source: https://switchedonsailing.com/great-seamanship/

There's a Revolution happening and it's being driven by a groundswell of restless people craving Adventure and Freedom... and Great Seamanship.

They're nagged by thoughts of... Life is Too Short... it's time to Escape the routine.

And adding fuel to the fire, the Internet is progressively shrinking the World to expose incredibly beautiful locations best seen from a yacht.

It's no wonder that Sailing the World has become the dream of many... open water and warm air... being silently powered by the wind and your own seamanship skills. What could be more liberating?

So it's not surprising there's already been an explosion of Sailing Channels on YouTube showing people Living the Dream... with millions of very eager followers hungry to watch each episode.

With well over 1,000 sailing channels and growing steadily, there's a fire hose of good and bad information on YouTube. For the new wave of aspiring blue water cruisers, it's hard to know the good from the bad.

I'm concerned that 'watching social media channels' has started to replace the importance of learning from the solid experience of accomplished sailors.

You can learn the basics of sailing reasonably quickly with several courses and some dedicated time on the water...

But if you want to be a Great Sailor, you have to constantly chase the last 10%... it's the Special Knowledge of Seamanship that comes from sailing thousands of sea miles and it takes you a lifetime to discover... if ever.

The problem is... before even thinking about that 10%, you have to get to the 90% level of competency... and that can only be reached by progressively sailing with top sailors and absorbing their Experience.

I'm talking about Seamanship that ensures Survival when the going gets really tough.

Finding and connecting with high-skill sailors can be difficult and frustrating... especially if you weren't born into a sailing family with a strong sailing network. That was my situation and the early days of wanting to quickly climb the skill ladder were sometimes disheartening. Quite frankly, there are so many would-be experts when it comes to sailing 😐

But I hit the jackpot.

I found a mentor who is a great sailor and also a sailmaker.... it's absolutely the best combination for getting great advice that you can find.

Your selection of sails and your sail trim go hand in hand with your safety in all weather conditions. Your sails are your power source and good or bad sail trim can make a world of difference to your performance, efficiency, and comfort.

Racing is the fast path to more experience because you race in all conditions and that develops good seamanship... arguably way faster than the experience gained by just cruising.

Ultimately, your level of seamanship will determine your chances of survival when things go pear-shaped.

And legendary yacht designer, Bob Perry, succinctly describes Seamanship as... "knowing how to get the most out of your yacht with the least amount of effort in all conditions"

Overall, sailing is not something you can just learn on the Internet. You can learn about it on the Internet but you have to go sailing to get the experience that leads to great seamanship.

My vision for Switched On Sailing Magazine is that we work to help bridge the gap between the knowledge level of the novice adventure seeker and the 'special knowledge' level of the veterans who have done the miles.

I want Switched On Sailing Magazine to become a 'go to' reliable resource for all aspiring and current blue water cruisers... mixed with Entertainment and some Occasional Irreverent Humour... of course.