Grant Headifen

About Grant Headifen

Grant Headifen is a USCG-certified Master Mariner (50-Ton), founder of NauticEd, and one of the sailing world's most recognized educators. With 46 years on the water, charters across 40+ global destinations, 5 sailing books, 30+ online courses, and 300,000+ students worldwide, Grant brings real-world expertise to every article. He pioneered fractional boat ownership through SailTime and serves on the Texas Boater Safety Advisory Board. NauticEd is the only U.S. sailing education body recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard under American National Standards.

Entries by Grant Headifen

Mooring a Sailboat

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Mooring a vessel means attaching it to a float that is firmly and permanently anchored to the sea bottom.

Global Positioning System

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GPS stands for global positioning system. It uses a network of satellites in orbit. Although the GPS is used as a navigation device, it is also a form of communication to the vessel.

Sea Anchor

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Finally, there is something called a “sea anchor.” These can be a variety of devices used to slow down a vessel caught in high winds and turbulent seas.

Sailboat Maneuvering Topics

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With practice, wind direction and current direction are not too much of a problem. But what can get you into trouble is extremely high winds. Be prepared to change…

Spinning Propeller

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As you sail along, the water flowing over your propeller will cause it to spin. Some sailboats are fitted with a special alternator that will create electricity…

Sails

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Sails are sophisticated objects. It is not only the materials they are made from that are important, but also, the way they are cut and sewn.

Sailboat Inverters

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Sailboat Inverters are devices used to convert 12-volt DC battery electricity to AC 110-volt or 220-volt electricity. Special electronics in