Category Archives: Skipper’s Tip

Sailing to a specific time schedule can be dangerous.  Trying to “get there” at a specific time, or wanting to trim 20 minutes off your sailing ETA may create a situation where you put yourself at risk. While returning from Drakes Bay … Continue reading →

-By Tradewinds Member Tim G. Hey Matt Had a great day sailing on Wind Song on Sunday.     Setting out from the dock, we knew we would be putting in the 2nd reef right away due to the projected gusty winds. … Continue reading →

A few days ago I spent the night on my boat, waking at six in the morning to the smell of baking bread.  There are very few aromas in the world that smell better!  All I could do was get … Continue reading →

Here’s a quick tip for you.  If you want to keep your sailing skills fresh, take out a Capri once in a while. First, it’s amazing how much feedback you get on a small boat with a tiller.  Second, some maneuvers that … Continue reading →

Tack, Tack, and Tacking … so confusing.  Are we talking about the lower, leading corner of a sail, the side of the boat the wind is coming from, or the process of turning the boat through the wind so that the … Continue reading →

“The boat’s on fire!” “The steering wheel isn’t working at all!” “I think the steering cables broke!” “The jib is tangled up and I can’t furl it! I really dislike all those doom and gloom skipper’s tips out there, however, … Continue reading →

Twice in the past two weeks I have received after hours calls on the emergency line with the same problem, an overwrap in the jib furling drum preventing the jib from being rolled up.  In both cases, the boat was docked … Continue reading →

I had the opportunity to watch a near catastrophe the other day!  A sailboat was tied to the leeward side of the “D” dock pump out station in some moderately windy conditions.  When done, the skipper (who was single handing) … Continue reading →

It’s a very, very, rare occasion that requires surging the throttle back and forth from low to high to low to high to … (I’m sure you get the idea.)  Sadly, you see it all of the time.  For example, … Continue reading →

I recently received an email from a friend asking for a bit of sailing advice.  The email read “What is the best way to manage the jib during a jibe?  It embarrasses me that I probably have been taught how … Continue reading →