RAISING THE MAINSAIL

The mainsail is always hoisted first because it is the primary source of power and because a sailboat handles better under mainsail alone than under jib alone. Since the mainsail is attached to the mast and boom, it is also easier to control than the jib. Whether you raise the mainsail at the dock or while motoring out of the harbor, the bow of the boat should point into the wind. Check all shackles to be sure they are secure. Many are of the twist-locking type with a little groove for the pin. Make sure the pin is in the proper place. Keep enough slack in the mainsheet so that the sail will be able to be fully hoisted. It is best to keep passengers and extra crew out of the way of the boom, which will swing radically during the hoisting procedure. Keep the mainsheet clear of winches, cleats, and the stem of the boat. Be sure to stay low so you don't get hit in the head as the boom swings while the main is raised.
PREPARATION
1. Position one person at the mast at the point where the sail enters the luff groove.
2. A second crew member should be at the end of the halyard, prepared to raise the sail.
3. A third crew member (if there is one) should keep the end of the boom from jumping around by controlling the mainsheet as the sail is being raised.
4. Crew members in the cockpit should slacken the topping lift, the mainsheet, and the boom vang. Some boats use the main halyard for the boom lift, so someone will have to hold the boom while the sail is being raised.
5. Don't begin hoisting until the bow is aimed directly into the wind (except on a smaller boat).
PROCEDURE
When the skipper orders, "Hoist the mainsail":
1. Wrap the main halyard once around the winch.
2. Release sail ties.
3. Pull the halyard to start raising the sail.
4. Feed the luff of the sail into the slot to keep it from jamming. If it jams, lower the sail a few inches and hoist again.
5. The crew member on the halyard will keep pulling by hand until the sail reaches the top of the mast. Use the winch to raise the halyard if the sail gets too heavy to hoist.
FINISHING OFF
1. When the sail is at the top of the mast, take an additional wrap or two around the winch.
2. Place the winch handle in the winch and turn slowly until one vertical wrinkle appears in the luff of the sail, indicating proper tension. This wrinkle will smooth out when the boat is sailing.
3. Coil and stow the halyard.
The jib may be hoisted now, or hoisting may be delayed until the boat is in open water if you leave the dock by power.

USING WINCHES

An important piece of gear on boats larger than about 20 feet is the winch, a drum turned by a handle that gives a mechanical advantage when hoisting sails and trimming sheets. All winches work the same way:
1. Before there is a strain on the line, make one or two clockwise loops around the drum.
2. Pull on the line hand-over-hand until the strain is heavy.
3. Make one or two more clockwise loops depending on load.
4. Insert the winch handle. With one hand, rotate the handle. With the other hand, pull on the line. (In some boats, the winch handle is permanently installed. When sailing on larger boats with very heavy strains, it may be necessary to have one crew member turn the handle with two hands while another crew member "tails," or pulls on the line.) Keep winching the line in until the halyard is hoisted or the sheet is trimmed properly. Be careful not to let fingers, hair, clothing, watch straps, etc., catch in the turns.
5. Once the line is cleated, remove the winch handle from the winch. If it's left in, it may trip somebody or fall out and be lost overboard.

RIGGING CHECKLIST

The mainsail:
1. Remove sailcover.
2. Attach outhaul to the clew.
3. Attach tack pin to tack.
4. Attach main halyard to head of sail.
5. Uncoil mainsheet.
6. Loosen boom vang.

The jib:
1. Attach jib to headstay.
2. Attach jib halyard to head.
3. Attach jib sheets to clew of jib with bowlines.
4. Lead jib sheets according to your particular boat's design, either inboard or outboard of shrouds.
5. Lead jib sheets to winches. 6. Tie the jib to lifelines to keep deck clear and secure head of jib to lifelines or bow pulpit.

ATTACHING THE SAILS

THE MAINSAIL
The mainsail may be furled (folded or rolled) on the boom, secured with sail ties, and protected with a sail cover, or it may be stored off the boom, folded and kept in a sail bag below. Newer Mylar and Kevlar sails are best rolled when lowered. This keeps the material from cracking. In either case, there are several steps necessary to prepare the mainsail for hoisting.
If the sail is off the boom, it will be taken out of the bag and laid along the deck. The crew will feed the clew into the groove in the boom. The sail will then be slid onto the boom until the tack is at the gooseneck (the fitting that attaches the boom to the mast). The tack pin (the pin that holds the tack of the sail to the boom) will be attached, as well as the outhaul (the line that attaches to the clew and is used to tension the foot of the sail).
If the mainsail is stored on the boom, the crew simply has to remove the sail cover, feed the luff into the groove of the mast, and attach the main halyard shackle to the head of the sail. Ensure that the battens are in the batten pockets, flexible end first. The crew should take up any slack from the halyard.

THE JIB
The jib is always stored in a sail bag when not in use. To set the jib, remove it from the sail bag and spread it on the foredeck. Locate the head, tack, and clew of the sail, the head being the narrowest angle of the three corners. Many sailmakers will mark the corners of the sail with head, tack, and clew. If this has not been done, it is easy to do with an indelible marker and provides an easy reference.
The luff of the jib will usually be hanked (with small brass or plastic snap fittings on the jib) onto the headstay and the jib sheets will be attached to the clew of the jib with bowline knots. If the headstay has a groove, then the jib will have a bolt rope (rope sewn into the luff of the sail) instead of hanks. In that case, insert the bolt rope into the prefeeder (a device which makes raising sails easier) and then into the groove. The next step is to lash the jib to the side of the boat farthest from the dock. This will keep the sail out of the way while you leave the dock. To keep the jib from creeping up the forestay before it is time to hoist the sail, either tie a line around the sail and halyard or undo the top hank of the sail and attach it to the lifeline.

SAILING CHECKLIST

It is now time for your first sail. Use the following checklist to ensure that all required equipment is on board and that the boat is properly prepared to sail.

1. Check the weather report.
2. Open hatches and ventilate the boat. Check below. If gasoline, stove fuel, or a holding tank for the head (toilet) are on board, the crew must check to make sure there are no fumes present before any flames are lit or the engine is started.
3. Check bilges and pump. The floor boards in the bottom of the boat should be lifted. They cover the bilge (the lowest part of the interior of the boat), and water will collect there from the natural "sweating" of a closed boat or from rain. Water will also seep in around loose keel bolts (the bolts that attach the keel to the boat). Use the bilge pump or a bucket and sponge to empty the bilge so the water won't slosh around while you're sailing.
4. Make sure there is one PFD (personal flotation device or life jacket) for each person aboard, plus one Type IV.
5. Stow all gear in a safe, accessible place. Equipment must be close at hand in case of an emergency. Loose gear may roll around and injure someone during the sail. Be sure gear is stowed securely so it doesn't fall into the cabin when the boat heels over.
6. Make sure that the horn or whistle is operational.
7. Plan the day's sail and course.
8. Check the rigging and sails. Are the halyards clear and the sails ready to go up? Are the battens in their pockets? It is important that all lines be uncoiled and ready so they do not foul up in a block while you are attempting to leave the dock.
9. Assign specific jobs to each member of the crew and spell out the goal for the day.

BOARDING

Boarding a sailboat for the first time is an exciting experience for everyone, but it can be traumatic. This is normal. Be careful when boarding a boat; even experienced sailors have fallen in the water. Always wear nonskid deck shoes for better footing, and also to protect the deck. Wearing socks with your shoes will increase traction.Board the boat quickly. To steady yourself, hold onto a shroud or rail while stepping on board, or hold the steadying hand of a person already on the boat. Don't step from dock to deck with an armful of gear. Pass your gear across to the boat first. Step into the boat as close to the middle (between bow and stem) as you can. On smaller boats it is imperative to step into the middle of the boat while keeping your weight low. It often helps to put the centerboard down to give the boat added stability while you're loading. Keep the deck clear by stowing your gear as it is passed on board. Most importantly, relax when boarding, but don't take unnecessary chances. Falling into the water between the boat and dock can be dangerous because a wave might push the boat back against the dock, causing you injury.
Each crew member should have a specific place to sit when the boat is leaving the dock and when it's under way. Make sure the helmsman has room to move the tiller, and always keep your head low to avoid being hit by the boom. Normally, most of the crew weight is kept at the beamiest (widest) part of the boat.
The helmsman has to sit near the tiller. He or she should try to sit so the hiking stick is at a 90 degree angle to the tiller. On a boat with a wheel, it is best to stand while steering. This gives the helmsman a better view of the sails and the boat's heading.
Run through all the motions of boarding on land first, then practice from a dock to get the feeling of the boat in the water.

ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) estimates that between 37 and 76 percent of all boating fatalities can be traced to operators with measurable levels of alcohol in their blood. Moreover, studies show that, compared with sober operators, legally drunk boaters are ten times more likely to be fatally injured. Alcohol consumption while boating is problematic for several reasons:

• Boating exposes the operator to natural stressors (e.g., noise, shock, extreme temperatures, vibration, sun, glare, and wind) that increase fatigue, decrease dexterity, and interfere with judgment. Alcohol exacerbates these effects.
• Complex reaction time (that associated with more difficult tasks or divided attention) is increased with moderate alcohol use. In tasks requiring vigilance (i.e., prolonged periods of task concentration or attention to task) accuracy decreases and the time required for correct response increases with blood alcohol content.
• Alcohol impairs the psychomotor performance of tasks that are vital to safe boat operation, such as steering and signal anticipation. Visual acuity is reduced in low contrast situations such as twilight and night conditions.
• Fatigue increases with alcohol consumption.
• Intellectual functions are sensitive to the effects of alcohol. Verbal performance, problem solving, and short-term memory are adversely affected by alcohol.
• Balance is adversely affected by alcohol, increasing the likelihood of falling from the boat.
• Judgment is adversely affected by alcohol. Persons under the influence appear to be willing to take greater risks and to underestimate their degree of impairment.
• These are all excellent reasons to refrain from consumption of alcohol while boating. Nonetheless, the American Red Cross National Boating Survey reveals that 29 percent of all boaters reported using alcohol during typical outings, and the percentages for operators of cabin cruisers and cabin sailboats were higher, 44.6 percent and 41.6 percent, respectively.
• Here are some ideas to reduce alcoholrelated risks:
• Refrain from alcohol consumption until safely tied up at the end of the day. This is the best strategy.
• Limit consumption to one drink or less per hour.
• Eat before and while drinking.
• Alternate between drinking alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. Use nonalcoholic beverages to quench thirst before drinking alcoholic beverages.
• Don't invite people who characteristically drink to excess.
• Don't bring large amounts of alcohol.
• Don't stop at waterside drinking establishments.

Operating a vessel while intoxicated became a specific federal offense effective January 13, 1988. The final rule set standards for determining when an individual is intoxicated. If the blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.10 percent (0.08 percent in some states) or greater for operators of recreational vessels being used solely for pleasure, violators are subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000 or a criminal penalty not to exceed $5,000, one-year imprisonment, or both. State laws may have other penalties, such as forfeiture of vessel (or motor vehicle) operating privileges. Most states have an implied consent law and refusal to take a blood alcohol test can be used against the boater.
A 160-pound person who consumes five drinks (twelve ounces of beer equals five ounces of wine equals one ounce of eighty-proof liquor equals one drink) in a two-hour period will raise his or her BAC to 0.1 percent.
Intoxicating drugs may not show up in a sobriety test designed for alcohol. However, many jurisdictions give law-enforcement officers great latitude in determining the probability of drug use by operators. If behavior and/or other outward signs indicate that drugs may be present, the officer may charge the operator with boating under the influence (BUI).