Sailing Tactics Flashcards
It is easier to reef or fuel the roller-furling while on a _______ ________ point of sail.
Broad reach
Once the jib sheet is reefed, the jib car (if equipped) should be moved _______ to maintain balanced tension in the leech and foot.
Forward
When heaving-to, the back-winded _____ and leeward-positioned ________ are in opposition, causing the not to sail very slowly with the wind just forward of the ________. When a sailboat with wheel steering is give-to, the wheel would be turned fully to ______.
Jib; mainsail; beam; windward
Tightening the _________ decreases the _________ or belly of the mainsail.
Outhaul; draft or depth
One way a twist in the jib can be adjusted is with the position of the jib sheet car. If the jib has too much twist, move the car ________. If it needs more twist move the car _________.
Forward; Aft
When reefing the mainsail while underway, it is better to keep the bot moving on a _________ point of sail.
Close reach
When reefing the mainsail, once the new ________ is established, take up the ___________ again until the luff is tight, then establish the new _______.
Tack; halyard; clew
Describe the benefits to and procedures for heaving-to.
A classic reason to heave to is to ride out heavy weather at sea. When hove-to a sailboat will lie with the wind forward of the beam while drifting slowly sideways and a little bit forward. The wind on the sails will hold it at a steady angle of heel and the motion, even in big seas, will be relatively easy. To heave-to, you set the sail in opposition so the jib wants to turn the boat one way and the mainsail the other. You use the rudder to adjudicate.
1) Note the wind direction and decide what direction you want to drift: do you want to be on port or starboard tack?
2) To lie on the tack opposite to the one you are presently on, sheet the jib in tight, tack, and leave the jibsheet cleated.
3) As the boat passes through head-to-wind, the jib, held by the windward sheet, will set aback and push the bow downwind. Hold the mainsheet on the winch with its clutch open.
4) Steer the boat back toward the wind and make adjustments with the helm and the mainsheet until the boat is lying at a steady attitude to the wind on a close-reaching heading. Normally, the wheel would be turned to windward. The mainsail might or might not need to be luffing.
5) Lash the wheel so it can’t move (but in such a way you can unlash it quickly).
6) Adjust the sheets and helm as needed to maintain the boat’s attitude- and keep a sharp lookout.
*If you want to heave-to on the tack you are currently sailing on, the easiest way to do it is to tack twice, rather than trying to haul the jib windward.
How do you reef the mainsail using slab reefing?
1) Bring the boat to a close reach.
2) Ease the mainsheet and the vang.
3) Take up on the boom topping lift (if the boat has one) and make it fast.
4) Take 3 or 4 turns around the winch with the main halyard and grind it in a fraction t unload its clutch.
5) Open the clutch and slowly ease the halyard, using the winch as a snubber. As the sail comes down, take up the slack in the tack reefing line.
6) Haul the take reefing line by hand until the new tack is level with the gooseneck. Close its clutch.
7) Take up on the halyard until the mainsail’s luff is taut and close its clutch.
8) Only then, haul in the slack in the clew reefing line, then put it on the winch and grind until the clew reef cringle is all the way down to the boom. Make sure the vang is slack while you do this. Lock the reefing line in its clutch.
9) Ease the topping lift. As you resume your course, trim the mainsheet and reset the vang.
10) Tidy up all the tails: halyard, reefing lines, topping lift, and vang.
How do you reef the jib using a roller furling jib?
1) Turn downwind to a very broad reach. Once the jib is blanketed behind the mainsail, you can roll it up with little effort.
2) While keeping some tension on the sheet to ensure a tidy furl, take in on the furling line (you might have to use a winch- but carefully!) until you’ve rolled up enough sail.
3) Then make the furling line fast so it can’t run out and undo all your work.
4) Move the car forward first with the lazy sheet on the windward side. (The “new” sail is shorter along the foot, so the sheet is pulling more along the foot and less on the leech- a recipe for too much twist.)
Immediate action when cabin is filling with water
- Determine how quickly water is entering. If it’s fast, you must work quickly to find the cause.
- Ensure the automatic bilge pump is activated and designate someone to operate the hand bilge pump.
- Trace all through-hull fittings (drains, water intakes, etc.) and close all the seacocks.
- Where the propeller shaft and rudder stick penetrate the hull are potential locations for leaks.
- Improvise a way to stem the leak, for example by stuffing rags in it and bracing them in place with floorboards or other available material. If the hull has been holed, try to stanch it from the outside by tying lines to a sail or mattress and maneuvering it over the opening.
- If the situation is manageable, head for the nearest location where you can deal with the problem, such as a marina with a haul-out facility.
- If it proves impossible to stop the leak, pump and bail with all available means and assess the situation. If the boat is threatened, call for help.
- If you are able to sail or motor the boat, try to take it to a sheltered area with sallow water where, should it sink, your rescue and the boat’s salvage will be relatively easy.
Immediate action for a failed steering system
- Ensure the autopilot has not been accidentally engaged.
- Locate and attach the emergency tiller.
- If you are able to steer again (it won’t be easy), you know you still have a rudder and the problem is with the steering system.
Immediate action to be taken with a fouled propeller
- If the engine is still running, slow it down immediately, take it out of gear, and stop it. Look around the deck to see if a line has slipped over and become wrapped around the prop.
- Try to look under the boat to see the problem.
- If the line around the prop leads back on board, put the gearshift in neutral so the prop is free to turn and try pulling on the line by hand. Don’t use a winch.
- If you can get to it, try tuning the prop shaft manually from inside the boat while someone pulls on the line.
- If you are caught by some kind of fishing trap line and can’t free it, you’ll have to haul up the line with a boathook, cut it, then try to clear the prop.
