Bluewater Resources
Books, links, and other sources for coastal sailing
Sailing Terminology
Just when you thought you knew English…
- Terms commonly used on Mashnee
- Two general glossaries, from Nomad Sailing and NauticEd
Knots and Line Handling
Required for the Bluewater Crew Rating:
- Using a winch safely: safety basics and full procedure
- Bowline, for attaching the jib sheets, tying the dinghy to the mooring pennant, and many other uses
- Cleat hitch, for making docklines, some halyards, and the dinghy fast
- Rolling hitch, essential for freeing overrides on jib sheet winches
- Round turn and two half hitches, for securing the dinghy to the dock and fenders to the boat
- Sail tie slip knot, for fastening sail ties around the sail. Video here; diagram here (on page two)
Other common knots onboard:
- Stopper knots, for the ends of sheets: either a Figure 8 or a Double Overhand Stopper
- Clove Hitch, most frequently used aboard for securing the tiller
General resources:
- Animated Knots by Grog
- The Ashley Book of Knots (for the deep dive)
- Modeling knot stability at MIT
General Sailing and Seamanship
- John Rousmaniere, The Annapolis Book of Seamanship (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2014)
- Ralph Naranjo, The Art of Seamanship (New York: McGraw Hill, 2014)
- Jonathan Eaton, Chapman Piloting and Seamanship (New York: Hearst Magazine Media, 2021)
- Robby Robinson, International Marine Book of Sailing (New York: McGraw Hill, 2009)
Sail Trim
- Refining sail trim with telltales, MITNA summary
- Troubleshooting Your Telltales from the Practical Boat Owner
Navigation, Charts, and Coast Pilots
- Charts for Boston Inner Harbor and Boston Outer Harbor
- US Aids to Navigation System (simplified)
- US Chart No. 1 (an explanation of chart symbols)
- Rules of the Road, complete: Amalgamated International & US Inland Navigation Rules
- American Practical Navigator
- United States Coast Pilot
- NOAA tides and currents
- Calculating a course against a current
- Local Notices to Mariners
Weather
- NOAA National Weather Maps
- NOAA Marine Forecast by Zone (Coastal)
- Boston Harbor Marine Forecast
- Passage Weather
Boat Maintenance
- Ivar Dedekam, Sail and Rig Tuning (Fernhurst Books, 1997)
- Nigel Calder, Boatowner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual (International Marine Publishing, 2005)
- Don Casey, Don Casey’s Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual (International Marine/McGraw Hill, 2006)
- William Seifert and Daniel Spurr, Offshore Sailing: 200 Essential Passagemaking Tips (International Marine, 2001)