Test your boating knowledge with our festive quiz and let us know how you get on via our social media channels!
1. If your Christmas cruise takes you into a UK Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), which of the following is correct under COLREGs ?
A) You may cross at any angle as long as visibility is good
B) You must cross the lane at right angles to the traffic flow
C) You should follow the lane in the direction of large commercial vessels
2. Which UK town is home to the famous “Christmas Steps,” a steep historic lane once used by merchants sailing into its harbour ?
A) Whitby
B) Portsmouth
C) Bristol
3. You’re heading out on a crisp Boxing Day cruise and your engine alarm sounds immediately after start-up. What’s the first thing you should check ?
A) Raw-water cooling flow from the exhaust outlet
B) Alternator belt tension
C) Fuel filter blockage
4. The UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) introduced an important regulation in 1985 to improve the safety of yachts during winter cruises. What was the focus of the new rule that many yachts still adhere to today during the Christmas season ?
A) Life Raft Capacity
B) Lifejacket Inspections
C) Stability Testing for Heavy Weather
5. Santa wants to deliver presents to the Scilly Isles by boat. If he leaves Penzance and heads 28 miles southwest, what sea area is he sailing through according to the Shipping Forecast ?
A) Lundy
B) Plymouth
C) FitzRoy
6. If you fall overboard into cold winter water, what is your first priority ?
A) Remove heavy clothing to aid swimming
B) Control breathing and conserve energy to avoid cold water shock
C) Immediately start swimming toward the stern ladder
7. For an experienced owner, which type of heating system is most suitable to keep a small yacht warm and safe during Christmas in UK waters ?
A) Portable electric heaters only
B) Hydronic diesel heating systems with proper ventilation
C) Only using shore power when in a marina.
8. Which UK marina famously hosts a “Christmas Boat Lights Parade,” where yachts are decked out in full festive style ?
A) Plymouth’s Sutton Harbour
B) Torquay Marina
C) Conwy Quays
9. On a frosty Christmas morning, your diesel engine refuses to start. Which is the most probable cause specific to cold weather ?
A) Water contamination in the tank
B) Airlock in the fuel system
C) Waxing (gelling) of the diesel fuel
10. Which of these festive-named yachts famously competed in the Sydney–Hobart Yacht Race ?
A) Jingle Bells
B) Spirit of Christmas
C) Santa’s Sleigh
11. On a Boxing Day cruise, visibility begins to drop in patchy fog. What is the correct action under the COLREGs?
A) Sound one short blast on the horn every one minute.
B) Proceed at a safe speed and sound one prolonged blast every two minutes
C) Maintain normal speed but keep navigation lights on continuously
12. Many boats are kept ashore over winter. What’s the main reason to leave seacocks open rather than closed once drained down ?
A) Prevent corrosion on the valve seat
B) Allow any trapped water to drain and prevent freezing damage
C) Keep bilge air circulated
13. You’re racing out of Hamble in the club’s Christmas Cracker Regatta. It’s a cold north-westerly, gusting 22 knots, and you’ve got too much sail up. What’s the most effective trim change to keep the boat flat and fast to windward?
A) Easing the mainsheet traveller to leeward and increasing backstay tension
B) Cranking the mainsheet tighter and bearing away a few degrees
C) Flattening the jib and easing the vang
14. During a Christmas marina social, a debate breaks out about “green boating.” Which of the following is a genuinely sustainable step ?
A) Switching to HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) diesel where approved
B) Using “organic” petrol from the farm shop
C) Fitting bigger solar panels to offset the Christmas lights
15. Which famous lighthouse-guarded headland near Plymouth was lit up with festive lanterns for ships returning from sea in Victorian times ?
A) Eddystone Lighthouse
B) Portland Bill
C) Start Point
16. After festive haul-out, a GRP hull develops a white bloom on the gelcoat. The likeliest cause ?
A) Salt and detergent residue crystallising as it dries
B) Osmotic blistering starting immediately after haul-out
C) Frost expanding micro-porosity in the laminate
17. You’re anchored overnight in a quiet creek on Christmas Eve. Legally, what light must a vessel under 50 m at anchor display ?
A) Red over green
B) All-round white light visible for 2 miles
C) Stern light only
18. While Santa navigates the night sky, for UK yacht owners who navigate coastal waters which chart datum is used on modern Admiralty charts ?
A) Mean High Water Springs (MHWS)
B) Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT)
C) Mean Sea Level (MSL)
19. Which of the following is a common issue faced by yacht owners who decide to embark on winter sailing over the Christmas period, often requiring immediate attention by those who didn’t prepare properly ?
A) Frost on the mast
B) Failing to service the autopilot
C) Freezing of the heads
20. During a Boxing Day pursuit race, your yacht, on starboard tack meets another on port tack. The other skipper shouts, “Merry Christmas — I’ve got right of way!” Who’s correct under the Racing Rules of Sailing?
A) You do — starboard tack has right of way over port
B) They do — it’s Christmas, and courtesy beats rules
C) Both should alter course to avoid collision, but port tack must keep clear
ANSWERS
- B
- C
- A
- C
- B
- B
- B
- B
- C
- B
- B
- B
- A
- A
- A
- A
- B
- B
- C
- C