How to make your boat sail better 

Mate that weather helm chat was the best explanation I’ve ever heard top job

Sam …the more I see of these Ken and Barbie, GQ guys and supermodel wives YouTubing from yachts that most people 3x their age could never afford…or want….I appreciate your adventures and authenticity that much more. Thanks.

You did a nice job explaining weather helm. It’s fun experimenting these with these concept on a small responsive boat, like the hobbie cat you sailed to the Bahamas last year. Make a part 3 for sure.

SO glad you did a segment on heaving-to! It's a skill that I'm always surprised by how many sailors don't know. I almost always raise/lower/reef the main while hove-to, since the main is out of the equation, so it's easy to do that. Even if you aren't making any sail adjustments, it's a great way to just take a break and regroup while singlehanding.

Seeing a lot of these extra spars and lines mentioned and used, its really great to have what they are exactly walked through so i understand what im looking at better. Thanks!

Sam: Excellent presentation. You should do a part three about heeling and rounding up. Many newbies such as myself don’t have a sense of what is normal heeling and if rounding up is something to fear.

This has been most helpful. You have my vote for a part three

Best explanation of weather/lee helm I've heard. Thanks!

I've been watching sailing videos and sailing for 8+ years. This is hands down the best explanation of sail trim and weather helm I've ever seen. I like all your videos, but the ones where you talk about the technical stuff are the best!

This was next lvl for me 👍🏼🙏🏼 I want to see more, spinnaker, gennacker, anchoring, knots and stuff like that. I love how you keep the fluff out and go direct to the useful stuff.

Thank you, I like the training videos. I’m currently taking sailing lessons, and this one really helps me understand boat balance… now to put it into practice next Friday. Looking forward to part 3. Aloha.

Perfect timing! I just re-watched part 1 last night! Im researching and attempting to plan some sorts of circumnavigation myself and learning to sail is first in line. Big thanks Sam!!

Thanks! That bit about heaving to is something I’ve never learned and I’ve struggled with making adjustments single-handed

Sam this was so helpful in showing in a practical way just what you do to overcome issues on board. Feel more confident on my own boat now with this knowledge. Thank you and I look forward to episode 3. Sooner the better!

Beautiful day for a sailing lesson. Interesting as always. Nice job Sam very informative.

I remember a guy from our church lost his life when the boom in a failed jibe tossed him over, great job Sam , always gotta be so alert.

Awesome, ive always wanted you to do a follow up. Your first how to sail video was the one that got me onto your channel. One of the better and easy to follow videos out 👍

Excellent video. Definitely up for a part 3

Thanks Sam! You are motivating for future sailors. I want a boat so bad watching you travel to these wonderful destinations. Maybe getting used to these places you forget how beautiful they really are. Can't wait for part 3.

Yes on part 3! Thanks Sam, really enjoy your channel.⚓

Absolutely loved this video (along with the first one you had made). As mentioned on the first, I really like how your instructional videos compliment the other videos out there. Your first video did a lot that helped explain both the main and head sail (whereas many other videos had not). This video has a multitude of sailing conditions and how to's which again I have not found much of in other videos which was again very helpful! Funny, even the handheld prop boat really helped best visualize certain conditions on a smaller scale (and in a single frame perspective). Thanks as always for sharing and yes, please go for a 3rd when you have the time. Take best of care!

That was great Sam! Thanks! I need to rewatch that about 3 more times.

This was exactly the video I needed Sam and it’s a good thing you provided it since it’s your fault I went and bought a 26 foot sailboat anyways 😆

As always Sam, thanks for the sailing info.

Excellent explanation of weather helm and how the degree of heel affects it. It took me years of sailing dinghies to figure that out. Thanks Sam!

You explain it very well. Thank you for all your videos!

Hi Sam, I bought a 30ft yacht this summer with absolutely zero experience. Doing some work on it at the moment but it’ll be in the water in April. Obviously having no experience I’ve been watching loads of videos trying to learn everything but things like whisker poles, reefing, jibing were always missing or not quite relevant to yacht sailing (mostly dinghies) so I have been mostly cross-interpreting how these work. This video confirmed all of my interpretations good stuff 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

Great video! I've always luffed the sails to put a reef in but will give it a go sailing downwind after watching this. Thank you!

such a cruisy way of teaching, thankyou!

Sam, thank you so much! I’ve learnt so much about some really useful stuff in this video. The way you explained everything was so clear and demonstrated so clearly at the same time. I just wish we were heading into the sailing season instead of retiring to the warm sofa too much (UK), so I could go out and try this all out. 👏🏻

Hi Sam. Im part way through my various courses, gearing up to the day skipper course once Ive got past the complete novice stage (Your name was mentioned alongside a few expletives when doing the capsizing part of level 1 - because you are my inspiration in my sailing journey). It was Part 1 that inspired me to start learning, so Ive been waiting for part 2, so many thanks for part 2, as I am learning all of this at the moment, but seeing you doing it on a sailboat in real time was perfect in helping me to understand the concepts Ive been learning in theory classes. I cant wait for part 3, but please, dont leave it another year, by then Im hoping to cross the channel in my boat. Again, many thanks for this invaluable video tutorial, it was 'awesome'.

Great stuff, Sam.

Great video! Thanks for sharing!

Thank You for all of the time and effort of making this video! Awesome to see you do so many things as you explain them, so engaging and fun. Hope to see more!

Thanks v much Sam, I've needed a video on reefing & whisker poles for a while now. Currently sailing west coast islands of BC in my first boat - partially inspired by yourself & your videos. Please keep them coming!

Brilliant Sam, nicely done.

Excellent episode Sam.

Thanks for the lessons!

So informative, thank you Sam

Excellent Sam...keep them coming. 🙏🙏🙏👏👏👏

New sails..sweet looking !

Nicely done!

You two make a great team.

A very helpful video, you're a natural teacher Sam. Thanks so much!

Loved this!

Thanks Sam, really good exp. on the weather and lee helm

Excellent video as ever . One point to pick up on , when you hove to / crash tack or put the hand break on , the tiller is lashed to the leward side for a reason . Your backed jib is trying to turn you to starboard and your rudder is opposing this motion. The main can be then eased to the point of balance. You're 5hen just drifting with any tide .You did mention lashing the tiller, just didn't explain why . Looking forward to seeing more tips .

Could you have text on the screen for definitions of some of the terms that are second nature to you, but maybe not all of your viewers: sheets, halyards shrouds, main, jib, boom, mast. We might have forgotten since the last how-to You could even put the written definition of a term you're explaining: heeve to, reef, weather xx... See i already forgot! Seeing if in print might help me remember for the test (haha). And maybe wear your pdf to set a good example. Excellent camera work Ann-Elin!

Them sails are looking good too!!

Fantastic Sam, you really just made it understandable, thank you.

I know all this stuff but really enjoyed listening to this guy. Superb teacher.

Great video! Really appreciate your insight.

Very helpful and practical video Sam 👍

Good stuff Sam! I'm sure that with those new sails you're really discovering what your boat is capable of. One thing I like to do on my boat is to set the autotiller for a given course, then play around with sail trim until that AT is hardly working at all - very small corrections, and only working against very light weather helm. That's when I know she's trimmed just right.

Fantastic. One of the best ‘how to’s’ I’ve watched. Thanks mate.

Well done, I enjoyed that. Thanks!

Excellent follow-up to the intro video, I'm glad you went deeper into some intermediate techniques!

Thanks Sam definitely informative hope you do some more safe sailing

Wonderful Sam. So much information that I will use next season! I recently got a whisker pole, and definitely need to up my boom preventer game and reefing is something I've been trying to wrap my head around for sure! Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge. I appreciate you and love your videos. Cheers from Canada!

An excellent video. I thought you explained all the points very well while demonstrating them. I'm sure your able bodied assistant was invaluable in helping with this one.

Great episode Sam !!!

Cheers Sam good explanation on those aspects… I can never stop learning

love it Sam you explain things so nice , Like the new sails

Thank you so much for this instruction.

Thanks for the video! Have always wondered what was meant by balancing the sails, and now I know 😊. I learned a lot from this video! Now I need to get a sailboat…😅

Great video explaining many different sailing issues, thanks

Brilliant, thank you for the effort you put into your excellent videos.

Thanks for talking about the weather helm always thought it was just too much sail didn't think about the balance between the sails

This how to video was very informative for balancing the helm. Thank You.

#Sam Holmes Sailing I love these educational skits, and I love how laid back you are. Keep on rockin' it dude!

This is great! Cheers from Norway🤩

Pretty new sails. 😙

Boom brakes are awesome! I have a Dutchman. Works well, adjustable tension wheels. Can be used as a preventer as well.

My favourite sailing channel. My retirement plan is to buy a boat and sail the world. Maybe I'll see you out there one day mate

Amazing video Sam thank you.

Very good job explaining things

Great stuff, it was a lot of information, but I didn't feel overwhelmed, thanks for sharing ✌️ Moving your preventer forward makes sense to me, more leverage less stress on attachments 👍

Great video! I understood the concept of a preventer and whisker pole and reefing but never seen details of how they are rigged like this. I sail Hobie cats a little bit and always been curious about the bigger boats. Love your content man would love to see episode 3.

Excellent Sam! Sail area + Wind speed + Righting momment, airfoil, hydro foil and reefing down! Always know when the Boom is coming over!

That's good stuff! Thanks for sharing!

Excellent video sam

Well done!!!

DOOOOOOOOOD Best sailing video I've ever seen!!!

Great video Sam! The ocean is doing good things to your soul! Keep pushing

That was great, explaining weather helm/lee helm especially. I always have trouble with my little Cat22 turning into the wind, constantly adjusting the tiller minder drives me crazy. Just finished my second season of sailing, still learning, I'd say I'm just slightly above novice with my biggest accomplishment of leaning to heave to, which I did by accident the very first time, but figured out what had happened and never looked back. It's great for me because I'm usually single handing so I use that to pull the main sail down which makes me think the main has nothing to do with heaving to. I think the wind, if coming from, say, the port side pushes the head sail making the boat want to turn to starboard, the rudder is locked to steer it back to port, so I think they cancel each other out and the boat just slides sideways. Be safe, take care.

Great video!!!

I just got my Sam Holmes Sailing shirt and it is very comfortable and not like cheap material either it just feels good.

Great Sam, more of this type of help please, easily explained as this, mixed with your usual interesting videos. *****

Thank you so much!!! That was very useful for me.

Thanks Sam

EXCELLENT BEGINNER LESSONS

Nice overview! Since you asked for input, some may not be familiar with powering down a sail by increasing twist, reducing load along the upper portion offering a quick way to respond to building conditions; and how to so so with jib lead and mainsheet/traveler/boom vang adjustment. Could be worth a mention in a follow on video. Your videos are great Sam, much enjoyed. And your sails are looking sharp.

Great video! I have recently joined a sailing co-op in Victoria on Vancouver Island! The sailing here is fantastic with lots of wildlife! I appreciate your honesty, and I'm going to stay with protected waters! Enjoy!

Well done Sam😁 Great tutorial!!! There’s always room for improvement for everyone 😁 Like it👍

1.Your videos are awesome! One of my favourite channels 2. In terms of trimming sail’s you have a lot to learn. In most of the videos the sails are incredibly bad trimmed. Easily you lost 1 knot witch as you know in long legs represents a lot of miles/time

Looks like you had nice weather in Saranda! That was a great lesson with everything explained well. Cheers from St. Simons Island!

Good job, Sailor Sam - you helped me a lot in this video. Fair winds, Dude!

Great job Sam, your videos are always good, keep in touch if you ever get any more mechanical issues like the ones you had a few videos back

this was awesome

Awesome work