ABW March 2024

Sailing Tips
Article
excerpts reprinted from the book
CRUISER HANDLING
by BOB BOND & STEVE SLEIGHT
You’ve always been interested to sail, but you know little about boat parts, the confusing techno-babble, and what
little you know is making your head spin in four different directions! Worry no more. This continuing series of articles
is for you: it covers tips regarding hardware present on most boats, as well as common sailing techniques, terms and
definitions, the names of the different pieces of hardware, and much more. This will keep you informed about most
things you will need before you begin your own sailing excursion. Be sure to consult with an experienced sailor and someone
knowledgeable about boats.
As the wind strength increases, there
will come a point when a boat can no
longer carry full canvas if it is to perform
both comfortably and efficiently. The
point will vary according to the design
and size of the boat, and although,
in general, large boats will be able to
carry full sail in stronger winds than
smaller boats can, much depends on
other factors, such as the state of the
sea, the size of the working sails and
the underwater profile of the boat for
example.
There is no fixed rule
about when to reef,
each skipper should
be aware of the
limitations of his boat,
and should be able to
feel when the boat is
over pressed...
of the mainsail by reefing it. In general,
the mainsail is too large and bulky for it to
be swapped for a smaller sail, although,
in very strong winds, when you may not
be able to reduce the mainsail enough,
you could substitute a trysail for it.
Recent developments in headsail reefing
gear now allow you to reef the headsail
efficiently, instead of changing down to a
smaller sail. This h as two advantages; you
need not carry so many sails on board,
and the likelihood of the crew having to
work on the foredeck in bad weather is greatly reduced.
There are two basic ways of reducing the sail area; you can
exchange the sail for a smaller one or you can reduce the
size by reefing it in any one of several ways. In Practice the
two are often combined; for example, you may exchange the
existing headsail for a smaller one and then reduce the area
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There is no fixed rule about when to reef, each skipper should
be aware of the limitations of his boat, and should be able
to feel when the boat is over pressed; the obvious signs are
when the leeward toe rail is awash or if the helmsman is
having difficulty holding the boat on course. Once you feel