The best sailing conditions are fair winds, good weather, and a pleasant stretch of water. The water environment can be inland, coastal, urban, freshwater, or open sea.
Sailing Inland
Inland water is perfect for small sailboats. The wind may disturb by hills, and trees and change direction, but this makes sailing more challenging and fun.
Small sailboats are easy to trailer to different inland water locations.
A big stretch of water does provide more opportunities to sail fast and further, however, a small expanse of water also gives enough fun to sail.
The shortcoming of most inland water is narrow and shallow, only suitable for small-size sailboats.
Most inland waters are privately owned, you need either pay a fee or join a sailing club to be able to sail there.
If the inland water is close to the sea, you need to watch out for changeable depth and tidal flow.
Coastal Sailing
The best part of sailing in the Coastal area is that the coast provides a good stretch of water to practice sailing and at the same time close to shore to enjoy the safety.
Coast water is good for both small sailboats and big yachts.
Small sailboats enjoy sailing at a fixed location on the shore, and big yachts have the opportunity to venture outside the harbor on the open sea.
The drawback of sailing on the coast is that most coastal areas are tidal, you need to have a good understanding of tides.
Urban Sailing
The good part of urban sailing is the water area is within a short distance of cities and easy to get there. Whether you want to sail for half a day or you want to stay there on weekend, it is less stressful for you to prepare and drive.
Urban sailing is interesting, especially to bring your friends and family together.
The imperfect part of urban sailing is crowded especially during weekends or holidays.
It is going to be difficult to launch and dock your boat if the water area is full of people and boats. It is important to know who has right of way in urban sailing.
Freshwater Sailing
The good part of sailing in freshwater is no salt on your body, clothes, and boat. You do not need to rinse off your sails, or boat after use, because there is no salt water to corrode metal parts on your boat.
If you or your crew members happen to fall in the water, fresh water tastes better than salt water.
The only drawback of sailing in freshwater is that freshwater is normally colder than saltwater. Freshwater has less buoyancy, so your boat sits lower in freshwater than salt water.
Open sea Sailing
The best part of sailing in the open sea is freedom. The immense open environment gives the sailors endless opportunities to show their sailing skills.
You need to have an oceangoing boat and good knowledge of sailing to sail in the open sea.
When unexpected things happen or meet rough weather unexpectedly, you want to make sure that you have a sturdy boat and the skill to stay safe.
You also need good knowledge of local tides when sailing in the open sea.
What is too windy for sailing?
When the wind is over 30 knots (34mph), it is too windy and unsafe for sailing.
7~10 knots ( 8~12mph) are a gentle breeze and a good sailing wind.
11-16 knots (12~18mph) are a moderate breeze and perfect for experienced sailors.
17-21 knots (20~24mph) are a little challenging breeze but still fun for sailing.
22-30 Knots(25~35mph) are strong winds and are not suitable for small sailboats.
30~40 knots (34~46mph) are big gales not suitable wind even for a big sturdy yacht.
Over 40knots (46mph) are dangerous conditions for any sailboat.
Upwind vs downwind
Upwind sailing is sailing toward the direction from which the wind is coming. When the wind is blowing from behind the boat, then the sailing is downwind.
When sailing upwind there will be a powerful sideway force on the sails to push the boat sideways this is known as leeway. You need to let your crews lean out over the side constantly to adjust your boat’s direction.
Downwind sailing will have less sideway force than upwind sailing.
Downwind sailing is not a good choice for a medium or strong wind, because the boat may roll from side to side with no sideway force on the sails.
Here is a cool video sail upwind and downwind with a spinnaker
What happens if you sail too close to the wind?
If a boat sails too close to the wind then it risks entering the “no sail zone”, where the sails can not fill and the boat will stop.
You can not head your boat directly to the wind, because this area is no sail zone.
Points of sailing
The angles of the boat relative to the wind is its point of sailing. The points of sailing is a 360 degree circle range of courses a sailboat can and cannot travel. Everytime a sailboat change its point of sailing, it must adjust its sails accordingly.
What angle is fastest for sailing?
Generally speaking, a sailboat is at its fastest speed on a reach. There are 3 different reaching in sailing: Beam reaching, close reaching, and broad-reaching.
Beam reaching
The wind comes across the boat at a 90-degree angle
Close reaching
is close to close hauled
Broad reaching
The wind blows diagonally from behind
Here is a good video to explain the angle of the boat related to the wind
What should you do when sailing during bad weather?
First, you should always try not to sail during bad weather. Modern sailboats are built with robust designs and can endure rough weather, but still try not to sail during bad weather, because many things can happen in the open sea.
If you must sail or unexpectedly sail during rough weather, you should take the below actions.
Make sure loose gear is either secured on the deck or stored in the storage.
Close hatches to prevent water get inside the boat.
Let your crews wear lifejackets and hook on the harness, in case someone falls into the water.
If sail in a strong wind you need to reduce the sail area. If it is extremely weather and not safe for you to get close to the land or dock, then you should let down all sails with the rudder locked or Use a sea anchor to hold the bow and slow down the ship.
You might also like to read the below-related articles
Offshore Boat: 7 Beginner’s Questions(Answered)
Buy A Boat Vs Charter A Boat Vs Fractional Ownership
Catalina Boat: 9 Questions Answered (For Beginners)
Jeanneau Boat: 11 Things You Should Know
Beneteau Boat: 11 Things You Should Know
Everything You Need to Know About J Boats (With Prices)
Why Do People Hate Hunter Sailboat?
Best Ships For Long-Distance Sea Travel
Shipyard vs. Dockyard vs. Boatyard
Displacement vs. Tonnage (Explained)
Resources
www.asa.com
