Sailing knowledge learnt from friends, instructors, books, etc. Flashcards
How to perform a ‘Heaving to’
Notes from ASA Instructor
- Slow down your sailboat by going broad reach
- Prepare to tack; tie off your jib sheet since we are going to be backfolding the jib
- Tack VERY SLOWLY
- Head into irons if need be for a little bit to slow down. The after the jib is backfolded, pull the tiller all the way to leeward side. The leeward side should be the same side as your jib sheet (if it is not, then redo your tacking configuration so that it is).
- The boat slows down and comes stop a stop and can move with the waves depending on high tide or low tide.
How to perform a MOB ‘Man overboard’
Notes from ASA Instructor
- Shout ‘Man overboard’
- Throw the Type IV PFD towards the man overboard
- Appoint a spotter
- Fall off to a beam reach about 3 boat lenghts and point the boat to the man overboard as much as possible
- ## After the stern passes the head of the man overboard, fall off to a broad reach and then head towards MOB and release the jib sheet and main sail all the way
What are the elements of boat handling control?
Sails, Engine and Ground Tackle
A skilled crew that is agile under sail relegates the diesel engine status to junior-partner status. Even so, the diesel engine’s turnkey thrust plays a critical role in both safety and convenience. For example, engine power has prevented many fine sailboats from blowing ashore when a fouled anchor started to drag.
However, in certain situations, this secondary means of control becomes the primary means of maneuvering. This is why it is important to understanding the influence of prop rotation direction as well as the responsiveness of the rudder in forward and reserve gears – and these differ in every boat.
Ground tackle is an all too often ignored third component of boat control. Stowed securely in the bow roller at the stem of the vessel, ground tackle should be prepped up and ready to go.
Philosophy Quote: “If you can’t keep going in the direction you want to go, then the next best thing is to staying right where you are”
Name some of the important boat handling factors
All mariners build their boat-handling abilities based on the vehicle’s rudder response, turning radius, and seakeeping abilities.
The forces of wind and water can cause the boat to move downwind or downcurrent and more often than not to assume a beam-on attitude.
State what you know about rudder response
Other things being equal, larger and (especially) deeper rudders deliver more turning moment, but there is more to a boat’s maneuverability than its rudder size.
For example, as the length-to-beam ratio of a boat increases or the length of the keel increases, so does its directional stability, that is, its tendency to stay on course. When you want to stay on course, it is advantageous to have a boat that can stay on course even when your hands are off the tiller or the wheel. But there’s a downside, which is the corresponding inability to make a sharp turn.
What is steerageway
The term ‘steerageway’ refers to the boat speed at which a vessel responds to a turn of the wheel or the tug of the tiller. Like all lifting surfaces, a modern sailboat rudder develops low pressure on one side, generating a net force known as a ‘lift’. When the boat is moving forward, this lift component is always directed away from the side toward which the rudder is turned.
Turning Radius of sailboats
A racing sailboat with a deep fin keel and high-aspect (deep and narrow) rudder mounted at the very stern of the boat represents the ultimate in sailboat maneuverability.
[TODO]
Turning Radius of sailboats
A racing sailboat with a deep fin keel and high-aspect (deep and narrow) rudder mounted at the very stern of the boat represents the ultimate in sailboat maneuverability.
[TODO]
