Few topics get more overlooked than ‘stability’, but a stable boat is a safer boat when day sailing, cruising, or voyaging offshore. What two vital forces are always in play to determine whether or not your boat will maintain stability or capsize? Watch this video to learn the answer. Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!

What super-simple and inexpensive technique can you use to keep your costly sailing lines from chafing? Add years of life to your line with this easy sailing tip. Watch this sailing video to learn more. Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!

Your nautical or electronic chart shows symbols to help you navigate under sail or power. But do you know the most common wreck symbols found on all charts and chart displays throughout the world? Watch this video to learn more! Captain John, with 25+ years of experience, shows you the no-nonsense cruising skills you need for safer sailing worldwide. Visit his website at https://www.skippertips.com and sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how you can gain instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, FREE e-Books and much more!!

Your sailing line is one of the most vital pieces of safety gear aboard when day sailing, cruising, or voyaging over the horizon. What five easy solutions can you use to protect your costly line from damaging chafe? Watch this sailing video to learn the answer. Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!

If the computer plotting function on your radar went on the blink, would you still be able to determine the closest point of approach of an oncoming ship? Anyone who stands watch on a radar-equipped vessel needs to know this simple navigation skill. *Captain John's Navigation Tip: Use a wet-erase marker for scope plotting. These tools will not scratch the screen, nor will they smear like dry-white markers. When you need to clean the scope or the plotted info, use a slightly dampened clean cotton rag. Click here: https://amzn.to/4AUHZcd Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!

How can navigation lights on a boat or ship tell you the distance to the vessel or help you determine the risk of collision? Know these 'Nav-Rule' secrets to gain the edge when sailing anywhere in the world. Watch this sailing video to learn more. (Click here to download the NavRules (see Rule 21): https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/navigation-rules-amalgamated Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!

How can the skipper master the art of backing a sailboat in a straight line, use the power of feathering to make a tight turn into a slip, or determine ‘drift rate’ before you approach a fuel pier? Watch this video to learn those answers! Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!

Last week, I showed you how to find the direction, or ‘set’, of the current (click here: https://youtu.be/bIW3Fvdv4Nc?si=pjlV4aIxyDdbc_T1 if you have not watched that video yet). This week, I will show you the second part of the current formula, which is how to find the speed, or ‘drift’, of the current. Once you know how to calculate the set and drift of the current, you can use this technique anywhere in the world. Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!

The first step to find how the tidal current is setting you is to determine the direction, or set, of the current. All other calculations can wait, but if you do not know the current direction within two to three degrees, you could be set onto the rocks in no time! Watch this sailing video now. (Coming up next week, I'll show how to find the speed of the current!) Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!

Can you glance at a nautical or electronic chart and locate restricted or prohibited areas in five seconds or less? Protect your small sailboat and her crew from these dangers. Watch this sailing video to boost your sailing navigation skills sky high! Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!

Imagine you need to navigate through a windy passage with swift currents surrounded by rocks on both sides. What super-simple backup navigation system will empower you to do this? Watch this sailing video to learn the answer! Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!

What sail trim technique can help flatten the mainsail in gusty breezes or add fullness to your mainsail in super-light wind conditions? Unlock the secret of how mainsail leech twist helps drive your boat upwind for blazing speed. Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!

Sail long enough, and you will encounter twists and turns in a channel. If you cannot see around a bend, you are required by international law to warn another mariner on the other side. They are also required to respond with a whistle signal. Do not trust that your AIS, radar, or even radio will be able to ‘see’ around a bend. Watch this sailing video to learn more. Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!

Rocks can ruin your sailing day or cruising plans in the blink of an eye. Run aground on a rocky reef, and you could damage your expensive hull, keel, rudder, or propeller. Watch this sailing video to learn how to avoid these deadly dangers. Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!

Will your boat anchor hold you safe and sound in the cove or harbor you've chosen? What five factors do you need to use each time before you lower the hook? Watch this sailing video to find the answer. Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!

What sailing knot could you use when you need the absolute ultimate in security to make two short lines into one longer line? Take the challenge now. Watch this sailing video to learn how to tie this super sailing ‘bend’ knot. Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!

You may think that three-strand sailing line is no longer used aboard sailboats or powerboats, but it remains my favorite anchor and docking line. It’s easier to splice and more forgiving than cored or braided line, and it tends to chafe less than other lines. Watch this sailing video to learn how to coil three-strand line the correct way. Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!

Have you dreamed of sailing aboard a luxurious sailboat to the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean, Pacific, or other exotic places around the world? You can make your dream come true when you do what I’ve done: volunteer to crew aboard someone else’s yacht. But before you go, make sure you practice these ‘need-to-know’ sailing skills. Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!

Imagine sailing in pea-soup fog, picking your way through an unfamiliar channel, filled with buoys and beacons. Which aids to navigation will you choose to help find your way home? Watch this sailing video to learn the answer. Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!

Master your sailboat’s performance by using your traveler to fine-tune sail trim for blazing speed and power. This often-overlooked athwartship track can dramatically improve your sailing. Here are three easy, often forgotten ways to get the most from your traveler. Watch this sailing video to learn more. Captain John is a 20+ year Coast Guard veteran, author, sailor, and professional boating instructor who shows you the simple, cut-to-the-chase sailing skills for safer sailing. Visit his website at www.skippertips.com. Sign up for his highly popular Sailing Tip of the Week. Discover how to get instant access to hundreds of sailing articles, videos, eBooks, and much more!