$37.99eSail Sailing Simulator Learn to sail from your sofa
Master a yacht sail by sail, then explore the Shearwater Islands in weather that never repeats itself.
Is eSail Sailing Simulator worth it?
eSail Sailing Simulator is worth it if…
- you want to learn how a real yacht works, from sail trim to anchoring
- you enjoy calm, low-pressure exploring at your own pace
- you like skills that take practice, with challenges to test them
- you are preparing for sailing lessons and want a head start
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A sailing course that takes you seriously
"Learn Yachting with eSail" is a course of 20 interactive tutorials, written and narrated by experienced sailors, that walks you from raising the mainsail through tacking, gybing, reefing, sail trim, anchoring and mooring. You are not just pressing buttons: you handle lines, winches, cleats and jammers, and the boat responds the way a real one would. Yachting Monthly found the thought processes and actions remarkably close to the real world, and the game is designed to support certified training such as RYA or US Sailing courses (it replaces neither, and it says so itself). If the full course feels like a lot on day one, AutoSail mode handles the sails for you while you get a feel for steering.
Weather you have to respect
Live Sailing mode drops you into the waters around the Shearwater Islands under constantly changing weather: high and low pressure systems move across the archipelago, producing an endless variety of wind and waves, from gentle breezes to proper storms. Before weighing anchor you listen to the forecasts on your VHF radio and set your sails accordingly, or reef them down. Land masses modify the wind too, creating calm patches where you can shelter from the worst of it and anchor safely. Your position and boat setup are always saved, so you can stop mid-passage and pick the journey up later exactly where you left it.
Challenges, races and a chart on the table
Once the basics are under your belt, the challenges start. Race against computer-skippered boats and work on tacking, gybing and trimming the mainsheet, jib sheets and kicker. In treasure hunts it is all throttle control: get close enough to grab the prize without drifting into the jetty, and not so fast that it smashes on the deck. Steering challenges send you between red and green buoys past other boats that follow the collision rules, mostly. There are anchoring tests where the wind shifts and your swing circle is checked, and passage planning with a proper charting tool: dividers, plotter and pencil, plotting a course between waypoints before mooring up with your fenders ready.
What should you know before buying?
Can you play it without any sailing knowledge?
Yes, that is the point. The tutorials assume you know nothing and explain each control and what it does to the boat, and AutoSail mode can handle the sails while you learn to steer. You will pick up a small vocabulary of sailing terms along the way: mainsail, halyard, sheet, gybe. The game is honest that it supports real training but never replaces a qualified instructor.
Is there anything to do besides the tutorials?
Plenty. Live Sailing lets you explore the Shearwater Islands freely, collecting Points of Interest on the way to Master Explorer status. There are races, treasure hunts, steering courses, anchoring tests and passage planning exercises. One of the strangest stops is Little Venice, an Italian-built folly with canals wide enough to sail, and even race, along.
How realistic is it, really?
The boat handling is the strong suit: sail trim, winch work, anchoring with the right amount of chain for the sea bed, even prop walk when mooring. Several experienced sailors use it to practise between real sessions. Two honest limits: the boat is forgiving, so full sail in strong wind carries no real consequences, and there is only one yacht. The physics of a simulator also cannot match any particular real boat.
What does it look and sound like?
The graphics are functional rather than flashy; the developer's focus is on accurate sailing, and that is where the effort shows. What carries the experience is the water and weather, the feel of the boat responding to your line adjustments, and the satisfaction of getting the sails right. If you want cutting-edge visuals first, this is not that game. If you want to learn to sail, it is.
