Sailboat Engine and House Systems
Perhaps the most important use of DC power on a vessel is for starting the engine. Considerable power is needed for this task and if the engine does not start immediately…
Entries by Grant Headifen
Tacking and Gybing Maneuvers
Tacking when you want to sail in a direction to exactly where the wind is coming from— guess what—you can’t! The best we can do is to follow a zig-zag course by sailing at about 30 to 40 degrees off the wind…
Motor Sailing
If the wind is light and your time is short you might want to consider motor-sailing—using your auxiliary engine…
Anchoring Rode and Scope
To hold a sailboat, the anchor must naturally be attached to the vessel. This is accomplished by using “rode,” which is either all chain or a combination of rope (nylon line) and chain.
Sailing Safety Introduction
Emergencies at sea extend from simple and almost funny episodes to major challenges that are extremely serious.
Understanding Weather Systems
Weather is a highly complex natural phenomenon. Globally, it is all connected and operates on a multitude of physical laws.
Sailing Wind Velocity & Direction
The faster the boat sails into the wind, the more the apparent wind speed increases and the more it feels like it is coming from the front of the boat. They say “The apparent wind is forward of the true wind”. This means the apparent wind feels like it comes from a more forward direction than the true wind.
Diesel Fuel
The search, discovery, refinement and resource control of fuel has a rich and very sordid history. But just like…
Types of PFDs
Types of PDF’s Here is a graphical explanation between a lifejacket and a buoyancy vest. PFD Type ratings are being phased out…
Marine Batteries
The source of DC power is usually one or more marine-grade batteries, normally 12 volts each. They are similar to automobile batteries, except sturdier—and of course more expensive.
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