Captains Information

Our events are Not sanctioned events. We sail out of different ports in the big bend area and anyone is welcome to sail along with us.  Each Captain is solely responsible for the safety of the Captain, the Captains Boat and the Captain’s Crew and Passengers. Big Bend Sailors will be present to help with local knowledge and to help us all have fun.  They will Not be there to protect Captains and Crews from doing stupid stuff!

Every Boat should have Coast Guard required safety equipment at a minimum.
Below is a list of suggested items that may be needed for the sail.

VHF radio.                                     Dock lines
First aid kit.                                   Flashlights
     Charts for the area to be sailed.       Sailing Gloves
           Compass.                                      Foul weather gear
                              Two anchors and anchor ropes.     Fishing gear & fishing licenses
        GPS optional.                                 Boat registration
 Sunscreen, bug repellent.                Bilge pump
                                 Lots of water to drink.                   Bucket & sponges                     
 Food & snacks.                             Duck Tape
           Boat hook and boat fenders.             Tools & spare parts
Harnesses and Jacklines.
Captains Information

                   
Each Captain should be able to sail, reef, read a compass, a chart, know how to anchor and inspect the boat for potential problems. Each Captain should have a "What if" plan.  What if you ran aground?  Could you quickly walk your anchor out into deeper water and haul yourself off? Can you quickly raise sails if you motor dies?  Are your sails neatly and tightly tied up or unavailable?  Do you have someone helping navigate?  Can you reach your radio to call someone?  Are you wearing a life jacket?  What would you do if you got lost?  What if your boat starts leaking? Think about what could go wrong and what you would do in advance.

It is always a good idea to have a Captains meeting before starting out.  Things can be discussed like what channel on the VHF should be monitored. The float plan for the sail should also be covered. Discuss the weather for the day. If the experienced members of the group says they will leave at a certain time, say 8:00 am, everyone should be gone by 8:15 am.  If you are inexperienced you must be ready to leave if you want to sail with the group. The weather or tide will not wait for you! If the experienced sailors leave at a certain time it may be because they feel conditions will become dangerous later on. You need to leave at the agreed upon time if you want to sail as a group. Some boats are very fast and if you leave 10 minutes late, they will soon be out of sight and you will be alone for the rest of the day!