Salamander - Line up, look up

Steering a boat that you are not familiar with can take some getting used to. On Salamander there are plenty of instruments to help with steering and navigation.

There's obviously a compass but there are also dials showing wind strength and direction, boat speed through the water, depth (of little use in an ocean - ours currently reads 2.6 m below the keel! Clearly this is not the actual depth, more like a passing dolphin or shoal of fish has swum under us triggering the sensor!) and a digital compass. We then have a full blown AIS screen with every conceivable piece of information we could ever need.

Even with all this kit, including Autohelm we are choosing to hand steer the entire trip!

When we are sailing in inland waters there's usually something to aim at to hold your course. In the ocean there's no such luxury!

I find looking down at the compass to steer, particularly at night quickly sends you scatty! I have now adapted a method of looking down to check my course then looking up to look at anything that might help me. From wave patterns, wind on my face or back, sun position, stars, clouds, the very occasional other boat. All these things give little clues as to your direction of travel. I keep checking back to the compass but I haven't become it's slave. The result seems to be a much more consistent course and less compass fatigue. I'm sure there will be times when I do have to rely on the compass but hopefully not too many!

Tim - Salamander Tour Manager and Guest Social Media Editor


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