We’ve Got The Boat Guide

Congratulations on your decision to live the life of a boatie! Woo woo – Welcome to the club 🙂

So…I created this guide to help newbie crewers get up to speed quickly. After watching many newcomers struggle over the first few months we’ve been able to isolate the top or most common mistakes made. Getting the boat is step one and although it’s a vital step it’s not the most difficult. Getting the boat to do what you want it to do and being able to acclimate into the liveaboard life can be a bit tricky. But fear not, we’re here to help.

We’ve made loads of mistakes and have witnessed many that have done the same. The only reason I can write so much about potential pitfalls is because I’ve experienced them myself. Learn from me and my family – avoid the stress and hassle we’ve lived through and get to the good part (sandy beaches, beautiful views, stress-free living, etc.) quicker.

We’ve Got The Boat – Now What Do We Do?

Within this guide, you’ll discover tips about what you should know before leaving the dock, spare parts to carry, how to handle serving and repairs, permission to make mistakes, the problem with trying to keep to a schedule and that’s just to start.

There are quite a few suggestions on do’s and don’ts while at sea, on an anchor, on a mooring ball and what to do at pot lucks and with children.

You’ll also find details about what buddy boating is, how it works and how to find yourself a buddy boat.

Click on the guide image and a PDF file will open in another tab. Remember to go to File/SaveAs to make sure you save it to your computer.

Note: If you have any problems with this opening for you, just email: Info@SailingBritican.com and request the Got The Boat guide to be sent to you via email.

Keep reading below to get access to more resources that will help you on your boat buying journey. How else can Sailing Britican help you once you’ve got the boat?!

Popular Articles & Videos For Newbie Cruisers

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• What’s Liveaboard Life Like In St Vincent & The Grenadines (Video and Article)
• Liveaboard Life – Here’s What Life Is Like Living On A Sailboat (Video)
• Three Things All Liveaboards Must Know (Article)
• Where To Liveaboard – 13 Benefits To Liveaboard Anchorages (Article)
• 11 Secrets To Longterm Cruising (Article)
• 20 Tips For Long Passage Provisioning (Article & Video)

How-To Guides For Boat Owners

• Checklists For Sailors – This is our best selling guide on Amazon and the website. Hit the ground running with checklists for engine maintenance, passage planning, briefing the crew, medical emergencies, provisioning, cleaning and more. It’s jam-packed with checklists to tell you what to do and when to do it.
• VHF Templates for Sailors – Do you know how to do a MAYDAY, Relay, Pan-Pan, Securite? Do you know proper etiquette on the radio? This guide explains how to use the VHF and provides customizable templates so that you and your guests can all make any call necessary.
• How To Anchor – This is the number one mistake all newbies make… failing to anchor correctly. Number two is failing to get on and off a mooring ball effortlessly.
• Mooring Balls Explained – It looks easy but let me tell you there are definite tricks to doing it correctly. Get the guide and discover everything you need to know before heading out.
• Choosing A Marina – There’s are a tonne of variables when it comes to putting your boat in a marina – especially if you’re going to liveaboard in the marina. Find out what you need to know to ensure you choose the right marina for you and your boat.
• Choosing A Dingy – If you don’t already have a dinghy or need to purchase a new one, use this guide for an outline as to what works the best, lasts the longest and gives the best bang for your buck.
• Selecting Insurance – Make sure you get the right insurance for your boat!
• Hurricane Preparedness – This is a checklist on how to prepare your boat for a hurricane.

Britican Members Only Club

Many of our members use our club before, during and after the boat buying process. As I mentioned above, buying the boat is the first hurdle. The next is getting the boat ready for your adventure, preparing to set sail and getting out on the sea.

For a low monthly payment, you’ll get instant access to ALL our guides (there’s 15 of them!), phone consultancy with Simon, Britican’s Captain, and loads of extra goodies to make your journey a success.

If you want someone to bounce ideas off of, confirm that a decision is a good one, help to learn a particular skill or practice passage planning sessions, this club might be for you. Find out the full scoop here: Sailing Britican Members Only Club.

Britican Experience – A Week-Long Liveaboard Sailing Experience in the Caribbean

If you want the FULL PACKAGE – everything on a plate, consider spending a fun-filled truely experiential week aboard Britican to not only discuss to truly gain an insight into what liveaboard life is like. Many boat owners have spent a week with us before taking their own boat out. We spend a week helping our guests to get full of confidence so that when they take their boat out, they’re full of excitement (rather than fear)! Full details here: Britican Experience.