| One of the most wonderful sensations in this world is | | | | procedure. Crew should be careful of the affects of |
| to be propelled along by the wind in a boat. It has that | | | | an unrestrained boom. |
| magical sense of achievement which some say is | | | | The mainsail is most easily raised with the boat pointing |
| even better than flying. | | | | directly into the wind. A crew member is required to |
| Anyone can buy, hire or borrow a sail boat to make it | | | | man the helm, i.e. the tiller or wheel, to maintain the |
| onto the water. There are also thousands of boating | | | | direction of the boat into the wind. Once again, the |
| clubs around the world where members are searching | | | | boom should not be sheeted in with the mainsheet or |
| for crew. A small yacht provides a stable platform to | | | | cleat. When the boat is pointed into the wind the crew |
| gain experience on the water. A dinghy can be a wet | | | | is then able to reach the boom to insert the mainsail. |
| and sometimes very active experience. I feel the time | | | | The mainsail luff slugs or boltrope should then be |
| to start dinghy sailing is as a young child under the | | | | inserted into the track on the mast. The main halyard is |
| guidance of a sailing club or qualified instructor. | | | | then attached with a D-shackle. This is then hauled to |
| I hope that my 35 years of practical sailing experience | | | | raise the mainsail. This will require careful "feeding" of |
| qualifies me to pass on some of my knowledge to | | | | the boltrope or slugs while hauling on the halyard. |
| help you "get started". To make it possible to raise the | | | | When the mainsail reaches the top of the track, the |
| sails, the standard sailboat requires a mast and a | | | | halyard will then be tied off on its dedicated cleat. On a |
| boom. These are essential to support a mainsail and a | | | | yacht a winch is used to assist in raising the mainsail. |
| foresail. If you are sailing a yacht, I will assume that this | | | | When this is complete, the sheet is placed on a cleat |
| is already on the water either on a mooring or at a | | | | or held using a jammer. |
| wharf. The sails can be raised reasonably safely while | | | | It is standard on a yacht these days to have the |
| a boat is attached to a swing mooring. If a sailboat has | | | | mainsail fixed to the boom on a reasonably permanent |
| a motor, it may be safest to motor out into clear | | | | basis. This is then covered with a boom bag, which is |
| water away from moored craft. I consider this to be | | | | a dedicated cover. A foresail or jib is usually attached |
| essential for "starters". | | | | to a sailing dinghy's forestay with special hooks called |
| The general principle for raising and securing a mast is | | | | piston-hanks. Some racing yachts also have a special |
| to secure the front wire or forestay which should | | | | aluminium section attached to the forestay into which |
| already be attached to the top of the mast. The first | | | | the sail can be fed. |
| step is to attach it to a tang or eye provided at the | | | | The jib sheets are then attached to the rear end or |
| bow or front of the boat with a D-shackle. In a well | | | | clew of the sail, using a knot called a bowline. Yachts |
| prepared sailboat these should be left attached to the | | | | of today often have the jib or genoa permanently |
| end of the stays at all times. | | | | attached to the forestay with a roller-furler. All that is |
| The port and starboard stays should then be attached | | | | required to unfurl the sail is to pull on a sheet. At the |
| to the eyes provided on each side of the boat. The | | | | conclusion of a sail another sheet rolls it around the |
| backstay should then be attached to its tang at the | | | | forestay ready for the next outing. This allows for |
| stern. After all of the stays have been attached, rigging | | | | easy storage, speed and ease of setting up the sails. |
| screws, called turnbuckles are then adjusted so that | | | | Once the sails are set, all that is required is to decide |
| the mast is vertical. | | | | the direction in which to sail and set the sails |
| The port and starboard stays should then be attached | | | | accordingly. You may be surprised to know that a |
| to the eyes provided on each side of the boat. The | | | | sailboat cannot proceed to a location directly like a |
| backstay should then be attached to its tang at the | | | | powerboat. It is very possible to reach the destination, |
| stern. After all of the stays have been attached, rigging | | | | but not necessarily in a straight line. I will describe how |
| screws, called turnbuckles are then adjusted so that | | | | to set the sails to ultimately reach your desired |
| the mast is vertical. It is important to adjust the | | | | destination. |
| turnbuckles so that the mast does not move about. | | | | There are three broad ways that one can head |
| Failure to adjust the mast correctly can be dangerous | | | | towards a destination. They are: |
| and may cause the stays to stretch unnecessarily and | | | | sailing towards or climbing on the wind |
| reduce their life-span. | | | | reaching across the wind and |
| Some dinghies have "un-stayed" masts where a | | | | running before the wind. |
| sleeve is provided in the luff or front of the mainsail | | | | To climb on the wind towards a destination, it is often |
| and the mast simply slides inside of it. The mast is then | | | | necessary to tack across the wind. To complete this, |
| inserted into a hole or pocket which is moulded into the | | | | the mainsail, which is the sail attached to the mast, |
| deck of the boat which supports it. With this system a | | | | generally does not require any adjustment. The |
| fore-sail is often not used. Setting up is always much | | | | foremost sail, called the jib or genoa, if it is a large area |
| easier with two people. | | | | foresail, needs to be hauled around the mast as the |
| The boom is attached to the mast at a slight distance | | | | boat passes through the eye of the wind. The sails |
| from the deck. It is usually attached by a joint called a | | | | can also be set on the other side of the boat |
| goose-neck. This allows for the movement of the | | | | (starboard side). To change the sails from the |
| boom and adjustment of the mainsail on any plane. | | | | starboard to port side when running with the wind from |
| The mainsail should be attached to the boom. It is | | | | behind is called gibing. This is generally unsafe in wind |
| often inserted into a track on the boom with metal or | | | | strengths more than light, unless the crew is very |
| plastic slides or with a rope, called a boltrope, which is | | | | experienced. |
| attached into the bottom edge and luff or front edge | | | | I have written a brief introduction to this brilliant sport. It |
| of the sail. The boom should be allowed to swing free | | | | is now up to you to make the choices of how you |
| while raising the mainsail, or else the wind can cause | | | | wish to proceed on this most exciting journey. |
| the boat to sail and heel over while completing this | | | | |