FAQ
Questions, answered.
- Is Oh Sail really free?
- Yes. The tutorial, the guided lessons, free sail, debriefs, and stars are all free, with no account and no ads. We want you on the water, not on a paywall.
- Do I need to download anything or create an account?
- No. It runs in your browser from a single link. Nothing to install, no sign-up to start sailing.
- Will this teach me to actually sail?
- It teaches the first hour: the language of the wind, points of sail, the rhythm of a tack, reading puffs on the water, and judging a dock approach. Think of it as ground school that makes your real, on-water lessons cheaper to absorb. It supplements proper instruction; it does not replace it.
- How accurate is the sailing model?
- The boat uses polar-based performance with apparent wind, leeway, and heel, and the wind shadows are computed from the real breakwater geometry. The harbors are built from NOAA chart data and OpenStreetMap, including real channel buoyage.
- What do I need to run it?
- Any modern browser. On a desktop or laptop you sail with the keyboard; on a phone or tablet you sail by touch. Nothing to install either way.
- Does it work on my phone or tablet?
- Yes. On touch screens you sail with two thumbs, one on the tiller and one on the mainsheet, the same two hands you would use in a real dinghy. Landscape works best, and you can add it to your home screen to sail offline.
- Which harbor am I sailing? Can you add mine?
- Marina del Rey, California, modeled from real chart data. San Diego and Sydney are in the engine too, and the world system is data-driven, so more harbors can be added from public chart sources.
- Who is Cap’n Pell?
- Your coach: a pelican with thirty seasons on the fuel-dock piling. Pell reacts to how you are actually sailing and debriefs every run, instead of reciting a script.
- I teach sailing. Can I use this with my students?
- Yes. Assign it as prep so students arrive knowing close-hauled from a broad reach. Instructor and school tools, including your own home harbor, are on the roadmap; reach out if you would like to be an early partner.
- Do you track my data?
- Oh Sail is anonymous by default and requires no account. Sharing playtest data is opt-in; nothing is sent unless you choose to help us improve the lessons.