20 point plan to rig for heavy weather

1. Reduce sail to the appropriate sail plan early.
2. Make storm sails ready.
3. Secure all deck gear
4. Fill fuel tanks from jerry jugs if necessary
5. Secure companionway slides and hatch closed and sealed from the deck.
6. There should also be a mechanism ready to secure the hatch from below.
7. Batten down hatches and ports.
8. Don and clip on harness/tethers at all times while on deck, wear PFD, overboard alarm, personal strobe light, whistle.
9. Lee cloths positioned
10. All latches are secured below decks to prevent spillage.
11. Passageways cleared.
12. Prepare a warm meal, put warm drinks in thermoses.
13. Obtain position fix, communicate position and situation to land base(s).
14. Charge batteries
15. Remove bimini and secure all loose objects on the decks.
16. Ensure that a furled genoa cannot deploy or remove it from forestay
17. Determine and review storm tactics
18. Begin heavy weather watch schedule.
19. Close all unnecessary through hulls and seacocks
20. Perform the entire routine maintenance and monitoring protocol.

These were bought to you by the NauticEd Storm Tactics Course and by the author Captain Ed Mapes.

Storm Tactics