Tag Archive for: Steering

Preventing the Frustrating Auto-Tack

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If you like this freebie tip, LIKE us over there —-> thx for that! First – what is an auto-tack? It’s when you are sailing along on a close haul about 30 or so degrees off the wind minding your own business when either the wind changes OR you weren’t watching the boat turning up into […]

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Head Up or Bear Away?

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<img height=”1″ width=”1″ alt=”” style=”display:none” src=”https://www.facebook.com/tr?ev=6024765766067&cd[value]=0.01&cd[currency]=USD&noscript=1″ />If you like what we have done here, please LIKE it on facebook – thanks it really helps us grow. While you are at it please follow/LIKE our facebook page over there ——> we post fun cool stuff. Here are some great examples of how you can read the […]

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Autopilot sailing to a waypoint

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Last weekend the NauticEd crew did a boat delivery for the local Moorings Yacht Charter company in New Zealand. We sailed from Auckland up to the Bay of Islands to deliver the yacht back to its charter base. The yacht was a Beneteau 37 2012 model and was appointed well and in great condition. The […]

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Slow Tack or Fast Tack – That is the question

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I once sailed with an ex-submarine captain who would turn the boat through a tack extremely slowly. When asked why, he had several good reasons. (1) Look behind you as you come about. If you are leaving swirling water eddies behind the rudder, these are a sum of kinetic energy that was previously in your […]

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Weather Helm Versus Lee Helm

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What are they and what’s the difference? These two terms were established when vessels were fitted with tillers rather than wheels and so the term weather helm refers to having to pull the tiller (helm) “to weather” in order to sail in a straight line. Lee helm is when you need to push the tiller […]

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Learning to hold a straight course

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One issue that appears most often with new sailors learning to sail is focusing too much attention on the electronic wind meter or the wind direction indicator (the pointy arrow thing at the top of the mast). The windmeter above which is installed on most modern sailboats shows that the wind is coming from 60 […]

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