Show Notes
This week I am providing you with a personalized playlist depending on where you are in your sailing journey. For those of you who are new to the podcast, welcome aboard and this will give you an idea on what to listen to! For those of you who have been around awhile, thank you, and this is a great playlist to review past episodes and important info. Enjoy!
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More from Your Pocket Sailing Instructor Podcast
There comes a point in almost every sailor's journey when you realize something interesting: you probably already know more than you think you do! You can steer the boat. You understand the sails. You can dock, anchor, navigate and keep watch. You've learned how to communicate with your crew, make decisions and deal with things when they don't go according to plan. But there's still one big step left. Saying, "I'm the skipper." And surprisingly, that can be one of the hardest steps of all.
Every sailor eventually has one of those moments. The docking approach isn't working. The wind suddenly picks up. The engine won't start when you need it. A crew member becomes sick. Something breaks. Or perhaps several small things start happening at exactly the same time. It's easy to think that becoming a confident skipper means reaching a point where these situations don't happen anymore. They do. Boats break, weather changes, people make mistakes, and occasionally our carefully constructed plans go completely sideways. The difference isn't that experienced skippers avoid problems. It's that they learn how to manage them. In Episode 6 of my From Passenger to Confident Skipper series, we're talking about one of the most important skipper skills of all: staying calm when things don't go according to plan.
This episode we talk about anchoring! What, how, when, where... all the ins and outs of making sure the boat stays put, so you can have a great sleep. Chapters
Episode 4 of my new series From Passenger to Confident Skipper is all about docking! What equipment you need, how to practice and prepare for all scenarios, what to do with your crew, and more. Learn some expert tips on how to master docking your boat with confidence. Key Topics Docking equipment essentials Maneuvering your boat in tight spaces Planning and communication for docking success Chapters
One of the biggest shifts in sailing happens when you move from simply operating the boat to making the decisions that keep everyone safe and confident on the water. In this episode of Your Pocket Sailing Instructor, I break down the five key decisions every skipper needs to get right—from weather calls and route planning to docking strategies and knowing when it’s time to turn back. These are the moments that define good seamanship far more than perfect boat handling ever will.I also share real-world examples of how small decisions can quickly become big problems when they’re delayed or ignored. Whether it’s pushing on in changing weather, approaching a marina without a clear plan, or underestimating crew fatigue, the pressure to “just keep going” can lead skippers into situations they didn’t intend to be in. Learning to make calm, early decisions is one of the most valuable skills a sailor can develop.