Basic Vocabulary Flashcards
Close Hauled
Sailing as close to the No Go Zone as possible, normally about 45 deg from the direction of the wind
Beam Reach
- Sailing perpendicular to the wind, wind coming over the side of the boat
- Sailing at best speed
Sheeting a sail
Pulling it in
When you’re sailing upwind
- Sheet in the sails all the way
* “Steer to the jib” to achieve smooth air flow
Steps as you’re sailing downwind on broad reach
- Watch jib for an accidental jibe where boom swings across boat, jib will go limp and start to cross
- Sails let all the way out, perpendicular to the wind, not the boat
Points of sail
Close hauled, beam reach, broad reach
Close reach is in between close hauled and beam reach
Sailing on starboard (port) tack
Wind blowing over starboard (port) side of boat
Heading Up
Turning towards the wind
Bearing Away
Heading away from the wind
Movement of the tiller as you’re turning the boat
Tiller is pushed in the opposite direction that you want to the boat to turn, rudder swings other way, water pushes against rudder with pressure on the front, causing the boat to turn
Tacking
- Switching from zig to zag
- Turning the bow through the wind from one side of the No Go zone to the other
- Sails will cross the boat
- made at 90 deg angles
In Irons
- Getting stuck in the No Go zone
* Sails are luffing, you’re stalled, rudder not working
Getting out of Irons
- Sheet in jib so it fills with air and it starts to move the boat backward
- when it’s moving backwards, move tiller in the same direction to increase speed
- When you’re on a beam reach, release the jib and trim both sheets in on other side, straighten the tiller
Jibing
- Wind crosses over the stern, vs a tack when wind crosses over the bow
- Boom swings over boat
- Sheet in the mainsail before stern crosses wind to control it, then let it out quickly
- made a less than 90 deg angles
Uncontrolled jibe
- Wind directly behind you, jib is limp and started to cross
- Mainsail has not been sheeted in
- To prevent jibe, head up, back to original course
Beating
Sailing upwind with a series of tacks
Wind indicators
- Flag
- Smokestack
- Boats on mooring will point directly into wind
- Ripples on surface
- Look at how other boats have their sails trimmed
- Masthead fly - indicator on top of mast
- Wind is described by where it comes from
Halyard
- A line to raise and lower sail
- Attached to top corner of sail
- Jib halyard runs over an internal pulley (sheave) in the front of mast
- Main halyard runs over the sheave on the back side of the top of mast
Edges of Sail and where they’re attached
Bottom = foot (foot of mainsail is attached to the boom), foot of jib is unattached
Forward edge = luff (luff of jib attached to forestay by hanks, luff of mainsail is attached to mast)
Back edge - leech - not attached but has battens for support
Corners of Sails and where they’re attached
Tack - lower forward corner, where the sail is attached to the rig
Clew - lower back corner. Jib sheets are attached to the clew of the jib, clew of the mainsail is attached to the outhaul to keep it taught on the boom
Head - top corner, attached to the halyard on both sails
Sailing in the Groove and the 3 references
The sailing angle where you’re making the best progress “windward” (toward the wind). References are your speed, the angle of heel, and the telltale on the jib
Sailing too close to the wind will cause sails to luff, and the windward telltale to flutter. Heading back away to fill the sails back up again
Sailing too far away from the windward direction will cause you to heel too much, and the leeward telltale will flutter
“Hard a lee!”
“Tacking!”
Heaving To
Holds your position with the sails and rudder countering each other
Hold the boat at a “stop”
Lines when you’re tying up at the dock
Bow and Stern lines - attached to cleat on dock from each end of the boat. Keep boat close to dock, but doesn’t prevent backward/forward motion
Spring lines - prevent backward/forward motion. Referred to according to where they go from the cleat on the boat. “Aft Spring line” (or Forward Quarter Spring line”) goes from a forward cleat on the boat back towards a cleat on the dock
Always secured with a cleat hitch
Cunningham
system used to add tension to the luff in the sail. It changes the shape to affect how much power it give you
Light wind = need more power = want fuller sail shape = Ease the Cunningham, Ease the Outhaul
Strong wind = want to control power = want flatter shape = Tighten the Cunningham, Tighten the Outhaul
Ease Cunningham when heading downwind to get baggier sail, tighten it heading upwind
Traveler
Track that controls sideways movement of the mainsail
Along with mainsheet and boom vang control height of boom and leech tension in sail
Wind shifts - forcing you to head up or bear away
“Lift” - Wind shift that comes towards your stern that forces you to head up
“Header” - Wind shift coming towards your bow that forces you to bear away
Backing - counterclockwise shift in wind
Veering - clockwise shift in wind
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Bowline
Puts a non slipping loop at the end of a line
Figure 8 Knot
Stopper Knot
Tied on the end of a line to prevent it from slipping through a fitting
Square Knot
- Used only for sail lashings
* Can be difficult to untie
Sheet Bend
- Used to tie two different size lines together
- Looks like a bowline
- Secure, easy to untie
Clove Hitch
- Used to tie a line to an object
* Not very secure
Round Turn and Two Half Hitches
Uses a loop to secure a line to an object
Stand On Vessel vs Give Way Vessel
Stand On Vessel - maintain course and speed, less maneuverable craft
Give Way Vessel - more maneuverable, give indication of change of course obvious and early
Right of Way - Starboard Tack vessel vs Port Tack Vessel
Boats coming from opposite directions
Starboard tack has right of way over Port tack
Vessel on Port tack is the give way vessel
Right of Way - Leeward Vessel vs Windward Vessel
Boat traveling in same direction Windward Vessel (upwind) is the give way vessel and should yield to the the leeward vessel by steering behind it
Soundings
Water Depths - indicated on nav charts
Fathom = 6 ft
Channel Buoys
Green - Cans - Odd numbers
Red - Nuns - Even numbers
Red Right Return
Diamond shape on chart
Ways of shortening Sail - powerful wind
Reefing - partially lowering the mainsail to reduce the area, should be accomplished while on close reach or Hove To with mainsail luffing
Lowering the Jib - will need to compensate by steering with the tiller pulled slightly away from the mainsail because the boat will not be in balance with only the mainsail up
Lowering the Mainsail - will need to compensate by steering with the tiller pushed slightly toward the mainsail because the boat will not be in balance with only the mainsail up
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Steps during anchoring
*Take down and store the jib
*Anchor line is called a rode
Rode should be coiled on foredeck so it will run freely
*Sail on beam reach until you are 3-6 boat lengths of where you want to drop anchor
*When you are directly downwind of where you want to drop it, head into wind
*As the boat comes to a stop, carefully lower anchor
*After it hits the bottom, pay out line as you drift back
*When you reach ideal spot, cleat off rode, ensure it’s holding, and lower mainsail
Puffs / Lulls
Show up on water as dark moving patches
Increase in wind speed and or direction for short duration
Lulls - smoother areas on water , less wind strength
King Spoke
Reference point on the steering wheel for when the rudder is centered
By the Lee
Sailing on a run with the wind coming over the same side of the boat as the boom
Indication - jib will start to luff, watch for boom to cross. Can correct by sailing back toward the wind
“Turn tiller to boom to avoid doom” - turns you so you’re more on a direct run
Helm’s a Lee
Tacking
Best angle for anchor
As close to horizontal as possible, so the flukes a grab hold
Rode
Line or chain attached from the boat to the anchor
Fairlead
A fitting that guides a jib sheet back to the cockpit or along the deck
Tides vs current
Tides - vertical motion / Current - horizontal motion
In a coastal area…when tides rise, current flood, when tides fall, currents ebb
Current will run faster through narrow openings
Buoys will lean in the direction of the current
Ahead, Astern, Abeam
Ahead, behind, to either side
LOA
Draft
LWL
Freeboard
Length overall - tip to stern
Distance from waterline to the deepest part of the boat (bottom of keel)
Load waterline length-from the points where the bow and stern come out of water
From the waterline to where the deck and the side of the boat meet
Topsides
Outer sides of the boat between the water line and the edge of the deck - “freeboard” measurement
Headstay vs Forestay
Standing rigging
Forward stay going to top of mast vs not going all the way to the top
Shrouds and spreaders
Shrouds - from top to edge of deck
Spreaders hold them out towards the top of the mast
Running rigging
Halyards and sheets attached to sails
Backing the sail
Physically holding the job out against the wind to get the boat moving
Back the jib to the same side you eventually want to be tacking on
Controlling heel
Ease mainsheet
Hardening up
Turning towards the wind
Maintaining speed
Keeping airflow “attached”, flowing evenly and smoothly over sail
Poor sail trim will cause it to become “detached” and turbulence occurs due to angle airflow makes with sail (angle of attack)
The smaller the angle, the longer the wind will maintain contact with the sails surface as it makes its way from the luff to the leech of the sail
Bernoulli’s principle
As velocity increases, pressure decreases, creating lift at right angles to the sail in the leeward direction. Changed concept of wind pushing to sail pulling
Adjustment to keep airflow moving smoothly
Ease the sail until starts to luff, the trim it in just enough to stop the luff
If angle if attack is too wide
You’re going to run out of lift, causing boat to heel over and slow down. Easing the mainsail out will decrease the angle and reduce the
Circulation effect
As wind passes over the sail it spilts, with more velocity over the leeward side than the windward side
The Slot
The space between the windward side of the jib and the leeward side of the main
As air passes over the windward side of the jib, it bends and pushes air to the leeward side of the main
Slot acts like an accelerator, so there’s increased velocity in the slot, which increases suction
The jib works to help improve the angle of attack on the mainsail. Directs air efficiently
When you’re sailing upwind, always strive to keep the slot open. If you ease the mainsail out before the jib, it will decrease the size of the slot and improperly bend the wind. Always ease the jib first
Heeling
More hull in the water, causes friction which slows you down
Sideways lift is stronger than forward pull
Sail area at the top of mast masked boat heel more, that’s why reefing helps
On a run…jib and lift
Jib is ineffective, blocked by the main, often rolled up to prevent it from flapping
No forward pull, only push
Wind is bending around both sides of sail and turning into turbulence on the leeward side
Telltales on jib
Windward side fluttering- you’re heading to much into the wind, or your jib need to be trimmed in
Leeward side fluttering - you’re steering too far away from wind, or your jib need to be let out
When sailing, trim the jib in, and then ease it out until both telltales are flowing together
Sailing wing and wing
When sailing on a run, pulling the jib over to the other side so wind is pushing both sails
Can hold it out manually, or rig a pole between mast and clew of jib to hold it out
Helps increase normally slower speed on a run
Jib Leads
Always change jib not in use first, then tack and change other one
When block is too far forward, most of the force on the jib sheet is down causing foot of jib to be too loose and leech too tight (bottomof the sail balloons out and starts to luff)
When block is too far aft on track, most of the force on the jib sheet is back/ horizontal * causing foot of jib to be too tight and leech too loose (top* of the sail becomes too loose and starts to luff)
Head into wind. If top luffs first, move block forward, if bottom luffs first, move block aft.
Jib should flutter along full length of luff
Sail design terms
Chord - distance from leech to luff
Camber - belly formed when filled with wind
Draft - distance from chord to deepest part of the camber. Controlled by the outhaul (lower third) and backstay (top 2/3) on mainsail.
Cunningham and halyard control the draft backward or forward
Weather helm
A feeling that the boat wants to head up and towards the wind
Apparent wind
Heading on a close hauled course - apparent wind is more than true wind
On a reach or a run, apparent wind is less then when close hauled
Apparent wind on a run
Apparent wind is less, traveling with you
Apparent wind is always forward if the true wind unless true wind is dead ahead or astern
On a run, sail at slight angle to gain more speed and avoid an accidental jibe
Lee and weather helm
Balance of boat - well balanced if it doesn’t turn when you let go of tiller under sail
When letting go of tiller under sail if it bears toward windward, you’re feeling weather helm. If it turns leeward, you’re feeling lee helm
Center of Effort and Center of Lateral Resistance
COE - combined geometric center where force is exerted on sail system
CLR - combined center of forces of underwater areas- bottom of helm, keel and rudder
Boat is in balance when the two are aligned
The two will resist each other
Weather helm will occur when CE moves aft of CLR - sailing with just the main- CE concentrated further back, boat turns toward wind
Lee helm will occur if you sail with just your jib, because CE is fore of CLR - boat will turn away from wind - no benefits
Center of bouyancy
Center of gravity
COB - center of all the water your hull displaces, will move as you heel
COG - remains in one spot - on the keel
Boat upright - they’re in line
As heels, they move apart. COG is pulled down, COG is pushed up
If you heel so much that spreaders are in the water, sails are ineffective. Quickly take down or completely luff sails to allow keel to right the boat
Boat that always rights itself has positive stability
COB and COG - largest distance
Displacement boat
Heavy, deep keel
Hull speed - maximum speed out of wind power
Hull speed in knots - 1.34x sq root of LWL in ft
Keelboat can not travel faster than the wave it creates -
Higher waves have longer wavelength and boat will go faster
