‘Why seamanship is more than just the mastery of sailing’ – Nikki Henderson

Is good seamanship just about skill on the water? Or is there more to it if you want to be considered a true master of your craft?

What is seamanship? The Oxford dictionary defines seamanship as ‘the skill, technique or practice of handling a ship at sea’. But the more I’ve dug into it, I’ve realised seamanship has just about as many definitions as there are captains.

The word seamanship has been used since the 1700s. Just as the ‘ship’ in leadership implies mastery, ‘seamanship’ is about being an expert seaman. If it was thought up today, I imagine it would be ‘sailor-ship’ – but don’t panic, this column isn’t about new-age terminology.

A few centuries ago, seamanship was everything involved in getting from one port to another ‘shipshape and in Bristol fashion’ – keeping the crew alive, the decks scrubbed and the boat floating. Today the details have modernised but the basis remains. It’s about parking a boat as if you’ve done it a hundred times before, trimming sails and helming as naturally as walking, and navigating on time and safely. Seamanship, in short, is the mastery of sailing.

Yet to be considered a master of something involves more than just talent.

In October I skippered a team in the Rolex Middle Sea Race. Following the race, fellow competitor Francesco Giordano, skipper of the X-41 Adrigole II, sent me a report he’s written of his race, which described an encounter we’d had minutes after the start.

Our fleet of 21 boats were squeezing out of Valletta’s Grand Harbour towards the first mark of the course, a Rolex-branded yellow inflatable buoy. Adrigole II, with Francesco at the helm, was just ahead and to windward. On Noisy Oyster, our chartered J/122, we accelerated and gained an overlap before the three-length zone. But, with an amateur crew and 600 miles to go, I wasn’t prepared to take any risks.

So, I called over to him.

“All good to assume you are going to give us room?” My crew, thankfully, stayed quiet. I’d briefed them that if we found ourselves in this type of scenario,

I could manage the communication myself. There’s nothing more aggressive – and unclear – than nine people all screaming from the rail.

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Francesco replied in agreement, and waved us through. We rounded cleanly – but of course our kite hoist didn’t go quite to plan and he pulled ahead again.

In his race report, Francesco described our brief exchange (translated loosely from Italian) as ‘a nod that demonstrated mutual trust between sailors; a moment that distilled the essence of seamanship’.

I was touched to read that he felt the respect and professionalism I’d intended. But, his report also raised the question: what is the ‘essence of seamanship’? Is it really just the technical ability to handle a boat, or does it also include the attitude with which we treat our fellow sailors?

Someone can have impeccable seamanship and never need to interact with anyone – solo ocean sailors prove that every day. So, seamanship doesn’t necessarily include leadership or even teamwork; it’s about judgement, care, and respect for the sea. But behaviour still matters.

Courtesy to other competitors avoids distraction and conflict. Yes, the core of seamanship is skill. But character is also a component.

For sailors skippering crewed boats, leading others is part of your seamanship. In the 1700s, a threat of walking the plank was persuasive enough to garner authority and obedience. There wasn’t much need for collaboration. But still, earning the respect of the crew was no less vital.

What about ashore? Is a skipper who is professional at sea but impatient in the chandlery queue or a drunken liability in the pub a ‘good seaman’? Strictly by definition, yes they are. But seamanship and conduct are entwined because seamanship is in part earned. Earned by reputation as well as by skill.

A CEO can’t have an affair at a Coldplay concert and keep their job; a politician can’t break their own rules and stay in office. The same is increasingly true in sailing. Drunken sailors could once ‘get up to no-good’ and it was just what sailors did. How much you could drink might only strengthen your reputation! Today, how we carry ourselves is scrutinised much more sharply. Those who master their craft become role models.

So, for anyone shooting for seamanship, you’re forewarned. You’ll no longer be judged by skill alone.

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