Category Archives: Skipper’s Tip

Why Is San Francisco Bay A Special Place to Sail?

An Introduction to Marine Weather San Francisco Bay is one of the premier sailing areas in the world. What is it that makes the area special? Easy! The weather. Year round mild conditions allow sailing nearly every day throughout the … Continue reading

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Watch the Stern

First a “tip” then the detailed explanation with some practice exercises. The Tip: While docking in a slip (once the bow is in the slip) and when doing a fairway rotation, focus primarily on where the stern is with observation … Continue reading

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Skipper Tip, Lee Shores

“Lee Shore” is a term you learn in your very first ASA course, Basic Keel Boat. How often do we really think about our relationship to a lee shore when we are out sailing? Inexperienced sailors in particular should try … Continue reading

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Skipper’s Tip, Reefing Underway

Reefing Underway With the summer winds starting to blow, we thought we’d touch upon this very important subject. Allowing the sails to flog for extended periods greatly shortens sail life and leads to torn batten pockets and lost or broken … Continue reading

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Downwind Slip Skipper’s Tip!

Got the blues leaving the downwind slips? With the onset of summer and the steady winds, we’ve seen a few close calls in the fairway. This looks like a great time to publish a docking skipper’s tip! When backing out … Continue reading

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Reefing Under Sail

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to watch one of the Tradewinds boats from a distance “struggling” in 25 knot plus winds at the eastern entrance to Raccoon Straight.  My initial thought was that the boat was in … Continue reading

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FRAP!

No, I’m not cursing at you, although it is one of my personal pet-peeves! Here it is from Merriam-Webster: verb \ˈfrap\ frapped frap·ping Definition of FRAP transitive verb :  to draw tight (as with ropes or cables) <frap a sail> I’m … Continue reading

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Sailing Knots vs. Non-Sailing Knots!

Ever wonder why certain knots are part of the curriculum and certain knots are left out? Perhaps you know some rescue knots or construction knots that sailors don’t use? Maybe you are good at tying things up and just make … Continue reading

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I Love Classes That Make You Think! Part I

Today is Thursday and I have a bareboat class going as I write this. Class started Sunday and will continue next Saturday and Sunday. Last night I received an email from one of the students with a list of questions … Continue reading

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Skipper’s Tip – Corrosion & Equipment Failure

It has been said around Tradewinds that there are many things on a boat that can be fixed with liberal application of fresh water. Here are a few of our favorite examples of why that is true – please consider … Continue reading

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