Learning to sail is rather like going to a foreign country. Everyone seems to speak a different language. But don't let this trouble you, for the language will soon become familiar. Once you cast off from shore, your boat becomes a self-contained world. To function within that world you need to learn the parts of your boat and their uses. Go over them often so there is no question in your mind.
Keel - a weighted fin that, when attached to the bottom of a sailboat, keeps the boat from slipping sideways in the water and allows it to sail upwind.
Centerboard - A sailboat without a keel may have a centerboard. A centerboard is a wooden or metal fin housed in a centerboard trunk that serves the same purpose as a keel. It can be lowered to overcome the boat's lateral motion.
Beam - the maximum width of the hull.
Deck - the horizontal upper surface of the boat.
Stern - the back of the boat.
Bow - the front of the boat.
Aft, after - toward the stern.
Forward - toward the bow.
Windward - toward the wind.
Leeward - away from the wind.
Aloft - overhead.
Rudder - the fin at the stern of the boat used for steering.
Tiller - the wooden or metal steering arm attached to the rudder. It is used as a lever to turn the rudder.
Tiller extension - a wooden or metal pivoting extension attached to the tiller. It is usually found in dinghies and enables the skipper to steer accurately while hiking out.
Wheel - On larger boats the wheel replaces the tiller and is used to turn the rudder.
Mast - the vertical pole or spar that supports the sails and boom. The top of the mast is called the masthead.
Boom - the horizontal spar which is attached to the mast to support the bottom part of the mainsail.
Hiking out - leaning the weight of the crew over the windward side to help keep the boat on an "even keel."
Port - the left side of the boat as you face forward.
Starboard - the right side of the boat as you face forward.
Mainsheet - the line used to make the major adjustments to the trim of the mainsail.
Boom vang - an adjustable tackle or rod that prevents the boom from lifting. A rodtype boom vang also keeps the boom from dropping on deck.
Lifelines - plastic-coated wires enclosing the deck to keep the crew from falling overboard. Lifelines are suspended from metal supports, called pulpits and stanchions.
Traveler - a slide, running across the boat, to which the mainsheet is led. The crew can change the trim of the mainsail by adjusting the slide position.
Topsides - the sides of the hull above the waterline.
The
standing rigging is a collection of wires that supports the mast. On more sophisticated boats, the standing rigging is more complex and can be adjusted to optimize a sail's performance. The basic standing rigging consists of:
Headstay - a wire that runs from the top of the mast (or near the masthead) to the bow and onto which the jib is attached. It supports the mast, preventing it from falling backwards.
Backstay - a wire that runs from the top of the mast to the stern and supports the mast.
Shrouds (sidestays) - wires that run from the masthead (or near the masthead) to the sides of the boat to support the mast and prevent it from swaying.
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Boat parts |
Sails - are the power supply of the sailboat. They are most frequently made of Dacron, a synthetic fiber, used because of its resistance to stretching. Other materials such as nylon, Mylar, and Kevlar are also used in sailmaking. Types of sails are:
Mainsail - the primary and most easily controlled source of sail power, attached along the front edge to the mast and along the bottom edge to the boom.
Spinnaker (chute) - a balloonlike sail, often colored, used when running with the wind.
Jib (headsail) - the sail set forward of the mainsail and attached to the forestay using jib hanks.
Genoa (headsail) - a large jib with an overlap aft of the mast.
Each part of a sail has a name:
Head - the top corner of the sail.
Tack - the forward lower corner of a sail.
Clew - the back lower comer of a sail.
Luff - the leading edge (front) of a sail. The luff of the mainsail attaches to the mast, and the luff of the jib attaches to the forestay.
Foot - the bottom edge of a sail. The foot of the mainsail attaches to the boom. The foot of the jib is unattached and consequently more difficult to control.
Leech - the trailing (back) edge of a sail.
Battens - support sticks held in pockets to keep the leech from flapping and to add support to the sail.
Draft - the fullness or roundness of a sail.
The
running rigging consists of ropes (called lines) that pull the sails up and adjust the sails' shape. Unlike the standing rigging, the running rigging is not stationary. When sailors speak of "trimming" sails to find the most efficient shape, they mean that the sheets are being let out (eased) or pulled in (trimmed).
The running rigging includes:
Halyards - lines used to raise (hoist) sails and hold them up.
Mainsheet - a line used to trim the mainsail; it is led through a series of blocks to form a block and tackle.
Jib sheets - two lines, one on each side of the boat, to trim the jib.
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Sail parts |
The
topping lift, which prevents the boom from dropping on deck, is part of the running rigging. The
downhaul, outhaul, and
cunninghamare also running rigging. We will discuss them later.
Halyards attach to the top or head of a sail. Halyards run through the top of the mast by means of a
sheave or
block (pulley) and then down to the bottom of the mast. A halyard can be
internal, inside the mast, or
external, outside the mast. The
main halyard raises the mainsail and the
jib halyard raises the jib.
Halyards sometimes terminate at the base of the mast, requiring the crew to be at the mast when hoisting and lowering the sails. A better system is to have the halyard lead back to the cockpit through
turning blocks and
padeyes (blocks and eyes through which a line is threaded to give it a clear, safe run). The sail can then be hoisted by the crew without leaving the safety of the cockpit.
Most boats have
winches on the mast or on the deck to aid in the hoisting of sails. Winches pull on lines mechanically and safely. They consist of a drum that rotates only in a clockwise direction around which the line is wrapped and a crank handle to rotate the drum. Winches are discussed in the Skills Afloat section of this part.
Sheets control the shape of the sail and
sail trim or position of the sail. The mainsheet and jib sheets are quite different from one another. The mainsheet is a multiplepart block and tackle used to increase an individual's pulling power. By giving a sheet a 2:1, 4:1, or 8:1 advantage, the device lets you trim your sails more easily. This is particularly helpful in strong winds.
The jib sheet consists of two lines connected to the clew of the jib that lead along each side of the boat to the cockpit. Although the actual leading of the jib sheets varies from boat to boat, the system illustrated in this book is among the most common.
The jib sheets are attached to the clew of the jib with a knot called a
bowline. This knot provides a temporary loop that allows the jib sheet to be securely attached to the sail. The key feature of the bowline, like any properly tied knot, is that it unties remarkably easily, even after being under strain for days at a time.
The other end of the jib sheet leads through a
block (a pulley), or series of blocks, around a winch, to a cam cleat or deck
cleat (a wooden, plastic, or metal fitting used to secure lines). The crew controls the sail trim by pulling in or letting out the sheet.
Since the jib sheets are led along both the
windward (toward the wind) and the
leeward (away from the wind) sides of the boat, they are referred to as the
leeward and
windward sheets. The leeward sheet is led along the leeward side of the boat. It is the working sheet and will be taut when the jib is in use; the windward sheet is the nonworking or
"lazy" sheet and will be slack. Of course, as the side of the boat the wind is blowing from changes, reference to the windward or leeward jib sheets also changes.
At the tail end of the jib sheet will be a
figure eight or
stopper knot. The knot will keep the line from pulling through the turning block or fairlead.
The topping lift, or boom lift, holds the boom off the deck when the sail is not being used. If the mainsail is lowered without the topping lift attached, the boom will fall to the deck.
A topping lift should be adjustable, either from the cabin top or from the boom itself. One of the simplest types of topping lift attaches to the backstay and consists of a few feet of wire with a clip or shackle on the end. Although this type of topping lift serves the basic purpose of support for the boom, it is difficult to use and almost impossible to adjust or disconnect once the sail has been raised.