eSail

eSail is a sailing simulation where you learn to handle a yacht, explore the waters around the Shearwater Islands and take on sailing challenges. You practise raising the mainsail, tacking, gybing, reefing, mooring and anchoring, along with using charts and adjusting sail trim. The simulation is intended to help you understand how to pilot a real yacht, but it does not replace training with a qualified instructor.

Learn to sail

The “Learn Yachting with eSail” course contains 20 interactive tutorials written and narrated by sailing experts, including Ocean Yachtmaster Jon Dobbin and Hannah White, who holds the Guinness Book of Records title for the fastest sailing dinghy crossing of the English Channel. The tutorials cover raising sails, using charts, anchoring, mooring and more advanced sail trim. Learning modules can support certified training, but eSail is not affiliated with or approved by any training organisation.

You can use a virtual crew to handle sails, control lines, winches and travellers, and practise operating cleats and jammers safely. AutoSail mode can make sailing easier when you are starting out.

Explore Shearwater

In Live Sailing mode, you explore the seas around the Shearwater Islands in changing weather, from gentle breezes to fierce storms. Listen to forecasts on the VHF radio before weighing anchor, then set or reef your sails to suit the conditions. Your position and boat setup are saved so you can return to the same point and continue your journey. Visit Points of Interest to work toward Master Explorer status, and seek out places such as the wreck of the Princess Zara.

The Shearwater Islands lie in the mid-Atlantic and were formed by volcanic activity. Spanish, British, American and Italian influences appear across the islands; the Italians built Little Venice, whose buildings resemble those of Venice and whose canals are wide enough to motor, sail and race along.

Weather models areas of high and low pressure as they move across the islands, creating varied wind and wave patterns. Land masses also affect the conditions, creating sheltered areas where you can escape storms and anchor.

Sailing challenges

The challenges include:

• Races: Compete against other users or computer-skippered boats, practising race tactics, tacking, gybing and sail trim with the mainsheet, jib sheets and kicker (boom vang).
• Treasure hunts: Control your speed as you approach prizes near a jetty or quay; drifting into the shore or reaching the treasure too fast can damage it.
• Steering challenges: Navigate between red and green buoys while keeping up speed for points and watching for other boats. They should follow collision regulations, or “Rules of the Road,” but may not always react as expected when your boat changes direction.
• Anchoring: Anchor and check your swing circle as the wind changes, accounting for the seabed and how much anchor chain you lay out.
• Passage planning: Use the charting tool to plot a route between places such as Maxwell Marina and Frazer Town via given waypoints, then moor safely using your fenders without touching the jetty.

Boat handling

Anchoring requires you to consider the weather and whether the seabed is sand, weed or rock, then let out an appropriate length of chain to prevent the anchor from dragging. To moor, choose an approach to the quay, step off and secure the lines; you can also set spring lines or slip lines to help you leave.

The charting module represents paper charts. Use dividers, a plotter and a pencil to plot a course, and check your position against lights from buoys and lighthouses.