Reading path · Learn my boat
I’m the First Mate
Six pieces for the person beside the helm: before departure, hand signals, emergencies, the drills worth practicing, and why it helps to learn from someone other than your partner.
6 articles · about
42 min · ends at
First Mate Coaching
THE PATH, IN ORDER
6 articles, about
42 minutes
Reads best in order. Your place is saved on this device.
What a First Mate Actually Does Before Departure
The thirty minutes before the engine starts is where good first mates earn it.
8 min read
Hand Signals Between Captain and First Mate: A Working Vocabulary
The vocabulary every captain-first mate pair develops — eventually.
8 min read
The First Mate's Emergency Playbook: What to Do if the Captain Can't
When the captain can't run the boat, everything rides on the person beside them. Here's the protocol — before you need it.
8 min read
Man Overboard Recovery: What Every First Mate Should Practice
The boat won't stop itself when the captain goes over the side. What the first mate does in the first ten seconds, how to get back to them, and how to practice it.
7 min read
Filing a Float Plan: A First Mate's Template
A float plan isn't filed with the Coast Guard. It's the one piece of paper that brings the call in if something goes wrong on the water. Here's the First Mate's template.
6 min read
Don’t Teach Your Partner to Dock the Boat
The worst docking instructor most First Mates ever get is the person they share a boat with. It’s not a skill problem. Here’s what to do about it.
5 min read
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