Home ⁄ Sailing Tips

Articles in the category "Sailing Tips"

View All Articles

Taking Your Yacht Abroad For The First Time

Sailing to a foreign country can entail a maze of paperwork and procedures, a stark contrast to the simplicity of air travel. Understanding each destination's unique requirements is paramount and preparation is key when navigating passport control, customs, and regulations demands. Luckily, Noonsite.com is here to offer some guidance on simplifying the intricate process of international sailing.

Taking Your Yacht Abroad For The First Time

Sailing to a foreign country can entail a maze of paperwork and procedures, a stark contrast to the simplicity of air travel. Understanding each destination's unique requirements is paramount and preparation is key when navigating passport control, customs, and regulations demands. Luckily, Noonsite.com is here to offer some guidance on simplifying the intricate process of international sailing.

The Best Advice You Can Get About Sailing

Sailing can be a thrilling and rewarding experience, but it requires skill, knowledge, and attention to safety. From understanding windds and tides to learning to communicate with crew, here are some common pieces of advice for sailors.

Free PDF Download: A Guide to VHF Channels

For coastal cruising sailors, the VHF radio serves as the foremost lifeline. It also plays a crucial role in sharing safety-related information both with fellow vessels and the shoreline. Check out this helpful guide to become proficient with VHF channels and message protocols.

How and Why to Heave To

"Heaving-to" is a classic technique employed to endure severe weather conditions while at sea. Heaving-to is an essential skill for all mariners, as it proves valuable in various situations. This maneuver allows you to delay your arrival at a port until more favorable light or tide conditions prevail or simply "park" the boat while attending to necessary repairs.

Your Sailboat Engine Won’t Start. Now What?

Sailing is a captivating and rewarding endeavor that allows individuals to connect with nature and challenge their skills on the open water. However, even the most well-maintained sailboats can encounter mechanical issues, and one of the most frustrating scenarios is when your boat engine refuses to start. Whether you're a seasoned sailor or a beginner, knowing what to do when your motor doesn't start can make all the difference in turning a potential disaster into a mere hiccup.

How To Toss a Line: A Critical Aspect of Docking Done Well

Tossing a line is the critical point at which your sailboat makes connection with land. The toss itself is an art and science that can make this a seamless or stressful situation. Read this how-to guide to refresh your skills and keep everyone smiling when it's time to go ashore.

Do I Need An IPC?

If you plan to charter a yacht in Europe, the International Proficiency Certificate offers US-based sailors an equivalent to the ICC, which is a requirement by charter companies. Apply online in minutes and set your sights on a Mediterranean dream vacation!

Sailing Tips From American Sailing Textbooks

American Sailing textbooks provide you with the basis of knowledge required to earn your sailing certifications. If you want to begin your journey to becoming a certified sailor through American Sailing, take a look at our textbooks and begin your journey to becoming a competent sailor.

Soft-Sided Travel Bags for Sailors

There are many benefits to learning how to pack for the unique needs of traveling on a sailboat. We present a selection of our favorite soft-sided and water-resistant or waterproof bags to get you ready for travel season.

Steps to Buying a Sailboat

I will let you on a secret. I bought my first bought before I knew how to sail. But, I wanted to sail my entire life, and every time I walked through the marina, I would gaze at the sailboats. I would do my internal math to compute the affordability of owning a sailing vessel. I asked myself all the

Tying a Clove Hitch

A clove hitch is a knot commonly used in boating. It is named after its shape, which resembles a clove, a small aromatic bulb often used in cooking. How To Tie a Clove Hitch: The resulting knot is secure, easy to tie and untie, and can attach a rope to an object or join two ropes together. However, it is

Sail Trim for Cruisers: Why Trim Your Sails?

A rumor is going around the American Sailing offices that trimming your sails makes for more efficient sailing. That rumor is directed at my sailing technique. First, let me explain why I sail. On any given day, I can sail with no destination in mind. I have nowhere to go and nowhere to be. So, I raise the main and

What is a Flying Bowline?

A flying bowline is a type of knot that is commonly used in sailing. It is a variation of the bowline knot, which is a strong and reliable knot used to form a fixed loop at the end of a rope. Other variations of a bowline are known as a bowline on a bight, a double bowline, or a Yosemite

Tips From The Text “Tides and Currents”

ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising includes an understanding of tides and currents and how they affect your sailing plans. Have you studied a tide table lately?

Mediterranean Mooring: What Is It and Why?

The Mediterranean Moor is a hybrid of anchoring, rafting, and docking used in regions where there is little room and tidal range.

Where Are We Going: Understanding Points of Sail

The direction of the wind dictates the direction a sailboat can sail. Understanding the points of sail is vital to understanding how sailors orient themselves relative to the wind. The Points of Sail describe the range of courses a sailboat can and cannot travel.

What is Seamanship?

How is seamanship defined? It is pretty much everything that happens on a vessel.