Knowing your way around a boat's engine and electrics is only half of it. These topics cover handling the boat itself: driving it and trimming the outboard, tying it up, the knots and rope work you'll use every trip, towing another boat, what to check when you break down on the water, looking after your lifejacket, and planning a longer passage along the coast.
Driving a small boat
Open ›The basics of driving an outboard-powered runabout, from leaving a pontoon to manoeuvring in tight spaces, and trimming the outboard.
Ropes and knots
Open ›Which knot to tie when, tying up a boat, and splicing and finishing the ends of rope.
Towing another boat
Open ›How to tow a boat behind your own, from a tinnie to a Halvorsen 36.
Breaking down on the water
Open ›What to check when the motor stops out on the water, and the tools worth carrying every trip.
Servicing an inflatable lifejacket
Open ›Servicing and re-arming an inflatable PFD with a new gas cartridge and firing mechanism.
Planning a coastal passage
Open ›Getting a boat ready to go to sea, picking a weather window, and crossing a bar.
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