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Structure
Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 70 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display.
Special Topics
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Sailing
| What are the two types of rigging found on a sailing boat? | More Sailing
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Running and Standing. Running rigging controls the movement of the sails. Halyards raise and lower the sails. Sheets are ropes attached to the sails, used to adjust them according to wind and course desired. Standing rigging is used to support the mast, and on small boats consists of two shrouds and a forestay. The shrouds give sideways support, and the forestay gives front and back support, by running from the bow to the top of the mast. Larger boats require more supports to secure the mast.
| A boat has a port(left) and starboard(right) side. In describing a boats side relative to the wind, which terms are used? | More Sailing
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Weather and Lee. The weather is the side on to which the wind is blowing, while the lee is the opposite or sheltered side of the boat. These are interchangable according to direction.
| The closest a boat can normally sail is at a 45 degree angle into the wind? | More Sailing
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t. This is the closest angle of attack in order to sail into the wind. The boat must be zig-zaged (tacked) from left to right to reach a destination from where the wind is blowing. Larger and older sailing ships had even less of an angle. This must have been tiring when exploring new waters.
Reaching. Reaching is when the wind is at a right-angle to the direction of travel. The sails are let about half-way out and the vessel can reach optimum speed. Running is when the wind is directly behind, and the boat is being pushed along.
t. The same principles apply except that a sail is mounted vertically. Different pressures create lift, and work to propel the boat forward.
Rudder. The rudder is attached to a tiller, or can be controlled by a wheel on larger vessels. The boat must be moving forward with speed to be effectively steered. This is called steerageway.
| What is the sail used in addition to the main and jib, to add speed to a boat sailing downwind? | More Sailing
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Spinnaker. The spinnaker sail is mainly used in racing situations, and is often brighly colored.
| A tack is when the boat turns its bow through the wind, and the weather side changes. What is the maneuver called, when the boat is turned and the wind crosses the stern? | More Sailing
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Jibe & Gybe. The Jibe is not used as often as the tack because it can be a violent move. It is mainly used in racing or to evade an obstacle. In high winds, it can be tough and should only be attempted by proficient sailors.
| What is the most efficient use of the sails when sailing downwind? | More Sailing
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Wing and wing. In sailing wing and wing, the main sail is let all the way out, and the jib is allowed to catch the wind on the other side of the boat. This allows for optimum wind on both sails, and the vessel is pushed forward.
Small pennant used to determine wind direction. The burgee is placed atop the mast to determine wind direction. It has a metal rod through it and works like a wind vane.
Lee shore. A weather shore where the wind is coming offshore.
| You leave the shore on a port tack avoiding the no-sail zone. You could go on a close-haul, but the wind is blowing on shore at an angle so you can what? | Dinghy Sailing: Sail or Swim?
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Close reach. A close reach is about 65 degrees from the wind.
| You are approaching the start line, you know all the other boats are faster than you and you want to have right of way. What do you do? | Dinghy Sailing: Sail or Swim?
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Go on a starboard tack. Starboard tack boats have right of way.
broaden up. It is best whenever rounding a buoy to stay as close as possible to it (with out hitting into it).
No. You are on a beam reach. This is when the sails are half out and the centre board is half down.
No. In light winds heeling the boat away from you will fill the sails.
Gybe. Most race courses have gybes.
| You are racing down wind and are ahead of everyone in your class, when a gust of wind causes you to capsize. You have to right yourself by swimming round to the centreboard what must you do? | Dinghy Sailing: Sail or Swim?
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All of these (Communicate with your crew, (if you have one), Hold onto the mainsheet as a safety line, Make shore the centreboard is fully down). You should do all these things, though the crew (if you have one)can check the centre board. Also the crew shold check the mainsheet is free.
Put the boat on its trolley and reef in the sails.
Left. "No PORT wine LEFT in the bottle" is the easy way to remember this.
Green. Starboard is of course "right", so think of "green for go is all right"!
| A Sailing vessel having two masts, the 'aft', i.e. rear mast, being taller than the front (for'ard) mast is called a ______________ ? | Sailing Terms
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Schooner. Other vessels such as ketches, yawls and brigs also have 2 masts, but do not meet this precise description of the schooner.
| The mount used to house the steering compass is called a ________ ? | Sailing Terms
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Binnacle. Halyards are used to hoist and lower sails. A Spinnaker is a large light wind and usually colourful headsail. A windlass is a type of winch.
On smaller vessels the steering compass is normally fixed to the cockpit bulkhead rather than on a separate mount.
| A rope used to hoist or lower a sail is called a ___________ ? | Sailing Terms
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halyard. Halyard comes from "Haul Yard" which refers to the wood spars supporting the sails of Square Riggers.
| The fitting on a fore and aft rigged vessel which attaches a boom to a mast is called a ______ ? | Sailing Terms
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gooseneck. It allows the boom - which is the long spar supporting the bottom of the sail - to swing easily from side to side.
| A type of flag flown by foreign vessels visiting another country, while they are in the territorial waters of that country, is known as a ___________ ? | Sailing Terms
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courtesy flag. Courtesy flags are an old and well established maritime tradition. Failure to fly a courtesy flag can be taken as an insult in some countries, resulting in serious trouble! The courtesy flag is usually flown above any other flags.
| When a vessel is under sail the wind felt by those on board is known as the _________ ? | Sailing Terms
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apparent wind. The apparent wind is due to the vessel's motion through the water, and is only the same as the true wind when the vessel is stationary.
| North, South, East, and West cardinal navigation buoys are what colours? | Sailing Terms
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black and yellow. Cardinal buoys are very important in navigation as they are positioned to indicate underwater hazards.
North cardinals are black on top and yellow on bottom. South cardinals are yellow on top and black at bottom. East cardinals are black at top and bottom and yellow in centre. West cardinals are yellow at top and bottom and black in centre.
| When a sailing vessel turns away from the wind direction, it is ________ ? | Sailing Terms
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gybing. Tacking is turning into and through the wind. Running is sailing with the wind behind the vessel. "Heaving to" is a method of temporarily stopping a vessel with the sails still fully set.
| The magnetic error caused by iron and steel objects such as the engine, which form integral parts of a vessel is called ______ ? | Sailing Terms
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deviation. Variation is the effect of the Earth's magnetic field, and varies throughout the world. Leeway is the sideways drift of a sailing vessel caused by the wind; the further forward the wind direction, the greater the leeway. Compass error is simply the combination of variation and deviation - which can sometimes cancel each other out!
Tide whose range is minimal. Neap tides occur just after the 1st and 3rd quarters of the lunar cycle. These tides occur when there is least difference between high & low water, though sailors usually call the few days each side of neap tide "Neaps". At "neaps", you are less likely to run aground as sea level at low water doesn't go down so much. Conversely, there will be less depth over obstructions at high water than would be the case at higher, i.e. spring tides.
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