There’s a North Pole, where Santa lives stuck in the ground and secondly, there’s a Magnetic North, where the magnets live our steering compasses, and our handheld compasses are magnetic devices, and they point towards magnetic north not True North. However, our charts are all orientated to True North. The resulting angle between magnetic north, and true north is what we call variation and it will change according to where you are on the planet. So why do we do this? Why don’t we just orient our magnet and be done with it orientated towards the North Pole? True North because it’s a fixed position on the globe and it doesn’t move. However,…

Glossary of Sailing Terms AAbaft: A location on the boat but further to the rear of the boat. “The tiller is abaft the mast.Abeam: The beam is the widest part of the boat. When another boat is abeam, it is at a right angle off the beam to either the starboard or port side of the boat you are on.Aft: When on a boat you refer to the stern part of the boat as being aft or to the rear of the boat.Ahead: A term used to describe the area in front of the boat you are on. “Look ahead.Aids to Navigation: This includes all external systems like channel markers, preferred route buoys, danger and safe water buoys,…