The Mariner

#74 | The Mariner | Safety at Sea | Part 4 | Lifejackets

As we continue to move through the excellent RYA Sea Survival Handbook by Keith Colwell we come to the piece of safety equipment that most sailors have the most familiarity with.  We live in an age of miracles where now, falling into the cold, black waters of the Atlantic in the middle of the night MAY not actually be a death sentence, but for a lifejacket to have a chance of saving your life it needs to be correctly fitted, maintained and optioned (Spray shield, light, whistle, AIS beacon, crotch strap etc) PLUS you need to know how to use it and how to improve your chances of being seen.  
 
Patreon On-Line Seamanship Course
If you would like to develop your seamanship skills and overall safety at sea- check out the options to receive the regular Seamanship Training Videos, extra podcast and YT content over on my Patreon page. There you can also enter exciting monthly draws to win fabulous sailing prizes!
 
Check out The Mariner Patreon Page here https://www.patreon.com/themariner 
 
 

#73 | The Mariner | Book Review | The Bombard Story | Dr Alain Bombard

Something different! a book review of one of the books I have just read over on my other podcast Rare Nautical Reads  
This is my thoughts having just read this famous French text (wonderful translated by Brian Connell) that charts the voyage of Dr Alain Bombard across the Atlantic in a 12ft rubber raft, with no food, and no water, in 65 days. Alone.  
It is a most remarkable story, rendered even more heroic when one discovers that Bombard only undertook to complete this voyage to prove a method of survival that may aid those unfortunate enough to be shipwrecked. It could possible aid up to 50,000 people a year in 1950.  
I think this text has important lessons to teach us as sailors today who rely solely on modern electric life saving devices. One needs to know that if those luxuries are suddenly unavailable, for whatever reason, and you have to enter a raft, you are going to need a plan. Bombard provides it.
 
Patreon On-Line Seamanship Course
If you would like to develop your seamanship skills and overall safety at sea- check out the options to receive the regular Seamanship Training Videos, extra podcast and YT content over on my Patreon page. 
 
Check out The Mariner Patreon Page here https://www.patreon.com/themariner 
 
 

#72 | The Mariner | On Deck Report | Sept ’22 | Pentland Firth

Another on deck report and in this one you join me sneaking through the Pentland Firth, a narrow channel at the very top of the Uk mainland.  It's midnight, the wind is very light and the coast is very close by: listen in as I discuss keeping such situation safe, keeping on top of the navigation and of course- getting the coffee in!
Patreon On-Line Seamanship Course
If you would like to develop your seamanship skills and overall safety at sea- check out the options to receive the regular Seamanship Training Videos, extra podcast and YT content over on my Patreon page. 
 
Check out The Mariner Patreon Page here https://www.patreon.com/themariner 
 
 

#71 | The Mariner | Safety at Sea | Part 3 | Survival In Cold Water

Sea Survival - Cold Water Survival
It is one of my greatest fears. entering cold water in an uncontrolled manner and dying prematurely due to my lack of experience in such an environment. After making this podcast today I am forced to realize that just taking a weeks worth of cold water showers could-statistically- make me 50% more likely to be able to hold it together long enough for a vessel to change course, find me and save me.  
Let's see if I am able to convince you of the same thing as we take this opportunity to talk facts about what it is to enter cold water off the side of a boat. The statistics are terrifying but it does seem to be that there is a lot we can do to prepare ourselves mentally and physically for a cold water survival situation.  As winter descends in the Northern Hemisphere- the scene is set for us all to get a lot tougher with regards cold water and increase our likelihood of surviving cold water shock
 
Patreon On-Line Seamanship Course
If you would like to develop your seamanship skills and overall safety at sea- check out the options to receive the regular Seamanship Training Videos, extra podcast and YT content over on my Patreon page. There you can also enter exciting monthly draws to win fabulous sailing prizes!
 
Check out The Mariner Patreon Page here https://www.patreon.com/themariner 
 
 

#70 | The Mariner | On Deck Report | Sept ’22 | North Sea

First On Deck Report
For the longest time I have been struggling with how to create a podcast episode at sea with all of the environmental noises that make life on deck interesting and evocative BUT which also play merry hell with recording on a microphone. Well, I think I have a solution and whilst it's early days this episode is an opportunity to see how this content 'goes down' and gives me a starting place to build my skills.  
For this episode you join me in the North Sea to the East of England, Solo on Osprey and dodging wind farms on the way to Iceland.
 
Patreon On-Line Seamanship Course
If you would like to develop your seamanship skills and overall safety at sea- check out the options to receive the regular Seamanship Training Videos, extra podcast and YT content over on my Patreon page. There you can also enter exciting monthly draws to win fabulous sailing prizes!
 
Check out The Mariner Patreon Page here https://www.patreon.com/themariner 
 
 

#69 | The Mariner | Safety at Sea | Part 2 | Before You Depart

Part 2
I did my Safety at Sea course last weekend and I was struck by how compressed the time was for the course- only 2 days or 8 hrs to learn a HUGE amount of info.
I was reminded once agin how unsexy the subject of survival at sea can be and how easily it can get abbreviated to fit better into busy sailor schedules.  
 (ISBN 978-1-906435-96-7) at exactly the pace that best reveals what to do, how to be prepared and what equipment you have available in a crisis at sea. So... really, really slowly.  
No apologies, no excuses- I'm going to take it one page at a time and believe me- you are going to appreciate this when the waters are rising and the last light winks out!
Just before you go....
If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25 cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $5 per month option.
If you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book with me here: Spartan Ocean Racing & Training
If you have any questions please send them to: csmthemariner@gmail.com 
Cheers,
CSM

#68 |The Mariner | Safety At Sea | Part 1 | Before You Depart

I did my Safety at Sea course this last weekend and I was struck by how compressed the time was for the course- only 2 days or 8 hrs to learn a HUGE amount of info.
I was reminded once again how unsexy the subject of survival at sea can be and how easily it can get abbreviated to fit better into busy sailor schedules.  
So, to help clarify my thoughts for my own revision (after all, none of us has sailed properly in nearly two years !) and to give you the crew the benefits of any insights I have come to over the years I am going to go through the RYA 'Sea Survival Handbook ' (ISBN 978-1-906435-96-7) at exactly the pace that best reveals what to do, how to be prepared and what equipment you have available in a crisis at sea. So... really, really slowly.  
No apologies, no excuses- I'm going to take it one page at a time and believe me- you are going to appreciate this when the waters are rising and the last light winks out!
Just before you go....
If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25 cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $5 per month option.
If you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book with me here: Spartan Ocean Racing & Training
If you have any questions please send them to: csmthemariner@gmail.com 
Cheers,
CSM

#67 | Questions & Tangents | Traditonal Backstays v’s Flat Top Mains | How to be a Good Skipper

In this episode I tackle some longer, more in-depth questions sent by Patreon supporters. We will be looking at options to replace traditional backstay setups when you have or are thinking of getting a new big roach or flat-top main and I'll be getting under the skin of what it takes to be the kind of skipper people want to sail with ... more than once.
Just before you go....
If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25 cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $5 per month option.
If you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book with me here: Spartan Ocean Racing & Training
If you have any questions please send them to: csmthemariner@gmail.com 
Cheers,
CSM

#66 | The Mariner | ABC of Sailing | G is for Gybing (& Tacking!)

This episode we investigate 'G is for Gybing' (Jibing for those in North America!) as part of our on-going 'ABC of Sailing' . I discuss what it's like to gybe an Open 60 in the Southern Ocean, mistakes to avoid, potential injuries/damage, how to deal with crash gybes that lead to broaches and why it's healthy to be nervous of this most dynamic sailing evolution.
Just before you go....
If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25 cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $5 per month option.
If you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book with me here: Spartan Ocean Racing & Training
If you have any questions please send them to: csmthemariner@gmail.com 
Cheers,
CSM

#65 | The Mariner Podcast | Questions & Tangents | 7

Questions & Tangents is your opportunity to get to the bottom of those nautical problems that keep you awake in the middle of the night such as, 'Is electronic log keeping really a Thing'? & 'Which boat would Chris have if money and maintenance were not an issue?'
You guys lay awake at night thinking about some weird things... but its my pleasure to share my answers- if you can stand the tangents!
 
Just before you go....
If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25 cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $5 per month option.
If you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book with me here: Spartan Ocean Racing & Training
If you have any questions please send them to: csmthemariner@gmail.com 
Cheers,
CSM