The idea of sailing seems like fun to most people, doesn't it? I would encourage everyone to give sailing a go, but sailing is ultimately a personal decision. Sailing is not for everyone.

Is sailing for you? It would be nice to know if sailing is your thing BEFORE you sit with a garage full of dust gathering life-jackets, marine flares, and miles of rope, along with the 5 year lease on a sailboat you will never use more than that one first time!

A visiting Sailor posted this: 

I made this illusion picture of a sailboat. If you look at the mast the illusion goes sailing!

At different points of sail, a sailboat can sail at different speeds. This means that the most effective course towards a destination will most often take the form of a zig-zag pattern, planned in such a way that the boat can take advantage of heigher speeds on different points of sail.

The sailboat will typically alternate its course, going in one direction with the wind coming from either the port or starboard side, and then changing direction to get the wind blowing from the opposite side of the boat. This sailing manoeuvre is called "tacking".

A sailboat depends on the wind for propulsion. So, the wind direction plays a very important role in sailing. A sailboat wouldn't be much use if it were simply blown around by the wind. The sailboat needs to be able to control it's course. So let's take a look at some of the aspects of sailing the wind: