Category Archives: Skipper’s Tip

History of the Mayday code word used for a distress call: The Mayday callsign was originated in 1923 by Frederick Stanley Mockford (1897–1962). A senior radio officer at Croydon Airport in London, Mockford was asked to think of a word … Continue reading →

Sea Conditions: CDIP Nowcast:  http://cdip.ucsd.edu/?nav=recent&sub=nowcast&xitem=sf Pacific Storm Cast:  http://www.stormsurf.com/page2/forecast/forecast/current.shtml National Data Buoy:  http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/ Wave Model:  http://www.stormsurf.com/mdls/menu.html Stormsurfing Wave Model:   http://www.stormsurfing.com/cgi/display.cgi?a=npac_height NOAA Publication page macro view:   http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/staff/chartspubs.html Local Notices To Mariners [sign up]:   http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=lnmMain On Line Charts NOAA:   http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/PacificCoastViewerTable.shtml Ocean Graphics:  … Continue reading →

Fire Extinguishers Hopefully and most probably you will never have to use the fire extinguisher on board but if you do you should know how to use it. Let’s first review regulations on size and types fire extinguishers required to … Continue reading →

Tradewinds has done a great job of developing good relations with the vessel owners on D dock.  We can help with the good relations by being courteous. When we roll our carts down to the boat or to unload the … Continue reading →

Outboard Motors: Even a well-maintained outboard can be a headache. We just want them to work so we can get out and go sailing, but first we have to get them started. If you’ve ever watched Brandy or Matt, you’ll … Continue reading →

Most (if not all) of us take non-sailing guests out on occasion.  The temptation is to get to the fun part right away and just “commence to sailing”.  When we do, we are doing our guests a disservice.  Part of the fun … Continue reading →

We asked some of our more experienced members what they carry in their sailing bag. We’ve seen everything from an extra spring line to a spare winch handle, both of which would come in very handy under the right circumstances. … Continue reading →

Over the Fourth of July weekend two radio calls were overheard to the USCG where vessels lost engine power and were drifting in traffic channels.  The people were in panic mode not knowing what to do. Fortunately for us, Tradewinds … Continue reading →

Instead of writing a Skipper’s tip this week, we’ve copied a very informative thread from our members message board. It’s a great discussion and manages to cover a topic that we should all be proficient at sailing on the SF … Continue reading →

Dousing the Main In the great days of sail, every precaution was taken to secure the yards before the men were sent out on them to furl or reef sails. We can learn by their example when dousing the mainsail. … Continue reading →