The man overboard drill is perhaps the most important skill you should know as a sailor. What’s the second most important skill? Teaching your crew the man overboard drill so that if you should fall overboard, they can get you back in the boat! The figure below illustrates the procedure Read more…
A winch is a spool-shaped device used to aid in bringing in the sheets on larger boats. The sheet is wrapped around the winch, which is cranked using a detachable handle connected to the top. The winch is made to turn in only one direction and the handle acts like Read more…
Unfortunately, helming a sailboat requires constant attention. Some mechanical or electronic autopilot devices exist, but these are typically either expensive or of limited usefulness. Fortunately, there is an option for when the captain must leave the helm and there is no crew available to substitute. Heaving to is a maneuver Read more…