Boating Knowledge Base

Have a sailing question? Access NauticEd’s sailing and boating knowledge base, and gain in-depth answers to your sailing questions. If you’re interested in powerboating, visit our new powerboating blog.

Sailors securing a sailboat to a mooring buoy at sunset, against a backdrop of tranquil ocean and distant islands.

Mooring on a Charter

Most developed chartering locations throughout the world have established zones in which mooring balls have been permanently implanted.
April 12, 2024/by Grant Headifen
Sailboat with underwater propeller motion illustration beneath a clear sky.

Dual Rudder Monohulls

When a monohull sailboat has dual rudders, the boat will act with different characteristics than with a single rudder. Thus, the point of this module is to help you maneuver a dual-rudder monohull sailboat.
May 13, 2024/by Grant Headifen
Father and child repairing sailboat deck on a sunny day near lush green shorelines.

Plumbing and Tankage – Getting Familiar with a Charter Boat

A diaphragm pump below directs flow from the water tank(s) to various faucets throughout the boat. You'll always begin a charter with full water tanks but understand that water conservation is still required.
April 4, 2024/by Grant Headifen

Seamanship Nav Rules

Navigation rules refer many times to good seamanship, The best advice we can give here around seamanship is to get experience...
August 31, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Disassembled marine toilet pump with clog evidence on white boat floor.

Sailing Vessel Preparation

Sometimes it is a good idea to get nasty stuff out of the way first as well as prepare your boat and crew.
October 25, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Sailboat docked at a marina with a neatly coiled rope on the pier under a clear blue sky.

Securing Your Sailboat

It is convenient to have dock lines that are pre-set to the right length with loops on the end and are permanently mounted onto the marina cleats. Now, when you return to the dock you simply slip the loops over your vessel cleats.
October 12, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Marina power and water pedestal on the dockside, providing essential utilities for docked boats and yachts.

Electricity and Charging Your Devices on a Charter

It’s a given, we can’t live without electricity. At home, we have all the conveniences and all the chargers we need. But what about on a boat on a sailing vacation? What can I charge and what voltage is available?
April 4, 2024/by Grant Headifen
Sailboat and motor yacht on open sea, aerial view, showcasing a serene maritime adventure on calm waters.

Crossing Situations Nav Rules

The Rule 15 (a) when two power-driven vessels are crossing so as to involve risk of collision, the vessel...
August 24, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Diagram illustrating air flow and force on a sail from NauticEd, a leading sailing education course provider.

Understanding How Airflow Creates Lift

Understanding how Airflow creates lift and the need for smooth airflow when sailing...
August 23, 2023/by Grant Headifen

Sailboat Battery Usage

Batteries are a vessel’s major source of power for many essential functions both when in the slip and while sailing.
October 20, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Sailboats navigating wind direction on blue ocean with mapped pathways and positions.

Anchoring with Propwalk on a Sailboat

Without proper knowledge of how the boat reacts to the wind and propwalk, anchoring can be a real challenge.
March 27, 2024/by Grant Headifen
Sailboat galley showing dual-compartment fridge with open lids, ideal for storing food and drinks on long voyages.

Charter Freezer and Fridge Management

Freezers are typically top-loading and very deep. Take from home 4 -5 fabric shopping bags to stow similar items in the freezer. In doing this you...
April 1, 2024/by Grant Headifen

Basic Telltale Control continued

Controlling the telltales by making course adjustments - when making the woolies fly by making course adjustments the rule is...
August 14, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Diagram illustrating aerodynamic lift and push forces on a sail, optimizing wind flow for sailing efficiency.

Basic Sail Telltale Control

Controlling the Telltales by Trimming the Sail. The concept here is actually pretty simple. The golden rule is, when...
August 24, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Coast Guard rescue helicopter with a crew member performing a daring sea operation in clear blue skies.

Sailing Personnel Emergencies

As the skipper of a vessel, you are expected to be able to handle situations thrust upon you at a moment’s notice. Many of these situations are boat-related issues, but there are also crew injury issues for which you should be prepared to assess and handle at least enough until professional assistance arrives.
October 16, 2023/by Grant Headifen

Sailing Safety Introduction

Emergencies at sea extend from simple and almost funny episodes to major challenges that are extremely serious.
October 19, 2023/by Grant Headifen

Crew Briefing Video

It is important to know how much experience your crew has before you embark on any sailing adventure. For our boat, we created a video walkaround introduction to the boat covering safety items and also just general items on how we want our boat looked after.
October 15, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Open yacht anchor locker with chain and windlass, showcasing teak deck and railing against blue sea backdrop.

Electric Windlass

An electric windlass is a powerful electric winch that greatly helps in the lowering and raising the anchor.
October 23, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Sailing boat battery switch panel with labels and on/off toggles for negative and positive connections.

DC Electrical System on a Charter Boat

Batteries power the 12 Volt DC “house” electrical system. There may be one or several batteries linked together to supply power...
April 1, 2024/by Grant Headifen

Starting the Diesel Engine

Prior to starting the diesel engine: Become familiar with how and when a vessel’s transmission gear shift...
October 17, 2023/by Grant Headifen
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.
January 3, 2026/by Grant Headifen
Sailboats navigating a marina with wind direction marked, illustrating docking techniques and boat maneuvering strategies.

Dock Slips Docking Techniques

Wind coming into the dock slip channel and your boat is to be docked stern-to, steer into the slip channel...
June 3, 2024/by Grant Headifen

When Turbulent Flow Happens in Sailing

An airplane stalls and falls out of the sky when the wings stop producing as much lift, similar to when turbulent air flow happens in sailing...
August 22, 2023/by Grant Headifen

True Wind vs. Apparent Wind

Learn the basic difference between True Wind and Apparent Wind...
August 27, 2023/by Grant Headifen

Last updated on December 6th, 2024