Tacking

Tacking

A sailboat can sail in every direction except straight into the wind.  In order to sail in the direction the wind is coming from, you need to sail as close to the wind as possible and tack your boat as shown in the diagram below.

When you tack a boat, you turn the boat so that the bow passes through the wind and the sails switch from one side of the boat to the other side.  It is important to practice tacking until you can smoothly maneuver your boat quickly through a tack.

When you are first learning to tack, start with your boat in a close hauled position (see the post on the points of sail if you aren’t sure how to do this).  Before you tack it is important to know which way the wind is coming from and to be aware of any obstacles you may encounter when you turn your boat.

1. Alert your crew of your intentions to tack by calling out the command: “ready about.”  When prepared, your crew should respond “ready.”
2. You are now ready to tack.  Call out the command: “Helms-a-lee.”  And turn the boat sharply into the wind (if steering with a tiller, push the tiller towards the sails).
3. As the boat turns into the wind, the sails will luff and will pass across the boat to the other side.  If you have a jib you will need to pass the sail by bringing in the lines on the leeward side of the boat and easing the sides on the windward side.
4. Once your sails have passed, straighten out your steering and adjust your sails to you new point of sail.  Make sure you are aware of any new obstacles on your new point of sail.

Preparing to Leave the Dock

As you prepare for your first sail, here a few things to consider to ensure a safe and successful time on the water.  What you do to prepare may depend on whether you are headed out alone on a small boat, or are sailing with friends on an overnight excursion, but there are a few things that you should do no matter what.  These things are important whether you are sailing for the first time, or the 500^th time.  To ensure success you need to check the weather, the tides and currents, hazards to navigation, your boat, and your equipment. Checking these 5 things each time you sail takes only a few minutes and can help keep you safe on the water.

First, make sure you have at least the following items onboard:

• Life Jackets for every person onboard
• Communication device – a VHF radio and/or cell phone – remember you may not have cell phone coverage where you are going
• Water and food – even for a short sail you should take a water bottle.
• Sunscreen, sunglasses, and hat – The water reflects the sun and makes it very easy to get burnt
• A watch
• A shirt or jacket in case it cools off or you get wet

Second, make sure you have a safety plan.  Make sure someone (who is not with you) knows where you are going and when you’re planning on returning.  Here is a checklist of things you should communicate to someone on land.

• Where you are going
• What time you plan to return
• What to do if you don’t return
• What communication and emergency equipment you have with you

Third, check the weather

You can check the weather by watching the TV, checking the internet, watching the sky, or listening to your VHF radio. You should make sure there are no reports for thunderstorms or high winds in your area and the area you are planning to sail.  You also want to make sure that there will be at least some wind.  It is very frustrating to get on the water only to bob around and have to fight to get back in at the end of the day.  You should also note which direction the wind is coming from.

Fourth, make sure you know the local tides and currents.

In some locations, the tides and currents are not important; however it is always important to check on the local conditions.  If tidal currents impact your area, it is a good plan to sail out with the outgoing current and use the incoming tide to help you return to the dock.

Fifth, check a chart, or talk to someone about any underwater hazards near your sailing location.  The last thing you want on your first sail is to hit something. If you are headed out sailing for the first time or are sailing in a new place, it is important to know what dangerous rocks, shoals, sunken boats, or other hazards lurk under the water. Depending on the type of sailing you are planning, you can either check out a chart, or talk to other boaters about the area.

Finally, check your boat to make sure it is rigged properly. While it may sound silly, you should double-check that you have all the parts. I have seen more than one person push away from a dock only to realize they forgot to put on their rudder and have no means of steering.

While this may seem like a lot of things to think about every time you leave the dock, pretty soon they will become second nature.  Get ready to enjoy yourself on the water!

Basic Sailing Terms

As you read further posts, there are many terms that will be used and described in addition to the parts of the sail and parts of the boat.  These basic definitions will help a new sailor navigate the basic sailing language needed to learn to sail.

Tack – tacking refers to turning a boat so that the bow of the boat passes into the wind and the sails switch sides of the boat.

Gybe or Jibe – this term is the opposite of a tack and is used when the boat turns away from the wind and the stern passes through the wind, causing the sails to switch sides.

Sail Trim – When a sailor trims the sails he/she adjusts the sails using various lines onboard in order to best capture the wind.

Points of Sail – The point of sail of a boat depends on how your boat is oriented in relationship to the direction of the wind.

Head-up – heading up refers to turning your boat towards the direction the wind is blowing.

Head-off – heading off refers to turning your boat away from the direction the wind is blowing.

Capsize – with a few exceptions (such as small boat sailing), this is not a term you want to become too familiar with.  Capsizing refers to tipping the boat over.  When a boat flips completely over and the mast points straight down, the boat is said to be turtled.

Heel – Heeling occurs when the wind pushes on your sails causing your boat to lean to one side.

Luff – When a sail shakes due to improper sail trim.

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Parts of the Sail

Parts of a Sailboat

Parts of a Sail

Just as the different parts of a boat have different names, different parts of the sail also have specific names.  Knowing these basic parts will help you rig your boat and control the sails when you are out on the water.  A typical triangular sail (also called a Marconi sail) has 3 sides and 3 points.  The bottom side of the sail is called the foot, the forward edge along the mast is the luff and the third side is the leech.  Similarly, the top point of the sail is the head, the point where the mast and boom meet is the tack and the point on the end of the boom is the clew.  The picture below graphically displays the location of these parts.  If this is difficult to remember, start at the tack and follow the parts around the sail while reciting this saying: I got a tack in my foot, I had no clew that there was a leech on my head and everyone was luffing at me.

Parts of a Sailboat

Basic Sailboat Parts

Learning to sail is equivalent to learning a whole new language, and that language starts with the parts of the boat.  While different boats have different parts, there are some basic words you can use on just about any boat.  In addition to being a good place to start learning to sail, these will words come in useful if you are trying to convince someone you know more than you do.  For example; if you are on your boss’s boat for a sail and you ask where the bathroom is instead of the head, you will instantly be dubbed a landlubber.

All boats have a hull. This is the part of the boat that is part in, and part out of the water, and is the part that you sit on.  It is commonly made of wood, fiberglass, or steel.  All boats use some mechanism to steer.  On some smaller boats, the motor itself may rotate from side to side to turn the boat or you can use an oar.  On larger boats, a rudder on the stern (back) of the boat moves from side to side to steer.  The rudder is connected to either a tiller (large pole extending from the rudder) or a helm (a steering wheel) for easy steering.

Below the water, most sailboats are stabilized with either a centerboard, daggerboard or a keel.  Centerboards and daggerboards are usually found on smaller boats and are lightweight so they can be raised and lowered when necessary.  A keel is a permanent fixture to a boat that is weighted with ballast to keep the boat heavier at the bottom.  This works the same way as a stand up punching bag.  The heavier weight on the bottom forces the boat to stand upright, even when a force tips it to the side.

The major parts that differentiate a sailboat from any other type of boat are the sails.  There can be many sails or just one sail on a boat, depending on the rig and the size of the vessel.  The sails are held up in the air by the mast, the tall pole(s) that sticks up from the hull.  Additionally, the boom extends from the mast along to bottom of the sail.  The boom and the mast, known collectively as spars, can be made of wood or metal.  By controlling the location of the boom, you can control the position of the sail to best capture the wind.  The boom is the part of the boat that often swings across and hits people in the head.  There are many lines with various purposes aboard a sailboat including sheets, halyards, dock lines, outhauls, downhauls, cunninghams, travelers, and vangs.

In addition to the basic part of a boat related to sailing, there are also words on a boat that are just different from words used on land.  Here is a list of some common words found on any boat and their translation:

Bathroom = head

Toilet = head

Downstairs = down below or below decks

Stairs = ladder or companionway

Right side of the boat = starboard

Left side of the boat = port

Kitchen = galley

Living room = main salon or salon

Steering wheel = helm

Bed = bunk

Ceiling = overhead

Walls = bulkhead

Floor = soles

Front = bow

I’m going up front = I’m going forward

I’m going to the back = I’m going aft