Seamanship Instruction

Learn all aspects of seamanship and get hands-on experience.

Head up.  Head down.  Bear off.  Tie a bowline.  Cleat that dockline.  Plot a course.  Dead reckoning.  M.O.B.  CQR. Tack. Jibe. Port. Starboard. What’s it all mean? Who's Bernoulli?

On Sail Caribbean, you’ll find out! The cornerstone of Sail Caribbean's summer sailing camps curriculum is our very own "Book of Seamanship", developed and continually upgraded over our many years of sailing instruction. This manual is a product of the collective knowledge and efforts of dozens of staff members over the years. Using concise text and clear illustrations, it presents concepts that specifically relate to the methods of sailing and types of boats used during our programs.

Sailing InstructionYou'll learn best by doing, so we'll involve you in all aspects of sailing and handling the boat, first giving you the information you need to take charge, and then letting you do it.  After a thorough safety briefing and a few demonstrations, it's you and your crewmates who'll chart the course, toss the line, take the helm, steer your yacht out of the slip, and then set the sails. You'll also get a chance to put your new sailing skills to the test on smaller boats – take a highly responsive Laser or IC-24, or ride one pontoon on a Hobie Cat.  Things happen more quickly on a small sailboat, but the principles are the same as on your yacht.

Each day, your staff captain and mate provide sailing instruction. You'll learn both the basics, such as knots and names for all the parts of the boat, as well as more advanced topics, including coastal navigation and racing tactics.  Our curriculum covers all the theoretical requirements for the Basic Keelboat certification and more. 

More specifically, you'll learn:

Safety

  • Getting around Onboard
  • Lines, Winch & Boom
  • Equipment Checks
  • VHF use
  • Reefing
  • Heaving-to
  • Man Overboard

General Sailing Knowledge

  • Boat Parts
  • Sailing Terminology
  • Sailing Concepts
  • Points of Sail

Seamanship Skills

      Knots

  • Bowline
  • Figure 8
  • Clove Hitch
  • Cleat Hitch
  • Square Knot
  • Sheet Bend
  • Coil and Throw a Line

Navigation

  • Plotting a course
  • GPS Use
  • Recognizing Hazards

Boat Handling Skills (under sail)

  • Helmsperson
    • Steer Upwind
    • Steer Downwind
    • Tack with Commands
    • Jibe with Commands
    • Steer by Telltales
    • Steer by Compass
  • Sail Handling
    • Grinding the Winch
    • Releasing the Winch
    • Tailing the Winch
    • Trim by Telltales

Boat Handling Skills (under power)

  • Docking
  • Anchoring
  • Mooring