Small Boat Sailing: Teaching Sportsmanship
When you’re trying to teach sportsmanship in competitive sailing, there are no proven methods to follow. You need to try different approaches because every group you teach will react differently to the request to “act sportsmanlike.” Practice sessions can fall apart if your team isn’t getting along and all you can is, “Will you please…Read More
Seamanship and Water Safety – Capsize Recoveries
Once you know the basics of sailing, you should learn a few seamanship skills. Good seamanship helps you handle situations even when you're not sailing. Your boat may need to be towed for some reason. You may need to paddle from a dock to a mooring. And, of course, there are specific knots for specific…Read More
Five Basic Navigation Rules for Sailing Situations
Courtesy on the water makes sailing more fun for everyone. But beyond courtesy, there are Navigation Rules - like traffic laws - that can be enforced by authorities. Navigation Rules help prevent accidents and apply to the smallest rowboat and the largest tanker. Less experienced sailors should stay clear of boating traffic and sail defensively.…Read More
Start Windsurfing Right: The Windsurfing Safety Code
Being safety conscious at all times, both on and off the water, is an attitude you will develop with your instructor's help. It will pay off many times over in safe, fun, relaxing sailing. Safety encompasses many things: dressing properly, wearing a life jacket, being courteous toward other boaters, being observant, sailing by the "rules…Read More
The Powerboat Certification Series: Towing Concepts
These towing concepts are from US Sailing's Safety, Rescue & Support Boat Handling. Observer: There should be a person on the safety-rescue boat who watches the tow and alerts the operator if any problems develop. This person will tend the towline and transmit information to the operator while picking up or releasing a tow. Speed…Read More
Hypothermia and Heat Emergencies
Sailors are often exposed to extreme conditions. During these cold winter days during Frostbite racing, or on hot sunny days with no wind, or rainy days with too much wind, or prolonged exposure to wind and spray... all of the things that make sailing challenging and fun can sneak up on you if you do…Read More
Weather Forecasting: Know your lows
By Stan Honey and Ken Campbell There are three major types of lows: tropical lows, mid-latitude lows, and cut-off lows. It is important to understand the differences between them. Tropical lows live in the belt of tradewinds, and are also known as tropical depressions, tropical cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons. They are seasonal and travel east…Read More
Man Overboard Rescue Procedure
Written by Peter Isler, with additional contributions by Chuck Hawley and Michael Jacobs "Man Overboard" is probably the third most famous nautical hail, after "Land Ho" and "Thar She Blows," but it is by far the most serious and potentially life threatening of the three. Man Overboard Rescue Procedure Although we should keep in mind…Read More