 |
|
 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 you boat and their uses. Go over them
often so there is no question in your mind. |
|
|
|
| Hull |
|
the basic boat minus the rigging. The hull comprises the
bottom, topsides, buoyancy tanks, and deck |
| Keel |
|
a weighted fin at the bottom of the hull, which keeps the boat
from slipping sideways in the water and allows it to sail upwind. |
| Centerboard |
|
If a boat doesn't have a keel, it has a centerboard, a wooden
or metal fin housed in a centerboard truck. 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-towards the stern. |
| Forward |
|
toward the stern. |
| Windward |
|
toward the wind. |
| Leeward |
|
away from the wind. |
Aloft |
|
overhead. |
| Rudder |
|
the fin at the stern of the boat used for steering. |
Tiller Extension |
|
a wooden or metal steering arm attached to the tiller.
It is usually found in dignities and enables the skipper to steer accurately while hiking
out. |
| Wheel |
|
on large 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 |
|
as adjustable tackle or rod that prevents the boom from
lifting. A rod-type 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
support the mast. |
Shrouds |
|
(Also called the 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. |
|
|
|
Sails are the power supply to 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. |
|
|
|
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 balloon like 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 corner 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 our (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 trough a
series of blocks to form a block and tackle. |
| Jib Sheet |
|
two lines, one on each side of the boat, to trim the jib. |
Topping Lift |
|
prevents the boom from dropping on deck, is part of the
running rigging. |
| Downhaul |
|
|
Outhaul |
|
|
| Cunningham |
|
|