ABSTRACT
The importance of preparing oneself and the vessel before setting off on a sea passage is irrefutable, especially on a coastal passage where the sheer number and proximity of hazards can quickly spell disaster for the unprepared. Reliance on memory and past experience does produce a very high proportion of successful passages, but human nature dictates that eventually something important will be overlooked. A professional mariner cannot be satisfied with less than 100 per cent success.
