The 9 Best Sailing Forums 2025
Whether you’re new to sailing or have some decent nautical miles under your belt, sailing forums are an essential part of boat life and an absolute lifesaver for so many in the sailing community.
When we moved on to our sailboat four years ago we honestly didn’t have a clue. We couldn’t sail, and we had very little experience in boat maintenance, both of which are essential skills when you live on a boat!
Along with some incredible advice from the people we met, we had the support of a much larger community of sailors, those people on sailing forums.
When there was a query we didn’t know the answer to, the internet was our friend and we turned to the best forums for sailing to help us solve problems big and small.
Now we’re a little more experienced we still use sailing forums all the time. Not quite daily anymore but certainly a lot! Especially while we’re redoing our catamaran and have so many DIY-related questions.
In this article, we give you the low down on the best sailing forums out there so that you can find the answers you’re looking for. We’ve used every single one of these forums and each has its own loyal community and niche that can help you answer any questions you have about sailboats and sailing.
They’re also awesome communities where you can connect with like-minded people, find crew or crewing opportunities, and even make long-lasting friends.
Table of Contents
- Cruisers forum
- Sailing Anarchy forums
- SailNet Community
- YBW forum
- Sailboat Owners
- Sailing forum
- The Wooden Boat forum
- Yachts and Yachting
The Best Sailing Forums
Let’s delve into the best sailing forums out there! Most of these forums require you to be a member before you can comment or post, but you can still view the questions and answers without joining.
#1 Cruisers Forum
The Cruisers Forum is our go-to sailing forum and the one you’re most likely to find if you type a question into Google that no one’s website has answered yet!
This forum has thousands of users and very dedicated and vocal core members who know an awful lot about sailing. You don’t need to sign up to read it, but you will need to become a member if you want to post a question or add comments to someone’s post.
There is such a huge range of topics and questions answered that it’s hard to keep up, but you can almost guarantee that if you’re wondering something about your boat or sailing then it has been discussed at length in the Cruisers Forum. Even things like sailing with a baby are hot topics!
As a member, you can ask pretty much anything you like, as long as it’s related to sailing and in the right category. We’d be very surprised if you didn’t get an answer!
The Different Forum Categories
The Cruisers Forum has numerous categories, but they are quite easy to sort through to find what you’re looking for.
There is an introduction section for new members, cruising categories for each popular sailing ground, sailing news, and numerous boat DIY-related categories. You’ll even find conversations on the best songs about sailing! You will also find regional topics so you can search for things going on in your sailing area and make connections.
If you’re new to sailing then you’ll find a wealth of information on sailing itself. Questions like ‘when should you reef’, or ‘what’s the optimal heeling angle’ are commonly debated topics and you will learn an awful lot by just reading through other people’s experiences and how they handled situations.
One of the sections we find we use most are the ones dedicated to boat maintenance, where you’ll find so much first-hand experience from people undertaking projects similar to your own. The knowledge here is unreal. If you’re restoring an old boat then this is the place for you.
There are sections for all sorts of boats – from catamarans to power vessels, to small day sailors and you can often find out useful information about certain types of boats too. There was even a discussion on our very unique Kadey Krogen 38 that helped us immensely when we were trying to decide whether to buy her.
The liveaboard ‘Life Aboard a Boat’ section is one of the forum’s most popular and dives into topics on everything from how to make money aboard to the best equipment for your galley.
#2 Sailing Anarchy Forums
Sailing Anarchy is another sailing forum we use often. It has a slightly more modern format to that of Cruisers Forum which we like, and things are easy to find. It has a large readership and loyal, passionate members who have all kinds of expertise.
You don’t need to sign up to access the forums, but like the others, you won’t be able to post or comment unless you do.
This is another sailing forum with a really wide array of categories, and you’ll find almost any question answered here (or ready to be answered!)
Different Sailing Forum Categories
Just like Cruisers Forum, Sailing Anarchy is a general sailing forum that has a huge range of topics.
There’s a general sailing section for all things actual sailing related, or a boat maintenance category, or categories related to certain types of sailing such as dinghy sailing or offshore sailing. There’s also a sailing news section and a photo section where you can post pictures of your boat!
There’s a section for people looking for crew, or looking for boats, which is especially useful for anyone seeking crewing opportunities or who is short-handed sailing.
One of the really popular sections on this sailing forum is actually the non-sailing discussion board where members discuss all kinds of totally unrelated topics. It seems strange that this would exist in a forum dedicated to sailing, but it’s a great place for people to make connections in the sailing world.
#3 SailNet Community
The SailNet Community is yet another general sailing forum with a big following and some loyal and dedicated members.
You’ll find almost any topic here, from sailing advice to provisioning recommendations, so it’s a one-stop shop for all things sailboat related.
One of the things we actually don’t like so much about this forum is its homepage. Rather than listing all the categories, it lists the newest posts or posts recommended for you.
While this is great for regular visitors, if you’re looking for something specific it can be confusing trying to navigate to the categories page. Just a little personal preference gripe!
Forum Categories
The first category you’ll see here is the new member’s discussion board which we love. Sometimes these forums can be a little intimidating but the members here are really welcoming which will encourage you to engage.
The sailing gear discussion board is one of the most popular, with a huge amount of engagement in it, so it’s a great place to head if you’re seeking advice on new equipment or you’re fixing up your boat. There’s everything from the best lithium marine batteries to Helly Hansen vs Musto being discussed here.
There are additional forum categories for things like racing, photos, lost vessels, chartering, and seamanship skills. There is also a section on here for finding crew so it’s worth putting the feelers out on several different forums if this is what you’re looking for.
There is a section on here for sailing with kids which has a whole tonne of advice and discussions on. It’s also a great place to connect with other sailing families in different parts of the world, and potentially arrange meet-ups for the kids.
#4 YBW Forum
The YBW Forum (Yachting and Boat World) is yet another fantastic resource for any sailor, experienced or not. It’s mostly aimed at sailors in the UK, but we have found a wealth of knowledge on here for all sorts of questions, so don’t think it’s limited to people living in the UK.
The forum has a huge number of members, with some boats seeing over a million messages from users. They have a range of specific boards that you don’t find on some other forums, like the River Thames forum, especially for boaters on the Thames waterways.
The forum is laid out well, with clear categories and an easy-to-navigate home page.
Members are friendly and welcoming, and aside from the few salty grumps you find everywhere, this is a great place for newbies to ask for advice.
Forum Categories
You’ll find quite a few alternative categories on this forum, as well as all the usual sailing and sailboat maintenance boards.
There are several boards hosted by Practical Boat Owner and Yachting World which get a lot of interest, on topics like yacht racing and liveaboard life.
There is also a book club board and a virtual pub for sailors keen for a bit of chat and banter from the comfort of their own armchair!
A useful category on this forum is the sailboats for sale section, where you can browse listed sailboats or advertise your own for sale. Alongside this, you’ll find a section for stolen or missing boats and gear so you can help keep an eye on people’s prized possessions.
#5 Sailboat Owners
Sailboat Owners is another huge forum related to sailing with a wealth of knowledge and information hidden in its message boards.
You will find a number of passionate sailboat owners readily giving away tips and advice on all kinds of subjects, so it’s a surefire place to get burning queries answered quickly and (usually) accurately and in detail.
Forum Categories
One thing that sets this forum apart from some of the others is the extensive list of different boat brands that are discussed. You can ask questions specifically related to your make of boat and it’s likely your question will get answered by an owner or previous owner that had a similar issue.
This is super handy for DIY questions or specific sailing questions related to your own boat.
There are also sailing gear discussion boards so it’s a great place to head if you’re looking for a new winter sailing jacket or the best tender for your yacht.
#6 Sailing Forums
Sailing Forums covers mostly racing boats, with a range of sailboats as their own categories. There is also some boards on boat maintenance, again with the primary focus being race boats and smaller sailboats.
They have a really great user layout, with a clean, uncluttered forum that’s easy to navigate. This is one of our favourites in terms of design, and there aren’t too many ads getting in the way of your searches!
The user base is extensive and the members on this forum are passionate and knowledgeable. Boards tend to get a large number of replies from sailors who know their stuff, especially when it comes to dinghy sailing and race sailing.
Forum Categories
The forums biggest categories are on the popular Sunfish and Laser sailboats. These are much loved sailboats and very sought after, so the for sale section is pretty handy if this is the kind of boat you’re after.
If you already own one then this forum is a fantastic resource. You’ll find tips on repair, restoration, the best sailing techniques and more.
You’ll also find plentiful discussions on the Catalina 14 and the J/24 which each have their own sub headings in the forum.
We don’t use this site very often as we’re not race sailors or small boat owners, but it does have some useful tips for general sailboat maintenance so we have used it from to time and found commenters to be friendly and experienced.
#7 WoodenBoat Forum
The WoodenBoat Forum is a huge forum with a wealth of information tucked away inside it. This is one of the better forums out there for cruisers and powerboats, but there is a lot of boards on maintenance that applies to all boats.
From the title, you would assume this forum is only for owners of wooden boats, but there’s a diverse range of information for the owners of all kinds of boats and it’s a great place to head for specific tips and advice.
It also has some great tips for anyone building a boat from scratch.
Personally, we find this forum a really great resource for our DIY jobs and we often find the comments are from really experienced people, sometimes even specialists that do the trade as their profession. It’s tips from people like these that are the most valuable.
Forum Categories
This forum contains all the categories you would expect from a general sailing forum, from repair, to building, to design, to people and places.
The bilge is an aptly named category for basically any ‘old rubbish’. This is the general discussion board where you can come to share experience, discuss random interesting topics and make connections with other sailors. It’s your online pub, where you can go for a good old natter.
#8 Reddit
Reddit Sailing is comparable to the different Facebook groups on sailing (which are also fantastic sources of knowledge that we’ll look at below).
You can join a sub-Reddit for a huge range of different specific sailing categories and discussions from these will show up on your feed just like on Facebook.
If you’re looking for specific information or advice you can simply type it into the Reddit search bar, or you can go ahead and ask the question yourself. Just be careful not to do any kind of self-promotion on Reddit. This isn’t that kind of platform, and you’re very likely to get some abuse for it!
Forum Categories
You can join a number of different categories that are related to sailing but are a little more specific, and these will show up in your feed when you use Reddit.
Search for sailboat cruising or liveaboard for a huge community of liveaboard sailors who are willing to offer tonnes of great advice about life aboard.
#9 Yachts and Yachting
Yachts and Yachting is one of the best forums out there for information on actual sailing. It has a large race community and many of the boards focus on getting the best sailing performance from different kinds of boats.
It’s got an intuitive layout even though the design is a little outdated, and things are easy to find. It also has a large member base of active sailors who answer questions quickly and with good advice.
There isn’t so much information on boat maintenance, so try using one of the other forums for this.
Forum Categories
There is a HUGE range of categories here, from technique to sailing stories, to insurance questions.
One of our favorite sections is the sailing holiday destinations board which has discussions on the best cruising grounds for vacations (and sailing in general). Discussions on things like Greece vs Croatia are super useful if you’re trying to plan your next sailing season.
There are also sailing gear discussion boards with subjects as diverse as the best watches for sailing to the best sailing headlamp.
How To Know A Good Sailing Forum?
It’s quite easy to determine almost straight away whether or not you’re going to find worth in a sailing forum or not.
A great forum for sailing will have a large audience and membership, and frequent postings. You can check these things as soon as you enter the homepage as all the figures and dates are there to see.
You can also see straight away whether a forum is arranged in a user-friendly format simply by searching for what you’re looking for. If there are no clear categories and no search bar, then you might be looking at spending hours trying to find information.
Look for sailboat forums with free membership and ones that are well-moderated. If you’re scrolling and find an offensive comment, but don’t get a response when you report it, this should be a bit of a red flag.
You can also get an idea of how friendly members are by looking at the new member’s page and checking through some of the comments. Normally you’ll find a very friendly and welcoming group of people.
The Downsides To Sailing Forums
Of course, there are a few things to be wary of when using online forums.
Firstly, you’re likely to find a huge range of opinions. As we all know, sailing tends to generate a lot of differing opinions on the right way to do things, and oftentimes there simply isn’t a clear-cut answer.
People in sailing forums can get pretty fired up over their own opinions, and it can be hard to work out who is right. Often no one is right or wrong, it’s simply a different point of view. We find it’s worth taking an answer that we believe is right or sounds right to us, and then backing it up with a little more Google research.
Secondly, unfortunately, you can find some nastiness on these forums. On the whole, they are well regulated, and hateful posts tend to get taken down and the commenter banned, but some things do slip through the net.
Try not to take everyone’s comments seriously. It’s very easy to type out a smart-mouthed comment or berate someone for a mistake that they swear they would never make from behind the safety of a screen. Report it, ignore it, and move on. These people are not worth your precious time.
Conclusion: The Best Sailing Forums
Here are some of the best sailing forums out there to help you on your way to living the sailing dream, whether that’s living on board or simply crewing once in a while.
These forums are full of interesting and knowledgeable people who can’t wait to talk about all the things you’re desperate to learn, so make sure you spend some time checking them out, and maybe even add a comment or two yourself!
We can also highly recommend building up a community on Instagram. We’ve met so many liveaboard sailors through this social media network and learned a lot from them. Kickstart yours with some top Instagram ocean captions!
If you’re looking for more top tips on the sailing lifestyle then make sure you head to our sailing tips section, and check out our ultimate guide on living aboard.
Hey,
I went through your blog. It is quite interesting. I would like to ask you a question. I would appreciate it if you could assist me.
When were European sailing ships discovered?
I look forward to hearing back from you.
Thank you!