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Sailing Resources

Sailing Skills Checklist

Welcome to sailing!  There is a lot to learn.  This page contains some of the material we use to teach sailing and maritime skills.  Check them out below.

Knots

Here are a few helpful links for learning some important knots:

How do Sailboats Work?

Wind

One of the most significant things you can do to prepare for sailing is to start noticing and seeing the wind. After all, it is how we move the boat. Where is the wind? Where is it going? Can you find the wind with your eyes closed?

Below is a sample course of a sailboat sailing in a circle. The following worksheets have a couple exercises to get you started. 

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Tacking and Jibing

These diagrams show the basics of tacking and jibing.

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Crew Overboard Maneuvers

These diagrams show the maneuvers required to return to a person "Bob", who has fallen off the boat.  These maneuvers are also useful for many sailing situations.

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The diagram on the left is for when you are heading into the wind, and the one on the right is for when you are heading down wind.

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Books to Read

We suggest a couple books for reference (see below) and a great place to get these books is Captain Nautical Supply, located near the 15th Ave bridge between Fremont & Ballard.

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The Complete Sailor

Sail and Rig Tuning

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The Internet is also full of resources that allow you to learn sailing terminology and the science behind sailing. Below are several resources that we use. We encourage you to follow your curiosity and find out more.

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Boat Terminology

This site provides a description and location of common boat terms.

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Sailing Games

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Follow Sailboat Racing

  • Video of an Olympic race.America's Cup: some of the fastest boats in the world with great commentary.

  • Volvo Open 70:  an around-the-world sailboat race

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Origami

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