Advice for sailors

Some basic advice

When taking over a boat make sure you check everything and you understand how everything functions! This is very important.

• Never leave the cooking stove (if lit) or any other naked flame unattended.
• Candles can be irresistible. Rest them in a wide bowl or saucer with some water in it. Ensure there is a clear height of at least 50 cm above the flame!
• Do not smoke in your cabin. Better still do not smoke at all inside the boat - it smells bad..
• Dispose of refuse in the bins provided in ports. Do not throw refuse in the sea.
• Walking barefoot on deck can result in bruised toes.
  For your safety and to protect the boat, wear deck shoes and do not bring sand or worse on board. Most yachts have a deck shower and the soles of your shoes can be washed clean very easily. You don't have to dry them. Water does not harm a boat.
• Blankets pillows and cushions are not easy to dry on a boat. Do not take them up on deck if there is a risk of their getting wet.
• After you swim or shower, change to something dry to protect the upholstery.
• Keep charts and pilot books inside the boat at all times and treat them with respect. Most boats have only one of each. Do not rest food or drinks on the chart table.
• Keep cartons out of the boat. They could be hiding insects or their eggs which could infest your boat.
• Boats are quite full of switches and buttons. Make sure you know what they are intended for before operating.
   

Genoa

The head sail / gib on a modern yacht is long at the foot - in other words a genoa, a roller furling genoa.

To unroll your genoa pull on the sheet through the winch with exactly two turns of sheet round it. While unrolling, keep a little tension on the reefing line. Otherwise the mechanism may jam or rolling back in become unnecessarily difficult. If undue force is needed there is something wrong. Do not use the winch handle to unroll the genoa. You risk breaking the forestay and bringing down your mast.Examine all parts carefully until you find what is fouling and how. An obvious possibility is that the reefing line is jamming somewhere along the way. Another possibility is that the genoa or spinnaker halyard is slack and has wound itself round the forestay. In this case you must roll the genoa back, free and tighten the halyard (s) and then try again.
When you reef the genoa remember to keep the sheet in tension while winching the reefing line and to move the sheet traveller forward. The idea is to have equal tension along the foot and the leach of the sail. Not only is your sail more efficient like this but also you will avoid damaging it.

To reef or roll in your genoa completely in a strong wind you are better off doing it while running. Doing this you would be taking the wind load off the sail and also stop it flogging as you gradually release the sheet which you must do.  

Conventional mainsail

Before hoisting a conventional - slab reefing - mainsail, make sure that the boom is supported high enough in order to avoid breaking the runners on the mast track or maybe tearing the sail. The boom vang and main sheet may have to be loosened. Undo the sail ties, steer the boat into the wind and pull on the halyard. If too much force is needed have a good look to determine the reason. It could be a forgotten sail tie or the reefing line at the clew could be jamming in the brake. If you are using a winch for this, make sure the sail is not snagging to avoid damage. Except for larger yachts the winch should only be needed to tighten the luff. Do not apply too much force here, you are only stretching the sail out of shape. Finally ease the topping lift to drop the boom a little so that the leach can be nice and taut when sheeted in.
Unless you are racing, the easiest, safest way to reef this kind of sail, is to heave to. This will stop the yacht and make reefing much safer but don't forget to wear a safety harness if you are going to the mast. First of all the boom will have to be raised a little by giving slack to the mainsail and boom vang and tightening the topping lift. The sail will have to be lowered until the appropriate eyelet at the luff can be hooked at the goose neck. Some of the mast track runners may have to be slid out of the mast track. The halyard must then be tightened a bit more firmly than before. Next the corresponding reefing line at the clew end of the sail must be tightened to bring the clew as close to the boom as possible. Make sure the sail is now supported only at the head, tack and clew. Finally the intermediate reefing lines are loosely tied to support the excess sail cloth on the boom. If they are tightened too much, the sail may be torn.
When stowing conventional mainsails it is important to tighten the topping lift and have the halyard clear before coming in to the wind and dropping your sail smartly. Then the sail is fan folded - flaked - on the boom. To do this easily and neatly you can use the the mast track runners as guides for the width of the folds. Pulling the sail at the leech with every fold is essential in order to stretch the sail on the boom. Finally bind the sail with the ties provided.
 

In mast roller reefing mainsail

This is probably the greatest single advance for cruising yachts. It makes sail handling safe and easy. To unfurl a roller reefing mainsail pull on the clew line while maintaining a little tension on the reefing line. You should look at it with a critical eye. You may have to loosen the mainsheet and boom vang. If you experience difficulty check whether the furled sail is protruding from the mast slit. This may occur if the sail has been rolled loosely or the halyard is too slack. DO NOT apply excessive force. You could cause permanent failure. Release the tension on the clew instead and roll back a little so that the folded sail goes back in to the mast. Then continue unrolling carefully. You may have to get one of your crew to help rotation by hand round the tack of the sail. When the mainsail is unrolled check the halyard and tighten if necessary.

Do not over tighten the clew. This is what gives your sail the right amount of camber. The lighter the wind the more camber you should have. If the leach is flogging you may need to release your topping lift and tighten your mainsheet. Never let your sails flog. Flogging sails can be torn in seconds.

Roller reefing is best carried out while sailing off the wind, especially for a genoa. Mainsails are easier to reef on a reach. Gradually ease the clew and winch in the reefing line.
To avoid flogging and damage, ensure that while roller reefing sails are stowed there is a little tension on the clew. Like this they will roll tightly so they will not jam when unfurling.

Reef early

If the boat heels more than about 20-25 degrees or the helm is getting heavy it is time to reduce your sail area. Heeling hard and fighting the helm may feel exiting but experience shows that under these conditions a yacht sails more slowly - increased water resistance - and drifts sideways. Beyond that you may find that you are suffering all sorts of ills. You can broach, you can be knocked down, sails may be torn...

Mind the boom

Gybing a small boat requires care. Gybing your yacht without sheeting in your main sail can cause major failure especially in winds over about 15 knots. While running in anything but a light breeze, avoid the danger of a gybe by sailing under genoa only. This will also make the helm lighter and help prevent broaching.

Make no mistake, the boom is quite lethal. I have known a man that survived a gybing boom which threw him overboard unconscious and with only a broken arm and a few broken ribs. As it happened he was one of a group of policemen on a sailing trip. They were all in good physical condition and well able to deal with an emergency.
But then I have also known an experienced skipper who was literally decapitated by the mainsheet during an accidental gybe - yes the sheet, not even the boom.
 

Accidental gybe

As you were probably taught at sailing school, running in a strong wind with your mainsail can lead to an accidental gybe which is very dangerous. The nasty thing about an accidental gybe is the boom swinging at high speed as the wind catches the sail from the 'other' side. To avoid this you can use a preventer. What a preventer does is to stop the boom swinging even if the sail is filled on the 'other' side.
It consists of a length of line (rope) tied to about the mid-length of the boom on one end and the other end to a strong point on the boat so that the boom is no longer free to move. Obviously you do this with the boom as wide as you want it while running and the line as nearly as possible at right angles to the boom. Keep your head low while you are doing this in case the accidental gybe happens before you have secured the preventer and make sure you can undo your knots when you need to but not before... The knot on the boom can be a bowline on the attachment point for one of your mainsheet pulleys and the other end can be a slip knot for easy release.
Another way to avoid accidental gybes, of course, is not to use your mainsail while running. Just use your head sail. If the wind is so strong as to be concerned about an accidental gybe then your headsail would be very adequate. If lowering your mainsail is too much trouble then you can just keep it firmly sheeted in to the centre line of the boat. People may snigger seeing you sail like this but don't let it bother you. Safety first!
 

Catamarans

do not heel and they do not forgive. Consult the manual about reefing and always be on the look out for freshening winds or sudden gusts. Remember that winds can be considerably stronger round a point, in straights and to the lee of high hills. In an emergency you can just let go the main sheet but reefing to the right amount is best.

The picture shows what happened to someone who did not heed this advice:

It could have been worse. Considerably worse...
If over canvassed a catamaran can capsize. Not a nice situation.
Also catamarans do not take rough waves very kindly. In fact if you have any choice just don't take a catamaran out in anything over force six.

One time I had to deliver a catamaran and was caught in a force 8 storm with squalls up to 50 Kts and steep waves. There was nothing else but to reef right down and battle on. When I got there I had to report a hairline crack between the starboard hull and the naccelle.

Winches

when pulling on a line by hand two turns round the winch are exactly right. One turn is too few and three turns are one too many. When using a winch handle, however you must quite cover the winch with line especially with self tailing winches. Otherwise the self tailing part could be damaged. With adjustable self tailing heads make sure you adjust this properly for the thickness of the line.
 

Your engine

You've heard it before very likely, but it is important. Check the oil and coolant level before starting the engine every day. Top up if necessary. If a lot of topping up is needed you must get a mechanic to find out the reason.

For your engine to start and function properly it requires:
Clean diesel fuel (water or dirt will stop the engine and may cause serious damage)
Coolant (in dual circuit engines)
Sea water - sea cock open
If engine stops by pulling on a wire it must be returned fully
The starting battery must be in good condition and switched on.
To start, put the throttle lever in the neutral position, switch on at the engine control panel. The alarm should sound and the warning lights will light up. Apply preheat where available for 10 - 20 seconds and then push on the start button or turn the key switch to the start position. The engine should start, the alarm should stop after a few seconds and all the warning lights should go out. Lean out over the side to make sure there is sea water coming out of the exhaust.
If there is no water coming out of the exhaust you probably have a damaged impeller in the sea water pump. Switch off the motor and check. It is also possible that the inlet is blocked. This requires diving.
You are ready to move, but before you engage the propeller ensure that there are no lines near the stern of your boat. Fouling a line is not only annoying but it can also cause serious damage to the engine mountings, gear box and prop shaft coupling. Also you may find yourself out of control, drifting, colliding or grounding.
If anything is caught on your propeller put your gear lever to idling immediately and switch off. This is where you must decide immediately whether you should anchor or hoist sail. Before motoring again someone must dive and free the propeller from whatever is fouling it. Do not start the motor until the diver has also inspected the prop shaft, supporting bracket, the propeller itself, and has returned to the boat.
To stop the engine under normal circumstances, let it idle for a while so that the temperature can go down and then cut the fuel supply by pulling on the stop handle or pressing the stop button or turning the switch to the stop position (depending on the engine type). With most types the alarm should sound and the warning lights should go on until you turn off the switch.

WARNING:
with some engines turning the key to the off position while the engine is running does not stop the engine and may cause serious damage to your electrical system.
While motoring, keep an eye on the engine control panel. It displays valuable information and gives early warning of any malfunction.
Do not exceed the maximum speed of your engine. Your gain in speed is only marginal and your fuel consumption increases dramatically. Also your engine might overheat, and smoke. If the engine smokes or overheats reduce speed.
Do not use the engine while sailing if the boat is heeling beyond about 25 degrees.
If an alarm sounds or flashes, try to determine the reason (loss of oil pressure, overheating or water in the fuel). If it is the oil pressure or water in the fuel switch off immediately. Correct the fault before restarting your engine.
If the alarm is for a high temperature just lower the engine speed and watch the temperature. When it is back to normal, switch off the engine and check the coolant.
If the engine slows down or 'hesitates' there is a problem with the fuel. If you are not sure about the cause, check or change your fuel filter and add fuel to the tank. Purge the air out of the system if you have removed filters and start again. Do not be surprised if the engine runs a little unevenly at first. You will find detailed instructions about purging the system in your engine manual.
If you are unable to start the engine, use your sails or anchor in safety and seek help.

Anchoring

Your boat carries a main and a kedge anchor. While under way, anchors should be stowed or secured with a short line to the boat in order to prevent an anchor falling off the boat.

Before you drop your anchor ensure that the sea is shallow enough for the anchor to hold and to be recovered. A good depth is about 10 m maximum for your anchor to hold. The reason for this 'arbitrary' statement is that most sailing yachts have a maximum of 60 m of chain. In calm conditions you need a scope of three times the depth. In stronger conditions you need five times the depth and in stormy conditions you need seven times the depth. All these are for reasonably good ground. If the ground is rocky or covered with thick weed, the holding power of your anchor is seriously compromised.
On Erato I carry 120 m of anchor chain and am thankful for it.
If you find that your anchor does not hold the most probable reason is a short scope and the next most probable cause is that the ground is of poor holding. Putting out your kedge anchor, also on a short scope you will have two anchors dragging. It is much better to put the two anchors in line with one another. This way you are increasing your scope which is the single most important factor for good anchoring. If this is still not enough you can add scope by adding whatever long, strong lines you have on board. This has saved me from disaster more than once while skippering yachts with as little chain as 50 m.
All this applies equally to anchoring in a bay as to coming stern to in a crowded harbour dock.
Winds can come up quite suddenly and there is always the risk that your anchor may be lifted off the bottom by another ship. If you have plenty of scope you can afford to pull on your chain and hope that your anchor will hold. Otherwise you will have to re anchor.
Your kedge anchor should be lowered and raised from the bows even if you intend to secure it to the stern. It is the only part of the boat designed for this type of work and you can use your windlass. Damage to the hull, guard rails, and toe rails may result from dropping or recovering your anchor from the side or the stern of the boat.
When using your electric windlass make sure your engine is running to help with the high load the windlass imposes on your batteries. If the windlass motor is overloaded its fuse may blow or a circuit breaker may trip. Make sure you know where all this is and how to restore power to the windlass.
If the windlass motor works but the windlass is not driving the chain either the brake is loose or the windlass is damaged.

A little patience and good humour is usually enough to fix it. Sometimes it also needs some spares.
Coming astern to a dock you may experience some difficulty because of the prop wash which makes your stern turn to one side, port or starboard, depending on the direction of rotation of your propeller. If you are not familiar with this you may find it useful to go astern in clear water so you can get the feel of your boat. More serious is a side wind which turns the bows of your boat downwind. To counter this place the boat with the bows upwind as you stop before going astern. If you are still having difficulties, stop the boat and start going astern a long way from the pier, with the rudder straight. Once you have a little speed the helm answers a lot better and you can drive your ship accurately.
All you need is to get your anchor man to drop the anchor at the right distance from the pier.
It sounds easy but very often it ends up as a small disaster.


 

Fenders

would be in place by now. If things are tight you may have one or two crew members holding fenders to follow your progress along the neighbouring ships.

To avoid losing fenders and engaging in fender fishing, rest the fenders on the deck while tying to the guard rail or untying. Move your fenders to adequately protect your boat.

 

Instruments

Electronic instruments are only aids to navigation and safety. Their performance can be affected by many factors including electrical interference, environmental conditions and improper handling or use. They cannot replace common prudence careful chart study and navigational judgement which is your responsibility to exercise.

Log: Boat speed and logged distance are at best accurate over water - not over ground. If your log does not work at all the impeller on the transducer is probably fouled with barnacles, floating sea weed, or a sea gull's feather! Carefully remove the transducer, clean it and replace it, taking care to screw it all the way down and to line it up with the hull. It is enough to plug the through hull hole with the flat of your palm, or the heel of your bare foot while cleaning but a screw cap is also provided for this purpose.
The depth sounder may show incorrect depth depending on the quality of the bottom, the boat speed, and other factors. The depth shown is usually under the transducer. The depth sounder cannot replace navigational skill.
Wind. where fitted wind instruments provide a useful aid for meteorological observation sail trim and timely reefing. Remember that most likely wind speed and direction relate to apparent wind.
 

Your tender

Do not tow your tender and do not jump into it. It is not built to take such treatment. Sharp rocks, sand and of course sea urchins can make holes in it. Before letting go the painter, make sure the oars and rowlocks are in position even if you have an outboard motor.

Rowing against a strong wind is very hard if not impossible. Before setting off consider the wind direction and strength and if in doubt, make sure someone is watching in case the wind proves stronger than you are.
Do not leave things or young children in the tender. A strong gust can capsize it even with a child or two inside it. I have seen it happen.
When landing on a shore, do not drag it. Lift it, carry it well away from the surf and tie it down.
If you have an outboard motor make sure you have the right fuel for it. Check that the tank is full before starting off. Apart from screwing tightly to the transom, tie the motor with a strong short line. Always keep the motor upright. Otherwise fuel may spill and sea water from the cooling circuit may run into the cylinder from the exhaust port which may permanently damage the motor.
To start the outboard motor, open the the breather at the top of the filler cap, open the fuel tap, open the choke if the motor is cold, set the throttle to the starting position and make sure there is nothing and nobody near the propeller before pulling on the starting cord. If all is OK the motor will start immediately. Turn off the choke after a few moments.
If the motor does not start after 2-3 pulls on the cord it may be flooded. Close the choke and try again.
While motoring, use the tiller for steering, regulate your speed according to conditions and avoid fouling the propeller or hitting the bottom. Keep a distance from swimmers!
To stop the motor, turn the throttle down and push the stop button. Then turn the fuel tap off and screw back the breather at the top of the filler cap.

Electrical

Your safety and comfort depends on your electrical supply which is stored in your batteries. At the beginning of your trip visually check the electrolyte level. If necessary add enough distilled water to cover the plates. To maintain the yacht batteries you have to think of energy going into them and being drawn out. When all energy is used up your batteries are unable to supply your needs. This is why economy is so important. Take care to switch off whatever is not in use. When you leave a cabin or a head turn off the lights.

You need to switch on your anchor light if you are anchored for the night. When you are tied up to a dock this is not needed. All it does, is to drain your battery.
Keep an eye on your voltmeter or charge indicator located on the main control panel. If the voltage goes down to under about 11.5 Volts you must charge your batteries by running your engine. Running your engine for about 2 hrs every day should be enough.
Only switch on your electrical refrigerator or the windlass while the engine is running.
Battery installations vary but in all cases it is possible to isolate the motor starting battery so you do not draw power from it except while the engine is running. Drawing power from your motor starting battery you may find yourself in the unpleasant situation of being unable to start your motor.

Fresh Water

Your water supply is stored in at least two separate tanks and nowadays it is pumped to the outlets by a pressure controlled electric pump. The pump works automatically when any outlet is used and the pressure in the system drops.

Ensure you are only using one tank at a time, selected by a switch, so that you can check on your water reserves. When you switch to your last tank you should begin to think of refilling your tanks. Be very careful to only fill up the water tanks with water. The consequences of adding water to the diesel tank are just too catastrophic. On most yachts the filler caps for water and diesel look alike and it is easy to make a mistake. Even when painted a different colour, a colour blind person could mistake the one for the other. The only way is to read what it says on there.
If the flow of water to only one outlet is reduced, its filter is probably blocked. Remove it, clean it and try again. If this does not cure it, it is something else that is blocking the flow. A possibility is that there is a filter for all the water supply which has not been visited for a long time. It should be located near the inlet of the fresh water pump.
When the tank in use is empty, no water comes out of any outlet. You have to switch to another tank. You must not leave the water pump running for long periods if there is no water at all. The pump will heat up and could be permanently damaged.

Bilge pumps

There is at least one electric bilge pump in your yacht. Separate pumps may be installed for emptying the showers. There are many alternative installations and in some cases it is necessary to switch to the inlet where water is to be emptied (e.g. salon bilge or motor bilge). Bilging out should be monitored so that the bilge pump is not left running for long periods as this could damage its electric motor. On my yacht I have automated the system so that bilge pumps work when there is some bilge and stop when the level of bilge drops.

At the inlet to bilge pumps there is a filter fitted to stop any solids from entering the pump. This must be cleaned periodically for the bilge pump to work efficiently. To do this you need to remove the transparent cover, withdraw the stainless steel strainer and clean it. Refit it carefully, taking care to to fit the strainer on its seat at both ends and the o-ring gasket between the body and the plastic cover.
In my experience these filters are rather small needing frequent attention and on my yacht I have fitted a much bigger filter that may take a year before it has to be cleaned! Luxury!

Toilets

Yacht toilets are designed to accept only human waste. Anything else can block the toilets badly. Paper etc should be disposed of in the suitable bins provided for this purpose.

After use, the toilet must be flushed with sea water and then pumped dry. There is a little lever somewhere on the pump body which must be put in the appropriate position for flushing/emptying.
If you want to switch off the toilet and other sea cocks during sailing, be careful not to apply too much force on the operating lever, it can break.
If you do have a blocked toilet get hold of a bucket and undo the hose at the outlet switch after turning it off. That is where the blockage occurs normally. There are many other ways toilets can pose a challenge. If you are really lost for a solution you can call me on my mobile phone. ++306944353200. The chances are that I can help you.

Emergencies

The best way to deal with emergencies is not to have any. With common sense and a few basic precautions you will forestall emergencies.

• Check you first aid kit.
• Avoid accidents.
• Do not leave hatches wide open at any time. It is easy to put a foot there and it can be very painful if you fall in.
• Close all hatches while sailing and stow everything securely.
• Stay clear of the boom, anchor chains, mooring lines, sheets, winches etc. while in use by someone else.
• Do not leave port without adequate supplies of water, fuel, oil, basic spares ( fuel filter, oil filter, belts) and tools or if any equipment has failed.
• Familiarise everyone with the safety equipment on board, its location and the way it should be used in an emergency.

Water in the boat

Water in the boat does not mean that you are sinking and it goes without saying that you are not going to leave port with a lot of water in the ship. All the same it is possible that a small quantity of water from washing the bilges, for example, may not be visible while the yacht is upright but appears when the yacht heels. This is the case with shallow bilge hulls.

The situation is more serious if you discover a significant amount of water while under way. Taste the water to determine whether it is fresh water or sea water. If it is fresh water first look for any taps which may have been left running and turn the fresh water pump off in case there is a leak in the piping. Then consider the possibility that one of your tanks is leaking.
If it is sea water you must determine as soon as possible where it is coming from and take measures against it.
Once you know where the water is coming from, it is relatively a simple matter to stop it or at least contain it. Use your imagination and whatever comes to hand. There is no need to find the perfect solution straight away. A make shift solution will do to reduce the leak and then maybe think about improving things.
Stay cool.
It takes a lot of water to sink a yacht. If the water is knee high, or more, reduce sail to improve stability.
With a dish cloth or a towel in your hands look for a leak. Frequent 'innocent' sources of sea water and makeshift solutions are:-

• a forgotten or leaky hatch (close it as well as possible)
• a toilet with a worn one way valve (close the sea cocks)
• waves washing in through an air vent (plug with cloth)
• the companion way (close it)
• a kitchen sink or wash basin installed a little near the water line (close the sea cock)
• a loose press tube / gland / cutlass bearing (if you cannot adjust it just limit the flow with the towel and maybe some string)
• the depth sounder or log transducer may be leaking or worked loose (put it back or plug the hole with the towel)
• the same if the prop shaft is gone (dish cloth)
• The sea water pump may be leaking (let it leak if you must motor and keep bilging out)
• the exhaust pipe may be leaking (cover with your towel and some string)
• the stern may be cracked above the waterline so that it only ships water when under way. (this is a little difficult because it may be inaccessible - use the towel when you can - slow down)
• something I cannot think of just now...

While searching around for the 'leak' you can get your crew to use your electric bilge pumps, the hand operated deck pump and perhaps also the portable hand pump to empty the boat. Your bucket is also very powerful.

Sea sickness

Sea sickness can be very unpleasant and a lot of people are afraid it can happen to them especially if they already had some experience of it. It is usually dealt with by means of medications but this is not the best way. With guests to my yacht I start by explaining to them what seasickness is and how to get it under control. The first essential is to be in a good general condition. Make sure you have eaten enough but not too much and avoid alcohol before setting off. In cold weather make sure you stay warm.
Sea sickness is caused by the confusion caused when you get different clues from two or more of your senses. One of them is the sense of balance - in the middle ear - and the other important one is vision. You could also count the pressure in your body as you are moved about and the awareness of the small but essential muscular moves you need to make in order to counter the way the boat moves you. The secret to combat sea sickness lies in getting all this sensory input in harmony. The way to accomplish this is to be actively aware of the ship's motion. You will soon realise that there is a definite rhythm to the movement of the boat and you will just have to get this rhythm and accept it in a positive frame of mind, to "go with it". If you try to fight it you will just "loose it". The quickest way is to take the helm. This way you are obliged to look ahead, see the waves - that are causing the ship's motion - and while standing up feel it under your feet. Medicines can help a few people but invariably they have side effects. The usual sea sickness pills "Dramamine" make you sleepy and tired and the "Scopolamine" skin patches affect your eyes. In one case a young lady had to be rushed to the hospital because of the patch behind her ear. She was complaining of pain to her eyes and was very close to losing her cornea... If despite your honest effort to get into the rhythm of the boat you do get sick and you just have to vomit, try to do it in an orderlry manner preferably downwind and whatever you do hold on to the ship. After you have vomited, just wash your mouth and then drink some water. Prolonged sea sickness can cause dehydration. Then chew some rusks, dry biscuits or anything similar. You don't want an empty stomach.

Man overboard

Do not fall overboard or cause someone else to do so while under way or even at anchor. It is best never to have to recover one of the crew who has fallen overboard. The success rate of performing this "exercise" in real emergencies is very small indeed. It is much better to always have "one hand for the boat". Whenever anyone has to go up on the deck in rough weather make sure they use a safety harness and still hold on.

If despite all precautions someone goes overboard you will have to get them back. Do not get people to jump in to the sea in order to save someone who has fallen over unless they are completely incapable of helping themselves. Two men overboard is considerably more trouble than one.

Never leave the ship unattended to help someone else. You may not be able to get back to it.
Techniques for reaching and recovering a man overboard are the subject of basic training in sailing schools. Take it seriously but never allow yourself to feel safe because you can perform the exercise. Real conditions are very different.
(Make sure you and also someone else learn how to control the ship with accuracy. You might like to practice this by getting your ship mates to throw things like fenders or horseshoe buoys unexpectedly and have to get them back in one smooth operation.)
While you are doing everything possible to recover the man overboard get one of your crew to announce your predicament on the VHF channel 16 so that any other ships in the area may assist.
Get everyone else to either be following the man overboard with their eyes or to be making preparations for recovering him.

Medical problems

require medical attention. Apart from first aid, you should seek assistance at the nearest port. If things seem more urgent put out a "pan medico" signal on your VHF, channel 16, while proceeding to the nearest port as fast as possible. Advise the authorities in advance of your arrival (port police on channel 12) explaining the nature of the emergency and stating the kind of help you need - an ambulance?

Fire

Everyone on board must know where the fire extinguishers are and how they work. You should also know where the fire extinguishing access to the engine compartment is located and how to access it in case of fire.

While cooking regulate the stove to the minimum acceptable and never leave the stove unattended. Fire in a frying pan is best put out by covering the frying pan with a saucepan lid, plate or heavy cloth. Do not use water and turn off the stove, of course.
Ensure that matches and cigarette ends are properly extinguished before throwing away.
If you find candles irresistibly romantic, rest them in a dish or bowl with water in it. Ensure there is a clear height of at least 50 cm above the candle flame.
Any smell of burning should be investigated immediately.

Risk of collision

Keep a constant lookout over all the horizon (360 degrees) and act early if needed. You should be familiar with the rules for avoiding collision at sea but you can never rely on the other ship to know them too or even to be keeping a proper watch. If you are in any doubt there is one very simple rule that will keep you safe in all circumstances:

Determine which side of the other ship you are seeing
If you are presenting the same side of your ship to the other ship continue your course with vigilance.
Otherwise change your course so as to present the other ship with the same side of yours as you see of the other, while increasing your distance from the other ship.

Grounding

In order to avoid grounding, study your charts carefully and make sure you know your exact position at all times. If you have to navigate near a hazard, in a narrow channel etc. proceed slowly and post some of your crew at your bows so they can warn you.
The worst hazard is a lee shore. Keep a minimum distance of one mile from a lee shore or any hazard to the lee if possible.
Grounding is not dangerous in itself. If you do ground, do not abandon ship unless the hull is actually broken and water is coming in faster than you can bail out. Stay calm and determine the nature of the bottom you are on, the direction in which you run aground and the direction in which your boat will be most easily freed. Also consider the situation and if you are on gently sloping ground it may be a good idea to put down your main anchor and pay out your scope if the boat is drifting on shallow ground. Do not attempt to pull on this until you are ready to get off. Then decide on the action you must take to sail away.
The means at your disposal for getting your boat clear are the sails, the kedge anchor, the engine and the lines you have on board. Heeling the yacht, effectively reduces the draft and may be enough for the boat to float and be driven away under sail, motor or both. You can heel the yacht using your sails, or the kedge anchor put down well away and tied to the spinnaker halyard. The weight of the crew and any large weights hanging from the end of the boom can also help.
Naturally you can call on other ships to help you too. Just remember they could claim salvage.

Dismasting

To avoid dismasting treat your rig and sails with respect. Do not adjust shrouds and stays unless you really know what you are doing. Do not use too much sail for the weather conditions, trim your sails correctly and avoid accidental gybes. If a stay or shroud fails consider, if you should not reduce your sail area. You can use your halyards to support the mast temporarily while you proceed to port.

If you do get dismasted you have a major job deciding what to do and actually doing it. Each case is different but be prepared for a whole lot of sails and shrouds everywhere. A whole mess to sort out. Before you attempt to run your motor make sure there are no lines or sails trailing around in the water.
There are two schools of thought. Cut it all loose and throw it overboard or save what you can. It is entirely up to you which you will do. If you do want to salvage what is left, make sure you secure it firmly on the deck.

Helm failure

Too much sail and bad sail trim result in unfair loads on the helm. If the helm is heavy on a reach or while beating you probably need to ease your main sheet. Do not support your weight on the wheel. Do not steer with the wheel locked. Do not let the wheel or the tiller slip out of your hands when going astern.

If the wheel fails, use the emergency tiller to get to port.
More rarely you may loose some of your rudder or even all of it. In this case you will find that the behaviour of your yacht will change completely. Directional stability will be seriously compromised. In such circumstances you need to find a way to improvise some kind of makeshift rudder. It all depends on your inventiveness and what you have available. Maybe a spinnaker pole, a gangway, a cabin door, a floor panel, a sea anchor?
Brace yourself for initial failure and with grim determination to succeed in the end. The plan is to establish some lateral resistance aft of your keel. If help is available you might accept it gracefully.

Requesting assistance

There is no separate organisation (similar to the British RNLI) in Greece dedicated to assisting mariners in distress but of course any captain would come to save life in peril. If you need help you should call Olympia radio on VHF channel 16 giving the name of your ship your location and explaining what distress you are finding yourself in and what help you need. Your request will be evaluated by the coast guard and depending on circumstance assistance will be given.
If you are near a port you may call the local port police on channel 12.
If your call for help is answered by someone else and you wish to be towed, make sure you agree with the captain in advance how he proposes to help you and how much it will cost.
Ensure the authorities have witnessed this agreement over the VHF. This is essential if the assistance rendered may constitute salvage, irrespective of the reason for your request. Salvage law is firmly on the side of the ship rendering assistance. Arguing afterwards is useless.
If the assistance you need involves moving people or things do not come alongside another ship in anything but absolute calm. Use your tender or that of the other ship. Coming close to a ferry boat, tanker etc. may completely damage your yacht.
Many captains will help without expecting to gain anything. Show your appreciation.

MAYDAY

Most mayday calls are the result of panic and most abandoned yachts are still floating the next day. Many have been found washed up on a shore with hardly a scratch. However if you feel that your ship is in imminent danger of sinking and you must abandon ship, make your preparations in an orderly manner.

Put out a MAYDAY signal so that ships nearby and the authorities may know about it and hopefully come to assist you.
The traditional way is to use channel 16 of your VHF radio. Speak clearly and say: "MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY from sailing yacht (name of your ship) ... (position of your ship) and explain that you are about to abandon ship because (reason) "
Repeat for as long as you can or until you get some response.
In the meantime get everyone to eat preferably something warm or sweet.
Get everybody to dress warmly and wear a lifejacket.
Prepare your life raft for launching. You may also decide to launch your tender.
Get ready to throw in the sea whatever may be useful and would float or help to hold you up.
Prepare your distress flares and launch them in order to attract attention of a passing ship or to mark your position.
Stay calm. Panic is more dangerous than the situation that causes it.
Launch your life raft, get everyone in it and get in it too holding a suitable tool (wire cutters are safer and more efficient than a knife which could pierce the air tubes of the life raft) to cut the painter which joins you to the yacht.
Finally get out your writing pad. It is time to start writing about your adventures ...