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P.E.T.T: Prepare Execute Trim Tidy Up

The P.E.T.T. method: Prepare, Execute, Trim, Tidy Up. A simple framework for mastering smooth, safe, and efficient sailing.

How to Extend Your Boat Battery’s Lifespan

How to Extend Your Boat Battery’s Lifespan. Smart maintenance, charging, and monitoring tips from cruising experts Gio and Julie Cappelli.

Sailing Beyond Sight and Sound

St. Augustine Sailing and FSDB empower students with visual impairments to learn sailing through touch, sound, and inclusive, hands-on experiences on the water.

The Art of Anchoring

The art of anchoring. Learn techniques about types, scope, setting, and tips to keep your boat secure and your time on the water stress-free.

Don’t Hog The Helm

Sharing the helm turns passengers into sailors. Engage your guests, teach with patience, and make every sailing day unforgettable.

The White-Knuckle Shuffle

Sometimes the greatest barrier to freedom on the water isn’t the sea itself but the stories we tell ourselves at the dock.

Heaving To

Sometimes the most valuable skill on the water is knowing how to pause. Creating balance between wind, sails, and sea allows sailors to find safety, rest, and clarity when it matters most.

Two Important Things

Key Lessons in Safety, Sail Handling, Docking, and Navigation

Adventure, Glory, and Bugs

The Race to Mackinac blends adventure, chaos, and magic—Great Lakes sailing’s highlight with storms, stars, bugs, and unforgettable stories.

Sailboat Racing – Is It Right for You?

When I first started sailing, racing was the easiest way to get on a boat. Walk the dock the day before or even the morning of the race with a six-pack of good beer and you’ll get noticed. Greet the crew and ask if they need help. Someone always does. Crew drop out at the last minute, and skippers are desperate for “rail meat.”

Situational Awareness

Pilots know exactly what this phrase means. For everyone else, the concept becomes clear with practice – lots of it. True situational awareness eventually becomes intuitive, but it starts as a conscious effort.

Sailing Lingo Decoded

Every community has its own language, and sailing is no different. Step aboard a sailboat, and you might suddenly feel like you’ve stumbled into a secret society with its own code. “Ease the sheets!” someone might shout. “Mind the boom!” another warns. You nod along, pretending to understand, while quietly wondering why ropes are called lines and the bathroom is a head.

Why You Should Know & Love Your Fluxgate Compass!

Your GPS may tell you where you’re going, but only a properly calibrated fluxgate compass knows where your boat is pointing. From autopilot accuracy to radar overlays, this humble instrument underpins nearly every critical navigation function. Learn why heading data matters, how to spot calibration issues, and the simple steps to keep your system reliable. Ignore it, and even the best electronics can steer you wrong.

Your Dinghy Is a Boat

Your dinghy isn’t just a tender, it’s your second boat. Cruisers Jean Levine and Jeff Grossman share hard earned lessons, safety tips, and must have gear to keep your dinghy reliable, safe, and drama free.

Learn to Sail in Greece with Athens Sailing Academy

Learn to sail in the stunning waters of Greece with Athens Sailing Academy, the oldest ASA-affiliated school in Europe. Based on Poros Island, we offer week-long courses for all skill levels, including women’s programs, advanced navigation, and offshore mile-building. Sail through the Saronic Gulf and Cyclades aboard modern Jeanneau yachts while learning from expert instructors. Enjoy warm seas, ideal weather, rich culture, and unforgettable cruising in one of the world’s most celebrated sailing destinations.

Smooth Sailing Starts Ashore

Before you chase the horizon, take the time to inspect the boat that’ll carry you there. A smooth sail starts with smart preparation – topside, below deck, and in every system in between.

Prepare to Cross an Ocean

You might join a finely tuned crew with a seasoned skipper – or a boat making its first big leap. Either way, preparation is critical. Success offshore starts long before you leave the dock.

Swimming with Outboards

When a 25HP Yamaha slipped into 16 feet of Caribbean water, a simple sail day turned into an unexpected recovery mission. What followed was a crash course in corrosion control, mechanical triage, and lessons in complacency. With quick thinking, fresh water, and a lot of patience, the engine was revived, starting on the first pull. This salty tale proves even sunken gear can be saved if you act fast, stay calm, and never underestimate the power of preparation.