tips

Presented by VETUS MAXWELL Got a tip? Send it to sailmail@sailmagazine.com Steering by Numbers  Keeping a tiller-steered yacht on course in an awkward sea at night can be like trying to achieve a straight, level flight on a gusty day in a World War I biplane. In fact, teaching ...read more

Never chartered? No worries. A vacation under sail can be the most memorable time of your life. That said, it also pays to be prepared by doing some reading, building your skills and listening to what the experts say. First and foremost, not all charter grounds are created ...read more

One of my favorite parts of a charter is the checkout. I know, weird. But that’s the time I learn the boat that will be my charge, my baby and possibly my headache for the next week or two. I get right down into the bilge, engine room and anchor locker, because I have people ...read more

At its most basic, a “snubber” is a short length of non-stretchy cordage attached to the anchor chain and to a strong point on a yacht, with the aim of taking the load off the windlass or to stop the chain rattling on the bow roller. A windlass is not designed to take snatch ...read more

Vang Power A boom vang helps to control mainsail shape after the limits of the traveler have been reached. Without a vang, the boom will lift as the mainsheet is eased, opening the leech, and the top of the sail will twist off to leeward, spilling the wind. If you are sailing ...read more