[SHNOOL]

Yep if you are getting 30 degrees off windward in the Mac, and you are sailing into dock, you are probably light years ahead of "learning to sail," methinks the topic location needs an upgrade!

Good luck with that outboard... since you are mechanic perhaps you could post your physical address, maybe I can send you mine when it dies Watch what you say around here, soon we'll be asking your advice on stuff.

 

[SHNOOL]

[Wind]speed is definitely going to change your apparent wind angle (AWA). But you should not be measuring AWA to gauge how tightly you sail to windward... you should be measuring (like was stated) the difference between compass headings close hauled on opposite tacks, and eyeballing it of course won't be accurate (obviously you already know that)... But anyway, take compass headings, get the differenece, divide by 2 and you'll have how many degrees off True Wind Angle (TWA).

Sorry didn't want this to degrade into yet another debate in the difference between TWA and AWA... the OP seems to know the difference.