COMMUNICATION It is advisable to inform your friends and family that you will out of range for the 5 days you are doing the course. We have Ron (0402 429 152) who is shore based and people can contact him in case of an emergency. The boat will be contacted via radio.

BAGS, LUGGAGE AND PERSONAL ITEMS: Each person is allowed a maximum of 60 litres of baggage and a maximum weight of 15Kg. Ensure that you have a plastic bag to put your dirty and wet gear in to prevent it from soiling the rest of your personal gear. We are happy to store your excess stuff at our apartment while you are on board.

BOAT SHOES: Always ask! If you are leaving marks, get them off straight away. If they stink, do something about it. Get suitable shoes. Barefoot is not always a good idea. 

MOBILE DEVICES, PHONES AND SMART WATCHES: Please be very conscious of use of phones and devices. When you are using a device, you are not concentrating on what is going on around you. A sailing yacht is an extremely dangerous place if you are not fully aware of your surrounds. Calls and messages should only be done when we are not training. Times will be agreed on each day for messaging and phoning. Your devices can be used as a camera when we are in action, but please do not review or look at them until an appropriate time. It is very off-putting for the instructor and other students and crew if you are preoccupied with your phone. Please also note that it is very unpleasant for others on the boat if you are constantly having phones ringing and messages beeping. All devices to be put on silent at the very least. Use the USB chargers in the cabins but ensure the phones don’t get covered by blankets or any other insulating materials and risk overheating, and fires.

HOUSEKEEPING: Everywhere on a boat needs to be accessible. There is safety and sailing equipment under all beds, in all cabins, and just about everywhere. If your stuff is left laying around, it can cause problems. Remember the term “Shipshape” 

GETTING ON AND OFF THE YACHT: If you are climbing onto the stern, hold the backstay, and climb up, stepping mainly on the timber deck. If we are alongside, and cannot get up from the stern, never pull yourself up on the stanchions, go to the shrouds, and use them to pull yourself up. Always pass valuables to another crew member to avoid the inevitable.

STOMPING: When you move around on deck and below, tread gently. Practice this so it becomes a habit.

HATCHES: Open hatches when safe to do so. Always close hatches when using sails or when at sea and conditions are not perfectly calm. A hatch which is not properly closed can hook onto sheets and lines and get ripped out of the deck. This can bring a trip to a halt and costs a lot to repair.

DRINKS: Offer the crew drinks when you feel thirsty, chances are good that if you are thirsty as well. Know what drinks the crew has. Try to use the same cups and glasses for each crew member. Pass them up sensibly and at a good time. Place cups and glasses in the sink while pouring to avoid spills. and burns.

MUSIC: Do not keep switching songs, keep the volume sensible, judge the broader audience, be considerate. If the quality is bad because of signal, do something about it. Adjust fader and volume to suit circumstances. It the Bluetooth keeps dropping out put the device near the stereo and leave it there.

NAV STATION: This is a sacred place. Do not dump your stuff here. In an emergency this space and information and equipment kept here must be accessible. Leave your phone in your cabin, there is a charging point in all cabins. Keep charts and navigation tools in their correct place. Do not leave things out which can slide off and fall onto the floor.

HEADS: Do not leave the paper out it will fall on the floor and get wet. Open the hatch to release smells. Use the brush and toilet cleaner. Wash your hands in the basin. Men and Women need to sit to pee please. Please use toilet brush if you cause a need for the bowl to be cleaned.

COMPANIONWAY: Only Admirals and Assholes stand there! Move out of the way if somebody is on the move. Do not stand in front of the instruments, the helmsman needs to be able to see them.

PERSONAL HYGIENE: Be conscious of your body odour. If you use aerosol deodorants, think about the fumes when spraying below deck. (smoke alarms). If you have clothes or shoes that smell bag them up and put them away.

WASHING DISHES: There are 3 main issues here:

• Water usage: Dishwashing uses more water than anything else. At home we ae used to running the water while we wash and rinse. On board we simply do not have enough water to do that. Run enough warm water into the smaller sink, add a teaspoon of detergent, and wash the dishes etc once they have had as much food wiped off them as possible using a paper towel.
• Timing and efficiency: Do not stack dirty plates. If you stack the plates, you double the area that needs washing. That is very inefficient. If you wash cutlery and crockery as soon as you have used it, the food washes off much easier. Do not rattle dishes if somebody is sleeping close by.
• Plan the order: Wash cups and glasses first while the water is cleanest. Then tackle the plates and pots and pans last. 
• Clear your own plate. If you have scraps left on your plate, scrape them into bin or sea and wipe down with paper towel.
• When using the counter top for wet dishes, please do not allow large amounts of dripping and water to get into the lid of the fridge.

SHOWERING: There is a hot shower above and below deck. If you shower in the head, please be aware of the following: You will wet everything in the head, so be prepared to Chamois or sponge dry all surfaces including toilet and seat and floor. Water may get inside the cupboard under the basin, and wet toilet paper.

Showering on deck: If showering naked, please consider other boats. Make sure you take your towel up with you. If others are showering on deck, please give hem privacy. If it is dark outside and light inside, nobody can see you.

PERSONAL SPACE: Walking around a boat can be challenging and can prove to be a balancing act, do not feel uncomfortable if someone uses you as support to walk around deck. Boats are confined places; everyone is living in close quarters. Make sure you give all crew members personal space when in their cabins. Make sure you move out of the way of crew members trying to get downstairs or around the boat, they could be doing something urgent.  

RAISED VOICES: Sailboats can get noisy from the wind, sails flapping, engine running and winches. If someone shouts or raises their voice don’t taking it personally, they are just trying to talk over these noises or get the crews attention. Try to face people when talking, don’t mumble.

WINCH HANDLES: Please be careful with the winch handles, they dent the deck, and have a nasty and expensive habit of jumping overboard. Please don’t leave them in the winch when not in use. Always put them back in their original pocket so they can be reached when needed.

SUNBLOCK & INSECT REPELLENT: Sunblock is always available on board, and a good idea, but too much can be a nuisance. If you use too much or spill it, it causes a very slippery situation, and can cause nasty accidents. Wipe your hands so that ropes and equipment do not get slippery. Remember that if you sit on cushions or lie on bedding with sunblock or insect repellent it makes them very greasy and ruins them. Spray on sunblock and insect repellent sprays on you as well as all over the boat and upholstery. Please avoid it, and if you do use it, please only use it outside. Do not use spray tan or artificial tan on the boat at all it discolours the surfaces you touch.

CLOTHES and TOWEL DRYING: If you hang clothes up on board, please make sure that they are out of the way, and properly attached. Pack them away before we set sail, they can get caught in vital equipment and cause damage, or blow overboard and cause pollution

WET WIPES: These are the quickest way to block a toilet and awfully bad for the environment. Wet wipes block pipes!

ROPE BAGS AND WINCH POCKETS: These are needed for ropes and winch handles. Please don’t use them for phones, sunblock, cameras etc.

LIGHTS AND POWER CONSUMPTION: Unlike at home, we have an extremely limited supply of power. We need to turn lights off when we do not need them.

SEASICKNESS: If you start feeling sick, please let us know, we can do things to help before it gets bad. We have sick bags on board, which make vomiting less unpleasant. If it is inevitable, go to the stern on the downwind side. If you puke into the wind, its coming back at you and the rest of the crew. Do not go down below to vomit in the toilet, it won’t end well.

TORCHES AND HEADLAMPS: Please only use these if you really need to. At night, the crew and especially the helmsman will be blinded from the light (and reflected light). If you are using a headlamp, remember not to face others who need to be able to see.

UPHOLSTERY AND BEDDING: Please do not sit on cushions and bedding with wet clothing or sweaty bodies. Use a towel to help protect upholstery. Do not bring pillows and blankets on deck without checking with the skipper first. The cockpit tends to be salty, and we do not want the bedding to become salty.

SMOKING and VAPING: Strictly not at all inside the boat or cabins. They will set off alarms and make the boat smelly. Even if you think your vaping does not cause smells, it does. It is very unpleasant for others who may be too polite to say so. If you have to use any form of smoking apparatus, only use it on deck downwind of all other crew.

BOTTLES: Please be careful with bottles, place them around your mattress so that they don’t roll around and fall. Avoid bottles if you can. Cans are better. Only put cans and bottles in to the fridge or esky a few hours before you need them, otherwise we run out of space.

ALCOHOL: You can bring alcohol of you wish. Nothing nicer than having a glass after a busy day however, keep in mind that this is a sailing course rather than a booze cruise ;-)

THE FRIDGE: There is very limited space in the fridge, so we pack food to optimise the space and accessibility. If we just dump personal drink bottles and snacks on top of the packed fridge it will cause problems. Always put food and bottles back the way you found them. If heavy containers are placed on top of fruit and salads, it crushes and ruins them.

DAMAGES: Accidents happen and we understand that, but if damages occur because of negligence, or where you have not followed instructions, we expect you to pay for the repair or replacement.