Learn. Sail. Explore. Repeat.

Welcome! NauticEd’s Sailing Blog is an extension of our sailing courses and charter vacations – a happy space where our team of pro sailors and collaborators share education and vacation information, tips, news, and sometimes just fun stuff. With over 850 articles and growing, we offer sailors a wealth of sailing information. If you are interested in powerboating, check out our new powerboating courses and blog. Cheers! Grant Headifen – NauticEd.

Search for a sailing or chartering topic.

Popular Articles.

Latest Posts.

AIS data flow delay diagram highlighting potential failure points in maritime communication: ship, satellite, internet.

AIS Safety vs Internet AIS: The Critical Difference Sailors Miss

AIS is one of today’s best safety tools—and one of the most misunderstood. AIS targets on your chartplotter aren’t the same as the ones in phone apps, and that difference matters. In this article, I break down how AIS really works, why some targets vanish, how vessels end up online, and the key distinction between AIS as an onboard safety system vs. an internet tracking tool.
Read more
Sailing boat heels with mast head pull technique on water.

Mast Head pull heeling versus wind heeling

Takeaways: Standing rigging isn’t the place to economize—it’s a load-management system. Use stretchy docklines for masthead pulls, avoid shock loads, and apply smooth, steady pressure. Snatch loads break rigs.
Read more
Grant steering sailboat, EDU-4 Approved Instructor: What is an EDU-4 Instructor? Why Should You Ask For One?

What is an American National Standards EDU-4 Instructor

EDU-4 is the American National Standard that describes what high-quality on-water instruction must look like: clear objectives, structured lessons, appropriate safety and student ratios, objective assessment, and continuous improvement. NauticEd requires its instructors to follow these principles in every training session.
Read more
Illustration of keel vortex and drag comparison: Fin Keel vs Full Keel, analyzing performance differences.

Fin Keel versus a Full Keel Efficiency

Basic Newtonian physics says keel force scales with water density, area, and velocity squared. So if a fin keel and full keel had the same area, shouldn’t they perform the same? And since full keels often have more area, it seems like they should do better—not worse.
Read more

View all blog posts ›

“We have one very powerful principle. It is concentrated in one word: competence”

NauticEd is the leading International sailing and boating education company – offering over 20 best-in-class online sailing courses, a global network of sailing schools and private sailing instructors, and top-ranked sailing blog. NauticEd Sailing Vacations includes full-service yacht charter agents ready to assist you when planning a sailing vacation anywhere in the world. View courses and more at nauticed.org >

Top Categories.

NauticEd Sailing Education BlogSailing Education ›

Pro Techniques, Tips and Tricks, Certification and Licensing

Sailing Vacations ›

Yacht Charter and Sailing Vacation Destinations

Free Sailor Toolkit.

Get started with 2 free starting courses, eLogbook, and Sailing Resume!  Learn more ›

NauticEd Free Sailor Toolkit

Events & Flotillas.

Home
Last updated on January 7th, 2025