The tutorials take you on a virtual journey, during which you raise the sails, practice reefing, try mooring and learn good anchoring technique. eSail also includes a charting tool with plotter and dividers so you can try out navigation.

Finally you arrive at sunset at Maxwell Marina, by which time you are familiar with handling your boat using sails and engine. Once you have completed the course you will be ready to navigate around the ‘legendary’ Shearwater Islands and voyage the high seas.

And with the Man Overboard Add-On you can learn Man Overboard skills with tutorials and challenges created in conjunction with Keith Cowell, the author of the RYA’s Sea Survival Handbook.

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You can also take part in challenges including treasure hunts, races, steering and anchoring competitions. eSail is not really a racing game (although there are races), it’s software that aims to make you a better sailor. So all the challenges have a valid training purpose. For instance, the treasure hunts help you develop steering and throttle control; the races give you a greater awareness of what is round you and the ability to multitask; the anchoring challenges help you assess the sea bed, wind and estimate the likely circle your boat will follow as the wind changes.

So eSail is the perfect tool for learning new skills, refreshing old skills and having fun in the process.

You might be interested in these sailing resources:

Sound Signals On the Water
Sailing Terms (Basic)
Sailing Terms (Intermediate)
Rules of the Road
How Weather Works
American Sailing Association (ASA) New Sailor Resources

Learn to sail with eSail!

Unlike other simulators which are mainly aimed at racing, eSail is designed to help you learn real sailing skills which can be transferred into the real world. And sailing instructors can use eSail to demonstrate specific techniques. For example, winding a line onto a winch correctly.

eSail has been designed to fill the gap between theory and practical training. Books, training manuals, classroom based or online courses are all essential tools, but nothing can beat being out on the water to really learn how to sail.

But for many people, the opportunities to sail yachts comes only once or twice a year on the annual vacation. eSail now provides a way of being out on the water, and enjoying learning new sailing skills while navigating the virtual seas.