Keelboat Sailing and Handling Skills

Doug and Brenda are pleased to announce that we have teamed up with Rob MacLeod to bring his immense sailboat background to our website. Rob has been involved exclusively with the Sailing side of boating. He has been teaching sailing all of his life.

Rob MacLeod

Rob MacLeod has over thirty years in sailing instruction and performance improvement, starting with designing performance standards for the recreational sailing industry. Having served on the Canadian Yachting Association’s Learn-to-Cruise committee for 7 years, designing standards of learning and instruction for adults, instructors and instructor evaluators, Rob became the first Technical Director of the American Sailing Association (Marina del Rey, CA) in 1984.

Rob released the first edition of Basic Sailing and Cruising Skills in 1985 and continued writing, teaching, sailing and cruising across North America, the Bahamas and Virgin Islands.

Rob’s strong multimedia background lead to co-hosting the award winning series Set Your Sails featured on TVOntario (1989) and PBS (US) (1990) based on Rob’s best selling Basic Sailing and Cruising Skills (1985). Rob authored four instructional books on the sport of sailing. Rob is host of the seminar series at the annual Port Credit Boat Show and has often been a speaker at the Toronto International Boat Show.

Rob’s latest book—From Landfalls to Legacies: Lessons in leadership from a master sailor brings together 15 years as one of North America’s top instructional innovators in sailing and 16 years of improving performance in organizations from one person and to some of the world’s largest automotive manufacturers.

Learn the skills needed to sail both small and large boats with confidence!

Rob MacLeod's practical, skills-oriented approach is designed to get you sailing right away. Teaches how to quickly gain confidence.

Keelboat Sailing & Handling Skills

Rob's Book covers all aspects of sailing.

110 pages of information, instruction and diagrams.

Table of Contents

• Ashore Knowledge
  Terms and Definitions -
• The boat, Rigging, Sails
  Gear and Equipment -
• MOT requirements for pleasure craft, CYA recommended equipment
  Safety -
• Lights to be carried while underway, Hypothermia, Fire and explosion, Diving flags, Discharging flares
  Rules of the Road -
• General rules, Stand on or give way, Rules for sailboats, Rules for operating under power
  Weather -
• The cause of weather, Weather associated with a warm front, Weather associated with a cold front, Fog, Warning times
  Duties of the Skipper and Crew -
• Duties and responsibilities
  Seamanship -
• Sails, Sail selection, Reefing, Dangers of a lee shore, Chart work (projections, Latitude and longitude, Chart symbols), Anchoring, The anchorage, Energencies
  Afloat Skills
  Lesson 1 - Handling Under Power
• Engine operation, Leaving the dock under power, Exercise, Docking under power, Tying up, Summary
  Lesson 2 - Handling Under Sail
• Attaching the sails, Raising the mainsail, Exercises-mainsail only, Raising the jib, Exercise-mainsail and jib, Lowering the sails, Folding the sails
  Lesson 3 - Sailing Better
• Communications, Sail trim, Points of sail, Coming about and gybing, Stopping under sail
  Lesson 4 - Rescuing a Man Overboard
• Sailing a triangular shaped course, Heaving to, Man overboard drill
  Lesson 5 - Reefing and Sail Control
• Reefing, Changing foresails, Docking under sail
  Lesson 6 - Basic Cruising
• Sailing a compass course, Anchoring, Sailing evaluation, Basic cruising checklist
  Index
• Bibliography
  
  PDF Download $19.95 : 

Printed Book $29.95 plus shipping: 

all prices are US$