Home / Seamanship / The language on board / Commands on board: who says what
Who says what, and when
A command is not a courtesy and not a question of rank. It is a short word with exactly one meaning on board, so that nobody has to guess what happens next.
The briefing before letting go
Who stands where, who takes which line, what happens if the manoeuvre does not work. Two minutes on the pontoon save ten minutes of shouting in the basin. With guests aboard it includes where lifejackets and distress gear are kept.
Tacking and gybing
"Ready about?" is a real question and needs an answer, usually "Ready!". Only then comes "Lee oh!", and only then does the helm go over. For a gybe it is "Ready to gybe?", and every head stays below the boom.
Berthing and letting go
Agree beforehand which line goes ashore first and which comes off last. In the manoeuvre one word is then enough: "bow line", "aft spring", "let go forward". Whole sentences shouted into the wind do not arrive.
The emergency
"Man overboard" is the one call anybody aboard may make, guests included. After it the order is fixed: shout, press, throw, point. Whoever points does nothing else.
What this has to do with insurance
As owner or skipper you are responsible for the conduct of the boat, including towards your own crew. A short briefing before letting go is therefore not only seamanship but the part of your duty of care that is easiest to evidence afterwards, for instance with an entry in the log.
