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A GUIDE TO LIVING AND SAILING ABOARD
THE SCHOONER LEOPARD NORMAND III
by Linnet Woods 

Part 2:
Functions Of The First Mate

Setting aside the derisive snorts of laughter which, believe me, I hear as acutely as though I were seated at your elbow as you read, and accepting that having a competent first mate is, to some, a pipe dream, to others a luxury, let us assume that, if you are reading this at all, (you are, aren't you? Hello, is there anybody there?) one of several situations exists:

a) You were given a copy of  this manual as a gift and the donor will be asking questions later so you thought you'd better get on with it, in spite of the fact that you are a career single-hander / have no boat /are married to the first mate from hell / something even more bizarre, to which my imagination does not stretch, or

b) You hope to find crew to become a competent first mate but he, or rather, in this case the gender thing may matter, she, will have to be the last mate as well, as the boat only sleeps two, or

c) You have a first mate who will be grateful to have his, or her, position explained by a third party, either to convince the skipper of the benefits of having one.  Alternatively, you intend to use it as a means of  informing said first mate of what it is actually supposed to mean to be one, although if there is no other crew it's slightly redundant knowledge, or

d) You are entering a nautical trivia quiz and have been told the quizmaster was overhead quoting chunks of this page or, finally,

e) You are in the enviable, or unenviable, position of embarking on a voyage which will require you to be accompanied by more than one other person and would like to know why the first mate seems to speak on behalf of the captain a lot...

Whatever the reason, you are still with me, in spite of my having displayed a levity which ill-befits a first mate of any standing, so let's skip the text-book explanations, which you either know or can easily find out if you feel the need.
Let's just look at the real-life scenario. It's quicker, truer, and likely to be a darned sight more useful:

The captain, god-like though he, (oh, alright, or she,) may be. must still sleep from time to time, and sleep peacefully. The first mate should be able to take on the skipper's responsibilities and, setting aside all personal whims and preferences, see to it that things are done the way the skipper would have them done, were he there to do them himself. 
This is not to say that, if a fleet of enraged pirates flourishing nuclear warheads were to surround the boat, the captain should be allowed to slumber on, unaware, but you get the general drift, no?

A captain with a crew of several, is ill-served by having to deal with the run-of-the mill (should that be 'turn-of-the-prop'?) daily stuff of crew discipline and other matters. A wise captain uses the first mate to deal with everyday issues. 
To be first mate is no joke. It's not easy to do the skipper's daily dirty work and still be popular but a first mate worth his (I beg your pardon? Oh! That 'or her' stuff is so boring. Look here, Ms. Libb, I'm a woman, myself,  and I don't care whether it's he, she or it, so sue me or something. As of now I intend to use he/him/his regardless of gender. Sorry about that, these tyrants of political correctness have to be prevented from polluting the sea with the same insipid poison they've used on the land, don't you think? Now, where were we? Oh yes...) a first mate worth his salt manages to keep the boat, and crew, running to the skipper's liking and preferably with no more than a rare incidence of unpleasantness, if any.
This has nothing to do with passing the buck, or idleness on the part of the skipper, and everything to do with common sense. Apart from freeing the skipper's time for issues concerning the boat's well-being and progress, it sets the skipper slightly apart from the trivia of daily crew behaviour and gives much more impact to his involvement in a situation because it is rare for him to trouble himself with such matters. It's a bit like keeping the big guns in reserve. 
This only works when, at the outset, it is made clear that the skipper considers given subjects the first mate's province and that he very much hopes not to have to deal with them personally. This endows the first mate with the authority to take crew to one side and gently steer them away from conflict or confrontation, show them how a thing is done again, when it clearly has not been grasped, and so on.
Being able to say to crew "Please don't put me in a situation where the skipper feels that I'm failing to keep it all together and decides to tackle you about it himself" has helped me get more than one crew to pull together, whether out of pity for me or fear of the skipper's displeasure I know not and nor, frankly, do I much care which! It's the results that count. 
Apart from those functions, the first mate usually knows where the patent hangover cure is kept, for those aprés-shore-leave mornings, fills in immigration and customs forms when the skipper has lost his glasses, yet again, and deals with myriad boring, but necessary tasks.
Of course the perfect first mate is probably supposed to do a great number of other things, of which I am unaware. Ignorance is, as they say, bliss...

Part 3
Moving Aboard and Settling In

It makes sense to unpack and stow your personal belongings as soon as possible after coming aboard. It is easier to do while the boat is stationery and you will feel 'at home' sooner.

If there is any danger of your belongings becoming confused with someone else's, you may like to mark them in some way. Some favour a discreet but personalised engraving. Others prefer inch-high lettering all over everything. They're your things, do as you will!

Remember that, once we are sailing, there may be quite considerable slopes to surfaces which are horizontal at anchor, including those contained within cupboards and drawers. 
Stow delicate possessions in such a way that they are prevented from becoming damaged, avoid giving things the space to roll about in, noisily, and bear in mind that, if you decide to open a door which is no longer vertical, objects behave differently at different angles...

From now on, your cabin is your responsibility, whether a shared one or occupied singly. Make sure you look after the things you find in there, as well as your own. Keep your quarters clean and tidy - they are a reflection of you.

Make sure you complete an entry in the guest log, even if you have joined us as crew. In the unlikely event that you should  become incoherent, for whatever reason, it will help us to help you if we have the information contained therein.

Sea air is quite corrosive and damp stuff. If you have brought anything aboard which is likely to suffer, we carry various protective substances which can usefully be applied to many things. All you need do is enquire.

Make sure, when you are shown where everything that matters is kept, that you are looking and listening with your undivided attention. Don't be afraid to ask how a thing works. Nobody will mind an honest display of ignorance or curiosity. With so many variations on each type of equipment on the market, it must be a rare bird that is familiar with them all. 
On the other hand, pretending to know how something should be deployed in case of an emergency when, in fact, you have no idea, is not only thoroughly dishonest but could also turn out to be fatal.

If you are joining the crew at the last minute and the suggestion is made that you go and get your head down, don't waste time saying that you're not tired and will be fine. You'll be grateful, later, for having rested your body when you had the opportunity, even if you didn't actually sleep. 

If you know that you tend to experience sea-sickness at the start of a trip, make sure that you take steps to prevent causing yourself, and others, discomfort. Although it was true, years ago that sea-sickness tablets tended to work by making one semi-comatose, there are modern products available which seem to work without the grim side-effects. One which was, apparently, developed for astronauts, seems to work very well, provided you take the first tablet a few hours before the boat starts to move. If you haven't brought any Stugeron along, and it is too late to go and get any, ask for some, there is usually a supply aboard but it is intended for emergency use.  Do make sure that, in future, you supply your own personal medication needs.

Decide that you are going to have a great time on this trip because fun is always the best thing to have and a bunch of cheerful individuals crewing together means a happy trip. Nothing can be more fun than being part of a relaxed and mutually appreciative team, knowing that it wouldn't have been as good for the others without your efforts, or for you without theirs...

Part 4
Alcohol and Drugs

The alcohol question is one with more answers than tongue can tell. Every skipper has his particular way of approaching it. Ours is neither a 'dry' boat nor a 'wet' boat.
Moderation in all things is the name of the game. A glass or two of wine or a couple of beers with dinner, when you are going to remain off-watch after dinner, for example, is fine.
More than once, during stormy weather of longer than average duration, we have revived a stiff and exhausted helmsman with a mug of strong black coffee laced with a tot of rum. If the stuff was good enough for Nelson's navy, it's good enough for us.

Inebriation, (drunkenness), however, will not be tolerated while the boat is in motion. By all means 'tie one on' ashore, provided you can guarantee that your behaviour, under the affluence of incohol, will not bring the name of the boat into disrepute and that you will cease drinking in time, not only to sober up but also to emerge refreshed and fit for your next watch.

If, on the other hand, you are not given to drinking alcohol, no-one will be permitted to pressure you into partaking, at least not on board, where we are in a position to intervene. It is unfair to try to persuade another crew member, or anyone, come to that, to drink alcohol when a clear reluctance is being shown. 
To try and insist is tantamount to bullying and bullying will not be tolerated aboard.
Whatever the reason that a person prefers to avoid alcohol, temporarily or at all times, it is no-one's business but his or her own.

The subject of drugs is altogether different. There is no circumstance under which it will be acceptable to the captain of this vessel for crew, guests, or anybody whatsoever to bring any kind of illegal substance aboard, regardless of quantity or classification. That includes prescription drugs obtained for recreational purposes.

This is such a major no-no that I believe it is worth explaining why not. 
I think it should be stated clearly that the skipper is not, necessarily, exercising any kind of moral judgment here. Each of us is responsible to himself, his own family and friends and any higher power in which he exercises his right to believe. The skipper's personal thoughts and feelings on the subject need not come into the discussion.

Setting aside any possible effects on behaviour or capability which the ingestion of one drug or another might have on individuals, there is something else which you need to know, if you do not know it already. 
Every now and then, authorities patrolling the coastal waters of a country will pick out a boat, any boat, and ask to board with a trained dog. Being certain, beyond doubt, that no substance, of any description, which might be of interest to a 'sniffer' dog is aboard, we are happy to have the officers and their animal inspect our vessel. They are simply doing the job for which they are being paid. 

Provided that they show proper respect for the vessel, skipper and crew, make an entry in our log book showing who came aboard, the purpose of their visit, exact co-ordinates of our position and the times of boarding and leaving the boat, we have no objection. Their presence at sea is, we like to think, a potential deterrent to piracy, and as such is favourable to us.

If, on the other hand, a single tiny crumb of 'whacky baccy', marijuana, call it what you will, or any listed substance should be residing in any part of the boat, dropped there by someone who has deliberately flouted his agreement with the skipper - not to bring any such thing aboard - the 'sniffer' dog would find it. As soon as a trained dog shows cause, the officials have the right, and will exercise it, to rip the boat to pieces, looking for the cache of illegal substances they have been given reason to suspect may be present.

If they are unable to find anything at sea, they then have the right to demand that the boat  be hauled out at the facility of their choice but at the owner/skipper's expense. Once they have destroyed the hull and established that there is nothing else aboard, the owner/skipper has no right to an apology or any compensation, because good reason for the authorities to suspect the presence of illegal substances aboard has been provided by the tiny quantity the dog unearthed. 

If this happened to us, as a result of you ignoring this warning, the authorities, having found nothing worthy of an arrest, would leave us just like that. Boat destroyed, haul-out fees to pay, far from home and a crew to feed and shelter. If they found more than a minute crumb, they could impound the boat and imprison us all as well. 
In some countries that would be bad enough, in others, you don't even want to know how bad it could be. 

We have  experienced having the boat searched by twelve officers with two dogs and a fibre-optic camera. If there had been one tiny grain of anything whatsoever, anywhere on board, that lot would have unearthed it. Got the message? We'd like to offer you a little reassurance: you won't be needing anything like that on board, you'll be having so much fun sailing that you won't miss it!

Arms and ammunition. Under no circumstances may anyone bring any arms or ammunition aboard. When the skipper chooses to exercise his right to carry the ships' arms aboard, they will be kept in their proper place and declared on arrival at each port. Any other weapon being discovered aboard could result in immediate impounding of the vessel and imprisonment of crew. There can be problems enough with declared weapons, in countries where the authorities are unaware of international law, let alone illicit ones. This is serious stuff and, unless you belong to the  ostrich family, you'll take heed. Enough said! 

Next Issue:
Part 5: Courtesy and Consideration 
Part 6: Crew Communication