Radio Emergency Protocol Card
Mayday and Pan-Pan scripts with a fill-once ship's data table, so you read it live instead of remembering it. Print it, laminate it, post it at the VHF.
Captain's tools
The Captain's Locker
Downloads, checklists, and companion videos from Be The Captain. No fluff, just tools you'll actually use offshore.
"Seamanship lives in what you can do when everything else fails. That's why the plan must exist before the storm."
Fair winds, James Evenson
Core tools
Safety Briefing Template
Ten sections on one page: lifejackets, jacklines, man overboard, comms, and crew roles. Fill it in, post it, and walk every crew member through it before lines come off.
How to Vet a Captain
Ten judgment questions with what a good answer sounds like, red and green flags, the in-person shakedown, what to ask references, and a one-page checklist.
Crew Welcome Letter
The real welcome letter from a Zingaro passage: logistics, money, dates, packing list, and the rules aboard. Steal the structure and send yours the day a crew spot is confirmed.
Captain's Letter for Arriving Crew
Proof for airlines and immigration that your crew has a vessel to join and a way out of the country. Retype it on your letterhead. English and Spanish versions inside.
Vessel Delivery Waiver
The delivery on paper before anyone casts off: seaworthiness, insurance, expenses, authority, and who carries the risk. One page, sign it at the dock.
Affidavit to Use Vessel
Written proof the person moving the boat has the owner's permission. Bilingual English and Spanish for clearing ports across the Americas. Carry it with the registration.
Watch Schedules
Proven rotations from two crew to a full boat, with the dog watches built in so nobody owns the graveyard shift. Pick your crew size:
Skills videos
Soft-Shackle Walkthrough
Step-by-step Dyneema soft shackles and splicing basics.
How to Heave-to
Stabilize the boat and rest the crew. My offshore method.
How to Kedge Off
Get yourself unstuck safely using a kedge: the gear and the execution.
Checklists & guides
Be The Captain Resource Guide
The complete companion resource guide to Be The Captain. Essential notes and gear recommendations for your next passage.
Defender Resource Guide
A blueprint of blue-water offshore hardware covering rigging, apparel, and fuel systems, with raw notes on why each item made the cut.
Abandonment Checklist
One-page checklist. Keep a copy at the nav station and in the ditch bag.
Departure Checklist
Six stages from 30 days out to the first hour underway. If a box is not checked, it is not done.
Sailboat Systems Spreadsheet
Extensive master log for part numbers, oil filters, halyard lengths, and system serial numbers.
Sailing with Kids (Mini eBook)
Practical wisdom for cruising families. Safety, schooling, and routines.
Bonus deep dives
S/V Escape — Lessons Learned
What failed, what worked, and what I carry into every passage.
S/V Theros — Battery Fire
A lithium retrofit gone wrong: a fire at sea and the chain of decisions that followed.
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Buying a boat?
Everything above is free and stays free. This is the part I do for a living — the decision before you own her, the one that costs six figures if you get it wrong.
Leadsman Vessel Evaluation
Send the listing and your plans. Get back a written pre-purchase brief on that exact boat: a clear verdict, a fair-price range, every finding graded by severity, the official records checked, and the conditions to clear before any deposit — including the deal-enders. Delivered in 5 business days.
$295 • delivered within 24 hours
Independent — no broker commissions, no referral fees. Limited slots per month.
Private Offshore Decision Session
Ninety high-focus minutes on one consequential choice — boat selection, offshore readiness, risk assessment, or passage planning. You bring the decision; we work it until it's clear.
$500 • 90 minutes
Limited availability. Please send all relevant details in advance.