Motor Boating Basics

An early love of boating on the Thames and being afloat in any form led Jon Mendez to take it up professionally over 25 years ago. He is a former RYA instructor and examiner and one of the most highly respected motor boat skippers and trainers in the business.

• Essential skillsHow to:Use the right knotLasso a cleatCoil mooring linesTie up your boatUse a lifejacket properlyLicense and use a vhf radioSet your anchorAnchor safelyRetrieve a man overboardPick up a mooring buoyPick up a mooring buoy soloUse a lockBoat maintenanceHow to:Antifoul a boatPolish a boatChange anodes on an outdriveClean teakReplace fuel filtersNavigationHow to:Set up your chartplotterCreate a route on a plotterFollow a route on your plotterUse pilotageSet up a radarBoat handlingHow to:Hold your boat steadyTurn in a tight spaceTurn a single-engined boat in a tight spaceTurn a twin-engined boat using only one engineBerth a twin-engined boat using only one engineMove a boat sidewaysFerry glideUse prop walk to your advantageDrive to windwardDrive downwindDrive in a beam seaThrottle and trim your engineMake fast turns safelyDrive in rough waterDrive an IPS boat betterBerthingHow to:Leave a dockBerth in windy conditionsLeave a windy berthBerth single-handedLeave a berth soloBack into a berth in a single-engined boatCome alongside in a single-engined boatBack into a berthDock a single shaftdrive boatUse a bow thruster effectivelyLeave a berth in a single-engined boatBerth an IPS boatTie up a big boatRaft up to another boatUse pile moorings

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