you go boating with.
By strategically planning your training regimen and effectively navigating team dynamics, you'll set off feeling confident, prepared, and united with your fellow boaters. This episode looks at setting up your pathway to ensure you get out there feeling ready and adequately prepared for the trip of a lifetime.
Create a Logbook skills assessment account here >
Digital First Navigation
This episode of Boating Insights explores the shift from paper to digital navigation, highlighting recent announcements by the UK and Australian Hydrographic Offices. Join us as we discuss the evolving trends in eNavigation and the impact on maritime practices. From the convenience of digital systems to the enduring relevance of paper charts, we'll take you through the challenges and opportunities of this transition.
Learn more: aabboating.com/21st-century-navigator
The path to your ultimate boating experience
In this Boating Insights episode, we're sharing practical tips inspired by elite-level sports to help you unlock the path to your ultimate boating experience. We keep it straightforward, breaking down individual skills you can easily apply to all your boating activities—no unnecessary frills, just solid advice.
Your ultimate boating experience is within reach — with Boating Insights!
Communication Equipment: Prepared for When You Need It
In the boating world, preparedness is paramount. This episode provides valuable insights into optimising communication equipment, such as distress beacons, DSC-equipped radios, and satellite phones.
Discover essential tips and tricks for using these fantastic devices effectively — Prioritise safety for you and your crew by being better equipped to handle emergencies at sea.
Listen now and enhance your seamanship toolkit with this vital knowledge.
Electronic Navigation Skills
This podcast is here to preserve and enhance your navigation skills at sea while embracing the potential of electronic navigation systems. In this episode, 'Electronic Navigation Skills,' we delve deep into crucial techniques for seamlessly uniting electronic navigation tools with traditional seamanship expertise. Listen now to discover the secrets of mastering both the old and the new in maritime navigation.
I wish I knew then what I know now
In this episode of "Boating Insights," we delve into the age-old saying, "I wish I knew then what I know now!" Join us as we uncover some hidden gems of boating – those parts of the boat you might not fully understand, items you've brought on board but never used, and essential knowledge for your crew in case the skipper is unavailable. We're here to demystify the secrets of your vessel, ensuring that your boating experience is enjoyable but also safe and informed.
Celebrating Being Afloat
This episode celebrates the simple joy of being out on the water. Sometimes, amidst the hustle and bustle of life, we forget to take a moment to savour the beauty of our surroundings and the sheer pleasure of being afloat. So, this episode is dedicated to all of you who have ventured out onto the water – whether it's a serene lake, a meandering river, or the vast open sea. We want to say 'well done' for making that choice and reconnecting with the world around you. Join us as we dive into the importance of appreciating the environment, embracing the tranquillity of the water, and cherishing the incredible moments that come with it. 🚤⚓️🌊🌞
Seamanship Toolbox
This episode helps you build the skills in the seamanship toolbox for everyone onboard. Learn how to identify the most useful areas to develop for yourself and your crew and plan simple, engaging and effective training sessions to try when you are next out on the water.
Click here to access "Logbook" -Identity which aspects of your skippering you are confident in and establish a pathway to prepare for your adventures!
The Online Skipper Course is the recommended training course we have suggested to help build on the skills mentioned in this episode > Click here to learn more.
Exploring Weather Models and Observations with Nick Olson from Predict Wind
Nick Olson joins us from Predict Wind for this episode of Boating Insights. Predict Wind is a leading weather forecasting and routing company that provides accurate and reliable weather information for boaters.
The episode focuses on the following:
- Different models and accessing local weather data
- The interplay between routing and observations
- Using options like Iridium with GRIB files
- Use of currents in routing models
To learn more about our weather and seamanship training courses, click here.
Essential MMSI information with Linda Berryman from AMSA
Having an MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) programmed into your AIS (Automatic Identification System) or marine radio is essential for:
- Safety and Identification: The MMSI serves as a unique identifier for your vessel, allowing other vessels and maritime authorities to identify your boat quickly. In emergencies, the MMSI helps rescue services locate and assist you quickly.
- AIS Communication: AIS transponders use the MMSI to exchange crucial information with other vessels and shore stations. This communication enhances situational awareness, especially in busy waterways or areas with high maritime traffic.
Our guest expert for this episode of Boating Insights is Linda Berryman, whose role at AMSA involves providing specialist advice on distress alerting, communication and safety systems.
You can apply for an Australian MMSI number by completing an MMSI application online at www.amsa.gov.au/mmsi
Click here to learn more about radio courses and licencing options >
Advancements in Marine Safety: A Discussion with Linda Berryman from AMSA
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) provides a search and rescue (SAR) service for Australia. Their search and rescue region covers the Australian continent and large areas of the Indian, Pacific, Southern Oceans, and Australian Antarctic territories. This region is nearly 53 million square kilometres (one-tenth of the Earth’s surface) and borders the search and rescue regions of 10 other countries.
For this episode, we are joined by Linda Berryman, whose role at AMSA involves providing specialist advice on distress alerting, communication and safety systems, of which she has over 20 years of experience.
Linda joins us to discuss some of the huge developments that have just taken place for marine safety, providing the boating community with some of the greatest technological advancements in over 30 years.
SHOW NOTES
- The Search and Rescue maritime desk can be contacted on a 24-hour helpline 1800 641 792 or 02 6230 6811. Also, consider using your marine radio to communicate with the Coastguard, Water police, or nearby vessels and communicate your nature of distress and the assistance required.
- 406 MHz distress beacons must be compliant with the Australian and New Zealand standard, AS/NZS 4280.1 (EPIRB) or AS/NZS 4280.2 (PLB), and programmed with the Australian country code ‘503’ to be registered in Australia > list of beacons currently available to be registered in Australia and New Zealand.
- Click here to learn more about marine radio, passage planning and sea survival training courses we offer.
Are you missing a trick?
For this episode we are going to be looking at if you may be missing a trick with your boating, you'll not be surprised to hear there is a core focus on safety for this one. The ideas are based around one of the founding principles of all of our training: I HEAR I FORGET > I SEE I REMEMBER > I DO I UNDERSTAND.
Turning a problem into an opportunity
We are looking at the opportunities that can arise from the unpredictable nature of boating. It's all the mindset, a huge part of the attraction of boating should ideally be the opportunity to never stop learning and to keep your mind and skills sharp in an unpredictable environment that rewards you for being well set up and prepared. Whether your boating is short day trips or ocean voyaging, the mindset of spinning problems into opportunities should help keep you safe and having more fun whenever you're out there.
Your Boating Kit Bag
In this episode, Neil takes you through the essential items he will always pack into a boating kit bag. Depending on the season, activity and location you are boating in, you will want to adjust what you carry, but this list will help to get you thinking about what you already take and see if there are any tweaks to your list that you can make.
Learn more about this topic with our Safety & Sea Survival eLearning Course aabboating.com/sssc
Dynamic Passage Planning
When you plan a passage, it's crucial to ensure you set up your plan to be dynamic so you can easily adjust for updated departure and arrival times. This episode takes you through how to manage avoidable slippage with your departure timing and the considerations for your ETA changing while you are on a passage.
Online Skipper Course - Strategies for successful passage planning and implementation
RYA Essential Navigation and Seamanship - Navigation and meteorology for local adventurers
RYA Day Skipper Shorebased - Navigation and meteorology for coastal explorers
RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Theory - Navigation and meteorology for blue water skippers
What are your options for reporting your position?
When you are out at sea, many scenarios can arise where you may need to know and transmit your position. You may also need to be able to receive, record and navigate a position to assist.
This podcast examines your options for getting a quick and accurate position. We also provide some ideas to help upskill people who are boating with you to assist with this to keep you free to manage the boat and any other situations that need your attention at that time.
Leave Your Comfort Zone
Without leaving your comfort zone, you can't develop your skills. This podcast has five ideas that you can implement to help to leave your boating comfort zone and keep developing your skippering skills.
You can use the links below to learn about our courses, logbook and ABB TV.
> Courses
> Logbook
> ABB TV
Prepare yourself for the voyage of a lifetime with John Hembrow - founder of the Down Under Rally
This episode of Boating Insights will help you to prepare for the voyage of a lifetime. John Hembrow joins Neil to share some of his extensive knowledge. John has been full-time cruising since 2009, created the Down Under Rally in 2014, and has led a range of yacht rallies in the SW Pacific and Australia since then.
A change is as good as a holiday
Changing some of the habits you have onboard can significantly impact the skill development of all involved. This episode takes you through some of the options you have for implementing changes through a typical day on the water that can help you explore more destinations, average more days on the water and avoid the issues that can come with skill fade and perishable knowledge.
The training courses we mentioned in the episode are all on this link aabboating.com/learn
Make tide your friend
For all coastal boating adventures, you will likely need an understanding of the tide. This Boating Insights video podcast episode takes you through some essential considerations to help make tide your friend.
The episode begins by looking at the potential impact of the tide on a passage plan.
The tidal situation can impact the flow and depths, or both. There are other localised impacts, such as on/offshore winds, heavy rain and flooding. You must know how to check and interpret how the range of the tide/tides compares with the mean spring range in your location.
It is also essential to confirm the quality of information on apps and whether it relates to verified information from official sources. Finally, in case of grounding, always know if the tide is flooding or ebbing.
We teach tides from an introductory to an advanced level with our internationally recognised RYA training courses. Each course builds on the knowledge gained in the previous course.
1) RYA Essential Navigation & Seamanship Course: aabboating.com/navigation
2) RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Course: aabboating.com/day-skipper
3) RYA Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Course: aabboating.com/yachtmaster
Boarding options for your boating
When boarding a boat from the land, a dinghy or the water, there are many details you can adjust to make it easier and safer for all involved.
As part of this episode, we look at some ideas if you accidentally find yourself in the water whilst boarding to help make sure you can get back on board or onto the dock again.
Interview with David Hows of Ocean Sailing Expeditions and Podcast
In this episode, we catch up with David Hows, the founder of Ocean Sailing Expeditions and the Ocean Sailing Podcast. David's a self-confessed sailing addict who loves introducing new people to his love of all things - sailing. David shares fantastic information about the options for gaining offshore sailing experience, training crews for emergency procedures at sea, buying boats overseas and some of his favourite destinations, which you can only reach by boat.
The Sea, Safety and Survival Course David recommends for all participants joining them for offshore passages is on this link.
Learn more about Ocean Sailing Expeditions and the Ocean Sailing Podcast - Click Here
Marine Electronics
This episode looks at some of the key need-to-know features of your marine electrical system. We go through the options of how you generate and store power on board, understanding the amount of power being used at all times, and how to avoid accidentally wasting power or avoiding being caught out by the batteries being run flat and not available when you need them.
Toys for your boat
For many boats, toys are a key part of the activity. This episode takes you through some of Neil's favourite boating toys, for swimming, fishing, towing, snorkelling, and paddle boarding, with tips on how to avoid your boat becoming overrun with toys and keeping everyone safe whilst you're using them.
5 ideas to simplify your boat
Finding ways to make your boat safer and easier to use should always have a positive impact on how often and safely you can use your boat. This episode takes you through some of the options you could use to help keep the boat running smoothly and simplify your job of skippering and maintaining a boat.
Covers and Canvas - Protecting your boat and crew
Setting up and using an EPIRB
Boating Holidays - How to make them awesome
The course we mention in this episode is the Online Skipper Course: aabboating.com/online
Taking a break during a passage
Qualifications for Teenagers and Young Adults
Junction from coastal cruising to pilotage
This episode is ideal for local adventurers, coastal explorers and blue water skippers.
We have packages for training all of these levels, click here to learn more.
Sea Berths
Stop > Think > Act
One wrong decision can have a knock-on effect quite rapidly at times. Always try to take the time to think steps through and find a way to stabilise a situation, so these things are not getting worse. This will hopefully allow you some time to come up with a plan and brief your crew on what is required of them.
This is a major benefit of training so that you gradually increase the number of experiences you have skippered and the equipment you have used. It will help you to grow a collection of transferable skills that you can draw on during an emergency at sea. Hopefully, these experiences help you avoid even finding yourself in an emergency at sea.
Managing engine failure
Your first overnight passage
Don't get penned in - Is a marina berth or swing mooring going to be the best for you?
Setting up for a successful passage
The first year of boat ownership
Mayday Mayday Mayday
Navigation - Where are you?
Is it time to make a plan?
Keep It Simple Skipper!
Logbook: logbook.members-only.online/get-started
Courses: www.aabboating.com/learn
ABB TV: www.aabboating.com/abb-tv
Accelerate your skill development
Planning your first Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
Self Sufficiency for blue water cruising
aabboating.co.uk
aabboating.com
Perishable knowledge
aabboating.com/online/
aabboating.co.uk/online
Sustainable boating - With Kate Fortnam
Green Blue Website: thegreenblue.org.uk/
Fuel Whistle: www.deckhardware.com.au/accessories/barton-fuel-whistle/
RYA Day Skipper and the ICC explained
For very experienced skippers, the I.C.C. can be completed as a one-day assessment. Candidates can be assessed on their own or with another person. A Day Skipper Practical Course is the pathway for skippers who are seeking training prior to gaining an I.C.C.
Once you pass either the I.C.C. assessment or a Day Skipper Practical Course, you apply to the RYA for the I.C.C. certificate. The I.C.C. from the RYA is valid for 5 years. You do not have to complete the test after this time, all you are required to do is renew the licence by paying a fee direct to the RYA.
International Certificate of Competence: aabboating.com/icc
RYA Day Skipper Shorebased: aabboating.com/day-skipper
Assess your skills: logbook.members-only.online/get-started