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.

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

The Nautical Chart on a Charter

Even though most sailboat charters are within island groups where the next landfall is typically within sight, every boat should be equipped with complete large-scale charts of the area.
April 5, 2024/by Grant Headifen
Sailboat deck with installed solar panels, capturing sunlight for sustainable energy on the water.

Topping Up your Energy on a Sailboat

There are several methods to top-off your energy on a sailboat.
April 14, 2024/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

Navigation Tools

No matter the chart in use, the navigator’s work largely involves the determination of direction and distances. The most useful tools for actual chart work are...
October 25, 2023/by Grant Headifen

Sail TellTales

"Telltales" attached to the sail in strategic positions to "tell" us what the wind is doing at that exact location.
August 11, 2023/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

True Wind vs. Apparent Wind

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

More Basic Sail Twist

The wind at the top of the mast has more heeling leverage on the boat than the wind lower...
August 21, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Schematic of boat bilge pump system with battery, manual and float switches, showing hull and water levels.

Bilge Pumps on a Charter Boat

Boats have two types of pumps to empty bilge water; electronic and manually operated. 
April 5, 2024/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
Sea spray splashes over a vast ocean surface under a clear sky, capturing the excitement of open water sailing adventure.

Waves, Swells, and Depth

Since waves are primarily the result of surface wind action, they can be accurately predicted. Waves have troughs and crests.
October 15, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Couple relaxing on sailboat deck, enjoying sunny day on turquoise waters. Dream yachting escape in paradise.

Why Anchor?

There are many reasons for anchoring your boat...
October 20, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Close-up of a sailboat cockpit with winch, steering wheel, and navigation instruments under a clear blue sky.

Starting the Engine – Getting Familiar with a Charter Boat

Regarding the starting procedure, we’re assuming that since you’re actually commanding a sailboat you pretty much know how to turn the key and all the other safety precautions.
April 4, 2024/by Grant Headifen
Diagram of a boat maneuvering against wind or current, illustrating the Springing On technique with directional arrows.

Springing a sailboat On and In

Coming up to a Tee-head is more the situation where you need to spring on. The need for accuracy in your maneuver is heightened when the space is tight.
May 24, 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

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
Yellow marine battery charger, TrueCharge 20+ model, designed for efficient onboard 12V power management.

Sailboat Battery Charging

Like a water bucket, batteries have a specific storage capacity and must be refilled/recharged when their contents of energy are depleted.
October 20, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Steel fluke anchor for secure boat mooring; ideal for sandy or muddy seabeds. Durable marine hardware.

Types of Anchors

Anchor design has been the focus of much research over thousands of years, and as a result, there are
October 20, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Monument of Discoveries sculpture in Lisbon with sailors set against a clear blue sky and a view of the Tagus River.

Navigation Introduction

The history of navigation is fascinating and dates back to as many centuries as we can imagine.
October 15, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Boat throttle control diagram showing forward, neutral, and reverse positions to increase RPM.

Sailboat Gear and Throttle Controls

Sailboats, and boats in general, use their gears and throttle to control momentum. It’s unlike driving a car in that you have no brake! Instead, you use your forward and reverse gears and throttle to both increase and decrease speed...
May 22, 2024/by Grant Headifen
Diagram showing a sailboat's anchor dragging underwater, with arrows indicating anchor path and boat movement.

Weighing Anchor

“Weighing the anchor” simply means raising it. If raising the anchor is to be done by hand...
October 17, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Diagram of sailing angles: upwind and downwind with wind direction indicated. Ideal for navigational strategies.

Sailing Directions

Directions are super important because while sailing, you will always be in communication with others regarding directions of obstacles, wind changes, your destination, water current, and other boat traffic.
October 21, 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

Last updated on December 6th, 2024