Sailing Skills and Seamanship 1 Flashcards
What are (4) common preventable factors sailing morbidity and mortality?
1) Operator inattention
2) Inexperience
3) Alcohol use
4) Weather - high winds and waves
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26674142/
What percentage and 2 events lead to the most common fatal accidents when sailing?
Approximately 70% of fatal accidents were related to drowning either falling overboard and/or capsizing.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30709070/
Describe how a sail is alike and how a sail is different from an airplane wing:
Aerodynamics behave similar to that of a vertical airplane wing.
A sail is not a rigid structure, and changing conditions cause changes in sail shape.
What percentage and what piece of equipment do most sailing drowning victims lack?
Approximately 80% of drowning victims were not wearing a life jacket.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30709070/
Name 3 reasons to learn sailing language:
- Utility
- Economy
- Exactitude
Why is sailing language considered odd?
It is full of historical idiomatic language. In other words it is figurative, and the whole cannot be derived from its parts. E.g. “The cat is out of the bag” refers to the cat-o-nine-tails used for punishment and discipline being brought out of its bag for use.
What steers the boat?
Rudder
Name 2 things that controls a rudder?
wheel and tiller
Historically where do the terms starboard and larboard originate?
Stojorn (sounds like starn) referred to the rudder which was slightly right of center historically, so the starboard became the right side which typically positions the helmsman left of the tiller.
Because the view was better from the left side of the boat looking forward, it was most commonly used to dock with and for loading with a load board or larboard. Consequently, larboard was changed to port because larboard and starboard sounded so similar.
Rear of the boat?
Stern
Front of the boat?
Bow
Anything towards the bow of the boat?
Forward
Anything towards the stern of the boat?
Aft
Past the bow?
Ahead
Past the stern?
Astern
What are the 4 standard nautical positions in relation to the boat?
Port
Starboard
Stern
Bow
What are other common standard positioning systems other than nautical position?
Cardinal directions: NESW
Standard anatomical position.
Body of the vessel composed of the keel and sides of the boat.
Hull
Right front
Starboard bow
Left front
Port bow
Longitudinal/Vertical structure beneath the centerline of a sailboat?
Keel
Name the 3 functions of a keel.
- provide ballast
- provide stability
- prevent leeway (lateral resistance)
Depth of the portion of boat below the water?
Draft
Widest point on a boat?
beam
Historically keels were made from?
hollowed out tree trunks
Flat, vertical (though inclined occasionally) terminus of the stern.
Transom
Portion of hull above the water?
freeboard
Portion of the boat, designated by a strip separating the parts of the boat above and below the water.
Waterline
Rightmost widest point
starboard beam
Leftmost widest point
port beam
Middlemost part of the boat
midships
Right rear of the boat
starboard quarter`
Left rear of the boat
port quarter
A line that raises/lowers the sail.
halyard
Name 4 functions of the hull.
- Support the crew, equipment, and rigging.
- Allow efficient movement through the water.
- Resist counterproductive forces.
- Allows the boat to remain upright.
The power system of the boat is the ___.
rig
3 basic components of the rig.
- Rigging
- Sails
- Spars
What are the 2 types of rigging?
Standing and Running
General term for the rigid members that support and extend the sails?
Spars
Length of the Boat from Bow to Stern
Length Overall (LOA)
What is not incorporated in length overall?
Bow sprits and stern sprits.
What is LWL and how is it different from LOA?
LWL is length at the waterline. LOA includes the length of the overhang of the bow and stern.
Name 2 retractable bottom appendages on a sailboat?
Centerboard and daggerboards
What is the difference between a centerboard and a daggerboard?
A centerboard pivots towards the stern of the boat. A daggerboard retracts vertically.
Name the 2 synonyms for the stripe along the outside of the boat above the designed waterline?
bootstripe and boottop
What is the function of the bootstripe?
It’s a visual reference to determine proper loading of the boat.
Name and explain 3 hull trim patterns.
- Too much weight forward (bow is lower than stern)
2.Too much weight aft ( stern is lower than the bow) - Properly trimmed ( bow and stern are balanced and resting on the designed waterline)
What 2 things determine improper hull trim?
- Overloading with weight.
- Insufficient ballast.
Covering over the forward part of the hull
foredeck
Transition from the bottom of the hull to the sides of the hull.
Turn of bilge
The difference between the turn of bilge and Garboard.
Deadrise
The transition between the hull and keel.
Garboard
The cutout tub in the center of the deck where the skipper steers and the crew operates.
Cockpit
What is the floor of the cockpit known as?
Sole
What is the raised perimeter around the cockpit?
Coaming
What is the function of the coaming?
Added protection from water entering the cockpit.
What is a one-design sailboat?
Multiple copies of the same boat has been made from a mold.
Raised portion of the deck creating overhead room for below deck.
Cabin.
What is a cleat, and what are they made out of?
A solid, tethering point used for mooring or towing lines, commonly made from plastic, metal or wood.
What is a keelboat, and what is the opposite of a fixed keel boat?
A boat with a fixed keel as opposed to a boat with a centerboard or daggerboard.
Entryway into the cabin?
Companionway
Protection from weather over the companionway made from clear plastic and synthetic fabric?
Dodger
What strengthens through deck fittings from the cabin?
backing plate
Inner hull skin
liner
What does it mean for a boat to have flotation?
Built in device typically composed of foam, sandwiched between inner and outer hull to provide an element of buoyancy to a water filled boat.
One-way valve used to evacuate bilge water, usually located in the cockpit?
self-bailer
What is the disadvantage of a self-bailer?
Has the potential to admit water in the bilge if not used underway.
How is the hull and deck combined?
Via hull and deck joint
What are the various types of spars (5)?
- Mast
- Boom
- gaffs/yards
- spinnaker pole
- whisker pole
What are the mast and boom joined by?
Gooseneck
What type of joint is a gooseneck?
Universal joint
What is a universal joint?
A joint between to operating pieces that allow rotation in 2 separate planes.
4 Types of spar material and the most popular?
- Aluminum (most popular)
- wood
- fiberglass
- carbon fiber
Primary vertical spar.
mast
primary horizontal spar
boom
2 ways a mast is stepped?
- deck
- bilge
What is a deck stepped mast supported by and what does it do?
compression strut or other substantial reinforcement that allows load distribution through the boat structures.
Reinforcing collar adjacent to the mast in the deck that helps displace mast strain?
Mast partner
What is a mast step?
Location in the boat where the mast heel (base) can be set firmly to limit movement.
Pivot fitting that allows easy, frequent mast stepping in smaller boats typically?
tabernacle
Act of putting the mast up or taking it down
Stepping and de-stepping
Supports the mast under tension (general)
standing rigging
Used for hoisting and trimming sails (general), ran through pulleys, cleats, etc.
running rigging
List types of standing rigging (4)
- forestay (headstay)
- backstay
- shrouds
- inner forestay (babystay)
What does in-column mean?
Refers to balance of the standing rigging in relationship to the mast.
What is another name for the forestay and inner forestay, respectively?
Headstay and babystay
What is the purpose of a babystay?
Fly a small jib, typically in heavy weather.
What are the types of shrouds (3) and where is each located?
- cap shroud - uppermost, outer from spreader to mast
- lower shroud (inner or outer) from deck/hull to spreader
- intermediate shroud (inner or outer and depends on the number of spreaders) from spreader to spreader
What are the two common types of sloop rigs? Compare and contrast
- Masthead rig - standing rigging all the way to the top.
- Fractional rig - standing rigging not quite to the top.
What prevents side-to-side motion of the rig?
shrouds
How does a fractional rig provide aftward tension?
Running backstays
2 types of running backstays and how they are used?
Windward and Leeward (“looward”). The windward backstay is kept under tension to provide windward and aftward tension while under sail.
horizontal spars coming off the mast
spreaders
What is the function of the spreaders?
Maintain appropriate alignment and directional forces of shrouds.
What material is rigging composed of (standing vs running)
standing - stranded wire typically stainless steel
running - nylon, dacron or other synthetic rope (atypically steel wire or traditional rope)
Used to lift or lower something, especially sails
halyard
Used to trim sails
sheets
How are halyards and sheets named?
By the sail they operate - main sail halyard, jib sheet
Types of running rigging (9)
- Halyards
- Sheets
- Boom topping lift
- Boom vang
- Cunningham
- Outhaul
- Reefing lines
- furling line
- traveler
What is a block?
Pulley used on a sailboat
What is the rolling part of the block called?
Sheave
What is the reinforced point which attaches standing rigging to the boat hull/deck?
chain plates
What is the point on standing rigging used for adjustment?
Turnbuckle
What is the wind indicator referred to as?
Windex - measures direction of the wind
What device measures the strength of the wind?
Anemometer
turnbuckles are fitted to the chainplates via?
toggles
how is mechanical advantage applied on a boat typically (2)?
- winch
- block (pulley) and tackle
What does VHF stand for, and what does it refer to?
- very high frequency 300 - 3000 megahertz
- refers to radio
gripping pair of jaws used to hold lines
cam or jam cleats
top of the mast
masthead
Where is the VHF antenna typically located?
the masthead
What is the topping lift used for?
To keep the boom under tension when the sail is not in use.
What is the purpose of the spars, standing rigging, and running rigging together?
To allow the sails to function properly
Whats the most popular type of rig today (3 names)?
Jib-headed, marconi, or bermudan
What type of rigging plan flys sails in a fore and aft plane (3 names)?
jib-headed, marconi, or bermudan
What is sloop-rigged?
Single mast with 2 sails, one ahead and one behind the mast.
Name the 3 corners and locations of a triangular sail?
head (top of sail near masthead), tack (forward lower corner), and clew (the back/aft corner)
What are the three sides and locations of a triangular sail?
Foot (bottom), Luff( front part), Leech (back part)
The sail behind the mast on a sloop rigged boat
Mainsail (Main)
The sail in front of the mast on a sloop rigged boat
Jib
A sail is composed of sewn______
Panels
Attaching a sail to a spar ( i.e. boom or mast) can be done which 4 ways?
slugs, slides, boltrope, hanks
What is a headboard?
A reinforced corner on the head of the sail
What are the wood or plastics supports within a sail called?
Battens
What is the convex curve in a sail referred to?
Roach
Circular metal reinforcement for attaching hardware on a sail
Cringle (grommet)
What is the function of the battens?
To allow and reinforce the roach
A carriage riding on the aft boom attached to the main sail is called the
outhaul
What is the function of the outhaul?
Tighten the foot of the mainsail aft
How do you tighten the leech of the mainsail (3)?
- Lower the boom by loosening the boom topping lift
- tighten main sheet
- tighten boom vang
What kind of forestay to jib attachment does wildfire have?
boltrope
What is the classic way to attach the jib to the forestay?
Through the use of hanks
What part of the jib sail do the jib sheets attach too?
clew
A jib that requires no sheets to tack is called____
self-tending
What is the tradename for polyester?
Dacron