Sailing Terms & Theory

 Sailing Terms & Theory (Under Construction)

Not a Sailing Book , but just a little section , for anyone new to Sailing. A Sailing Vessell has basically 4 Segments/ Components . We'll break them down bit by bit .
Thank You to those proving embedded content on You Tube . Please visit their sites.   

1.Hull ,  2. Mast , 3. Sails & 4. Rigging

1.  The Hull

This is what everyone knows as the body of the boat . Its the part of the vessel 

gives buoyancy acts as a Platform for  sails, masts, rigging, and so on.  The hull can be divided into different parts: deck, keel, cabin, waterline, bilge, bow, stern, rudder, and  more. Page may take a few seconds to load 

Bow      

The bow is the front part of the hull. It's simply the nautical word for 'front'. In simple terms its the nose or triangular point at the fron t that pushes through the water The shape of the bow determines with many other factors how the boat handles

 Stern 

The back of the Hull is generally referred to as the Stern or simply the sailing term for the  'back'. The Stern Shape in part dictates the stability and speed of the boat. With motorboats, the stern lies deep inside the water, and the hull is flatter aft. Aft also means back. This allows it to plane, increasing the hull speed. In sailing boats, stability is   more important, so the hull is rounded throughout, increasing its buoyancy and hydrodynamic properties.

Port 

Port is the left side of a sailboat. 

 

Starboard 

Starboard is the right side of a sailboat

 

Keel 

 

The keel is the  large underside fin that counters the tendency to capsize by providing counterbalance. A keel can  carry ballast in the tip, creating a counterweight to the wind's force on the sails.

 Displacement hulls are very round and smooth, which makes them very efficient and comfortable. But it also makes them very easy to capsize: think of a canoe, for example.

Transom 

 The transom is the backplate of the boat's hull. It's the most rear (aft) part of the boat.

Rudder 

A vertical blade at the stern of a vessel that can be turned horizontally to change the vessel's direction when in motion.The rudder is the  plate at the Stern or Back of the boat that is used to steer by setting   and maintaining a course . It is connected to the helm or tiller. 

        Tiller or Helm 

The helm is simply a term for the wheel.
The tiller is simply the term for the steering stick 
 
The tiller or helm is attached rudder is the device used to steer the boat. As a general rule smaller sailboats (below 30') have a tiller,  larger sailboats use a helm. Large ocean-going vessels tend to have two helms.

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2. The Mast

The long, standing pole holding the sails. It is usually placed just off-center of a sailboat (a little offset to the front) giving sailboat its ynique shape. The mast is vital for the propulsion any sailboat: without a mast, any sailboat would be just a  boat.

3. The Sails 

Mainsail

 

The  s the largest sail on the largest mast. Many sailboats use a sloop rigging (just one mast with one bermuda mainsail). In that case, the main is easy to recognize. With other rig types, it gets more complex , since there can be many variations of tall masts and large

 

 Sail sides: 

 

Leech - Leech is the name for the back side of the sail, running from the top to the bottom.
Luff  - Luff is the name for the front side of the sail, running from the top to the bottom.
Foot  - Foot is the name for the lower side of the sail, where it meets the boom. 

 

Sail corners: 

 

Clew - The clew is the lower aft (back) corner of the mainsail, where the leech is connected to the foot. The clew is attached to the boom.

 

Tack - The tack is the lower front corner of the mainsail

 Head - The head is the top corner of the mainsail

Batten  - Battens are horizontal sail reinforcers that flatten and stiffen the sail. 

Telltales - Telltales are small strings that show you whether your sail trim is correct. You'll find telltales on both your jib and mainsail. 

 Jib - The jib is the standard sized headsail on a Bermuda Sloop rig (which is the sail plan most modern sailboats use).

Theory

ROUGH WEATHER ANCHORING - STRONG WINDS AT JURA

THE WEATHER

BEAUFORT SCALE

To convert knots to mph multiply by 1.15, for m/s multiply by 0.514.

THE SHIPPING FORECAST - MEANING

VISIBILITY

Good          = >5 n miles
Moderate  = 2 - 5 n miles
Poor           = 1,000 metres - 2 n miles
Very Poor  = Less than 1,000 metres

TIMING

Imminent    = Within 6 hours of issue
Soon            = 6 - 12 hours of issue
Later           = >12 hours from issue

SPEED OF PRESSURE SYSTEMS

Slowly                           = Moving less than 15 kts

Steadily                        = 15 - 25 kts

Rather Quickly            = 25 - 35 kts

Rapidly                        = 35 - 45 kts

Very Rapidly                = >45 kts

WIND

Direction                  = The direction from which the wind is blowing

Becoming Cyclonic = Indicates a significant change in wind direction across the path of a depression

Veering                     = Wind direction moving clockwise

Backing                    = Wind direction moving anti clockwise

AIR PRESSURE TENDENCY

Rising (or falling) more slowly     = Pressure rising (or falling) at a progressively  slower rate through the preceding three hours

Rising (or falling) slowly               = Pressure change of 0.1 to 1.5 hPa in the preceding three hours

Rising (or falling)                            = Pressure change of 1.6 to 3.5 hPa in the preceding three hours

Rising (or falling) quickly = Pressure change of 3.6 to 6.0 hPa in the preceding three hours

Rising (or falling) very rapidly = Pressure change of more than 6.0 hPa in the preceding three hours

Now rising (or falling) = Pressure has been falling (rising) or steady in the preceding three hours, but at the time of observation was definitely rising (falling)