Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Preparation
• Method 2 of 2: Hoisting the sails
• Tips
• Warnings
• Things you need

You are someone who has always wanted to learn how to sail, but you were put off by the terminology, all those different parts and maybe even the mystique of the sailing itself! Then this is an article for you: it covers the different parts of a sailboat, common sailing techniques, the terms and definitions and much more. This article is a good start, but make sure you practice a lot with an experienced sailor before sailing alone.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Preparation

1. Do a detailed visual check. Inspect all of it standing rigging - the cables and lines that support the mast - including the wire tensioners and the cotter pins that connect the rigging to the hull. Many sailboats have lost their masts due to a missing 15 cent cotter pin!
   • Check the lines (running rigging) that hoist and operate the sails (respectively fall and shots). Make sure they are loose from each other, not knotted together or attached to anything else and that they are all of them have an eight knot or other stop knot on the free end so that they cannot be pulled through the mast or cleats.
   • Draw all the lines from the cleats and the winches. There shouldn't be nothing fastening the lines now; everything must be able to move and be free.
   • If you have a boom lift - a small line that keeps the back of the boom up and out of the way when the sail is not in use - loosen it so the boom drops down and is free, then reattach the line the Frog. Watch out for the boom: it can now move freely back and forth; it is made of aluminum and that hurts a lot if you or the crew are hit by it. The boom will assume the usual position when you hoist the mainsail.
   • Attach the tiller. Make sure the tiller is properly secured to the back of the boat (mirror). Now the boat is ready to hoist the sails!
2. Determine the wind direction. If your boat does not have a wind direction indicator (weather vane) at the top of the mast you can attach some 25 cm pieces of cassette tape or videotape to the mittens -the cables that hold the mast in place.
   • Place them on both sides about four feet from the deck.
   • To be able to sail effectively you need to know where the wind is coming from.
   • Some sailors find cassette tape too sensitive for this purpose. Otherwise, use videotape.
3. Steer the tip of the boat towards the wind. The idea is that you have as little wind resistance as possible when you hoist the sails, with the sail straight back. In this position, the sail will not get stuck in the rigging. That is not always easy, the boat is difficult to steer because you are not making a move yet. Do your best and be prepared to work for it!
   • This is a good tip: if the water is not deep, or if you don't have a side dock, you can pull the boat forward on foot, away from the dock and then drop anchor. The boat will then automatically throw its head into the wind!

Method 2 of 2: Hoisting the sails

1. Fasten the sails. Attach the corner at the front and bottom (neck angle) from the mainsail and jib to their respective harps on the boom and bow of the boat.
   • There is a small line (outhaul) covering the rear of the mainsail (clew) to the boom and cleat. Pull the line in the frog. This pulls the bottom of the sail taut.
   • Hoist the mainsail by pulling the halyard down until it stops. The sail will now flap like crazy, but that doesn't matter as long as it lasts for a while. (Flapping too long will drastically reduce the life and durability of a sail).
   • The edge of the sail (windward) should be tight enough not to have creases, but not so tight that you start to see vertical folds.
   • There is a frog near the trap where it comes down from the top of the mast. Secure the trap on the frog. Use the jib trap to hoist the jib (breeding or Genoa), and secure the trap on the frog. Both sails will now move freely. You always hoist the mainsail first and then the jib, because it is easier to keep the boat in the direction of the wind with the mainsail.
2. Adjust to the wind direction. Sailboats cannot sail straight into the wind. Below you can see the red zone where you cannot sail. To sail upwind, a sailboat must sail about 45-50 degrees from the wind direction and change direction by cruising.
   • Steer the boat to the left (port) or to the right (starboard) so that the boat is at a 90 degree angle to the wind. This will be half wind mentioned.
   • Tighten the mainsheet until the sail is at a 45 degree angle to the boat axis. This is a safe place for the mainsail while adjusting the jib.
   • You are now starting to move away from the wind and lean over. Tilting more than 20 degrees often means that you have hoisted too much sail. Release the mainsheet and the slope will decrease to a more comfortable 10 to 15 degree slope.
3. Trim the breeding sail. Although you hoist the mainsail first, you have to trim the jib first. There are two jib shots, one on each side of the boat. Pull the jib sheet on the side where the wind is not coming from (likeness).
   • Trim the sail until the luff stops flapping. Keep your hand on the tiller and stay on track!
4. Trim the mainsail. Let the mainsail out until the front starts to bulge, then pull it back on until it stops again.
   • If the boat or the wind has not changed direction, this is the most efficient place to adjust the sails. If something changes, you have to respond to it.
   • You have just entered the world of sailing, and you will have to learn to do many things at once or you will be screwed.
5. Keep looking at the mainsail luff and jib. When it starts to flap, you have two options: either you pull the sheet until it stops, or you steer away from the wind (to lose weight). If the sail is flapping, it means that you are sailing too close to the wind for your current sail setting. If you drop something (off the wind) the sails will stop flapping.
6. Pay attention to the wind direction indicators (telltales). If you see it change in such a way that the wind comes more from behind, you are wasting your energy. Release the sail until it flaps and then pull it back on until it stops. You are constantly doing this; watch the sails, telltales, and trim the sails.
   • If the wind comes diagonally from behind you name it well to the wind. This is the most efficient way of sailing because both sails are fully used and push the boat at full speed.
   • When the wind comes straight from behind you name it for the wind. That is less efficient than wide wind because the jib is covered by the mainsail and therefore catches less wind.
   • If you are sailing downwind you can sometimes pull the jib to the other side of the boat. You have to keep the tiller in place to be able to sail like this. Pay close attention to other ships, because in this setup a large part of your field of view is taken away by the sails.
   • Be careful -When the boat is sailing downwind, the sails are far outside the boat and because the wind is behind you, the boom can suddenly tip over (jibe), the boom flies over the cockpit with a lot of force.
   • If you have a wind vane on top of the mast, do not steer the boat so that the vane is pointing towards the mainsail. If you do, you will sail with the boom on the upwind side (sail within the wind) and you run a higher risk of the boom overturning. The boom can hit you so hard that you are knocked off board unconscious.
   • It is common for beginners to reel in the sail a little so that it never can overturn very far.
7. High half-wind. Steer the boat slightly upwind, 60-75 degrees from the wind. You need to tighten the sheets so that the sails are more aligned with the boat. We call this High half-wind. It is now just like an airplane: the wind does not push, but pulls the boat.
8. Upwind. Keep turning towards the wind and tighten the shots until you can go no further (the jib is allowed never hit the spreaders). We call this upwind, and is the sharpest upwind you can sail (about 45-60 degrees from the wind). On a windy day you will have a lot of fun sailing upwind!
9. Sail to a destination. Choose the direction that is as close to the wind as possible, upwind. Usually it is 45 degrees.
   • Go overboard for. When you have sailed so far that you really have to do something, you suddenly turn the boat against the wind, you pull the jib out of the cleat or immediately off the winch while the front of the boat (bow) continues to run.
   • The mainsail and boom swing to the other side. The mainsail will automatically position itself on the other side, but you must quickly put the jib sheet on the other side in the cleat or winch, while steering the boat until the mainsail catches wind.
   • If you do this correctly, the boat will not slow down much and you can sail the other way upwind. If you are taking the jib sheet too slowly and the boat is turning too far from the wind, don't panic. The boat will be pushed aside a bit until you regain your pace.
   • Another scenario is that it is not possible to turn the bow all the way, then the boat stops completely. You can no longer steer at all until you are moved slightly backwards, then you can still steer the boat in the right direction.
   • Steer the tiller in the desired direction and tighten the jib sheet. The wind sends the bow through the wind. Once you've tacked, take the windward sheet of the winch and tighten the sheet on the leeward side and you're on your way again.
   • Since you lose speed so quickly when tacking, you should do this maneuver as fast as possible. Keep tacking until you reach your destination.
10. Take it easy as you learn. Understand that it is best to practice on quiet days, for example, practice with reefs on a quiet day.
    • You often have to reef sooner than you think!
    • It's also a good idea to practice capsizing procedures on a quiet day. Knowing how to straighten your boat is a necessary skill.
11. Sail safely. Remember that your anchor and anchor chain can be used to keep you from getting stuck, it can even be used to break free.

Tips

• Buy a sailing book with more detailed information about the technique of sailing.
• Learn how to read clouds and how to predict the weather with them.
• If there is a sailing club nearby, you may want to ask if you can volunteer on a boat at sailing races. You will learn more from one race than years of sailing alone.
• Learn as much as you can about the items you will use and even the items you will never use. This will give you a good understanding of how it works.
• Your first sailing experience should be on a small lake. Choose a nice day with a nice breeze and no bad weather to come.
• Always start with an experienced sailor who first explains to you what everything is for and what everything is called.
• Most sails already have pieces of telltales made of colored material. You have trimmed the sail properly when all the telltales flow backwards.
• If something unexpected happens - too much wind, man overboard, etc. - remember that you can stop the boat by releasing all shots. Then you will almost come to a standstill.
• Learn the knots. The eight knot is used at the end of a line to prevent the line from going through an eye. The bowline is used to make a loop on a line. If the bowline is done correctly it will not change on its own and it is still easy to loosen. Here you will find some more information about different knots: http://www.zeilstichtingaeolus.nl/index.php?id=21
• If you have an engine on the boat, make sure it is well maintained and that you know exactly how the engine works. The bike can save you from sticky situations.
• When sailing at sea you must first learn about the tides and currents as this can affect the boat movement as much as the wind
• Learn to determine the wind direction with your ears. Let the wind blow on your back and slowly turn your head from side to side and back until you feel it is even on both ears. Once you have found that point, you will know the direction of the wind, so you can better understand the wind without needing your eyes.

Warnings

• It is highly recommended to know the boat terminology well, read books on sailing before embarking on this sport.
• In sailing, your life may depend on taking certain actions immediately before they need to be done, when you first think about them. If you wait for it to be done, it may be too late or too difficult. Follow your instinct.
• Don't let enthusiasm affect your judgment on a day when you shouldn't be out. The wind can seem much less on the dock than on open water. Many beginners (and experienced sailors for that matter) run into problems when they sail out with too strong wind to sail safely
• Going overboard is serious, especially when you are alone. Cold water, currents and other boats can pose great danger and when the sails are set your boat will disappear in no time. In addition, on some boats you cannot get on board without assistance. When sailing in the dark you should always carry a lamp on your shoulder and a flashing light so that you can be rescued more easily.
• Know how to use a VHF radio. In an emergency, this is usually the fastest way to get help. You can use a cell phone, but VHF allows you to contact a nearby ship much faster if you need help.

Things you need

• A life jacket is mandatory to have on board for all passengers (Also make sure you have a whistle on the life jacket!). Always wear a life jacket. Children must also wear life jackets if they are not already on board.
• Every ship, regardless of length, is obliged to take the necessary precautions for emergency situations. Research these rules.