Power Archives

Maneuvering a Sailboat out of a Tight Slip

February 17, 2022/by Grant Headifen

Maneuvering a Sailboat out of a tight slip does not need to be stressful or embarrassing. Learn how to use your spring line in challenging crosswinds.

Leaving a Mooring Ball in a Tidal Current

July 26, 2021/by Grant Headifen

One of our students, Tom, asked the below question after he viewed our “How to Operate a Dinghy” you tube video. “Thanks Ed, my small boat is docked in a tidal harbour and it can get tricky when tides are running strong. How should I use the outboard/tiller to move away in reverse from the […]

What is a right-hand screw propeller or left-hand screw propeller?

March 24, 2020/by Grant Headifen

What is a right hand screw propeller or left hand screw propeller?

Mooring, Anchoring, and Docking

March 22, 2020/by Grant Headifen

Before you leave/approach a dock, pick up a mooring ball, or drop anchor, you must know what the wind and current will be doing to your boat.

How to Spring into a Tight Space on a Dock

January 27, 2017/by Grant Headifen

Maneuvering your gorgeous sailboat under power in the marina is one of the more important skills to learn. Wind, current and tight spaces can be very intimidating and not knowing all the tricks can lead to expensive mistakes as well as serious ego damage. NauticEd‘s new paper book titled “Maneuver and Dock Your Sailboat Under […]

Who Gives Way, Adrift Powerboat or Sailboat under power?

April 29, 2016/by Grant Headifen

If you like this post, please LIKE it on facebook. Thanks – it helps our waterways be safer. This is a question in our FREE Navigation Rules Course which covers in-depth the International Rules of Collision at Sea aka ColRegs. The Powerboat is adrift. Who gives way? Using our nano forum technology, one of our […]

How to Turn Your Sailboat in a Tight Marina

August 26, 2015/by Grant Headifen

Turning your boat in a tight marina can be intimidating if you don’t know the secret. The Secret to Turning Around in a Tight Marina If you like this little secret exposed the LIKE us on facebook over there ———-> It’s pretty simple really, you just make propwalk work for you using a combination of […]

Angular Momentum When Backing into a Slip

August 24, 2015/by Grant Headifen

Backing into a slip is indeed an art form. But once you learn it you’ll be proud of it and your crew will be impressed. If you like this little tidbit of information, LIKE us on facebook Here is a situation that comes up when needing to make a tight turn into the slip. During […]

High Wind Docking Maneuvers

August 22, 2015/by Grant Headifen

How to back your sailboat into a slip with a high cross wind against the direction of propwalk. If you like this post please like us on facebook over there ——-> Watch this animation. It deals with an extremely high wind situation. The trouble is that you are wanting to turn the boat against propwalk […]

How to ferry your boat into the dock

May 17, 2015/by Grant Headifen

Ya gotta love this one. LIKE it on facebook please to spread the enLIKEnment. Another Maneuvering technique for your bag of tricks. This is a great trick we learned in the Bahamas last week when doing our ICC license with Mark Thompson from Yachting Education. Mark has been instructing students for 30 years and has […]