Sailing: Expert Guides and Resources

Sailing can provide adventure, relaxation, recreation, and just good old fun. To enjoy yourself on a sailboat, you need to know the basic sailing maneuvers, sail positions, and rules of the waterway for when you encounter other vessels. And, it pays to know what to bring aboard and what to leave on shore.How to jibe and tack when sailing You need to know the two basic sailing maneuvers — jibing and tacking — whether you’re sailing the open seas or an enclosed lake.

A good sailor always has the right tools and equipment on board. Whether you're sailing around for just half an hour or spending the day on the water, use the following checklists to make sure you're prepared for any eventuality. (Remember what happened to Gilligan and friends on their three-hour tour!)

All sailboats have a rudder, an underwater movable fin that turns the boat. This rudder is attached to either a long stick (tiller) or a wheel that you use to steer. In this article, you'll discover the differences between tiller and wheel steering systems, as well as where to sit when you drive or crew (on a sailboat, the driver's seat isn't always obvious; it can change when the wind changes) as well as areas to steer clear of when on a sailboat.

The world of sailing revolves around the wind. Your boat can't go anywhere without wind (unless you fire up the engine, which, at this point, would be cheating). But before you head out to sea, you need to keep safety in mind. Whether you're an old salt or a beginning sailor, being safe on your boat is integral to enjoying the sport.

The points of sail diagram looks like the face of a clock, with the wind blowing from 12:00. At the top of the clock face, from about 10:30 to 1:30, is the sector called the no-sail zone. It gets its name from the fact that it's physically impossible to sail a boat in this zone. You can call the no-sail zone whatever you like — the can't-sail zone or the anti-sail zone or, if the sun is setting and strange things are happening, the Twilight Zone.

Sailboats come in all sizes, shapes, and types. The beauty of sailing is that you can't help but find a boat (or two or three) that's just right for you. All sailing craft, big or small, have at least one (and sometimes more) of the following components. The hull The hull is (ideally) the floating body of a boat, and it can be made of a wide variety of materials, including wood, fiberglass, metal, plastic — even cement.

When you're sailing, you use specific terms to describe the position of the sail — along with calling the left side of the boat port and the right side starboard. Check the following figure for the terms that indicate different sail positions.

Traffic rules prevent accidents on land — and on water. Just because you're sailing on open water doesn't mean you can disobey simple traffic rules. The rules of the water actually call for more consideration than rules of the asphalt, so bear the following conventions in mind as you sail: