Small-Boat Sailing teaches you to use the wind to move a boat where you want to go. You will learn the parts of a sailboat, read the wind, and sail with a buddy. Always sail with trained supervision and a life jacket.
Why it's worth it
There's nothing quite like the moment the sail fills and the boat leans and starts moving under you with no motor at all. Small-Boat Sailing teaches you to read the wind, work as a crew with your buddy, and make quick decisions on the water. Those skills lead to sailing at summer camp, Sea Scouts, high-adventure bases, school sailing teams, and someday maybe a summer job teaching others.
Start this week
- Look out a window and figure out where the wind is coming from using trees, flags, or smoke. Do it again tomorrow and compare.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of a Small-Boat Sailing counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
- Check whether you've already passed the Scouting America swimmer test. If not, ask when the next chance to take it is.
- Ask your leaders whether your summer camp offers sailing, and get it on your schedule.
Plan ahead: Pass the swimmer test in requirement 2 before anything on the water, then practice sailing over several sessions. Tacking and jibing in requirement 6 take time to feel smooth.
Stay safe
- Follow Safety Afloat every time: life jacket on and buckled, a buddy in or near your boat, and qualified supervision watching from shore or a safety boat.
- If your boat capsizes, stay with it; it floats and is easier for rescuers to see than a swimmer.
Requirements · 9
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab) (updated 2025).
Note: Use any capsizable sailboat that can sail to windward (not a sailboard); a boat under 20 feet is suggested
- Requirement 1
Sailing safety and first aid
Tips for this section: Learn the main hazards on the water, like sudden wind and cold water, and how Safety Afloat keeps you safe.
Example for this section: Talk through real situations: a sudden gust that heels the boat over, falling in cold water, a sunburn after a long afternoon, or a hit from the boom. For each, say how to prevent it and what first aid you'd give.
- Requirement 1a
Explain to your counselor the hazards you're most likely to meet while sailing small boats and how to anticipate, help prevent, reduce, and respond to them
- Requirement 1b
Review how to prevent, recognize, and give first aid for these sailing problems: cold-water shock and hypothermia, heat illnesses, dehydration, sunburn, blisters, sprains, and strains
- Requirement 1c
Discuss Scouting America's Safety Afloat policy and how it applies when sailing small boats
- Requirement 2
Pass the Scouting America swimmer test before starting the rest of the requirements
Tip: Practice at a pool with a lifeguard, then ask your camp's aquatics staff when you can take the swimmer test.
- Requirement 3
Describe the boat you'll sail for these requirements, naming its major parts and what each one does
Tip: Walk around a sailboat with an instructor and point to each part as you say its name and job.
- Requirement 4
Before going afloat
Tips for this section: Check the forecast before sailing and learn which boat has the right of way in common situations.
Example for this section: Before each sail, check the forecast and look at the sky together with your buddy. Explain a rule of the road, like which boat keeps its course when two sailboats meet, and how Safety Afloat applies to your outing.
- Requirement 4a
Discuss the nine points of Scouting America's Safety Afloat plan
- Requirement 4b
Explain the general rules of the road on the water, plus any special rules or laws for your area or state
- Requirement 4c
Explain how wind strength, weather hazards, and water conditions affect your safety and how well you sail
- Requirement 4d
Discuss the signs that bad weather is coming and what to do if strong winds pick up or a storm approaches
- Requirement 4e
Prepare a typical float plan
- Requirement 4f
Discuss the right clothes, shoes, and personal gear for small-boat sailing in both warm and cool weather, and explain how good choices keep you comfortable and safe
- Requirement 5
Discuss with your counselor how to tell which way the wind is blowing and what wind indicators show, and explain why you check this before setting sail
Tip: Watch flags, ripples on the water, and telltales to see where the wind is coming from.
For example: Show your counselor three ways to find the wind: telltales on the sail or shrouds, a flag on shore, and the direction of small ripples on the water. Then point to where the wind is coming from right now.
- Requirement 6
Sail with a buddy, following Safety Afloat
Tips for this section: Start in light wind with an experienced sailor or instructor, and practice tacking and jibing until they feel smooth.
- Requirement 6a
With your buddy, get the boat ready to sail, including a safety check
- Requirement 6b
Leave from a dock, mooring, or beach
- Requirement 6c
Trim the sails correctly on a round-trip course your counselor approves that includes beating, reaching, and running (the basic points of sail), steering well throughout
- Requirement 6d
Change direction by tacking, and change direction by jibing
- Requirement 6e
Show how to get out of irons
- Requirement 6f
Show the safety position
- Requirement 6g
Show what to do when you capsize and how to rescue someone who falls overboard, with your counselor closely supervising and a rescue boat standing by (self-bailing boats are OK)
- Requirement 6h
Show what to do after running aground
- Requirement 6i
Accept a side tow or single-line tow and safely steer the boat being towed for 20 boat lengths
- Requirement 6j
Back at the dock, mooring, or beach, secure all gear, furl or stow the sails, and get the boat ready to be left overnight or longer
- Requirement 7
Marlinespike seamanship
Tips for this section: Practice the knots with a short rope at home, then use them on the boat to coil and secure lines.
- Requirement 7a
Show how to tie and use each of these: square (reef) knot, bowline, clove hitch, two half hitches, cleat hitch, and figure-eight knot
- Requirement 7b
Demonstrate heaving, coiling, and faking down a line
- Requirement 7c
Discuss the kinds of line used on sailboats and the fibers they're made from, and explain the pros and cons of each
- Requirement 8
Describe how you'd take care of a sailboat and its gear all year round
Tip: Help clean and store a sailboat after an outing and ask how it's cared for in the off-season.
For example: Help rinse the boat with fresh water after sailing, dry and fold the sail, check lines for wear, and store everything out of the sun. Then explain what extra care happens in winter, like covering the boat.
- Requirement 9
Go over sailing terms and the points of sail with your counselor. Discuss the kinds of sailboats used today and how they differ
Tip: Make flash cards of sailing terms and draw a simple wind diagram showing the points of sail.
For example: Draw a circle with the wind at the top and label the points of sail: in irons, close-hauled, beam reach, broad reach, and running. Add a few sailing terms you used, like windward, leeward, and luffing.
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A community sailing center or sailing club
Many run youth programs with small boats, instructors, and safety boats on the water.
How: Have a leader call and ask about a troop sailing day or a try-sailing session, and confirm instructors and life jackets are provided.
Your council camp's waterfront
Camp aquatics staff can teach sailing under Safety Afloat and give the swimmer test.
How: Sign up for sailing during summer camp, or have a leader ask the camp about off-season waterfront days.
Where it can lead
- Sailing instructorTeaches at camps and community sailing centers; a common summer job for older teens.
- Coast Guard memberPatrols waterways, runs rescues, and enforces boating safety.
- Marine technician or riggerA trade that repairs boats and sets up masts, sails, and lines.
- Naval architectDesigns boats and ships using engineering and physics.
Ask yourself
- How did it feel the first time the boat really started moving because of something you did with the sail?
- What did you and your buddy have to communicate about while sailing, and how did you do it?
- When did the wind surprise you, and how did you react?
- What sailing skill still feels shaky, and how could you practice it?
- Where would you like to sail someday?
Good questions to ask your counselor or a sailing instructor
- How do you decide whether the wind is too strong for a beginner?
- What's the best way to recover if the boat capsizes?
- What mistake do new sailors make most often when tacking?
- How did you learn to sail, and what helped you get comfortable?
- What ways can a teenager keep sailing after summer camp?
Helpful reads
- Earning a merit badge, step by step, From picking a badge to getting the final signature: how to find a counselor, set up meetings safely, work the requirements, and keep your progress., Youth · Families · 6 min read
- Contacting counselors, experts, and organizations, Email and phone scripts, who to ask for, how to follow up, and how to say thanks, with a parent copied every time., Youth · Families · 7 min read
- Choosing your next merit badge, How to pick a badge you'll actually finish: start with what you care about, balance Eagle-required and just-for-fun badges, and make the most of camp., Youth · Families · 6 min read
For leaders & parents
- Plan sailing time at summer camp or with a sailing club that has certified instructors.
- Make sure scouts always sail in buddy pairs with life jackets and supervision.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselor — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- Council camp waterfront staff — Trained staff can teach and supervise sailing.
- Local sailing club — Many offer youth sailing lessons.
- US Sailing (opens in a new tab) — The national sailing organization, with youth programs and how to find a place to learn.
- Sea Scouts (opens in a new tab) — Scouting's sailing and boating program for older youth.
- U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety (opens in a new tab) — Navigation rules, life jackets, and safety for all boaters.
- National Weather Service (opens in a new tab) — Check the marine and local forecast before you sail.
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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.