Lessons from the Helm Archives

Why Learning to Read a Nautical-Chart Still Matters

Oct

10th October 2026Antonis MeisCourses, Lessons from the Helm, Seamanship

Beyond the Screen: Why Learning to Read a Nautical Chart Still Matters

A navigation app can show you where you are. Learning to read a nautical chart helps you understand the waters around you, interpret navigational information and make better decisions as a skipper. Copy

Sep

23rd September 2026Antonis MeisLessons from the Helm, Seamanship

Which Port Are You Sailing To

What sailing can teach us about direction, decision-making and leadership. A real catamaran transfer through three days of fog.

Sep

16th September 2026Antonis MeisCase Files, Lessons from the Helm

When Experience Sees What Radar Doesn’t

A summer charter in Halkidiki takes an unexpected turn when a skipper spots a developing squall that the weather radar does not appear to show. A real lesson in experience, preparation and seamanship.

Skipper and crew navigating through dense fog during an offshore sailing passage

Aug

11th August 2026Antonis MeisLessons from the Helm, Safety, Seamanship

The Captain’s Bubble

Under pressure, even experienced skippers can lose perspective. The Captain’s Bubble explores decision-making, crew communication and leadership at sea.

Breaking Your Limits | Growth Begins Beyond Comfort

Jul

27th July 2026Antonis MeisLessons from the Helm

Growth Begins Where Certainty Ends

Why Most Boating Emergencies Start Long Before the Emergency

Jul

5th July 2026Antonis MeisLessons from the Helm, Seamanship

Why Most Boating Emergencies Start Long Before the Emergency

Why Most Boating Emergencies Start Long Before the Emergency Lessons from the Helm I have never seen a boating emergency that truly started when things went wrong. It always starts earlier. Sometimes hours earlier. Sometimes days. And almost always quietly—through decisions that didn’t feel important at the time. After more than three decades at sea...