The new year has just arrived, and it also brings a new sailing season. Most of the owners (if they have not done it already) re-start to take care of their sailing boats and to make a checklist of everything they need for the Spring and Summer of 2023.

If you feel overwhelmed and have no idea where to start, start thinking about your priorities. If among them, and especially ranked in the first positions, there are comfort and safety, you are reading the right article.

We prepared a list of 6 tips that, in our opinion, might help to simplify the sailing life of many owners.

1- Reduce the friction

Is it possible to simplify the ropes’ transitions? Are they used in a way that does not require changing them every year? Are the organizers free and in a good shape? A great solution to reduce friction is to change the old blocks with new ones that can either have rollers or low-friction rings.

2- Optimize the sailing plan

Knowing their own sails is crucial as, together with adequate treatment, it is the only way to guarantee a good sailing experience. Therefore, it means having extensive knowledge of your sailing boat’s surface and being able to take decisions regarding its optimization. For example, if you want to compensate for the loss of the sailing surface, you could use a furling sail for a gennaker or a code zero when necessary.

3- Evaluate the furling tools

As a third tip to take into consideration, we decided to add the furling tools. Among the most common ones, there is the furling jib that, since its birth, has simplified the sailing experience of owners’ generations. In addition, depending on the use that each one does with their own sailing boat and, especially if the cruise is the most preferred one, a furling main is highly recommended.

4- Electric winches

We can say that electric winches are strong allies of calm sailing and less effort. As a matter of fact, they can be used for the genoa and main sheets. In many scenarios, it is possible to defer the mainsail halyard to an electric primary winch. To sum up, electric winches can mainly be used to furl the main, lift the anchor, or, even, help during the mooring process.

5- Electric up-anchor

With an electric up-anchor, you just have to press a button to lift the anchor together with its chain. If you are planning to sail solo, you could also evaluate installing an up-anchor directly on the instrument pods located close to your rudder. Moreover, if you use your sailing boat mainly for cruising purposes, an electric up-anchor is key.

6- Regular maintenance

Last but not least, a very important tip for easy sailing is the regular maintenance of your sailing boat. You should keep all the deck hardware in good shape by removing the salt from the blocks. It helps to strengthen their lives. Also, winches maintenance improves the smoothness of a sailing boat.