Skipper D

Videos

From my YouTube channel, Skipper D Adventures.

How-to and safety

Boat handling, knots, navigation, and safety habits, filmed on Lake Lanier.

  • Round Turn and Two Half Hitches with both front and behind orientations

    Jul 11, 2026

    The round turn and two half hitches tied on a fender at a lifeline: first the front approach from the ASA 101 book, then the behind approach that suits working from inside the cockpit.

  • Helm Wheel Safety: Reach Around, Not Through

    Jul 4, 2026

    Reach around the wheel to get to the pedestal controls. An arm through the spokes can be caught if the wheel turns under load.

  • Route Planning a Daysail on Lake Lanier

    Jun 27, 2026

    Using a PredictWind forecast three days out and the geography of Lake Lanier to plan a route: upwind at the start of the day and downwind at the end.

  • Using my hand bearing compass to confirm wind direction

    Jun 20, 2026

    Checking the wind with a Davis hand bearing compass on the Capri 22 Seal Dog in Big Creek, and finding it was not from the forecast direction.

  • Docking a Small Sailboat Using the 45/45 Method (Real On-Water Demo)

    Jun 6, 2026

    Bringing a 22 ft boat into a slip at Holiday Marina with two 45 degree turns, with spring, aft, and bow lines rigged on the port side. Covers wind, boat speed, and steering angle.

  • How to tie a Cleat Hitch with a Flemish Coil on a Bow Cleat

    May 30, 2026

    A cleat hitch on a bow cleat, then flemishing the rest of the dock line.

  • How to Exit a Heave-To (Two Methods + Jibe Demo)

    May 23, 2026

    Two ways out of a heave-to: release the backwinded headsail and go forward, or turn and jibe. The jibe method is shown step by step.

  • My Boom Injury: A Sailing Accident, ER Visit, and Lessons Learned

    May 10, 2026

    An accidental jibe at the end of a long, cold day put me in the ER. What led up to it, the injury, and what I changed afterward. If you take a blow to the head on the water, get medical attention.

  • Heaving To on a Sloop-Rigged Sailboat

    Jan 18, 2026

    A simple heave-to in light wind, used to take a break without anchoring or docking. I clean up the cockpit and add a layer, then come out of the heave-to and continue.

Trip videos

Footage from days on the water, with the route and what I learned.

  • Jibing Out of a Heave-To, Then Sailing Wing-on-Wing

    Oct 12, 2026

    Lake Lanier in steady west winds on the Catalina 270 Christina. We heave to, jibe out of it, sail wing-on-wing at 5 knots without a preventer, and jibe out before the beam reach back to the marina.

  • Daysail on a Catalina 270 on Lake Lanier in late May

    Jun 13, 2026

    A long upwind beat behind Three Sisters Island from Holiday Marina, through the channel markers and north into open water. Includes a look below deck on the Catalina 270.

  • Second Solo Sail - Timelapse

    Nov 12, 2024

    A timelapse of my second solo sail after ASA 101, on the Capri 22 Hot Dog with a 130% genoa. Lake Lanier, November 11, 2024.

  • First Solo Sail. Great Day!

    Nov 9, 2024

    My first solo day after ASA 101, on a Capri 22 with a hank-on jib and a jib downhaul. The downhaul tangled on the bow cleat and I lost the jib sheets (no stopper knots), and by the end of the day I was comfortable.

  • First Solo Sail: Hove To in a Capri 22

    Nov 9, 2024

    Hove to on the Capri 22 during my first solo sail on Lake Lanier.

Florida 120 planning and gear

Route planning and gear for the Florida 120.

Skipper D Adventures on YouTube

How-to and trip videos from Lake Lanier, the Florida coast, and the Atlantic.

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