Navigation & Seamanship
Good seamanship skills are essential for staying safe on the water. Navigational skills will help get you from here to there safely and efficiently. Learn too how to be prepared for difficult conditions and what to do if an emergency strikes.
Preparing Your Sailboat for a Hurricane
If your area is threatened by a hurricane or tropical storm winds, you need to make advance preparations to reduce the risk of damage. Don’t wait until the wind is rising before taking steps. Follow these guidelines to protect your boat and its equipment.
If your area is threatened by a hurricane or tropical storm winds, you need to make advance preparations to reduce the risk of damage. Don’t wait until the wind is rising before taking steps. Follow these guidelines to protect your boat and its equipment.
Sailing Safety
Any activity on the water involves inherent risks. Sailing safety includes the use of safety gear and equipment, paying attention to weather, and following basic principles for both you and your guests and crew.
Any activity on the water involves inherent risks. Sailing safety includes the use of safety gear and equipment, paying attention to weather, and following basic principles for both you and your guests and crew.
Seasickness Prevention and Cure
About 90% of people will experience seasickness or motion sickness at some point in their lives. If you’re new to sailing, or have ever experienced nausea or dizziness on a boat, it’s worthwhile to take steps early to prevent seasickness. Once seasickness occurs, it’s too late to do much more than cope with it as best you can.
About 90% of people will experience seasickness or motion sickness at some point in their lives. If you’re new to sailing, or have ever experienced nausea or dizziness on a boat, it’s worthwhile to take steps early to prevent seasickness. Once seasickness occurs, it’s too late to do much more than cope with it as best you can.
Safety For Crew and Guests on Your Boat
When you take crew or guests aboard your boat, you are responsible for their safety as well as for yours and the boat’s. Here are 5 tips for a safety briefing to give.
When you take crew or guests aboard your boat, you are responsible for their safety as well as for yours and the boat’s. Here are 5 tips for a safety briefing to give.
Basic Navigation with a Chartplotter
Navigation with either a marine chartplotter or a computer running navigational software makes it easy to know where you are and get where you’re going. Because of many differences among systems, consider the benefits and drawbacks before choosing the right system for your boat.
Navigation with either a marine chartplotter or a computer running navigational software makes it easy to know where you are and get where you’re going. Because of many differences among systems, consider the benefits and drawbacks before choosing the right system for your boat.
How to Anchor a Sailboat
Good sailboat anchoring technique is crucial for safety. If the anchor drags because it was not properly set or because insufficient scope was used, the sailboat may go ashore or strike another boat or other hazard. Follow these guidelines to help ensure your boat is safely anchored so you can get a good night’s sleep.
Good sailboat anchoring technique is crucial for safety. If the anchor drags because it was not properly set or because insufficient scope was used, the sailboat may go ashore or strike another boat or other hazard. Follow these guidelines to help ensure your boat is safely anchored so you can get a good night’s sleep.
Free NOAA Electronic Charts
Free NOAA electronic charts in raster format. These charts will run with several free (such as SeaClear) and inexpensive (such as Memory Map) software programs on computers and PDAs.
Free NOAA electronic charts in raster format. These charts will run with several free (such as SeaClear) and inexpensive (such as Memory Map) software programs on computers and PDAs.
Free NOAA Booklet Charts
Free NOAA booklet charts (pdf files of full-size charts broken down into standard-size pages to print in booklets to carry on your boat).
Free NOAA booklet charts (pdf files of full-size charts broken down into standard-size pages to print in booklets to carry on your boat).
Online Boating Safety Course
This free online course from BoatU.S. covers the boat, equipment, trip planning, environmental regulations, safe boat operation, and emergency preparations. Use it to help make sure you stay safe when on the water.
This free online course from BoatU.S. covers the boat, equipment, trip planning, environmental regulations, safe boat operation, and emergency preparations. Use it to help make sure you stay safe when on the water.
Weather Forecasts by Telephone
Good seamanship requires always knowing the forecast for the area where you’ll be sailing. NOAA coastal and offshore weather forecasts on marine VHF radio make this easy, but you may not always have a radio handy before reaching the boat and setting out. Put the number for local NOAA forecasts in your cellphone directory, and always check before you head for the water.
Good seamanship requires always knowing the forecast for the area where you’ll be sailing. NOAA coastal and offshore weather forecasts on marine VHF radio make this easy, but you may not always have a radio handy before reaching the boat and setting out. Put the number for local NOAA forecasts in your cellphone directory, and always check before you head for the water.
Weather Data from NOAA Buoys
You should know current weather conditions before and while sailing. U.S. coastal sailors can check the NOAA National Data Buoy Center web site for current information from automated buoy reports, including wind speed and direction, air pressure and changes, wave height, and more. Once underway, without an Internet connection, you can obtain this information with a cell phone.
You should know current weather conditions before and while sailing. U.S. coastal sailors can check the NOAA National Data Buoy Center web site for current information from automated buoy reports, including wind speed and direction, air pressure and changes, wave height, and more. Once underway, without an Internet connection, you can obtain this information with a cell phone.