What Is a Marine VHF Radio? A marine VHF radio is one of those pieces of equipment that can sit quietly aboard your sailboat for hours without attracting much attention. Then, suddenly, it can become one of the most important pieces of equipment you own. VHF stands for Very High Frequency. Marine VHF radios use designated radio frequencies to allow …

Few situations aboard a sailboat demand a faster response than a person falling overboard. Fortunately, there is something reassuring every beginner should understand: Person overboard recovery is a skill you can practice. You do not need to improvise the entire maneuver during an emergency. You can learn a sequence, practice it in controlled conditions, and gradually make the response familiar. …

There comes a point in learning to sail when you discover that controlling a sailboat does not always mean making it go somewhere. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is almost stop. You may want a few quiet minutes to organize the cockpit. Someone aboard may need a break. You might need time to check your position, sort out …

A beam reach is one of the best points of sail for learning how a sailboat really works. The wind comes across the side of the boat rather than from ahead or behind. The sails are eased away from the centerline. The boat usually develops good speed without requiring the precise steering and tight sail trim needed when sailing upwind. …

Reefing is one of the first sailing skills that truly changes the way a beginner thinks about controlling a sailboat. When you first learn to sail, much of your attention is focused on making the boat move. You learn how to steer, trim the sails, tack, jibe, sail upwind, sail downwind, and reach efficiently. Eventually, however, the wind increases. The …

Learning how to make a sailboat move is exciting. Learning how to make it stop is seamanship. By this point in your sailing journey, you may already know how to steer a sailboat, trim the sails, tack, jibe, sail upwind, sail downwind, and sail on a reach. Those skills allow you to control where the boat goes. But eventually, you …

Sailing downwind can feel surprisingly relaxed the first time you try it. The boat usually heels less. The apparent wind feels lighter. The sails are eased farther from the centerline, and the boat may seem to glide quietly across the water. That can make downwind sailing appear simple. Point the boat away from the wind, let the sails out, and …

Jibing often feels more intimidating than tacking the first few times you see it happen. The reason is easy to understand: during a jibe, the boom and mainsail move from one side of the boat to the other while the boat is still sailing downwind and the sail may still be carrying considerable wind pressure. That movement can look sudden. …

Imagine leaving a harbour and seeing your destination a few miles ahead. Unfortunately, the wind is blowing directly from where you want to go. Your first instinct might be to point the bow toward your destination and trim the sails. But as the boat turns toward the wind, the sails begin to flutter. The boat slows. Keep turning, and eventually …

You are sailing comfortably across the bay when you look ahead and realize where you want to go is almost directly upwind. Your first instinct might be to simply steer toward your destination. But as the bow turns closer to the wind, the sails begin to flutter. The boat slows. Turn farther, and eventually the sails flap uselessly while the …