Fairwind Yacht Club   
2006 and 2007 SCYA Yacht Club of the Year

Margaret's Favorite FREE Sail Training Websites

Stating the Obvious      
 
These websites are not designed to substitute for on-the-water training by a qualified sailing instructor.

Rely solely on your own judgment, including the safety of downloading files, accuracy of content, appropriateness to any situation, etc.

Neither Fairwind nor Margaret have responsibility for any of these websites, their content, or how they're used.





 
In preparation for an American Sailing Association Instructor Qualification Clinic, one of our members, Margaret, did extensive research into on-line sources of information to help herself and the other instructor candidates, study for the grueling written exam. The results of her research are summarized in the 45 websites listed below. Thanks, Margaret, for sharing this with all of us.
   Intended Audience Symbols
 For Beginners Beginners
 For Beginners Experts
Content Type/Format Symbols
 For Beginners  Instructional Text or Graphics
 For Beginners  Downloadable, Printable, PDF Files
 For Beginners  Animation or Video
 For Beginners  Computer Simulations
 For Beginners  Self Test

Organization
The training links are organized into the following sections

 

Introduction to Sailing
Content Intended Audience Type Link/Navigation
Basic intro to sailing for complete novice. US Sailing on-line course.  For Beginners   Animation or Video Test  http://www.sailingcourse.com/
Click "Sailing Primer" and "The many ways to…" on left
Sailing Terms
Content Intended Audience Type Link/Navigation
Comprehensive boating glossary  For Beginners For Experts   Insructional Text and Graphics  http://www.tcmall.com/ nauticalknowhow/ GLOSSARY.htm
Sail Trim
Content Intended Audience Type Link/Navigation
Free demo version of sophisticated sailing simulator  For Experts   Simulation  http://www.sailsimulator.com/
Click "Download free demo"
Simulator illustrating points of sail and associated sail trim  For Beginners   Simulation  http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ volvooceanrace/ interactives/ sailing/ index.html
Aerodynamics and sail theory  For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics Simulation  http://www.wb-sails.fi/news/
Navigation
Content Intended Audience Type Link/Navigation
Bowditch's Am. Practical Navigator  For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics Downloadable, Printable, PDF files  http://www.irbs.com/bowditch/
Rules of the road, ATONS, lights  For Beginners   Simulation  http://www.boatsafe.com/flash/
USCG US ATON System  For Beginners   Instructional Text and Graphics  http://www.uscgboating.org/ safety/ aton/ system.htm
Click contents on left
Chart 1 ('key' to symbols on chart)  For Beginners For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics Downloadable, Printable, PDF files  http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/ mcd/ chartno1.htm
Navigation rules, including lights, sounds, day-shapes. Download.  For Beginners   Simulation Test  http://www.navrules.com/
Coastal Navigation course  For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics  http://www.sailingissues.com/ navcourse0.html
USCG Navigation Rules Inter/Inlnd  For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics Downloadable, Printable, PDF files  http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/ mwv/ navrules/ navrules.htm
Definitions and Mnemonics  For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics  http://lever.cs.ucla.edu/ fmg-members/ geoff/ mnemonics.html
Meanings of maritime signal flags  For Beginners For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics  http://www.anbg.gov.au/ flags/ signal-meaning.html
USCG Aux ATON study guide  For Beginners For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics Downloadable, Printable, PDF files  http://www.cgaux.info/ g_ocx/ publications/ auxmanuals/ ATON2003StudyGuide.pdf
USCG Aux NavRules training  For Beginners For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics Test  http://www.dirauxannex.org/ navrules.html
Knots
Content Intended Audience Type Link/Navigation
Grog's Knots, great animation, ability to alter speeds, flip view, step thru  For Beginners   Animation or Video  http://www.animatedknots.com/ indexboating.php
Marlinespike overview  For Beginners For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics  http://boatsafe.com/ marlinespike/ index.htm
15 Knots, animated  For Beginners   Animation or Video  http://www.42brghtn.mistral.co.uk/ knots/ 42ktmenu.html
Less common knots; Zeppelin, etc.  For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics  http://www.geocities.com/ roo_two/ knotindex.html
21 boating knots, but not animated  For Beginners For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics  http://www.netknots.com/ html/ boating_knots.html
Safety
Content Intended Audience Type Link/Navigation
Basic Safe Boating Course, can take test and certify on-line, may lower insurance  For Beginners For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics Test  http://www.boatingbasicsonline.com/
Click CA for state specific material
USPS Safe Boating Test  For Beginners For Experts   Test  http://www.usps.org/ cgi-bin-nsbt/ test.cgi
CA AquaSmart kids safety training on-line, free videos and booklets  For Beginners   Instructional Text and Graphics  http://www.dbw.ca.gov/ aquasmart/ index.html
ABC's of California boating law  For Beginners For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics Downloadable, Printable, PDF files  http://dbw.ca.gov/ pubs/ ABC/ index.asp
Weather
Content Intended Audience Type Link/Navigation
USCG Aux weather training  For Beginners For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics Test  http://www.auxetrain.org/ ewea.htm
U of Illinois meteorology training  For Beginners For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics  http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/ (Gh)/ guides/ mtr/ home.rxml
Nat Weather Service training  For Beginners   Instructional Text and Graphics Test  http://www.srh.weather.gov/ jetstream/ synoptic/ synoptic_intro.htm
Racing
Content Intended Audience Type Link/Navigation
Racing basics  For Beginners   Instructional Text and Graphics  http://www.uiowa.edu/ %7Esail/ skills/ racing_basics/ index1.shtml
Learn about wind shifts while racing  For Experts   Simulation  http://www.wb-sails.fi/ news/ boatRace/ boatRaceFrameSet.htm
Racing rules of sailing 2005-2008  For Beginners For Experts   Downloadable, Printable, PDF files  http://www.sailing.org/rrs2005/
UK-Halsey animated rules quiz  For Experts   Animation or Video Test  http://www.ukhalsey.com/ RulesQuiz/ index.asp
Intro to racing, rules. US Sailing on-line course  For Beginners   Animation or Video Test  http://www.sailingcourse.com/
Click "Introduction to Racing"
Cruising
Content Intended Audience Type Link/Navigation
US Sailing on-line course  For Beginners For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics Test  http://www.cruising.sailingcourse.com/
Daysail, coastal, and offshore cruising advice, including variety of checklists  For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics  http://www.smartcaptain.com/
Small Boat Sailing
Content Intended Audience Type Link/Navigation
US Sailing on-line course  For Beginners For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics Test  http://www.smallboat. sailingcourse.com/
Small boat basic training manual  For Beginners   Instructional Text and Graphics  http://www.amya.org/sailmanual/
Keelboat Sailing
Content Intended Audience Type Link/Navigation
US Sailing on-line course  For Beginners For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics Test  http://www.sailingusa.info/ keelboat.htm
Prep material to certify with RYA  For Beginners For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics Test  http://www.sailtrain.co.uk/ index.htm
Basic level training  For Beginners   Instructional Text and Graphics  http://www.baysail.com/ keelboat/
Miscellaneous Sailing Topics
Content Intended Audience Type Link/Navigation
Grab bag of eHow sail topics  For Beginners   Instructional Text and Graphics  http://www.ehow.com/ list_1076.html# Sailing
SailNet Learning to Sail articles  For Beginners For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics  http://www.sailnet.com/ forums/ learning-sail-articles/
1000s of USCG license exam questions  For Experts   Test  http://www.usboating.com/
Some USCG license exam questions  For Experts   Test  http://www.boatsafe.com/uscgboat/
Cal Sailing (like Fairwind) library  For Beginners For Experts   Instructional Text and Graphics  http://www.cal-sailing.org/ library/ #library4