Contents:
The Sailing Dinghy
There are many different classes of sailing dinghy, each with their own pieces of rigging and canvas. The diagram below shows the basic parts of a typical sailing dinghy.
Points of Sailing
This refers to the course on which you are sailing with respect to the direction of the wind.
When sailing on different points, the boat and sails have to be trimmed accordingly to achieve best performance. The basic areas which need attention are:
- sail trim
- boat trim
- boat ballance
- centre/ dagger board position
- course steered
These are commonly known as the five essentials.
Sailing terminology
With sailing comes a whole load of terminology including (but not limited to) the parts of the boat itself, the direction you are sailing, the crew commands as well as the general speak.
Some of the common terms are shown below to get you started:
Apparent Wind - the direction of the wind as is relative to the speed and direction of the boat
Backstay - a support wire that runs from the top of the mast to the stern
Battens - thin, stiff strips of plastic or wood, placed in pockets in the leech of a sail, to assist in keeping its form
Beam reach - a point of sail where the boat is sailing at a right angle to the wind
Bolt Rope - a rope sewn into the luff of a sail for use in attaching to the standing rigging
Boom - the horizontal spar which the foot of a sail is attached to
Bowspirt - a spar extending forward from the bow
Broach - to spin out of control, either causing or nearly causing a capsize.
Broad reach - a point of sail where the boat is sailing away from the wind, but not directly downwind
By the Lee - sailing with the wind coming from behind, and slightly to the side, that the sails are on
Capsize - to turn a boat over
Centerboard - a fin shaped, often removable, board that extends from the bottom of the boat as a keel
Cleat - a fitting used to secure a line to
Clew - the lower aft corner of a sail
Close hauled - a point of sail where the boat is sailing as close to the wind as possible
Close reach - a point of sail where the boat is sailing towards the wind but is not close hauled
Downhaul - a line, attached to the tack, that adjusts tension in the sail
Drift - the leeway, or movement of the boat, when not under power, or when being pushed sideways while under power
Foot - the bottom part of a sail
Foremast - the forward mast of a boat with more that one mast
Foresail - the jib
Forestay - a wire support line from the mast to the bow
Furl - to fold or roll a sail and secure it to its main support
Genoa - a large foresail that overlaps the mainsail
Gooseneck - a device that connects the boom to the mast
Halyard - the line used to raise and lower the sail
Head - top of the sail
Head to Wind - the bow turned into the wind, sails luffing
Headsail - a sail forward of the mast, a foresail
Heave To - to stop a boat and maintain position (with some leeway) by balancing rudder and sail to prevent forward movement, a boat stopped this way is "hove to"
Helm - the tiller or wheel, and surrounding area
Helmsman - the member of the crew responsible for steering
Heel - the leeward lean of the boat caused by the winds action on the sails
Hike - leaning out over the side of the boat to balance it
Hoist - to raise aloft
In Irons - having turned onto the wind or lost the wind, stuck and unable to make headway
Jib - a foresail, a triangle shaped sail forward of the mast
Jibe - a change of tack while going downwind
Kicking Strap - a line that adjusts downward tension on the boom
Leech - the back edge of a sail
Lee Ho - the command given to inform the crew that the helm is being turned quickly to leeward, turning the boat windward
Leeward - downwind
List - the leaning of a boat to the side because of excess weight on that side
Luff - the front edge of a sail, and the flapping in the wind of the front of the sail (luffing)
Mainsheet - the line that controls the boom
Mizzen - the shorter mast behind the main mast on a ketch or yawl
Outhaul - the line that adjust tension along the foot of the sail along the boom
Painter - a line tied to the bow of a small boat for the purpose of securing it to a dock or to the shore
Port tack - sailing with the wind coming from the port side, with the boom on the starboard side
Reach - sailing with a beam wind
Ready about - prepare to come about
Reef - to reduce the size of a sail
Rigging - the standing rigging is the mast and support lines, running rigging is the lines with which you adjust the sails
Running - a point of sail, going directly downwind
Sheet - a line used to control the sail
Shrouds - support wires for the mast
Spinnaker - a large, light sail used in downwind sailing
Spreaders - struts used to hold the shrouds away from the mast
Starboard tack - a course with the wind coming from starboard and the boom on the port side
Tack - the front, lower corner of the sail, also course with the wind coming from the side of the boat, also to change course by turning into the wind so that the wind comes from the other side of the boat
Tiller - controls the rudder and is used for steering
Topping lift - a line that holds up the boom when it is not being used, also the line that controls the height of a spinnaker pole
Traveler - a device that the mainsheet may be attached to which allows its position to be adjusted
Trim - to adjust the sails, also the position of the sails
Windward - upwind
