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 …
Category: Sailing Tips
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…
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 …
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. H…
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 t…
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 t…
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 th…
What is Seamanship?
How is seamanship defined? It is pretty much everything that happens on a vessel.
Understanding a Lee Shore
Captain Cam Seamus from Harbor Sailboats in San Diego California shares a few tips about handling and understanding a Lee Shore. Understanding a lee s…
Do You Use Your VHF Radio?
VHF radio is the primary means of urgent communication between boats, shore facilities, and emergency services. VHF Signals travel line-of-sight with…
Plastic-Free Provisioning
Over the years American Sailing has promoted our Plastic Pollution Purge campaign. We have asked our fellow sailors to “bring back more plastic than…
American Sailing Quick Guide to Navigation Rules
It never fails, you are out for a daysail and another vessel decides that the great expanse of ocean is too small and they sail directly at you. Do y…
How A Boat Sails Upwind
A sailor’s life revolves around the wind. Its direction and its strength govern where he can sail, with what degree of difficulty or comfort, and h…
Safety Equipment Required on a Boat
The USCG requires certain safety equipment on a boat and it is imperative that you make sure that your vessel is properly outfitted with this equipmen…
Planning a Daysail
As you embark on a daysail you might need a checklist of the things that you must have to make the day more enjoyable. First, you have the knowledge t…
Tips From 106: Handling An Emergency
Thes tips are excerpts from ASA Advanced Cruising & Seamanship book. The textbook is the official manual for ASA 106 Advanced Cruising. The textbook…