Serious Sailing, Serious School

Captain Frank Mummert discusses some thoughts on the new RADAR class that he is putting together for MDS students. He talks about why he thinks it is important, what his experiences have been and reviews some of the best practices that will be taught in the class, starting in the spring of 2026.

Captain Frank Mummert discusses some lessons learned from his recent trips to and from Bermuda, regarding AIS, MMSI numbers, and DSC radios. In this podcast, he describes the benefits of using a maneuvering board and the ease of communicating with another ship by calling directly using the MMSI number. Finally, he rants a bit about people leaving their AIS transmitters on while docked and discusse...

Captain Frank Mummert discusses the reason for keeping logs on a recreational boat and describes the three basic types of logs. He also provides some insight into how to keep the log and the sort of information that a recreational sailor might want to retain. He wraps up with a comparison between commercially available logbooks and off-the-shelf alternatives.

Captains Tom Tursi and Frank Mummert discuss the things they feel are important for the Maryland School of Sailing and Seamanship's DELMARVA circumnavigation class. They discuss how they set the class criteria, what they do during the class and some of the things that have gone wrong over the years.

Captain Frank Mummert with the Maryland School of Sailing and Seamanship discusses some of the basics of Automated Identification Systems and how to use it for collision avoidance. Check out www. MDSCHOOL.COM for more information and send an email to office@mdschool.com to suggest a topic for discussion.

Captains Tom Tursi and Frank Mummert of the Maryland School of Sailing discuss anchoring tips and techniques they have learned as mariners and sailors. They provide their own experiences and answer questions from the audience. Video at www.mdschool.com For more information or to provide feedback, contact us at office@mdschool.com

In this episode, Captain Tom Tursi discusses a process for identifying and analyzing potential problems in an offshore passage. The spreadsheet Tom refers to is available at our school store, item number 64 - Offshore Emergencies List. It's a free downloadable copy of Tom's original spreadsheet. Remember that you can always contact us through office@mdschool.com and putting "Chat" in the subject l...

Captains Tom Tursi and Frank Mummert of the Maryland School of Sailing and Seamanship discuss the logistics and best practices for choosing a marina while cruising. They each have several decades of experience and use that to provide advice on how to prepare for an entry into an unfamiliar marina, including how to research the approach who to contact, and how to prepare the boat. The Maryland Scho...

Captains Tom Tursi and Frank Mummert discuss dealing with summer squalls, those quick, nasty storms that pop up when the land is hot, the water is cool and the air is humid. They then take questions from the audience.

In Episode 001 of Serious Sailing, Serious School, Captains Tom Tursi and Frank Mummert discuss how a tragic sailing accident off the Canadian coast might have been avoided with better communication and teamwork. The captains take questions from a live audience and expand upon their comments while adding extra information. Sponsored by the Maryland School of Sailing and Seamanship, A Serious Schoo...