{"id":21819,"date":"2017-09-20T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-09-19T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures?p=21819&preview=true&preview_id=21819"},"modified":"2024-08-15T13:28:41","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T03:28:41","slug":"essential-sailing-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/essential-sailing-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Your essential guide to sailing jargon"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the beauties of sailing is that it can look so simple. Clipping across the open waters on a sailing adventure<\/a>, sun on your face, wind in your hair, the weathered pages of that copy of Moby Dick gently turning in the sea breeze… It looks effortless, carefree, and \u2013 well \u2013 like plain sailing. <\/strong><\/p>\n

But just like ballet, horse riding or cooking a souffl\u00e9, there\u2019s a lot of technique and training that goes into seafaring. How do you tell your port side from your starboard? What does it really<\/em> mean if the captain likes the cut of your jib? How do you tie a cleat hitch?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re just starting to cut your teeth on life at sea, here\u2019s your essential guide to sailing that every beginner should know.<\/p>\n

Getting to know the boat<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Boat, catamaran, canoe or dinghy, the same international terms apply to every part of the vessel. These are the big ones to remember:<\/p>\n

Port and Starboard<\/strong>
\n<\/em><\/strong>Looking forward to the front of the boat, your Port side refers to anything to the left of the boat. By contrast, Starboard refers to anything to the right. These terms may take a little while to get used to, but they were created to help sailors understand instructions no matter which direction they were facing on the boat.<\/p>\n

Bow and Stern<\/strong>
\nThe bow refers to the front of the boat while the stern is the rear. Try and think of the boat as being split in two, anything in the front half of the boat can be referred to as \u2018forward\u2019 and anything in the second half is called \u2018aft\u2019 or \u2018astern\u2019.<\/p>\n

Helm
\n<\/em><\/strong>The helm is where you\u2019ll find the skipper steering the boat. On larger boats, the helm is usually located higher up on deck, making it a good place to hang out if you\u2019re feeling seasick (Link: \/adventures\/five-ways-to-stop-seasickness).<\/p>\n

Keel
\n<\/em><\/strong>Hopefully you\u2019ll never see the keel of a boat while you\u2019re on board. That\u2019s because it\u2019s a long, heavy fin found under the bottom of the boat. It sticks into the water and gives the boat stability. This out-of-sight and underappreciated invention is the reason modern boats are very difficult to capsize.<\/p>\n

\"Essential

A deck plan of Intrepid’s catamarans.<\/p><\/div>\n

Tack
\n<\/em><\/strong>The word tack can be used in two different ways. The first is as a verb, meaning to change the direction of the boat\u2019s bow through the wind. The second is as a noun, referring to the boat\u2019s course and bearings, relative to wind direction (usually done by referencing the port and starboard sides of the boat). For instance, if the wind is blowing over your starboard side, you\u2019re on a starboard tack.<\/p>\n

Jibe
\n<\/em><\/strong>If a tack is leading the front of your boat through wind, then a jibe is leading with your behind \u2013 that is, changing the direction of the boat\u2019s stern through the wind. Choosing to change direction using the bow or stern comes down to circumstances, such as direction of the wind, what\u2019s around the boat and so on.<\/p>\n

Lines<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>When you\u2019re at sea, you refer to the boat\u2019s (many) ropes as lines. Try to be mindful of where you walk on deck so you don\u2019t accidentally trip on them.<\/p>\n

RELATED CONTENT: FIVE WAYS TO STOP SEASICKNESS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Cleat
\n<\/em><\/strong>Cleats are the silver handles sticking up from the deck around the boat. They\u2019re actually used to tie cleat knots (see below) and secure lines from the boat to the harbour.<\/p>\n

Mainsail
\n<\/em><\/strong>The largest and most important sail on any boat is called the Mainsail. It\u2019s the big triangular wedge of sheeting you\u2019ll find just after the boat\u2019s mast. The mainsail is weighed down with a thick, heavy pole at its base called a boom. Historically, the boom has also been referred to as the \u2018widow maker\u2019, due to the number of sailors killed by the mainsail pivoting in the wind and knocking people on the noggin (and often overboard), so remember to watch your head.<\/p>\n

Jib<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Playing second fiddle to the Mainsail is the jib. The jib does not have a boom and it can usually be found forward of the mast. Back in the days of pirates and conquests, the shape of the\u00a0jib\u00a0sail indicated the vessel’s nationality and whether it was an enemy or ally. Back then, liking the \u2018cut of someone\u2019s jib\u2019 meant you saw that sailor as a friend, but these days the term refers to whether the jib has been unfurled correctly with the wind.<\/p>\n

Knot so fast \u2013 basic knot-tying for beginners<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The figure-eight knot<\/strong><\/p>\n

This handy knot was designed to keep ropes from coming loose and running out of retaining devices, such as carabiners during rock climbing. If tied correctly, the figure-eight knot will jam under pressure. The figure-eight knot is also referred to as a Savoy knot, Flemish knot and double stopper.<\/p>\n

To tie, create a loop in the line by bringing the tail of the rope back over itself. Then thread under the rope and back through the loop to create a figure-eight pattern. Pull tight to close.<\/p>\n