Decision-Making While Cruising

Decision-making–it’s never easy. If there is more than one person aboard your boat, how do you resolve conflicts about go/no go, routing, anchoring, and the like?

Yes, the captain is the ultimate decision-maker. But that doesn’t mean that he/she operates in a vacuum. Everyone’s thoughts and feelings need to be considered.

Guidelines for Decision-Making

On our boat, we have some general principles that shape the captain’s decisions:

We start by talking things out. What are the objections that each has to the other’s proposal – discomfort, arriving after dark, risking the boat, impossibility?
If possible, we go with the more conservative option. Cruising is supposed to be fun, and it’s no fun if one person is terrified.
Sometimes, there’s even disagreement as to what’s the more conservative option as we see different potential problems. We try to talk our concerns out . . . but eventually yes, the captain has the final say.
Occasionally, the answer is what we call “the third way.” In talking, we’ll come up with another option that we both like.

Along similar lines, we have always operated on the principle that we’re not anchored until we’re both happy with where and how we’re anchored. Again, if one of us thinks we’re in a bad spot (or likely to drag), they won’t be sleeping well . . . and that’s just not good either.

Accepting the Decision – Part of the Process

And BTW, once a decision has been made – to go, not to go, whatever – we try to not just accept it, but do our part to make it work. No pouting or grumping!

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