Here are accounts of two successful rescue efforts in the stormy 2011 Chicago to Mackinac Race.  Each rescuing crew was awarded an Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal by U.S. Sailing.

A collection of a few tips from the acknowledged masters of sailing

Anticipation

“A seaman laboring under an undue sense of security becomes at once worth hardly half his salt.” (Joseph Conrad, The Mirror of the Sea)

“The rule of the 6 Ps: Proper prior preparation prevents piss-poor results.”    (John Bonds quoting a Navy bosun)

John Rousmaniere shares a short list of frequent contributors to disaster at sea. Avoid these traps.

The Bermuda Race’s medical chair (a race skipper) describes the causes, prevention, and treatment of this all-too-common and potentially dangerous condition.

The methods for dealing with Man Overboard emergencies on a short-handed boat require a few modifications from the standard recoveries taught for fully-crewed race boats. The purpose of this note is to highlight those differences in technique and thinking, and to provide references for further skill development by you

Adapted from the foreword to the 4th edition, The Annapolis Book of Seamanship,

“The art of sailing, maneuvering, and preserving a ship or a boat in all positions and under all reasonable circumstances.” This classic definition of “seamanship” has guided the preparation of this book for 30 years through four editions. Much has changed in boats, sails, and electronics, but with the addition of these words, “and some unreasonable circumstances, too,” that definition is as valid and essential today as it was in 1983.