5 Ways to Get Offshore Sailing Experience as Crew
“How do I get experience sailing offshore?” Many Sail Mentor readers are planning to do ambitious things in their sailboats, including crossing Oceans (or at least Seas). Jumping off into…
“How do I get experience sailing offshore?” Many Sail Mentor readers are planning to do ambitious things in their sailboats, including crossing Oceans (or at least Seas). Jumping off into…
When they start out, people are usually intimidated by the process of learning to sail. It all seems so complicated. There are all of these ropes all over the place…
I’m excited to present Sail Mentor’s first guest submission. I reached out to Renée on Cruisers Forum after she shared how excited she was about her first sailing course. I…
Ernest Shackleton: The ultimate winter sailor The summer sailing season is over for those of us far enough up in the Northern Hemisphere to get a winter. People are busy…
A few weeks ago, I received an email from Tim, a subscriber who has a common fear: Another big fear of mine is mechanics. The internal combustion engine and…
As we re-entered Vancouver’s False Creek last weekend, we were greeted by a very sad sight.  A local boat was on the beach after strong overnight winds.  I know this…
After our second time around the islet, we went and got the anchor out. It was the first time I’d ever heard a racing skipper called for the anchor in…
Deb and T.J. Akey had a dream: Â Why not retire onto a sailboat and cruise the Caribbean? Â The only small issue was that neither of them had been on a…
Seasickness Sucks! There are no two ways about it.  In fact, I’d strongly recommend not being seasick.  Believe me, I’m an expert.  There are plenty of happy, well-fed fish in…
My 13 month old son explaining to me how the chart plotter works. With a distinctive “Pfffft,†the Killer Whale surfaced ten feet off our port bow.  My 5 year…
There’s an old saying: “One Sailboat is Sailing. Two Sailboats Are Racing” In other words, sailors tend to have a bit of a competitive streak. Most will try to out-sail…
Welcome to Sail Mentor! The purpose of this site is to help you become the confident skipper of your own sailboat, whether you are a complete novice or have been…
One of the most common misconceptions is that buying and maintaining a sailboat is too expensive for most people. I paid $1500 for a 1/3 share in a 40-year-old 26′…
Although some sailors choose to just charter periodically or join a sailing club, most aspire to eventually have a sailboat of their own. With your own sailboat, you can go…
You’ve watched the beautiful sailboats gracing the bay as the sun sets, you’ve read articles about how much fun sailing is, maybe you’ve been out with a friend or paid…
If she can learn to sail, you can too! If you’ve never sailed before, then sailing can seem a bit daunting and a bit confusing. How hard is it to…
One common piece of advice for new or aspiring sailors is to join a racing crew. Â This can be a great (and free) way to get out on the water…
Introduction We all want to make our workouts easier and more efficient. If you're looking for a way to do this, then Mast of the Ship is a great option…
Introduction Aye, matey! If you've been dreaming of life on the high seas and want to become a pirate in real life, then this blog is for you. Here we'll…
Introduction Buying a new sailboat is an exciting adventure, but it's important to consider all your options before making a final decision. If you're thinking about buying a sailboat and…
Introduction Sailing is one of the most fun things you can do on a kayak, but it's also one of the riskiest. If you're going to be sailing your kayak,…
Introduction You know what it's like. You've been surfing all day, and now you're exhausted. You want to get that board out of the car and put it somewhere where…
Introduction The beach is calling! Yes, that's right. The beach. While it might be the middle of winter and snowing outside your window, the sun is shining bright on that…
Introduction Paddling down the mighty Mississippi River is a great way to build camaraderie with your friends and family. There are many different ways to do this, from renting kayaks…
Introduction Galleons were some of the most important vessels ever built by man. They were designed to be very powerful sailing ships and they had many innovative features that made…
Introduction Traveling is one of the best parts of life, and with so many incredible destinations out there, it can be hard to decide where your next trip should be.…
Introduction The Laser is a single-handed (one person), trailer-sailable, Olympic class dinghy. The design, by Bruce Kirby, emphasizes simplicity and performance. The dinghy is manufactured by independent companies in different…