[Transcriber’s Note:
Italics delimited by underscores and bold text delimited by equal
signs.]
UNIFORM EDITION
RUDDER [Illustration] ON [Illustration] SERIES
_Bound in blue buckram and gold, 32mo, illustrated_
ON YACHTS AND YACHT HANDLING. By Thomas Fleming Day. Price $1.
ON MARINE MOTORS AND MOTOR LAUNCHES. By E. W. Roberts, M. E.
Price $1.
ON YACHT ETIQUETTE. Second Edition Revised. By Captain
Patterson. Price $1.
SOUTHWARD BY THE INSIDE ROUTE. Reprint from THE RUDDER.
HINTS TO YOUNG YACHT SKIPPERS. By Thomas Fleming Day. Price $1.
[Illustration: AT ANCHOR.]
Hints
TO
Young Yacht
Skippers
BY
THOMAS FLEMING DAY
EDITOR “THE RUDDER,” AUTHOR OF “ON YACHTS AND YACHT HANDLING,”
“SONGS OF SEA AND SAIL,” ETC.
_Illustrations by Warren Sheppard_
[Illustration]
NEW YORK AND LONDON
THE RUDDER PUBLISHING COMPANY
1904
COPYRIGHT 1904
BY
THOMAS FLEMING DAY
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
THOMSON & COMPANY
PRINTERS
9 MURRAY ST., NEW YORK
U. S. A.
TO
THE OFFICERS AND MEMBERS
OF THE
SPRINGFIELD YACHT CLUB
[Illustration]
INTRODUCTION.
This book is the response to a constant appeal for information. During
the last nine years I have received thousands of letters, asking for
hints on all manner of subjects relating to the care, handling, buying
and equipping of small yachts. The majority of these letters came
from boys and young men living throughout the world, who were just
entering the sport, and who were anxious to become skillful sailors and
competent skippers. I can thoroughly understand their position, and
sympathize with their desire for fuller and more practical knowledge
than that contained in the majority of works upon yachting.
What knowledge I possess of this art, or profession, I have gained by
years of hard work and close observation, and having begun my studies
when very young can testify to the dearth of literature of value to the
green hand, who is looking for practical hints that will help him to
become a skillful yacht sailor. Had I possessed a book like this, it
would have saved me time, money and lots of hard work and anxiety.
But, in using this book, it must be remembered that a hint is not a law
or a command, it is simply a concise statement for you to take, think
over, and make use of, if it appears to be logical and practical. There
may be better and easier ways of doing many of these things I speak
of--that is for you to find out. I am an authority only as far as my
knowledge goes, and no further. The basis of my authority is my years
of observation and experience; your right to confute my findings can
only be based on similar premises. Unless you have tried and proved
that my instructions are wrong, they are still good medicine.
If a man, especially a young one, decide to go into yachting, he should
also decide to learn the business of handling these craft from the
keel up. It is not sufficient, as many of you think, that all that is
necessary is to learn how to sail a boat about. You should know not
only how to sail her, but you should know why she sails, and all about
the gear and canvas used to propel her. You should learn to rig and
unrig, to care for and to understand every part of her structure, both
above and below decks. It is certainly a sorry spectacle to see a man
sailing a yacht who cannot tie a proper knot, splice a rope, or bend a
sail, and who does not know the terms used to designate parts of the
structure which he essays to manage. If he is ashamed to learn, or if
he is too lazy to gather such knowledge, he is out a place in a sport
which is the life and joy of energetic, skillful and brave men.
I hope all of my boys the world over who are coming into yachting,
and to assist whom I have written these words, will never be ashamed
to learn the sailor’s trade, or be too lazy to acquire all possible
knowledge relating to the art of handling vessels. You will never
regret having given your time to the study. It will bring to you that
which is more valuable than the treasures of the earth; something that
you can never be deprived of, no matter how unlucky or how unfortunate
you may be--the respect paid to the skillful by the unskillful; the
deference shown to the educated by the ignorant.
It is as well to say here that these hints are not intended for men
owning and sailing large yachts. Such vessels are too costly to be
trusted in the hands of any men except those who are thoroughly
competent; and if an owner has not sufficient skill to handle a large
yacht it is his business to hire somebody who has. These hints are
intended for the small-boat owner and skipper. [Illustration]
HINTS TO YOUNG YACHT SKIPPERS
BUYING A BOAT:
If you are going to buy a boat, either the first or last one, make
up your mind thoroughly as to what kind of a craft you want, and
what you want her for. If you want to race, it is one thing; if you
want to cruise, another. Combination cruising and racing boats are
impossibilities, and are neither one thing or other. If you are going
to build, get a good design from some man who knows his business, and
have a boat built from it in the best manner possible. A poorly or
cheaply-built boat is a losing proposition. If you are going to buy
a second-hand craft, and don’t know much about boats, get a man who
does to look over any that you think of purchasing. An honest builder
is the best man for this. Most men buy a racer for her record, and a
cruiser for her cabin. The record of a racing craft is not worth a
pinch of salt, unless the boat is in such condition as will enable her
to uphold it, and a cabin of a cruiser is of little value unless it is
surrounded by a good, seaworthy and handy outside.
BUYING A RACER:
Before buying a racer, find out if she is suitable for entering in any
of the classes racing in the waters you frequent. Find out what boats
are likely to sail against her, what her measurement is under the rule
in vogue, and how and by whom she was handled when winning or losing.
These are very necessary points, if you hope to helm a winner. Many a
fast boat is condemned and sold after the first season, because the man
who owned it did not know how to handle her to win. Such a boat can
be bought and, if properly managed, be made a winner. Others are sold
because they have no earthly chance of getting a prize, no matter how
well-sailed. These latter are a very bad investment.
BUYING A CRUISER:
If you want a cruising boat, her record is of no consequence, unless
it is irretrievably bad. If she has a habit of capsizing, or won’t go
to windward, you don’t want her. If she consistently leaks, you don’t
want her. If she draws a lot of water for her length, and can’t get
into your harbor except at high tide, you don’t want her. If she is
in bad repair, or is very old, you don’t want her. If you haven’t
sufficient personal knowledge to tell by looking at her how she will
handle, ask some man who has sailed her, or who has seen her sail;
better ask several, and take a general average of their testimony.
Then go and have her thoroughly looked over. If she is hauled out,
sound her bottom. Get the owner to let a builder bore her. If the chips
come out clean, white and papery, she is sound in plank. Examine the
rabbet at stem and stern and all along the keel; pierce that stick,
both inside and out. Sound the mast. Go below and look at the heels and
heads of the frames. Don’t forget the deck, cockpit floor and staving.
An experienced man can tell from the appearance of the unpainted wood
whether it is sound or not. Then examine her spars, gear, blocks and
sails; last of all, her cabin fittings, etc.
BUYING A BOAT AFLOAT:
This is somewhat of a lottery, but you can generally judge of the
condition of a boat’s bottom by the condition of her topsides, and by
inspecting the inside of the hull. If there is any water in the bilge
take some up in a glass. If it is clean and fresh-smelling, you can
be sure she has a regular leak. Get a quiet look at the sucker of the
pump-rod. If it looks well-brightened up, it shows plenty of usage. If
there is no leak, notice the heels of the frames near the mast, also
the fastenings of the ends of the deck beams in that part of her. If
she strains, it will show there, if anywhere. If there are doors in
the bulkheads or lockers, see if they have been planed off, so as to
close. If she is canvased on deck or top of cabin-house, the cloth will
show if she has strained badly. All boats strain to certain extent, and
without seemingly permanent harm.
BUYING FROM FADS:
I once knew a lady who would not buy a house, because she did not
like the way in which the halls between the rooms were painted. Some
yachtsmen are just as bad. Last year I met a young fellow who wanted
a knockabout with a white enameled cabin. He refused to take several,
because they lacked this inside coating. Others will be caught by
a lot of brass or gaudy cushions and curtains. Nicely varnished
spars, parceled backstays and immaculate sail covers, are other and
successful traps. Others will buy a boat because a friend has one like
it.
BUYING FROM REASON:
The first and most necessary thing is that the vessel’s bottom be
sound; the second, that the decks be tight; the third, that the spars
are in good condition. If she is right in these three points, you can
find out the rest by sailing her, and in that way only. Many a good
boat is condemned for some trivial cause. She may have a leak which
can be easily stopped; her sails may be poor, that can be remedied; or
her gear worn out. If so, give the seller a chance to make good before
breaking off negotiations. Tell him what you see or think is wrong,
and let him have a chance to explain or make good. Don’t go away, as
many do, and blackguard a boat because it is not just in the order or
condition you expected to find it.
BUYING OUT OF REPAIR:
Sometimes a boat out of repair can be bought cheap, and is a good
bargain. But, before buying, consult a builder, and find out if the
craft can be repaired, and if it is worth repairing. I have found that
you can generally trust a builder’s word on this question, as they
dislike to work over a worthless craft. If the builder tells you she is
no good, don’t touch her, no matter how cheap she is offered.
BUYING THROUGH A BROKER:
I strongly advise young yachtsmen to buy their boats through a broker,
if it is a second-hand craft. These men are up to all the tricks of
the trade, and are thus able to safeguard a client’s interests. If the
boat is registered, they will attend to the custom-house part of the
transaction, and get the thing put through properly, besides saving you
endless bother. If she is not registered, they will get you a proper
bill of sale, and see that the boat has no liens or mortgages lying
against her. I have known several cases where men have bought and paid
for boats only to find that the vessel was mortgaged, or else somebody
unknown was a part owner.
INVENTORY:
Be sure and get a written inventory before buying, and have it
checked off before making the final payment. It is, I regret to say,
a too common practice among some sellers to skin-out a boat before
delivering her. Or, if this is not done, to substitute cheaper articles
for the ones on board. It is also frequent for purchasers to call for
things that are not on board, and which they suppose or think ought to
be, and this leads to a disagreement. A written inventory will settle
the question; verbal statements are worthless.
NAUTICAL INSTRUMENTS, CHARTS, ETC.:
Nautical instruments, charts, books, private flags, clothes, etc.,
are personal belongings, and are not part of a boat’s fittings or
furniture, unless so specified in the inventory. A compass is, if it
belongs in a vessel’s binnacle. A dingey or other boat if used by the
yacht as a tender goes with her, unless there is an agreement to the
contrary. Spare spars, sails, ballast and anchors, even if stowed on
shore and not used, belong to the boat, and are included in the sale,
unless otherwise specified.
BOAT’S NAME:
If a boat is registered, you cannot lawfully change her name, without
the permission of the Customs. All registered vessels must have their
name and port painted on them. The name of a boat is not necessarily
sold with the craft, but the former owner cannot prevent you from using
the old name if you wish to, unless you have made an agreement before
buying not to do so; nor can he prevent you from changing the name.
[Illustration: MAKING SAIL.]
MASTS:
If for any reason you remove your mast, be careful to note its
position, so that it can be put back again as it was before. If wedged,
mark the wedges before taking them out, so you can put them back again
in their proper places. The rake of a mast has frequently much to do
with a boat’s good sailing.
MASTS:
To remove a mast, if you have no shears convenient, place another boat
with a mast as tall, or taller than yours, close alongside, and lash
her fast. Then place a sling round the mast to be removed in such a
position as you think the stick will balance. To this hook in the
throat halyards of the assisting boat. Remove the wedges, and if the
fit in the partners is tight well-grease the houseings. Then send a
man in forward with a sharp-edged bar and let him pry the heel out of
the step as you hoist on the halyard. Use your own halyards as guys to
steady the spar. Keep the spar steady; if allowed to fall over it will
very likely split the partners. You can step a mast by reversing this
method.
BOOMS:
Booms are frequently sprung and spoiled by hauling down hard on the
sheet and pulling up the lift. The boat being left at anchor, it rains;
the ropes shrink, and the end of the spar is pulled up and the spar
sprung out of shape. Do not set up taut on your lift if it looks like
wet weather.
RIGGING ON RACING CRAFT:
The less running rigging you have on a racing craft the better, as a
complication of tackle, lifts, sheets, etc., make it more difficult to
handle sails quickly. Use as simple tackles as possible, and have as
light gear as will do the work. The running rigging of a racing yacht
should be constantly looked to, and at the first sign of weakness be
replaced by new.
HOOPS:
Hoops, to work easy, should be quite some bigger than the mast.
Grease the foreside of the spar frequently, and they won’t stick when
hoisting. If you don’t like grease, you can keep them from sticking
by taking a piece of small line and with it linking them together by
clove-hitching each one. In this way they will be kept horizontal when
being hoisted. Always put on several more hoops than there are grommets
for, so that if one breaks you can replace without removing your
rigging.
BLOCKS:
Don’t buy or use cheap blocks; they are the worst investment you can
make, as they will be an endless source of trouble. Don’t use blocks
with sharp edges to the shell, as they will soon fray and strand your
gear. It is a common practice of riggers to put on a block the swallow
of which will just carry a certain sized rope; consequently, when the
cordage gets wet and swells, it sticks, and the sail won’t come down.
This generally happens in bad weather, when you want things to run
smoothly. Always have the swallow bigger than the rope, by at least
one size. For instance, if using a 12-thread rope, have the block made
to carry a 15-thread.
SPINNAKER POLE, HOW TO RIG IT FOR RACING:
To rig a spinnaker pole for racing, when the stick is not too heavy
to be lifted and handled by two men, have at the head or outboard end
a band, or grommet, with three eyes, one on top and one on each side.
Put snaphooks on your guys, so that all gear can be quickly removed
from the pole. Have snap-hooks on both ends of your halyard. Make your
halyard fast on each side in the rigging.
SPINNAKERS:
If you have a forehatch, after stopping the spinnaker coil it
snake-fashion right under the opening. Screw a hook to the underside
of the deck, where it can be readily reached, and hook the head of the
sail to it then when wanted the tack man can reach it without getting
up or jumping below. It is frequently necessary in order to make a
quiet move to get this sail ready without your rival knowing what you
are up to.
SPINNAKERS:
These sails are of little or no use if the boom cannot be carried
square to the length; the minute they have to be guyed forward they
lose their power, and it is better to take them in and use the balloon
headsail. Do not haul the tack of the sail hard down; let it light up
and leave an opening between the luff and the mast. Spinnakers cut with
a deep roach, so as to hang below the pole, are no good. Remember, that
the spinnaker is a depressing, not a lifting, sail, as many suppose,
and has a tendency to force a vessel’s head down, unless the sheet is
lighted up.
SPINNAKER, TO SHIFT ONE FROM SIDE TO SIDE:
If a light pole, this can be easily and quickly done. Let go the after
guy and swing the pole forward; unship the heel and run the pole aft
along the deck on the side you want to set it, being sure to keep it
clear until the head is abaft all sheets, etc. Have the other end of
the halyard ready, let go the sail, cast off one end and snap in the
other end, and hoist away. While those forward are doing this the after
man can carry the guy over and pass it forward outside the rigging.
Then shove the pole out right ahead, ship the heel, and haul aft the
guy. By being able to shift a spinnaker quickly you can frequently
manage to get away from a rival who is following close in your wake and
blanketing you. It is a maneuvre that should be constantly practiced by
a racing crew.
SPINNAKER, TO SET A, WHEN RIGGED WITH A LIFT:
If your pole is carried aloft, lower it down by the lift, and square
with the fore and after guys. Hook the clew to sheet or outhaul, and
the head to the halyard, hoisting and hauling out at the same time.
When in position break out. To take in, haul the foot in first and
muzzle the sail before letting go the halyard.
SPINNAKER POLE:
As soon as you are through with the spinnaker pole, unsnap the guys and
coil them up. In this way you keep them in readiness for instant use
on either side, and free the pole of all incumbrance. A spinnaker pole
carried on end with all its gear is a nuisance on a small boat, besides
adding to the weight and windage aloft. [Illustration: REACHING.]
CREW, STATIONS FOR:
In handling sails the crew should be given certain stations, and taught
to keep them. Each man should be allotted a certain task, and be
instructed to attend to that, and not to interfere with the others. If
you have a crew of four, including yourself, your place is at the helm;
the man in your watch stays with you in the cockpit, or aft, unless
called forward; the mate and his watch work forward. The lightest man
is the tackman. His business is to take the tack of the sails. He
always works furthest forward, going out on the bowsprit to snap on
jibs, etc. The mate works behind him attending to the halyards and gear
about the mast.
CREW STATIONS FOR GETTING UNDERWAY:
When making sail, the mate and the tackman go to the main halyards, one
taking the throat and the other the peak. The skipper and his watch
look out for the lashings, crotch, sheet, and see the gaff clear of the
lifts. If the boat is a yawl, they cast loose and hoist the mizzen, the
mate and tackman attending in the same way to the headsails. The after
guard looks after the jib sheets and backstays, the forward gang get
the anchor and cat it, standing by forward until she is properly cast
and underway; then they clear up decks.
[Illustration: CREW STATIONS--ON THE WIND RACING.]
LIGHT SAILS, HANDLING:
The handling of light sails is the best measure of the merits of a
crew. The bungling of light canvas shows that the crew are not properly
drilled, and that the skipper is a muff, or else is slack in attention
to his duties. Nothing looks prettier than to see running sails handled
quickly. To do this it is necessary to thoroughly drill your crew at
stations, and to practice them in setting, shifting and taking in the
light sails.
CREW STATIONS FOR REEFING:
The mate and tackman go to the halyards; the man aft stands by the peak
downhaul, if necessary, after getting the sheet in. When the sail is
down the skipper and his watch take the pendant, and after the tackman
has tied in haul the foot of the sail out, the mate standing amidships
and helping by lighting the cloth along. When properly hauled out the
skipper or his man pass the clew lashing. Then all hands tie in, the
mate and tackman working from the middle of the boom forward, the
others aft. Then the mate and his watch hoist the sail, those aft
keeping it clear of the lifts, and working the sheet.
[Illustration: CREW STATIONS--TO SET SPINNAKER.]
CREW STATIONS FOR SETTING A SPINNAKER:
Get the boom along on the side you want to use it, with the heel aft
and the head just forward of the rigging. See that it is clear of the
jib sheets. Take your after guy outside the rigging and snap it into
the grommet, or eye, on the spar. Snap in the fore guy, if you use one,
and place the coil in the bow. When ready, let the tackman snap the
halyard to the head, being sure there are no turns in the sail; then
the mate, who has the halyard, can hoist away. When the sail is up
belay the halyard and snap in the clew of the sail in the grommet or
eye on top of the boom, at the word “ready!” the tackman and mate seize
the pole and shove it out right ahead, until the latter can ship the
heel. At the order from the mate, “haul aft!” the man in the cockpit
hauls on the after guy until the boom is square. The tackman stands by
the fore guy and the mate seizes the tack and breaks the sail out. To
take in reverse these proceedings.
SAILS:
Sails, if not used, should be frequently cast adrift and aired. Light
sails stowed below, either in bundles or bags, should be attended to in
this manner. It is best to have your headsails fitted with snaphooks,
so they can be taken off and stowed below.
[Illustration: CREW STATIONS--TACKING OR WEARING.]
SAILS:
Sails are not made of iron; neither are they made of rubber. Canvas,
especially when new, should be treated with gentleness. It is very
easy to spoil a sail. More bad sails are made by yachtsmen than
by sailmakers. When bending a new sail haul it out along the spar
hand-taut and lash it. Then let the wind stretch it out, you taking up
the slack day by day. As it comes, you can put more strain on it until
it reaches its proper place. In damp weather, ease it in at the head
and foot.
SAILS:
When measuring your boat for a suit of sails, do not try to put on
every inch the spars will carry. Leave plenty of drift between the
hoist and the block and a good length at the end of each spar. This
will give you a chance to properly stretch your canvas. The foot of all
sails should be kept well up off the deck, so as to allow plenty of
room for the wind to escape from under them. Also, keep the leach of
the headsail away from the mast. Sails should never be made to lap if
it is possible to sheet them without doing so.
[Illustration: CREW STATIONS--REEFING.]
SAILS:
Take the same care of your sails as you do of your best suit of
clothes. When you get a new suit, you don’t start in by stretching the
back of the coat, and by pulling like mad on the legs of the trousers.
Canvas is woven just as cloth is. When you put your clothes away you
don’t roll them up in a tight ball and leave them in a damp place for
days at a time. Remember this.
HOISTING SAILS:
The luff of a mainsail should be pulled on until it is taut, but it
should never be sweated until the bolt-rope is nigh to parting. The
peak should be hoisted until the proper draft appears in the luff. In
light airs a better draft will be had by slacking both peak and luff
and by hauling up the weather lift, so as to take the weight of the
boom off the canvas. The lighter the wind the more baggy your sail
wants to be.
STOWING SAILS:
If you are not going to stay on board, do not stow your sails in
tight rolls; make up loosely and tie well; but be sure that the air can
get at the canvas. It is the weather, not work, that wears out sails.
[Illustration: CREW STATIONS--SETTING OR SHIFTING HEAD SAILS.]
SAIL COVERS:
Sail covers are the sailmaker’s best friend. They destroy more sails
than any other one thing. If a boat has a crew always on board, or
someone constantly near to look after the canvas, they are very useful
contrivances, but should never be left over sails for days at a time;
the moisture collects under them and rots the cloth.
STORM JIBS:
Storm jibs, as shown in most sail plans, are altogether too small, and
are of no use whatever. When a sail of that size would be any good it
would be blowing too hard to use any canvas forward of the mast. A
storm jib wants to be big enough to give the boat some life. To do this
it must have a pull to it. They should be roped heavily, and have good
strong clew pieces and irons. The only way to set them is flying.
SHIFTING JIBS IN HEAVY WEATHER:
If you have to shift jibs in a blow, with a heavy sea running, it is
an extremely difficult and sometimes dangerous job. The jib you are
going to set should be stopped up, as it is much easier to handle in
that form. In getting in a jib at such times be very careful about how
you slack off the sheet, as men are frequently knocked off a spar or
hurt by the sheet being let fly while they are on the bowsprit. Don’t
have any more men forward than are actually needed to shift the sails,
as their weight will depress the boat’s head and make it wet working.
COILS OF GEAR:
If your running gear is stowed around the mast when underway in bad
weather, it is a good plan to trice the coils up in the rigging. Here
it will not get washed loose and tangled up, and can be readily found
and handled. Gear in the coil should always be kept clear for running;
nothing looks worse, or is worse, than a mess of halyards lying about a
boat’s deck or cockpit. Teach your crew to always coil down the gear at
once, and to always turn the coil over, so that it will run clear when
let go.
RUNNING GEAR:
The ends of all halyards, sheets and lifts should be made fast, if you
are going to sail at night, or in rough weather, as they are liable
to get adrift and cause a lot of trouble before being recovered.
Frequently, when letting the sail run in a hurry, the halyards will
bunch and go aloft; if the end is fast you can easily recover them. The
readiest way to make the end fast is to open the strands and pass the
pin or cleat through the rope.
RUNNING RIGGING:
The length of life of your running rigging can be increased by turning
the rope end-for-end, thus bringing a new part to work in the blocks.
Sheets are apt to wear and strand where they play in the block when the
boat is close-hauled.
JIB SHEETS:
If your jib sheets are rove double bring both ends aft and join them
behind the cockpit; then the hauling part will not get away from you,
and can always be found, even in the darkest night. Another way is to
bore a hole in the cockpit rail, pass the end through and knot it.
PEAK DOWNHAUL:
In heavy weather always bend a peak downhaul. Take a long enough piece
of good flexible manila and splice an eye in it. Put this eye over the
end of spar, and make the loose end fast to a lower hoop, or on the
pin rail. With this downhaul you can control the gaff and get the peak
down, no matter how hard it blows.
MAINSAIL HOISTING ON TRACK:
Sails having their luff running on a track up the mast will frequently
stick, despite the assurances of the inventor and vendor of these
patent devices. To insure working, keep the track well-greased, and let
go the throat halyards before you do the peak, always keeping the gaff
at a high angle while lowering down. In this way the weight of the gaff
will force the slides down the track.
REEFING AT NIGHT:
If sailing at night, and it looks at all like bad weather coming, get
in a reef in your large sail before dark, as you can do it then quickly
and properly. If suddenly struck by a heavy wind you will have your
boat better prepared to meet it.
REEFING:
If you carry an amateur crew you should constantly practice them at
reefing. Give each man his station, and teach him to keep it, and not
interfere with the work of the others. It is a good plan when sailing
on a breezy day to reef and shake out several times, as this will give
your crew practice. A well-trained crew will reef a mainsail of a small
yacht in less time than it takes to write this.
TACKS FOR REEFING:
Always keep a tack in your sail at each reef band. Take a short piece
of small rope, whip both ends, pass this through the cringle, making
each end the same length, then open the rope just under the cringle and
pass the other part through it. Your tack will stay there and always be
ready to tie down.
PENDANTS FOR REEFING:
These should always be kept rove, if the end of the boom is outboard.
If the sail is a small one, put a snap-hook on the end that goes in the
cringle, but do not trust hooks if the sail is heavy; splice your rope
in.
REEFING:
When reefing a boom sail, before lying along make sure that the
mainsheet is fast, so that it cannot slip, as this happening is likely
to throw you overside. If the boat is rolling badly it is best to
secure the boom with a lashing from each side to hold it steady, as
this will make reefing easier.
[Illustration: WIND ABAFT THE BEAM.]
REEFING:
In a heavy seaway it is easier and handier to reef with all the sail
down and the boat running broad off, as she will go along steady. It is
very difficult to reef a boat when in the trough of the sea.
REEFING:
When hauling out the foot of your sail to reef do not pull it out too
hard, especially if it is liable to get wet from rain or sea, as the
cloth will shrink and pull the leach out of shape. Be sure and pass a
good lashing around the pendant close to the cringle and, if there is
room, through it. Don’t haul out on your pendant until the tack is tied
in.
REEF, SHAKING OUT A:
Set up on your lift. Cast off the points, beginning in the middle and
working both ways. Then cast off the tack and clew-cringle lashing;
then the pendant. Be sure all the points are loose before hoisting, as
you are liable to tear the sail if one is fast.
REEFING BEFORE STARTING:
Before leaving harbor, if it looks breezy outside, tie in a reef, or
reefs. When outside, and you can feel the weight of wind, you can then
judge whether to carry more sail or not. If close-reefing, tie in
number one and then number two over it. This will enable you to shake
out one reef at a time.
RUNNING OFF:
When running off in heavy weather, if you have a jib keep it on her and
haul it dead flat; then if she attempts to broach the wind hitting in
the jib will drive her head off again. All boats going where winds are
likely to be heavy should carry a small, strong headsail to use for
this purpose.
RUNNING OFF IN A SEAWAY:
Keep your boom topped up, so that it is clear of the sea when she rolls
to leeward. Don’t give the sail too much sheet, as you will find that
she will steer better if the boom is at a smaller angle, and be less
likely to be broken or to damage the rigging.
MAINSHEET:
Always keep a knot in the end of your mainsheet, or else make it fast.
If the end gets away you will have trouble.
JIBING A MAINSAIL:
The only safe way to jibe in a breeze is to lower the peak and top up
the boom, before getting the sail over. In ordinary airs you can jibe
a boat if you pay attention to the helm, and get the sheet down flat.
Let her come easy. If forced to jibe all standing with the sheet off,
just as soon as the boom comes over put your helm, hard the other way,
so as to throw the boat round, and get the wind back of the sail. This
will break the force and save the knockdown, but is liable to break the
boom. If fitted with backstays, look out for them.
WEARING A YAWL:
Slack off the mizzen sheet, if that sail is set; haul your jib
a-weather; flatten the mainsheet; put the helm up and let her come
round slowly, easing off the mainsail as she pays off.
STEERING A YAWL:
Going with a strong current or tide through a channel, when there is
no wind, you can steer a yawl by taking hold of the mizzen boom and
working that sail from side to side. When beating to windward in a
light breeze, with a strong tide under the lee, hauling the mizzen to
windward will help a yawl considerably, especially if she is at all
slack-headed.
JIBING A YAWL:
Haul your mizzen if set fairly flat; slack the lee jib sheet and haul
in the weather at the same time, until this sail is properly trimmed.
Get your mainsheet aft gradually. Put the helm up slowly, and if the
mizzen is set jibe that first, then the mainsail. The reason for
trimming the jib and mizzen is this: If when the mainsail comes over
she knocks down the other two sails will shoot her up in the wind, and
give you a chance to shoot her out. If the mizzen it not set, light
your jib sheets sufficiently to allow her to come up.
COMING TO AT A DOCK:
If you have to come to at a dock or pier on the windward side, go well
to windward of it, lower your sail, and steer straight for it. Have an
anchor and warp ready aft, and when close enough to reach let go your
anchor and pay out, checking her way as you near the structure.
LYING AT A DOCK OR PIER:
It is always best to lie head or stern on to a dock if you intend to
remain long or over night. Always run out an anchor to hold her off in
case the wind shifts, or if for any reason you have to haul out. In
making your head fast be sure to allow length enough, if in a tidal
harbor, or you will be hung up when the water falls.
CLUBBING:
This is one way of getting down a narrow fairway when a swift current
is going with you. By employing it you will be able to keep off the
banks and to dodge anchored vessels. Send a man forward and let him
heave in on the anchor until it breaks, then let him keep it trailing
along the bottom, checking the vessel whenever needed, by paying out
enough slack cable to make the hook bite. The skipper at the helm can
then shear her with the rudder to port or starboard, as he wishes. The
current moving faster than the boat will give her steerageway. Instead
of an anchor you can use a heavy chain to drag along the bottom.
SAILING IN A CURRENT:
If bucking a strong tide or current a vessel will answer to the
slightest touch of the helm, but if going with the stream she will
steer slowly and badly. This must be looked out for in running narrow
entrances between jetties and bars. Sometimes it is better to go out
stern first, if the wind is blowing directly in, letting the vessel
sail slowly before the wind and drop back faster with the tide.
SAILING AGAINST CURRENT:
In going against a strong current to windward you can force a vessel
through, no matter how strong the tide is, if you can lay up close
enough to get the wind on one bow and the tide on the other. The
pressure of opposing forces will drive the vessel ahead. You will often
see schooners get through the Long Island Sound Race in this way
against a strong ebb, running over 5 knots.
[Illustration: IN HARBOR, DRYING OUT.]
TIDE UNDER THE LEE:
With the tide or current under the lee bow trim your after canvas dead
flat, unless the sea is large. Let her eat out to windward on an easy
helm, humoring to keep good way on all the time.
CURRENT, SAILING IN A CALM:
Going through a passage with a strong favorable current and no wind,
lay your vessel broadside to the drift of the tide, then the speed
of the stream will make a breeze in the sails and give your boat
steerageway. Tack on approaching the shore, and stand over for the
other, being careful to tack while still in the strength of the stream.
ANCHORED IN A CURRENT:
If at anchor in a current with the wind blowing against the tide, to
keep the yacht from riding over her anchor, tie a bucket on a rope and
drop it over the stern. This is a good way to keep a dingey away from a
yacht’s stern when tide-rode.
HEAVING-TO:
To heave-to a vessel you must trim your sails so that the wind presses
on one side of one sail and the other side of the other or others.
In a boat like a sloop or yawl you can heave-to by drawing your jib
a-weather, by slacking off the lee and hauling on the weather sheet.
This causes the force of the wind in the jib to counteract the force
in the after canvas. By slacking off the mainsheet until a balance of
power is established between mainsail and jib a boat will lie almost in
one place.
LYING-TO:
It is a very simple matter to lay a fore-and-aft vessel to. But in the
first place you should find out in reasonably good weather what sail
she will lie-to best under. Knowing this, snug her down to it before
bringing her head to it. The best sail is that nearest amidships; but
some boats require more after canvas and some more forward. No rule can
be laid down, each vessel in this respect being peculiar to itself.
When ready, watch your seas until after a big one has past you; get a
smooth, then put your helm down easily and bring her to with a long
sweep. The amount of sail she wants is enough to keep her just moving
ahead, so that there will be steerageway and no more. Use plenty of oil
while rounding to and afterwards, if the seas are cresting and breaking.
LEE SHORES:
Unless the weather is fine and you are well acquainted with them, keep
off lee shores. A lee shore is a bad place to go aground, and it is a
bad place to be caught on if a heavy blow comes.
WEATHER SHORE:
In strong winds and heavy weather it is always best to get in under the
lee of a weather shore, and to keep it aboard as long as possible. You
should figure to do this in mapping out runs from place to place. In
running a weather shore keep working your boat up to it, especially in
the bights between headlands. This will enable you to choose your own
distance in rounding the outermost points and prevent being driven off
shore.
CAUGHT ON A LEE SHORE:
If caught at anchor close on a lee shore where you are too close to
wear with safety, you can get your anchor and cast your boat in the
right tack by this method: Make sail; then when all is ready heave in
until half scope; then get a bucket with a line bent to it, carry this
line outside the rigging and the bucket as far forward as possible.
Let one hand hold it ready to cast overboard on the side you want to
fill on. Haul in your anchor quickly; when broken out, heave the bucket
overboard, and give a slow, steady pull on the line from as far aft as
convenient. This will hold her stern and the bow will swing off in the
opposite direction. If you have no bucket, use a hunk of ballast, and
slip it when her head is round.
MISS-STAYING IN A SEAWAY:
The cause of this is generally carelessness or haste. Sufficient way is
not on the boat when the helm is put down, owing to her being too near
the wind. Always give a boat a good full before putting the helm a-lee.
You should watch the sea and make the move when there is a smooth flat
spot between the waves. If there is any doubt of the boat’s getting
round it is better to wear her.
MISS-STAYING IN A SEAWAY:
If your boat miss stays in a seaway and gets sternway on, don’t jam
your helm hard over. Keep it amidship, and try and get your headsail
a-back; then slowly put your helm over. It is a dangerous practice to
jam a helm hard over when a boat is making a stern board in a seaway,
as you are liable to damage the rudder or drive her counter under. If a
centerboard boat, pull up the board, as this will help her to fall off.
[Illustration: REEFING.]
CAUGHT ON A LEE SHORE:
If it is too windy and rough to get your anchor, prepare to slip. Get
the bitter end on deck and bend a buoy to it. See all clear to cast
over. Haul in as much as you dare to, and bend a small line to hawser
or chain. Carry this line aft to the quarter outside the rigging. When
ready, slip and haul in on the small line. As soon as she swings off
cut the spring.
SAILING IN A SEAWAY:
When sailing in a seaway don’t trim a boat flat. Give her a liberal
lift of sheet, and sail her with a good full. Never let her lose way,
as your safety depends upon always having control of her motions. Keep
a close watch on the water on your weather bow, and judge how to take a
wave before it strikes you.
SAILING IN A SEAWAY:
In sailing a boat in a seaway and heavy breeze amateurs are apt to make
two mistakes. One to carry too much sail, the other, too little. In the
first place, the boat cannot be kept full; in the second, she hasn’t
sufficient drive to keep her moving. Carry as much sail as she will
keep full and not bury under.
MIZZEN ON A YAWL:
It is a mooted question among yawlsmen as to whether the mizzen is of
use or not when going dead before the wind. If you can wing it--that
is, get the boom on the opposite side to that of the mainboom--it is,
as it makes a boat steer steadier. But if it is off on the same side
as the mainsail it is doubtful if it helps the speed. I have tried the
experiment repeatedly and cannot find that it makes any difference in
a strong breeze; but it does help in light airs. In a strong wind the
boat will do better with the mizzen stowed, is my opinion.
MIZZEN ON A YAWL:
The handling of this sail seems to be a problem that worries many young
skippers. No fixed rule can be laid down, it depending largely on
the shape of the boat, the position and size of the sails. Generally
speaking, with the wind forward or on the beam, the mizzen should be
sheeted flatter than the mainsail. How flat, depends upon the effect
it has on the steering. If the boat gripes, ease it off; if she is
slack-headed, haul it flatter. In beating through a narrow channel work
it as you do the jib, but exactly opposite; that is, with the helm
a-lee haul in flat; as she pays off ease the sheet. In this way you
will help the rudder to bring the boat round. The mizzen sheet should
be belayed where the helmsman can readily get at it, so that by working
the sheet in combination with the tiller he can control his vessel.
WORKING TO WINDWARD:
In working to windward in open water for a long distance stand on the
tack which looks up nearest to your destination. On this tack the
wind is as foul as it is possible for it to be, and cannot shift in
either direction without favoring you. Attention should be paid to the
probable direction of the shift, and a course shaped that will bring
you into such a position as will lift your vessel up and not throw her
to leeward of her course. For instance, if the wind is East, stand on
the tack towards the Southeast, because it is probable that the wind
will move round with the sun across your bow and be constantly freeing
you until you can stand your course on the other tack. This is largely
a study of local conditions, and can be mastered only by constant
observation of the tendencies of the wind at certain seasons of the
year.
WORKING TO WINDWARD:
If the wind is offshore, blowing at an angle, so that you can make a
long and short leg, keep close under the weather shore, as the wind
will draw more favorable there than further out. For instance, if the
shore lies East and West and the wind be Southwest, under the weather
shore it will haul more to the South, sometimes as much as a point,
thus enabling you to lengthen your long leg. Besides, you have the
advantage of smoother water.
WORKING TO WINDWARD CRUISING:
If the wind is so foul as to be dead ahead it is waste of labor to try
to beat a small boat a long distance to windward. With the best of
handling you cannot make more than three miles an hour, and a very good
day’s work is twenty miles. Probably the next day the wind will come
favorable, and you can make that twenty miles in four or five hours. If
you are pressed for time and have to do it, take the first of the fair
tide.
LIGHT SAILS, SHEETING:
Never sheet light balloon or running sails; let them sheet themselves.
If you trim these sails the way you do working canvas you will destroy
much of their power. To get the sail right, slack off the sheet until
the luff trembles, then belay. If you sheet them, the whole after angle
becomes a back sail. The object is to get them to pull ahead, not
sideways. The minute a balloon sail has to be sheeted aft to make it
draw take it in and set your working canvas. You will do better with it.
ROUNDING A MARK:
Coming down to round a mark with running sails set, when within fair
working distance hoist and sheet your working headsails, if the
ballooner is not set on the jib-stay. Get your main sheet aft and
runners ready; then when close to the mark take in your spinnakers
and ballooner. In this way you are ready at once to haul on the wind.
If you take in your light sails first you will have them littering up
the deck and in the way, delaying getting the working sails set and
sheeted, and consequently the boat instead of being able to make a
sharp turn will drag off to leeward.
ROUNDING A MARK:
If rounding a mark to leeward, always do so before you reach it. In
order to do this, if possible, keep away from it some distance, and put
your helm down gradually; then you will not kill the boat’s way and
will give your crew time to get the sheets flattened down. If you come
down and take the mark close aboard and then turn it, you will have to
put your helm hard down, killing the boat’s way and causing her to sag
off to leeward.
ROUNDING A MARK:
If another boat is abreast of or overlapping, and will be between you
and the mark, try and drop back before reaching the turning stake, so
as to let her get ahead. You will lose less by doing so than you will
by rounding close under her lee, as once round you can probably free
your wind and get clear of her wake by a sharp luff. You have also a
chance to cut in if her crew make a fumble of their sheet work; but if
you are under her you will have no chance at all.
[Illustration: RUNNING BEFORE THE GALE.]
ROUNDING, A WINDWARD MARK:
Before rounding a windward mark, if the next leg is a run, make up your
mind which side you are going to carry your spinnaker on. Get the pole
along on that side and the after guy passed and hooked on. Then before
getting to the mark hoist the spinnaker clean up and hook in the clew.
Just as soon as you are round and squared off run the pole out and
square it, and break the sail. A good crew should get a sail set in
this way in fifteen seconds.
TRIMMING:
A vessel to sail her best wants to be kept on a level water line; the
minute she shoves her head up or down it kills her speed. This is
true of sail, power or any kind of craft. Therefore, in racing, see
that your crew keep her trimmed to a level by constantly moving and
balancing their weights. If a man goes out on the bowsprit move a man
aft to counterbalance his weight. Never let a bunch of men get forward,
as is often done when taking in or setting light sails. It is better to
do this work slower and keep the boat properly trimmed.
BALLOON-JIB SHEET, TO SHIFT A:
Have two separate sheets rigged with snaphooks. If you come down to a
mark with your balloon jib on one side and want to shift it over so as
to carry it on the other, before jibing over gather the sail up and
roll it out to the stay; there stop it. Unhook the sheet on that side
and hook on the other. As soon as you are round break out. By doing
this you don’t have the bother of passing the sheet in use forward
around the stay and aft again in the other side all of which takes time
and causes confusion. When not in use, keep the sheets hooked to the
stay, and fast aft. You can stop the sail with the sheet, using a turn
similar to that made round a flag when hoisted in a ball or bundle.
SHROUD-PARTING:
If a shroud parts, go right on the other tack; then get any tackle you
can that is idle and set it up in place of the rope carried away. If
you have no tackle aloft that is not working get a piece of hawser or
large-sized rope and pass it round the mast above the other rigging.
Take it round the spar with a clove hitch and stop the end. Seize a
bight in the lower part high enough up to get the watch tackle in
between it and whatever you have at the rail to make fast to. Then set
it up and rack the tackle. If the chain plate is gone, and you have
nothing to make fast to, you can secure the lower end in this way,
as I once did. Bore a hole through the deck just inside the clamp,
and one through the side just below the clamp. Pass a piece of wire
rope through these holes and marry the ends. Into this loop hook your
tackle. All boats of any size should have two shrouds on each side.
BURST MAIN SHEET:
If your main sheet bursts or the shackle breaks and the tackle gets
away, keep the boat as near the wind as possible. Then slack up on the
weather topping lift until you can reach the bight. Get this inboard
and aft, and haul on it easily, slacking down the throat of the sail
at the same time; then the peak. If you have only one lift rove, slack
down the throat, and try to get a line on the boom, as far out as
possible. If this won’t work, cut off the hoops, unship the heel of the
boom and run it inboard. It is a very dangerous situation if any sea
is on, and requires skill and courage to master it.
MAST CARRIED AWAY: