Sail Academy

Sail Academy is an Academy that takes place during the summer. It consists of multiple things sailing; much like wind direction, points of sail, steering a sailboat, weather helm, sailboat nomenclature, and sailboat rigging.

Wind Direction: One of the most important things to consider while sailing is where the wind is coming from relative to the direction your boat is heading in. A way to determine where the wind is coming from is to consider the prevailing winds for a given area. Prevailing winds can be dependent on the time of year, time of day, sky conditions, and weather patterns. Sailors need specific, immediate information about the wind.



Steering a Sailboat: Many large sailboats are steered with what can be considered an oversized steering wheel, except none of the boats at Sail Academy will have a steering wheel. Instead, it’s steered with what is called a “tiller” or “helm,” which is a short piece of metal or wood that is attached to the top of the rudder. They will go into greater detail of this at Sail Academy, where they actually teach you how to sail the ship and how to stop it.



These are just two examples of the many things they teach at Sail Academy.
 

- Public Affairs Officer

Cadet Ensign Bronder