For most things in life it pays to be prepared, and there is no place where this is more true than with sailing. There are certain situations you must be ready for, whether you are out for a day sail or a circumnavigation. Some of these are required by law (and common sense); we all must carry a fire extinguisher and life jackets, for example. But other types of preparation may not be so apparent.

Dealing with heavy weather is one of those things about which ALL sailors should know. You are just as much at the mercy of nature a mile offshore as a thousand at sea and in many cases being close to shore in heavy weather is actually more dangerous. But heavy weather does not have to be feared. As with most things in life, with the proper base of knowledge and experience, risks can be minimized.

Here are a few key factors to keep in mind: There are no "magic bullets" in heavy weather tactics. As conditions change, the tactics you employ must also change. Often by working to keep up boat speed in the early part of a storm, you can move your position to where conditions will not be nearly as dangerous (a distance of as little as 50 or 100 miles can mean the difference between a gale and hurricane-force winds).

The single most important thing in severe weather is to keep fighting. Resist the temptation to give up and leave survival to chance... adopt new tactics as condition change...and you can stack the odds significantly in your favor.

Surviving the Storm: Coastal and Offshore Tactics is the most thorough look at storm tactics in modern yachts ever written. Calling on their own experiences, and those of 33 of the world's most experienced professional sailors, Steve and Linda Dashew have written a definitive, step-by-step manual for vessel and crew preparation, the use of all forms of storm gear, and a complete analysis of all storm tactics. More than 70 in-depth interviews teach the right and the wrong way of doing things. Surviving the Storm will teach you how to avoid the mistakes which get others into trouble.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• SetSail's Heavy Weather Center
• Want a realistic perspective on heavy weather? Click here.
• The odds are you will never have to even consider what's involved with a helicopter rescue. But if you or someone you know is in a position where you need help, and a helicopter is the likely mode of evacuation, what you learn here could save a life.
• Here is an incredible look at a small boat caught in a mid-Pacific hurricane, how they passed through the eye of the storm, and dealt with a severe roll over.

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• When Dave Martin got into a grueling storm off the Oregon coast, with little emergency equipment, his attitude was what helped him survive.
• At 610 miles from the North Pole, pack ice, a dropping barometer, and a dangerous lee shore force this cruising family to turn back just shy of their goal.
• Dan Neri reviews his grueling passage from Bermuda to Newport, with its series of low pressure systems and knockdowns.
• FAQ on Working through Storm Fronts.

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