There is a moment in sailing that does not get much attention.
We spend a lot of time preparing to leave. Planning routes, watching weather, organising the boat, thinking through what might happen. Then the lines are cast off, and suddenly the focus shifts.
You are no longer preparing; you are doing.
It is often in those first hours that the gap shows. Not a gap in knowledge, but in experience. How the boat feels once it is moving. How quickly small things need attention. How much awareness is required, not just of the boat, but of the people on board.
Over the years, I have seen that this is where many sailors feel least certain. Not because they are unprepared, but because this part is rarely talked about in a practical way.
That article, about Once the Lines are Cast Off, is in Cruise News NZ.
The piece looks at what actually matters once you are underway. Not the theory, but the habits, awareness, and small decisions that shape how a passage begins. The kind of things that help people settle in, find their rhythm, and build confidence early rather than waiting for it to arrive later.
If you are planning to head offshore, or even just thinking about it, it is worth understanding this part properly.
For those who like to have something to hand, I have pulled these ideas into a free short course you can work through before or during a passage. You can find it here.
You can read the full article in Cruise News NZ.
