Sailing essentials

306 Pages·2013·37.95 MB·English

by  Sleight

STEVE SLEIGHT
Contents
6 Introduction
LONDON • NEW YORK • MELBOURNE •
MUNICH • DELHI
COMFORT AND SAFETY
Editors: Gareth Jones, Satu Fox
Project Art Editor: Jill Andrews 10 Clothing
Production Editor: Lucy Sims 12 Head, hands, and feet
Production Controller: Mandy Inness
16 Life jacket and harness
Cover Designer: Mark Cavanagh
Managing Editor: Stephanie Farrow 18 Safety on deck
Managing Art Editor: Lee Griffiths 22 Boat safety equipment
DK India 26 Crew roles
Project Editor: Vibha Malhotra Editors: Pallavi
Singh, Gaurav Joshi Managing Editor:
Pakshalika Jayaprakash Project Art Editor: SAILING BASICS
Ranjita Bhattacharji Art Editors: Jaypal Singh
30 Parts of the boat
Chauhan, Swati Katyal, Tarun Sharma
Deputy Managing Art Editor: Priyabrata Roy 32 Basic forces
Chowdhury Managing Art Editor: Arunesh 36 Using the engine
Talapatra DTP Designers: Rajesh Singh
Adhikari, Arvind Kumar, Bimlesh Tiwary 38 Maneuvering under power
DTP Manager: Balwant Singh 40 Steering under power
Production Manager: Pankaj Sharma
42 Points of sailing
DK US 44 Steering controls
Senior Editor: Rebecca Warren
Editor: Justin Kavanagh 46 Sail controls
48 Winches and clutches
Produced for Dorling Kindersley by
Schermuly Design Co 50 Basic maneuvers
Project Editor: Cathy Meeus 52 Changing tack
Project Art Editor: Hugh Schermuly
54 Hoisting the mainsail
First American Edition, 2013
56 Dropping the mainsail
Published in the United States by DK Publishing
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 58 Unfurling the headsail
13 14 15 16 17 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 60 Furling and stowing the headsail
001–186989–May/2013 62 Sail trimming
66 Steering a course
Copyright © 2013 Dorling Kindersley Limited
68 Sailing on a reach
All rights reserved.
70 Sailing to windward
Without limiting the rights under copyright
72 Sailing downwind
reserved above, no part of this publication may
be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a 74 Tacking
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, 78 Jibing
or by any means (electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without 82 Heaving-to
the prior written permission of both the copyright 84 Types of spinnaker
owner and the above publisher of this book.
86 Hoisting the spinnaker
Published in Great Britain by Dorling 88 Dropping the spinnaker
Kindersley Limited.
90 End-for-end jibe
A catalog record for this book is available from
92 Dip-pole spinnaker jibe
the Library of Congress.
94 Reducing sail
ISBN 9781465408501
DK books are available at special discounts
A SECURE BERTH
when purchased in bulk for sales promotions,
premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. 98 Fenders
For details, contact: DK Publishing Special
100 Mooring warps
Markets, 375 Hudson Street, New York, New
York 10014 or [email protected]. 102 Choosing an approach
Color reproduction by [repro house] 104 Mooring alongside
108 Stern-to or bow-to
Printed and bound in China by Leo Paper
Products. 112 Arriving at a marina
Discover more at 114 Leaving a marina berth
www.dk.com
116 Using springs and warps REPAIRS AND
118 Leaving bow first MAINTENANCE
120 Leaving stern first 218 Engine care
220 Simple repairs
ANCHORING AND MOORING 222 Steering maintenance
124 Judging an anchorage 224 Rig checks and repairs
126 Anchors and chains 226 Sail maintenance
128 Anchoring routine 228 Hull maintenance
132 Using a mooring 230 Dealing with damage
134 Tenders
136 Getting into a tender KNOTS AND ROPE SKILLS
138 Getting out of a tender 234 Types of rope
236 Coiling a rope
LIVING ON BOARD 238 Stowing ropes
142 Sharing space 240 Figure-of-eight
144 Berths and stowage 241 Double overhand knot
146 Cooking on board 242 Bowline
148 Heads and plumbing 244 Round turn and two half-hitches
150 Electrical power sources 246 Clove hitch
152 Power usage 248 Reef knot
250 Sheet bend
MAKING A PASSAGE 252 Double sheet bend
156 Preparing a passage 253 Fisherman’s bend
158 Communication 254 Sealing rope ends
162 Buoyage and pilotage 256 Sailmaker’s whipping
166 Position and direction 258 Seizing
170 Understanding charts 260 Splicing
172 Working on paper charts
174 Navigation instruments EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
178 Tides 264 First-aid basics
180 Finding your position 272 Onboard emergencies
182 Shaping a course 274 Man overboard
186 Avoiding collisions 276 Practising the drill
188 Navigation lights 278 Fire on board
190 Sailing at night 280 Dismasting
192 Sailing in fog 282 Collisions at sea
194 Sailing in strong winds 284 Calling for help
288 Life raft procedures
UNDERSTANDING WEATHER 290 Rescue at sea
200 Weather information
204 Interpreting forecasts 292 Glossary
206 Weather fronts 299 Index
208 Wind speed 304 Acknowledgments
210 Daily changes
212 Land effects
Please note As with many sports, there
214 Wind, tide, and depth
are inherent risks with sailing. Don’t take
risks—wear a buoyancy aid or life jacket

and ensure that you have adequate
supervision as a beginner.

7
INTRODUCTION
IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn
Sailing is, in essence, a means of harnessing the wind
to take you across water, whether sea, lake, or river, to
wherever you want to go. To do this safely, there are many
skills to learn and remember. This book explains the
essential elements of cruiser sailing for those who have
never sailed before, as well as providing a handy “cheat
sheet” for more experienced sailors.
In this book, those who are new Experienced sailors can also use
to sailing will find out how to stay this book to hone their sailing
safe and comfortable on board, skills, by reminding themselves
how to work as part of a crew, of the basic procedures and
and will learn key sailing and techniques before a sailing trip,
seamanship skills. Sailors at all or at the end of a day’s sailing to
levels can benefit from the step- review what went well and what
by-step guidance on techniques could be improved with some
such as how to approach a marina additional practice.
berth and what ropes to use to
secure your boat. I hope Sailing Essentials becomes
your valued companion as you
There is also vital reference explore the pleasures of sailing
information, for example, on what and expand your horizons by
lights to use at night and how to cruising safely under sail.
access and understand weather
forecasts, as well as a guide to
buoyage, an introduction to the
basics of navigation, knots and
ropework, practical maintenance
skills, advice on what to do in an
emergency, and much more.
The aim of this book is to help
novice sailors to become useful
and effective members of the
crew, solve problems, identify
mistakes, and learn new skills. Steve Sleight
KEY
The following symbols appear throughout the book.
Wind direction Tide direction Boat direction
Comfort
and safety
Whatever boat you sail, you will have more
fun if you understand how to stay comfortable
afloat by protecting yourself from wind,
rain, sun, and spray. It is also essential
that you familiarize yourself with the
personal safety equipment on board.