There are the obvious things you need when you go sailing, sunscreen, a hat, a windbreaker, non-skid shoes, and wind. However, what do you really need to be ready to head out on the water? These are a few sailing tips to keep you safe and that ensure that you have a fun time out on the water.
How often do you think about your hands while sailing? Do you consistently wear gloves? Can you remember the first time a line raced through the palm of your hand and left you with a burning sensation that ruined your entire sail? Gill Marine sent us a number of their new gloves to try out. What we found out was that a good glove feels like a part of your body. The cliche “It fits like a glove” actually means something. The gloves are definitely fit for a multitude of uses and wearing your favorite sailing gloves for just sailing …
Not long ago I watched as a pair of newlyweds hired my 12-year-old to teach them how to sail. We were on vacation and my two boys had been zipping across the horizon for over an hour and as they sailed the Hobie Cat back onto the sand the newly married couple negotiated a chartered cruise right on the spot. My son, ever the opportunist, jumped aboard, handed them life vests and explained where the couple would sit. He then had his younger brother give them a gentle push off the shore. Just like that, the couple was on a …
The International Proficiency Certificate FAQ’s Chartering your own sailboat in a new destination is a rite of passage for most sailors. The freedom to sail your own plan and set your itinerary is a dream come true for anyone who has ever tossed the lines and held onto the mainsheet. A bareboat charter is the definition of freedom on the water. Are you qualified to Bareboat Charter? That is a question that charter companies will ask when deciding whether or not to put you in charge of your own vessel. In the Caribbean, charter companies will often use your ASA …
The ocean is vital to our planet but just as important, it is where sailors spend most of their time. How can you help?
Captain Amy E. Skillman of Sailtime Annapolis Sailing Academy Captain Amy Skillman grew up sailing and grew up with four brothers. The experience that she garnered sailing with her adventurous family has prepared her for a life of teaching. Understanding the roles that are played on a boat as well as how personalities develop from those roles has contributed to Captain Skillman’s approach to sailing. Captain Amy Skillman’s shared much about her sailing philosophy and it is intoxicating. It makes me want to sail the Chesapeake with her right now. Captain Amy E. Skillman is ASA’s Featured Instructor
The new small boat sailing book “Let’s Go Sailing” is available from the American Sailing Association. SAILING Magazine says “The book is a sailing primer in all ways, covering all of the basics needed to get sailors of almost any age on the water. Every concept is illustrated in crystal clear detail through extraordinary computer-generated graphics that bring life to the ideas. It doubles as the manual for ASA’s Basic Small Boat ASA 110 class, but works as a standalone educational tool as well.”
Sailing Tips Come From Coastal Cruising Made Easy, the Official Manual for the ASA Basic Coastal Cruising Course. You’re ready to cruise and all that is left is for you to toss the lines and set sail. Take a glance at these tips to help you once you decide to embark on your coastal cruise.
“We suggest you only need to know five things to make a sailboat go. We can teach you those five things in an hour, and by the afternoon you are sailing the boat around the harbor knowing what you are doing. This doesn’t mean you know how to make it stop, or what the buoys mean, or which way you need to pass another boat… Those are the things we teach on day two and three of ASA 101. Some schools say they can teach you the sailing standards in two days. I think you can be exposed to it; …