AY Honors/Sailing/Answer Key

Have the Intermediate Swimming Honor.

See Intermediate Swimming Honor for requirements.

With the help of a friend, do the following.

Properly adjust sails for the following conditions:

• Beating the wind
• Beam reach
• Broad reach
• Close reach
• Downwind

Know how to tie and use the following knots in sailing:

Square knot.

Also known as Reef knot - The Square Knot is easily learned and useful for many situations. It is most commonly used to tie two lines together at the ends. This knot is used at sea in reefing and furling sails.

1. Pass left and over and under right end.

2. Curve what is now the left end toward the right and cross what is now the right end over and under the left.

3. Draw up tight.

Bowline.

This knot doesn't jam or slip when tied properly. Used to tie a halyard to a sail head.

1.Make the overhand loop with the end held toward you, then pass end through loop.

2.Now pass end up behind the standing part, then down through the loop again.

3.Draw up tight.

Clove hitch.

This knot is the "general utility" hitch for when you need a quick, simple method of fastening a rope around a post, spar or stake.

1.Make a turn with the rope around the object and over itself.

2.Take a second turn with the rope around the object.

3.Pull the end up under the second turn so it is between the rope and the object. Tighten by pulling on both ends.

Identify at least 15 parts of a sailboat.

The names of the parts of a sailboat can be broken down into three sets of terms:

• Parts of the sail
• Parts of the rigging
• Parts of the boat

Parts of the sail.

Battens

Plastic or wooden slats inserted in the leech of the mainsail to help stabilize back edge.

Clew

The lower aft corner of the mainsail. The clew is located where the leech and the foot intersect.

Cringle

A grommet or metal ring in a sail though which a line is usually attached.

Foot

The bottom edge of a sail. The foot of the sail is between the clew and the tack.

Grommet

A stainless steel ring within the clew, tack, or head of the mainsail. Used to connect a control line. Also known as cringle.

Head

Top of the Sail.

Jib

The sail between the forestay and the mast. Also called the headsail. There are several sizes of Jibs.

Leech (leach)

The aft or back edge of the sail. Lies between the clew and the head.

Luff

The forward edge of the sail or the flapping of a sail when it is not trimmed properly.

Mainsail

The sail aft of the mast which is attached to the mast and the boom.

Roach (or roach line)

An imaginary straight line between clew and head of the mainsail. Sail battens extend the leech of the mainsail beyond the roach line.

Spinnaker

A large balloon sail attached to the mast at the front of the boat. It is used when sailing directly downwind (running with the wind).

Tack

The front lower corner of the sail (same word used to describe point of sail)

Parts of the rigging.

Backstay

A line or cable which supports the mast from the stern of the boat.

Bail

A sturdy steel strap on the aft portion of the mast base to which the boom is connected.

Block

A device used to change a line's direction (nautical term for pulley).

Boom

The horizontal spar which extends aft (backwards) from the mast to which the foot of the mainsail attaches.

Boom Topping Lift

A line which extends from the boom to the mast. Supports the boom when the mainsail is taken down.

Boom Vang

A line which places downward tension on the boom.

Chain Plate

A metal plate to which a shroud is attached.

Cleat

A metal or plastic device used to secure a line. There are many types of cleats.

Cunningham

A line connected to the tack used to extend the luff of the mainsail downward toward the deck.

Forestay (Headstay)

A line or cable which supports the mast from the bow of the boat.

Gooseneck

A universal joint between boom and mast. The gooseneck attaches to the bail of the mast.

Halyard

A line (rope) used to raise a sail. Use a bowline to tie the head of the sail to the halyard

Mast

The main and highest spar in the center of the boat to which the jib and mainsail are attached.

Outhaul

Places backward tension on the clew of the mainsail. When tightened it will flatten the lower one-third of the mainsail.

Painter

A line used in securing your boat dockside or to accept a tow.

Reefing Line

A line used to shorten the sail.

Sheet

The chief line which is used to adjust a sail against the force of the wind. The mainsail has one sheet. The jib has two, a working (windward) sheet and a lazy (leeward) sheet.

Shroud Lines

Lines or cables which give lateral (side to side) stability to the mast.

Spar

Any pole or mast to secure rigging or sails to.

Spreaders

Horizontal spars which spread the shrouds from the mast.

Step

Portion of the hull that the mast rests upon. Also used as a verb to describe mating mast and hull... as in "Could you help me step the mast?"

Winch

A device used to tighten a line.

Parts of the boat.

Autobailer - A mechanism that (when open and boat is underway) drains water from the cockpit.

Beam - The boat's greatest width.

Bilge - The part of the hull below the cabin's floor, the lowest part of the boat.

Bow - Front of the boat.

Cockpit - The interior of the boat.

Daggerboard - The removable "keel" of your boat. The daggerboard makes sailing at an angle to the wind direction possible. The blunt edge of the daggerboard faces forward.

Daggerboard well - Also called the "trunk" or daggerboard slot. Narrow opening that daggerboard is inserted into. Deck - Top of the boat which covers the hull.

Gudgeon - A stainless steel strip attached to the outer wall of the transom. Mates with the pins (pintels) of the rudderhead.

Gunwale - Upper surface of a cockpit sidewall.

Hull - Body of the boat.

Pintel – A stainless steel pin located on the forward edge of the rudderhead. The rudders pintels are inserted into the transom gudegons to mate transom and rudder assembly.

Port - The boat's left side.

Rudder - A control surface located behind the transom. Used to steer your boat. Push the tiller to the left and the rudder goes right.

Rudderhead - A metal housing that connect rudder, tiller, and transom. A kick-up rudderhead is designed to allow the rudder to "kick-up" or hinge rearward upon striking bottom while sailing.

Stern - Back of the boat.

Starboard - The boat's right side.

Tiller - A spar attached to the rudder. If you turn the tiller to port the boat will go to starboard.

Transom - The aft (back) wall of your boat.

Demonstrate the rescue of a person overboard.

Note: This requirement should be done under the supervision of an adult, with a rescue boat, to give assistance if needed.

Demonstrate what to do when a sailboat capsizes.

Note: This requirement should be done under the supervision of an adult, with a rescue boat, to give assistance if needed.