Sailing Checklist

Items to prepare for sailing and to put the boat away upon return:

Starting engine

Check engine oil color (not milky) and level (on dipstick) each time.
Check transmission oil every third trip.
Switch battery on to “2” (engine battery).
Open raw water seacock (carefully).
Make sure shutoff lever at control panel is pushed in.
Make sure no lines/ropes hanging in water where they could get stuck on the propeller — especially coming back in after sailing.
Start engine with key. If it doesn’t start within 6 cranks, stop — normally starts in 2 cranks.
Key must NOT be turned off when engine is running — it will not stop the engine but it will blow the electrical system. Engine is shut off by pulling the shutoff lever outward.
Check that water is coming out the exhaust in the stern.
Go into cabin and switch battery to “all” so both batteries will charge. Never turn off while engine is running.
Wait until temp is in green to put engine in gear.
Engine should run at least 40 minutes, including some time in gear and under load.

Stopping engine

Stop engine by pulling shutoff lever (in panel) outward; do NOT turn off key when engine is running.
If last shutoff of the day, flush with fresh water before turning off the engine: place bucket of water at end of “T” hose, open end of “T” hose and place in bucket; close seacock; after whole bucket of fresh water is drained, stop engine with shutoff lever; close end of “T” hose.
After engine has stopped, turn key off, then turn battery switch in cabin to off.

Engine general

Keep diesel tank at least 3/4 full at all times to avoid stirring up sediments.
Check pan under engine for oil/water, mop up and keep an eye it looks to be leaking, don’t let any oil get in bilge.

Be sure all gear is stowed securely in quarter-berth or vee-berth — no items, even relatively soft ones, should be able to fly around the cabin, as they will dent the wood.
Don’t let folks stand on the steps when sailing; they are not strong enough the carry the weight when boat is heeled.

Dock lines stay on boat; make sure they never get in water so they don’t get stuck in the propeller!
When tying up, line goes from boat to cleat on dock, tie on dock, then back to boat and tie on boat, so double lines at each point.
Put a fender on each side of the boat, midway-ish.

Keep on channel 16, which is the hailing channel.
To hail another boat, say, “[Other boat name], Amelia.” If you reach them, ask to switch to another channel such as 68, to continue talking. After each transmit, say, “over.” When done, say, “Amelia, out,” and switch back to 16.
If you need to contact the Coast Guard, say, “United States Coast Guard, this is sailing vessel Amelia on channel one-six.” After they reply, you can shorten to, “Coast Guard, Amelia…” for each transmit. End with “Roger, Coast Guard, Amelia out,” and make sure you’re back on 16.
Channel 14 is Vessel Traffic Service (VTS). Helpful to listen to 14 while getting ready, both to hear what the ships are doing out there and to hear the radio etiquette.

By The Sea Sailing Blog