Leaving well preparedthe safety list is the beginning, not the end
More days at sea asks more of boat and crew
A multi-day passage asks more of boat and crew. That shows in the safety list — but be aware that the list is only the beginning.
A list you can tick off. A crew that knows where the EPIRB is, how the VHF works and what happens if the steering fails is something you have to build. That takes a few weekends and a few conversations — and it is the best part of the preparation.
The topics are listed below. Go through them with your crew, and bring your questions to the information meeting. There you will find a room full of people who have done this before.
Seven parts
Safety
Risk awareness, the safety list, inspection and cockpit talk, safety equipment and the safety plan.
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Passage planning
Charts, traffic separation schemes, wind farms, ports of refuge, tides and the question whether to go at all.
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Weather
What June weather does on the northern North Sea, which sources to use and how to get forecasts at sea.
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Watch systems
How to get through the night with two, three or four people without exhausting everyone. With example rotas.
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Food and water
How much to take, what to cook at sea, how much water and diesel, and why sweets are part of morale.
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Life on board
Physically and mentally fit, sharing medication, clear agreements, clothing and keeping it pleasant.
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Entering the United Kingdom
Reporting via sPCR, the ETA for your crew, the Q flag, customs and what to do when leaving the UK.
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Wear, tear & repair
Sailing 1,100 miles is not routine for most sailors. There may even have been seasons in which you did not manage that in total. Things break on board. Sometimes you see it coming, sometimes not.
The trick is to make the ‘unexpected’ factor as small as possible. You do that with preventive maintenance: checking, greasing, replacing. And with regular inspection of sails, halyards, sheets and everything else that wears.
Even careful inspection will not stop something breaking at sea. Make sure you can repair or replace the important things. It does not always have to be a perfect equivalent, as long as it works. And sail defensively: the Driehoek is not a race. The point is completing the passage with your crew, your boat and above all your enjoyment intact.
Practise it before you need it
Reefing. Putting in a third reef. The practical use of the staysail, cutter jib, J4 and storm jib. How does your boat lie hove-to? Can you really steer with your emergency tiller, your emergency rudder or with the sails if the steering fails?
There is a lot to learn by trying these things — and at least once in a bit more wind. Do you carry extra kit such as a parachute anchor or a drogue? Practise with it. Then you find out how it works in normal conditions and without stress.
Shaking down on the Ascension trip
Whether as a shake-down after a winter refit or to find your sea legs again: the Ascension trip to the United Kingdom has something for everyone. You can cross under your own steam and join there, pop over to England and back, or fit it into a longer voyage. It is also a good moment to arrange your inspection and cockpit talk.
Other events that help you prepare
Several sailing associations organise activities that prepare you for multi-day passages. These are a few from Kustzeilers:
Maritime indoor training (Get Wet, Rotterdam)
This training teaches you how to survive in the water. Anyone in good health with a swimming certificate can take part; children from 14 under adult supervision. Get Wet Maritiem has run it for over 35 years, in the covered freshwater pool of STC-KNRM at Heijplaat in Rotterdam, where storm, waves of 1.5 metres, darkness and lightning can be simulated.
Kustzeilers Alle Hens
Alle Hens is a day by sailors for sailors, where sharing knowledge comes first. With workshops that are directly useful for the Driehoek: the collision regulations, sailing through wind farms, charts and cartography, making a safety plan for your own boat, antifouling, and 'doctor on board'.
Passage planning workshop
On 13 March 2027 the offshore, events and safety committees jointly run a workshop on everything a longer passage involves: route planning (weather, tides, traffic control, separation schemes, ports of refuge), watch keeping, cooking and eating on board, safety, preparing your boat and seasickness.
Supply run to Helgoland
In early spring we sail to Helgoland. Besides looking at the history of that rock, we check whether the rum supply for the coming season can be brought back up to strength.
First aid, 150 miles offshore
How ready is your first-aid knowledge 150 miles from the coast? Someone falls seriously ill, or takes a fall and may have a head injury, and you want to consult the radio medical service. Or someone has a deep cut and you must apply a pressure bandage straight away. Do you recognise hypothermia, and do you know how to use a survival blanket? World Sailing expects at least one person on board with current maritime first-aid knowledge.
ABCDE at sea
The boom hits someone's head, or your crewmate's face starts drooping. What do you do? Working to the ABCDE method is a structured way of approaching a casualty. The lifeboat service, GPs and first aiders use it too. It makes sure you treat first what needs treating first.
Questions about preparing?
Come to the information meeting on 6 February 2027 in Lelystad, or send us an e-mail. The afternoon is open to members and non-members.