Power Archives

Docking a Sailboat using Spring Lines

September 14, 2011/by Grant Headifen

Here’s a question from a student regarding docking a sailboat after they took the Maneuvering Under Power Sailing Course >>>>>>> Hello Grant, I have a question in reference to the maneuvering under power: Under the excersice end ties #3, wind from behind, once you have backed the boat to the dock and secured the stern spring […]

How to Spring off the Dock with a Catamaran

August 12, 2010/by Grant Headifen

Next week we’re going to Tonga and the island of Vava’U for a week long NauticEd Flotilla sailing trip amongst the archipelago. After a rainy and relatively cool winter in New Zealand this year its going to be a welcome and fun trip. We’re bareboat chartering three catamarans from the Moorings. 21 adults and 3 […]

Starting out in reverse has its issues

July 2, 2009/by Grant Headifen

A recent discussion with a student regarding Maneuvering a Sailboat Under Power is repeated here. On 7/2/09 11:55 AM, matthew k…. wrote: Hi Grant I do have a question about the Maneuvering Under Power course – the course is set up for a vessel with a wheel-I have a tiller on my little full keel […]

Shhhh be vewy vewy quiet – don’t tell the power boaters

May 24, 2009/by Grant Headifen

Sailboats are much more maneuverable than power boats – but don’t spread the word because all the powerboaters will run to their congressmen to get the Navigation Rules changed.

Docking continued

March 3, 2009/by Grant Headifen

In the previous blog we dealt with end ties. Now we get onto the more common configurations of boats in a slip. SLIPS (5) Wind coming into the slip channel. Your boat is stern to. This is best handled by steering out of the slip and then immediately down wind. Back out of the slip […]

More on Docking

February 28, 2009/by Grant Headifen

This is the continued series on how to leave the dock in a sailboat (3) Wind pushing into the dock and current from behind. You can use exactly the same method as described in (2) above. (4) Wind pushing you onto the dock and current coming from forward. If the wind is light you can […]

Leaving the Slip

February 24, 2009/by Grant Headifen

This is the first in a series of blogs on leaving the slip or end tie. Some combinations of wind and current can get complicated and some are easy. The first shown below is the easiest. Stay tuned to this series and we’ll show all.

Momentum Discussion

February 19, 2009/by Grant Headifen

Here is an exercise that everyone should do. It’s taken from the Maneuvering a Sailboat Under Power course which gives 20 different exercises to be able to confidently maneuver a sailboat. Exercise 1: Under power, and going down wind, move towards a marker or buoy and stop the boat with the buoy abeam of the […]

Docking a boat

December 20, 2008/by Grant Headifen

Docking, maneuvering, handling, parking a boat while under power is an easy skill to learn. Many people are intimidated when entering the marina and with good cause – that is where 99% of damage to boats occur. But with some practiced skills, the intimidation changes from fear to excitement to see how close to perfect […]

High winds

December 1, 2008/by Grant Headifen

Yesterday we went out in our Beneteau 373. And the winds were really cranking to 25 knots but very gusty as is typical with Lake Travis. The winds channel off the tops of hills and down through the valleys leading into the lake and they create gust after gust. When we went to come back […]