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.

Sailboats racing in the ocean with crews managing sails, showcasing competitive sailing dynamics and teamwork.

Sails

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.
October 13, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Diagram illustrating a sailboat's interaction with strong wind, showing movement and wind direction.

Planning to use springlines when docking

Like a work of fine engineering, a spring maneuver requires a design. The key is to plan the maneuver by considering the wind, current, and other obstacles, then design the placement and directions of the forces and moments.
May 13, 2024/by Grant Headifen
Blue nautical first aid kit with red handles, essential for boating safety and emergency preparedness.

Crew Safety Briefing

You can avoid many emergencies by conducting a proper safety briefing before leaving the dock.
October 24, 2023/by Grant Headifen
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.
December 20, 2025/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

Docking Maneuvers with Dual Rudders

With Dual Rudders there is no ability to spring the boat onto or off the dock! You have no water velocity over the rudders from either boat velocity or propwash.
May 24, 2024/by Grant Headifen
Diagram of aerodynamic forces on an airfoil and sail, showing lift, drag, and pressure differences for sailing dynamics.

Sailing and Wind Forces

A sailboat moves in upwind and downwind directions. Downwind is intuitive; it just gets blown downwind. But just how does a sailboat move into the wind?
October 24, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Top view of a catamaran securely anchored with two lines, showcasing an optimal technique for stable mooring.

Mediterranean Mooring – Long Line Ashore

The long-line-ashore is a useful Mediterranean mooring method. It is mostly used in the Mediterranean as a customary way of mooring a lot of boats along a shoreline.
May 6, 2024/by Grant Headifen
Sailboats passing port to port with horn signals, showing nautical right-of-way on open water.

Head-on Nav Rules Situation

The Rule (a) Unless otherwise agreed when two power-driven vessels are meeting on reciprocal or nearly reciprocal...
August 26, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Group of sailors examining navigation charts at a table in a nautical classroom setting.

Charter Local Area Familiarization

Once you’ve arrived at the charter base, the company will give you an extensive briefing on the local area, where to sail, where not to sail, and they’ll also give you a recommended route to take for the time that you have allotted.
April 4, 2024/by Grant Headifen
Two men discussing sailing techniques on a sailboat, part of NauticEd's Instructional Skipper program.

Learning sailing while on a Yacht Charter Vacation

Learn to sail while on vacation with the Instructional Skipper Program. Gain real-world skills and practical experience in beautiful destinations.
December 15, 2024/by Grant Headifen
Sailboat engine cooling system diagram showing fluid flow through heat exchanger and pumps.

Diesel Raw-Water System

Raw-water means that the water is straight from outside the boat. It might be seawater - it might be
October 15, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Sailboat engine with labeled oil dipstick and water pump, showcasing essential maintenance points.

The Engine – Getting Familiar with a Charter Boat

While this is a sailing boat propelled by the wind and mostly without the need for burning fossil fuels the most devastating breakdown besides hull failure is the engine.
April 4, 2024/by Grant Headifen
Marine electrical panel with switches for AC main, reverse polarity, battery charger, outlets, and spare.

Sailboat Electrical Panels

The sailboat electrical panel, located at the navigation station, normally has two distinct and separately marked sections; one section is devoted to 110-volt or 220-volt AC power and...
October 13, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Illustration of sailboats docked at a pier, showing wind direction and spring line for secure mooring.

Docking onto End Ties

Wind blowing you off the dock end ties, plan a fairly steep approach so that you are facing more into the wind.
March 30, 2024/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
Sailboat anchored by rocky cliffs in serene waters, under a clear sky, perfect for sailing adventures.

Anchoring with multiple anchors

Setting multiple anchors has multiple advantages. It reduces swing, reduces the holding load required by each anchor, and can act as a backup.
April 13, 2024/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
Satellite image of hurricane approaching Caribbean islands, highlighting storm path critical for sailing safety.

Weather Predictions

While we have touched on weather concepts in this Module, no one can expect you to be a meteorologist (unless you are one) and do a good enough job at predicting the weather with enough quality to guarantee your safety.
October 13, 2023/by Grant Headifen

Sailboat Balance

Below is an animation that shows the balance of forces: actually it is technically the balance of a concept called “moments.”
October 20, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Sailing yacht gliding through ocean waves at sunset, sailor steering from deck, capturing adventure and freedom at sea.

Rigging

At boat shows, we see folks huddled down in the vessel’s salon oohing and aahing at the leather cushions to sit on, and at the electronic gadgets for navigation and entertainment.
October 24, 2023/by Grant Headifen

Sailboat Diesel Engine

Thanks go to Mr. Rudolf Diesel who years ago in Germany cleverly invented an engine that today bears his name (luckily, they chose to use his last name)—the sailboat diesel engine.
October 21, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Sailor in a red jacket braving rough seas, harnessed on a wet deck with splashing waves, focused on handling the sail.

Sailing Safety Equipment

There is a plethora of equipment specially designed for a variety of emergencies at sea. Some are inexpensive...
October 16, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Diagram comparing rudder positions: in front of propeller (left) vs behind propeller (right) with steering effects.

Advanced Catamaran Maneuvering – Using the Rudders

There are some other cool things you can do when you consider the propeller thrust over a Catamaran's rudders.
May 9, 2024/by Grant Headifen

Last updated on December 6th, 2024