Sailing knowledge isn’t centralized — it’s tribal.
You learn from old salts, obscure blogs, long-out-of-print manuals, and the people who’ve actually done the miles. But with so much noise online, where do you find information you can actually trust?
In this video, I’ll share the best places to learn real sailing — the YouTubers, books, courses, and communities that actually make better sailors — and why I built The Captain’s Locker, a free collection of the best offshore checklists, templates, and guides I’ve ever used.
It’s all here — no paywalls, no sponsorships, no BS:
👉 https://www.bethecaptain.com/locker
In this video:
00:00 – Why this video exists
00:40 – The question that started it all
01:00 – The Captain’s Locker (free resource)
03:20 – YouTube: The Wild West
05:30 – The Books That Actually Matter
07:00 – Courses & Certifications (What They Don’t Teach)
08:00 – Blogs, Forums & Magazines Worth Reading
09:30 – Experience: The Ultimate Teacher
11:00 – Final Thoughts
Mentioned in this video:
Lady K Sailing 👉 https://www.youtube.com/c/LadyKSailing
Rigging Doctor 👉 https://www.youtube.com/c/RiggingDoctor
Sailing Fair Isle 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@svfairisle
Practical Sailor Magazine 👉 https://www.practical-sailor.com
Peter Swanson’s Loose Cannon 👉 https://loosecannon.substack.com
Beth Leonard – The Voyager’s Handbook 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071437657
Steve & Linda Dashew – Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia 👉 https://setsail.com/free-books/
SailLibra 👉 https://www.saillibra.com
John Kretschmer Webinars 👉 https://www.johnkretschmersailing.com/webinars
Koru Expeditions 👉 https://www.koru.world
Morse Alpha Schedule 👉 https://www.morsealpha.com/2026-sailing-schedule
Ocean Passages 👉 https://www.sailoceanpassages.com/sailing-schedule
None of these folks are paying me — I just respect what they do.
MY BOOK: 📘 Be The Captain – A Field Manual: https://www.bethecaptain.com
🎧 Audiobook + Extras: https://bethecaptain.com/products/be-the-captain-offshore-sailing-audiobook
⚓ Join the Crew (Patreon): https://www.patreon.com/svzingaro
📺 More videos:
– My Catamaran Split in Half 100 Miles Offshore. Here’s How We Survived. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o__mcZS-jfU&t=117s
– Offshore Weather Routing https://youtu.be/MfeWGROLU8s
– The WORST Advice for Offshore Sailors https://youtu.be/JCKj882NpRs
Sailing knowledge isn’t centralized — it’s tribal.
You learn from old salts, obscure blogs, long-out-of-print manuals, and the people who’ve actually done the miles. But with so much noise online, where do you find information you can actually trust?
In this video, I’ll share the best places to learn real sailing — the YouTubers, books, courses, and communities that actually make better sailors — and why I built The Captain’s Locker, a free collection of the best offshore checklists, templates, and guides I’ve ever used.
It’s all here — no paywalls, no sponsorships, no BS:
👉 https://www.bethecaptain.com/locker
In this video:
00:00 – Why this video exists
00:40 – The question that started it all
01:00 – The Captain’s Locker (free resource)
03:20 – YouTube: The Wild West
05:30 – The Books That Actually Matter
07:00 – Courses & Certifications (What They Don’t Teach)
08:00 – Blogs, Forums & Magazines Worth Reading
09:30 – Experience: The Ultimate Teacher
11:00 – Final Thoughts
Mentioned in this video:
Lady K Sailing 👉 https://www.youtube.com/c/LadyKSailing
Rigging Doctor 👉 https://www.youtube.com/c/RiggingDoctor
Sailing Fair Isle 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@svfairisle
Practical Sailor Magazine 👉 https://www.practical-sailor.com
Peter Swanson’s Loose Cannon 👉 https://loosecannon.substack.com
Beth Leonard – The Voyager’s Handbook 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071437657
Steve & Linda Dashew – Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia 👉 https://setsail.com/free-books/
SailLibra 👉 https://www.saillibra.com
John Kretschmer Webinars 👉 https://www.johnkretschmersailing.com/webinars
Koru Expeditions 👉 https://www.koru.world
Morse Alpha Schedule 👉 https://www.morsealpha.com/2026-sailing-schedule
Ocean Passages 👉 https://www.sailoceanpassages.com/sailing-schedule
None of these folks are paying me — I just respect what they do.
MY BOOK: 📘 Be The Captain – A Field Manual: https://www.bethecaptain.com
🎧 Audiobook + Extras: https://bethecaptain.com/products/be-the-captain-offshore-sailing-audiobook
⚓ Join the Crew (Patreon): https://www.patreon.com/svzingaro
📺 More videos:
– My Catamaran Split in Half 100 Miles Offshore. Here’s How We Survived. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o__mcZS-jfU&t=117s
– Offshore Weather Routing https://youtu.be/MfeWGROLU8s
– The WORST Advice for Offshore Sailors https://youtu.be/JCKj882NpRs
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