RYA Day Skipper Module 1 General Seamanship

8/14/2019 RYA Day Skipper Module 1 General Seamanship

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RYADay

Skipper

Module1

GeneralSeamanship

ContentsNauticalTermsPartsoftheboat&HullGeneralNauticalTerminology

RopeworkKnowledgeofthepropertiesofsyntheticropesincommonuse

AnchorworkCharacteristicsofdifferenttypesofanchorConsiderationstobetakenintoaccountwhenanchoring

MarineEnvironmentResponsibilityforavoidingpollution&protectingtheenvironment


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ADefinitionofSeamanship

Theartofsailingandhandlingaboatmustbebasedonsoundknowledgenotonlyofyourownparticularboatandherbehaviour,butof shipsandboats ingeneraland theequipment theycarry,oftheenvironment inwhichtheysail thesea,riversandestuaries,harbourandcoastalfeatures,andofthemultitudeoffactors,peopleandorganisationswhichconstitutethesailor'sworld.

Toomuchfaithinsocalled'commonsense'canleadtotroublebecausealthoughcommonsenseisimportantitmustbeguidedbyproperlyacquiredknowledge.Thisknowledge,ofships,boats,theseaandallthingsconnectedwiththem,coupledwiththeabilitytosailandhandleyourownboatconstitutesseamanship.Thiscoursewillprovideyouwiththisknowledge;practicaltrainingand,aboveall,experiencewillprovideyouwiththeability.

Remember thateven themostexperienced seaman iscontinually learning,or relearning, thelessonsofthesea;therearealwaysfreshproblems,orbettersolutionstooldones.Soifyouareabeginnerthereisnoreasontobeashamedataskingforhelporguidanceonanyaspectofsea

going.In

fact,

you

will

be

respected

for

it.

The

person

whom

professional

seamen

or

experi

encedyachtsmenfindhardtotolerate isthefoolhardynovicewhothinksheknows itall,whowillnotheedadvice,andwhothenbecomesanotherstatisticofthecoastguardortheRNLI.

Seamanship is synonymouswith 'safety at sea'. Safety is not something to be bought as an

'extra' intheformofmanoverboardequipment,anarmouryofpyrotechnicdistresssignalsor

autoalarmswhichgo'bleepbleepbleep' usefulthoughthesethingsmaybe.

Safetycannotbeboughtatthechandlers,noristhereanysuchthingasa'safe'boat.Safetyde

pendsmuchmoreontheconductandabilityofthecrewandthe individual inchargeofaboat

than

on

the

boat

and

its

equipment.

Experiencedyachtdeliveryskipperssometimesnursethemost indifferentcraftthroughdread

fulweather conditionswith their expertise and seamanship.On the other hand, an inexperi

encednewcomercangooutinawelldesigned,wellbuiltandwellequippedvesselincompara

tivelycalmweatherandgetintotrouble innotimeatall.Safety is intrinsic,something'builtin'

tothewholeunit thepersonandtheirboat.

Seamanship(andthereforesafety)is,aswehaveshown,acombinationofknowledgeaboutthe

sea,boatsandtheirequipment allofwhichisprovidedinthiscourse andpracticalexperience,

whichonly

you

yourself

can

acquire.

This

module

aims

to

provide

you

with

some

essential

'background'nauticalknowledgeonwhichaproperunderstandingofseamanshipdepends.

Theseamanhasamultitudeoftermsandexpressionsuseddailywhichmustseemalmostlikeaforeignlanguagetothenewcomer,whomustthereforecometogripswiththisnewvocabularybeforehecandelvedeeperintothesubject.Agoodseamanmusthaveageneralknowledgeofalltypesofseagoingcraft,notjustthetypeinwhichheintendstosail,andhemustknowallthemajoritemsofaboat'sequipment(the'tools'ofseamanship),andfinallyheshouldknowsomethingaboutalltheharbourandcoastalfeatureswhichconstituteasailor'senvironment

.


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This section contains some of the basic nautical terms and definitions you will encounter boththroughoutthiscourseand inyourpracticaltrainingandexperience.Someoftheseyoumayknowalreadyandmanymoreyouwilllearnasthecourseproceedsandyourexperienceincreases.

Atfirstsightthisseeminglyendlesslistofnewtermsanddefinitionsmayseemalittledauntingbut

don'tbe

too

alarmed

if

you

are

unable

to

remember

them

all

after

a

single

reading.

Read

through

themacoupleoftimesandwheneveryoucomeacrossoneyoucan'tremember lookitup!

Bynomeansareallnauticalterms included inthis introduction indeed itwouldtakeseveral largevolumestoexplainallthetermswhichare incommonuse but it is importanttostartwithabasicvocabulary.

Manyfurthertermswillbeusedthroughoutyourcourse,mostofwhichwewillexplainwheneveranewone is introduced,but ifyouencountera termwhich isunknown toyouandwhich isnotexplained,donothesitatetoaskyourtutoritsmeaning.

1:Parts

of

the

boat

Inthetermsrelatingtoboatsmostarecommontoalltypesofcraft,butsomearepeculiartosailingboats andothers topowerboats.Although those keenon sailswillnot require adetailedknowledgeofpowercraft,andpowerenthusiastswillnotrequireadetailedknowledgeofsailingboats,itisnotwisetobetooselectiveatthisearlystage.

Ageneralknowledgeofalltypesofcraft,notmerelyyourown,shouldbeaimedat.Goodseamanship includesaknowledgeoftheworkingand limitationsofallseagoingcraft,togetherwithanunderstandingandappreciationofotherseamen'sproblemsandpointsofview.

Themainbodyofaboatiscalleditshull,whichisdividedapproximatelyintothree theforepart,themidshipspart,andtheafterpart.Theforepartendsinthestemandtheafterpartinthestern.Whenstandinganywhereinoronthehull,apersonisfacingforwardwhenhefacesthebowandfacingaftwhenhefacesthestern.

NauticalTerms


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Anylinewhichrunslengthwaysintheboatissaidtorunforeandaftandthelinewhichjoinsthemiddleofthestemtothemiddleofthesterniscalledtheforeandaftcentreline.

When facing thebow, thestarboardside isonyourrighthandandtheportsideisonyourleft.

Thelowermostpartofthehullunderthebottomofaboatiscalledthekeel.Thekeelofaseagoingboatis

usuallyfixed,

but

some

keels

can

be

retractable

and

arecalledcentreboardsordaggerplates.

Thepartofahullwhichcurvesintowardsthestemiscalledthebowand,dependingonwhichsideisbeingreferredto,maybecalledtheportboworthestarboardbow.Thepartofahullwhichcurvesintowardsthesterniscalledthequarter(portorstarboard),whilethecentrepartofthehulliscalledamidships.Thelengthofthehullextendingatbowandsternbeyondthewaterlineiscalledtheoverhang.Thelowermostpartofthestemiscalledtheforefoot.

Thehorizontaluppersurfaceofthehulliscalledthedeckor,becauseitisexposed,theweatherdeck.Thecurvegiventothesurfaceofadecksothatwaterwilldrainawaytotheboat'ssideiscalledthe

camber.

The

fore

and

aft

curve

of

a

deck

is

called

the

sheer

or

sheerline;

traditionally

this

is

lowest

amidshipsandrisesmoretowardsthebowthantowardsthestern,butaflatsheerisseenonsomeboatsorevenareversesheerinsomesmallercraft.

Whenaboat isafloat,thewaterlinedividesthehull intotwoparts,thetopsidesandthebottom.Abandofhardpaintaroundahullparalleltothewaterline,coveringtheareabetweenwindandwater,iscalledtheboottopping.'Betweenwindandwater'isthetermusedtodescribetheareanearthewaterlinewhichisalternatelysubmergedandexposedbythemovementofthewavesandrollingofthevessel.

Theheightof thedeckabove thewaterline at

anypoint

along

the

hull

iscalledthefreeboard.The depth of the keelbelow thewaterlineatanypointalongthehullis called the draught.When a vessel has thesame draught forwardas she has aft, she issaid to be on an even

keel;

when

she

has

more draught forwardthan aft she is said tobe trimmed by the

head,andwhenshehasmoredraughtaftthanforwardsheissaidtobetrimmedbythestern.Trimis,therefore,therelationofavessel'sforeandaftaxistothehorizontal.

Thegreatestwidthofthehulliscalledthebeam.Thepartofthebottomofthehullwhichisflatornearlyflatiscalledthebilge


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TypesofHull

Boatsperforminthewaterbasedonthephysicalshapeofthehull,andhowitsitsinthewater.Thetwogeneral typesofhullsaredisplacementandplaning.Othertypesofhullconstructioncombinefeaturesofthedisplacementandplaninghullsandarecalledsemidisplacementorsemiplanning.

DisplacementHull

Displacementhullspushthroughthewaterastheyhavenohydrodynamiclift,ortheboatdoesnotriseoutofthewaterasspeed increases.Themaximumspeedofthesehulls istypicallybetween1and1.5timesthesquarerootof theboat lengthbasedonhulldesign. Somegeneralcharacteristicsofadisplacementhullare: Ruggedconstruction Easytopropelthroughthewateratlowspeeds Largeinteriorspaces

PlaningHull

Planinghullsaredesignedtorunon topofthewaterathighspeeds.Toachievethistheytypicallyhaveaveryflatstern.Thehulldesign(shape)doesnotlimitthemaximumattainablespeedbutdoesaffectthepowerrequiredforittogetonplane(ontopofthewater). Somegeneralcharacteristics

ofaplaninghullare:

Athighspeedsinroughwaterthevesselwillhaveajarringrideasitpoundsintowavesandswells

Athighspeeds,hasatendencytoslidesidewaysinaturn

Tends

to

roll

at

rest

Inefficient at low speeds (takes more power to pushthroughthewater)

Semidisplacement/SemiplaningHulls

Semidisplacementorsemiplaninghullshavefeaturesofbothplaninganddisplacementhulls.Theyhaveamaximumhulldesignspeed.Exceedingthisspeedcanresultinerratichandlingandunstable

operation.There

is

not

one

hull

design

characteristic

that

differentiates

semi

displacement

from

semi

planinghull.Thegreaterthehydrodynamicliftandhigherthehulldesignspeedthemorelikelyitwillbe referred toasasemiplaninghull. Somegeneralcharacteristicsofa semiplaning/displacementhullare: Hasversatilityofcombiningspeedwithseaworthiness Offersadegreeofuseableinteriorspaces


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KeelsVarioustypesofkeelsfoundonsailingyachtsEachhasitsownmeritandthechoiceofkeellargelydependsuponthepurposeforwhichtheboathasbeenbought.

Thetraditionallongkeelisfoundonmanylongdistance cruising boats where

strength

and

directional

stability

is

para

mount,buttheirdesignmakesthemdifficult for closemanoeuvring in busymarinas.

A

development

of

the

long

keel

is

the

'fin

and

Skeg'

inwhich the total areaof the keel is reduced,butthere isstilla fairly substantial finkeelandprotectionfortherudderbywayofaSkeg.

Asinglefinkeelmeansthatwhenaboatdriesoutshewilllieatanacuteangle,unlesssupportedbyasetof legsor a harbourwall.At sea shewill sailclosertothewind.

Bilgekeelsortwinkeelsareidealforsailingareaswheretherangeoftideissuchthatmanyharboursandanchoragesdryout,leavingtheboatuprightandcomfortabletostayaboard.Generally,however,theywillnotsailasclosetothewindassinglekeelboats,andon somedesignswhere thebilgekeelsare setwideapart they can be uncomfortablewhen sailing towindward.

Lifting keels and centreboards offer a compromise betweenafinkeelandabilgekeelboat,aswhenthekeelisretracted theboathasbothashallowerdraughtandtheabilitytosituprightonitshull.Thisobviousadvantagecanbeoffsetbytheliftingmechanismrequiredtoperformthisoperation,becauseattheveryleastitwillsubstantially intrude intothe livingaccommodationoftheboat,and itcouldpossiblyfail,resultinginakeelwhichisstuckinoneposition.


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Basicfeaturesofapowerboat

PartsofaPowerBoat

Partsof

a

Motor

Cruiser


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PowerVesselControls

SternDrive

Thesterndriveengineisoftendescribedasaninboard/outboard.The

mainbodyoftheengineismountedinboard,butthelegsprotrude

throughthetransom.Theboatissteeredbyturningtheleg.

PowerTrim

Inadditiontosteering,thesterndrive legsare

usedto

adjust

the

trim

of

the

boat,

this

is

achievedbyahydraulicramraisingor lowering

the leg. Moving the leg away from the boat

causes the bow to rise, which improves per

formanceinfollowingseas.

Movingthe legforward,keepsthebowdown,

reducingslamminginheadseas

TrimTabs

Trimtabsare locatedoneachsideoftheboat

attheloweredgeofthetransom,theytooare

controlledbyhydraulic rams.Theycanalsobe

usedtocontrolthe fore&afttrimoftheboat.

Bothtabs

up

will

bring

the

bow

up,

both

tabs

downwilllowerthebow.Port

Trim

Tab

Starboard

Trim

TrimTabUp TrimTabDown

Sternlegawayfromtheboat

Sternlegclosetotheboat


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Windagecancausetheboattoheeloverslightly,thiscanbecompensated

forbyadjustingthetrimtabsindividually

Adjusting thePorttabdownwill

lifttheportsideoftheboat

Adjusting theStarboardtabdownwill

liftthestarboardsideoftheboat

BowThruster

Abowthrusterisasmallpropellersituatedinthebow.Itisusefulforturningintight

spacesandforberthing,particularly whensidewindsareaproblem

Bowthruster


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TheCockpit

The cockpit is a well, usually in the afterpartofthehull,fromwhichasailingyachtiscontrolled.Many power boats also have a

cockpit,but

such

craft

are

usually

con

trolled from a raised platform or wheelhouseamidships.

Principlepartsofamodernsailingyacht

Detaileddescriptions

of

each

of

these

parts

can

be

found

in

the

course

glossary


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MastsandsparsVirtuallyallmastsandsparsnowadaysaremadeofaluminiumalloybecause thisprovidesalmosttwice the strength for barely half theweight ofwood. As previouslymentioned, power boats,unless theyaremotorsailers,mayhaveonlyashortmast forsupportingnavigation lights,signalhalyards,etc,orperhapsnomastatall,butinasailingvesselthefunctionofamastisnotonlytosupportthesailsbuttotransmitthepropulsiveforcegeneratedbythewindinthesailstothevessel'shull.Oldersailingcraftwithwoodensparshaveeithersolid'grown'masts(wholetrees)offir

orNorwegian

spruce,

or

hollow

'built'

masts.

Bermudian

rig

masts

must

remain

absolutely

straight

andstaying iscomplicated,butmasts forgaff riggedcraftdonotneedsuchpowerfulstayingastheyarenotundersuchhighcompression.

Aboomisasparholdingthefootofasail,andmaybeeitherflatorroundinsection.Itisconnectedtothemastbyauniversal jointcalledagooseneck.Spreadersorcrosstreesaresparshorizontallyathwartamastwhichcarrytheuppershroudstothemasthead,spreadingtheangleforbetterleverage.Agaff isasparattheheadofagaffsail,projectingaftfromthemastatanangleofabout45.

Abowsprit

is

a

spar

carrying

the

jib

sail

forward

of

the

bows,

whereas

a

short

spar

called

a

bumpkin

canextendoverthesterntotakeabackstayorthelowerblockofamizzensheet.

StandingRigging

A mast is stayed (i.e. supported in position) by itsstandingrigging,consistingofforestaysandbackstayswhich support it in a foreandaft direction, and

shroudswhich

support

it

in

an

athwartships

direction.

RunningRigging

A sailing vessel's sails are controlled by running rigging,consistingofhalyardsforhoistingandloweringsails,sheetsfortrimmingthesails,andatoppingliftwhichsupportstheboomwhennosailsareset.


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SmallsailingcraftThe rigof sailing vessels has changed through the ages,partlydue to technical innovation, butmainlybecausesailhasnowbecometheprovinceofthe leisuresailorand isno longerusedcommercially.

Themodernforeandaftrigallowsaboattosailclosertothewindand tobemoreeasilymanaged.Butevenwith

thistype

of

rig,

fashion

has

changed.

In

the

past,

sailing

boats innorthern latitudes favoured thegaff rig,with itsshort, strong mast, ruggedness and manageability inheavyweather.Damagecouldbeeasilyrepairedwithmaterials on board because this rig has fewer specialisedparts.Withtheadventofmodernmaterials,however,themoreefficientandeasilyhandledBermudianslooprighascomeintoitsown.Thisisariginwhichallthesailssetonthemastsaretriangularinshape,comingtoapointat(ornear)themasthead.

TheBermudiansloopisthesimplestofrigs,beingasinglemastedyachtsettingamainsailandonlyoneothersail(atanyonetime)aheadofthemast.

Asinglemastedvesselcarryingtwoheadsailsatanyonetimeiscalled a cutter. This might be

eithera

Bermudian

cutter

or

a

gaffcutter,thelatterhavingasparcalledthegaffattheheadofthemainsail,andanothersparextendingaheadof thebowcalledabowspritonwhichtheforwardheadsailisset.

Foreaseofhandling sails in largerboats, the sailplan isoften splitbetweenmasts,asintheketch,yawlorschooner.Intheketchandtheyawl,

themainmast (largest) is the forwardone,withasmallermizzenmastaft.

Ifthe

mizzenmast

is

aft

of

the

rudderpost,

the

vessel

is

a

yawl.

In

a

ketch,usuallya largervesselthanayawl,themainsailisproportionatelysmallerandthemizzenlargerthanintheyawl.

Aschoonerusuallyhastwomasts,themainmastbeingaft,butoccasionallyhasthreeormoremasts.

Oncethemostpopularrigfor largeryachts,theschoonerhasbeenlargelyreplacedbytheketch.

BermudianSloop

GaffRiggedYawl

BermudianCutter

Ketch

Schooner


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MultiHulls

Multihullcraft

developed

originally

from

Polynesian

outrigger

canoes.

The

catamaran

is

a

twin

hulledmotororsailingcraft,andthetrimaranhasanormalimmersedtypeofhullwithasubsidiaryhulloneitherside.Theyhavetheadvantageofbeingshallowerandmuchmorespaciousthanconventionaldeepkeeledcraft.Their largebeamgivesthemgreat initialstability,but iftheyarecap

sizedinheavyweathertheyareunabletorecover.


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Smallpowercraft

Boatsdrivenbyengineshaveadifferentcharactertosailingcraft.Apowerboatthrustsitselfattheseas,forcingitswaythroughthewaves.Powerboatsgenerallyfallintotwocategories;thosewithplaninghullswhichatspeedrisebodilyabovethewater,andthosewithdisplacementhullswhichremainevenlytrimmedand,asthenamesuggests,displacethewaterattheirbow.

Mostpowerboatscanbefittedwithanyoneofthewidevarietyofengines. Inconsidering the sizeofengine requireditisthecontinuousratingwhichissignificant,notthemaker'squotationsofmaximumpower.Therevolutions perminute atwhich the power is developed, together with the length of stroke, dictate the pistonspeed which for a continuous runningmarine engineshouldnotbeover1500rev/min.Manypowerfulbuthighrevvingenginesmaybesplendidfortowingwaterskiersroundthebaybutnotforpunchingaheavyyachtagainst

windand

sea

over

a

period

of

several

hours,

or

perhaps

days.

ThetypicalplaninghullwithsharpVbow,awideflatsternandchinesisunsuitable for extendedpassagesoffshorenotonlybecauseofdifficultsteeringtendenciesinroughfollowingseas,butalsobecause steeringmaybedifficultunderany conditionsat low speedswhen the submerged fine

bowcauses theboat to losedirectionalstability. Furthermore, in some sea conditionsthere may be pounding under the chines,and when this type of hull lacks adequateflareandfreeboardforwarditcouldlacksufficient buoyancy for safety in head seas atany speed. In spite of the foregoing paragraph and the expense of fuel, highspeedplaningmotor yachts havebecome increasinglypopularinrecentyears,relyingontheirspeed to reach their destination in calm toslightseas.

Motorcruisers,astheirnamesuggests,arefullypoweredboatsfromabout7metres(20ft)to14metres(45ft) in length.Largercraft15metresormore in lengthwouldmoreappropriatelybedescribedasmotoryachts.

Heavy fishingtypepowercrafthave longbeen regardedas thesafestkindofmotorboat forextendedpassagesoffshore.Consequentlydeepwatercommercialfishingcrafthaveexertedastronginfluenceon thedesignofoffshoremotorboats,andpleasurecraftof thiskindareoftencalledMFVmotorfishingvessel)typeyachts,beingdeepbodied,fullended,heavilybuilt,andwithadisplacementtypehull.


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MostMFVtypesarepoweredbydieselengines for fuel economy, reliability andsafety,andinthesmallestvesselsasinglescrew installation takes up less space, islighter,cheaperto installandrequireslessmaintenance than a twinscrew installation;inaddition,thecentrelinepropelleriswell

protected

by

the

keel

and

the

MFVs

relativelydeepdraughtallowsample rudderdepthanddeepimmersionofthepropeller.

A problem with a singlescrew offshoremotorboat lacking sail propulsion, however, is the completedisability in theeventofengine failure. From thispointof view twinengineandpropellerinstallationsaresafer,butthenpropellersandshaftsaremorevulnerabletodamageandcannotbeimmersedasdeeplyascanasinglescrew.

Many

powerboat

owners

prefer

to

rely

on

some

sail

for

standby

propulsion,

but

as

a

rule

true

powerboatscannotbemade tosail towindward.Tosail towindward,avesselmusthaveafairly largeefficient sail rigandampledraught toprevent leeway.Thepowerboatwith suchcharacteristicsmaythenbetermedamotorsailer.

Motorsailers

Definitionsofthistypeofvesselvary,butapowerboatwithsailsisnotgenerallyregardedasamotorsailerunlessshecanmakeatleastsomeprogresstowindwardandusuallythisvesselisfairlyclosetothetypeknownasa'5050',meaningthatabouthalfthepropulsivepowerisallottedtotheengineandtheotherhalftothesails.

Motorsailers

have

many

advantages

over

power

boatsforlongrangecruisingandpassagemakinginthata reasonablyefficient sailplanprovideseconomyoffuel,twomeansofpropulsion,greaterversatilityforheavyweathermanagementandthealleviationofannoyingenginenoises,smellsandvibrationsoverlengthyperiodsoftime.

Somepeoplecanberatherdismissiveofmotorsailersonthegroundsthattheyneithermotornorsailproperly.Thedayswhenyachtswerebuiltwithsmall

auxiliary

engines

used

only

to

potter

in

and

outofanchoragesarelonggone,andmostproductionsailingboatsnowhaveengineswhichenablethemtomakelongpassagesasquicklyunderpowerastheycanundersail,thusmakingthemmotorsailersinthetruesenseoftheword.


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Termsrelatingtopositionanddirectionwithinandoutsideavessel

'Board'istheoldnameforaship'sside,hencetheterminboardreferstoanythingwithinaboat,whilethetermoutboardreferstoanythingoutsidetheboat'ssides,whetherornotitisactuallyattachedtotheboat;forinstance,onalargeyachtadinghymaybeeitherstowedinboardorslungoutboard.

Todescribeaposition intheforeandaftdirection inaboatyouwouldsay,for instance,'themast isforward' (pronounced 'forrard')and 'thecockpit isaft'.Comparing thepositionofobjectsonewithanother,

the

cockpit

is

abaft

(aft

of)

the

saloon,

the

pulpit

is

before

or

forward

of

the

mast.

Apositionacrossthewidthorbeamofaboat iscalledathwartships;apositionalongthelengthofaboat is referred toas foreandaft.Combining the terms justdescribedwithportandstarboard, thepositionofanobjectonboardcanbedescribedaccuratelyasshownintheillustration.Examplesmightbe'lyingforeandaftontheportsideforward',or'lyingathwartshipsonthestarboardsideamidships'andsoon.

The steps leadingdown from thecockpittotheaccommodationare

calledthe

companionway

and

the

procedureofgoingdownthese iscalledgoingbelow.Ascendingthecompanionway is going on deck.Within a boat's hull, walls arecalled bulkheads, the ceiling iscalledthedeckheadand theflooristhecabinsole.

Ahead, astern and abeam aretermsusedtodescribethedirectionofanobjectorpointofreferenceoutsideavessel.Inaddition,when an object is midway betweenaheadandabeamit issaidto bear on the bow, and when

midway

between

abeam

and

astern it is said to bear on thequarter.Theexpressionsfineandbroad may be used relative toaheadorastern; forexample,anobject may be fine on the starboardbow,orbroadontheportquarter


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Termsrelatingtothemovementofashiporboat

Avesselisunderwaywhensheisnotmadefasttoabuoyorquayortheshore,noratanchor,noraground.Whenavesselismovingthroughthewatersheissaidtobemakingway.Ifsheismovingtoofastshe issaidtohavetoomuchwayon.Note,however,thatavesselmaybeunderwaybutstopped,andcarefuldistinctionmustbemadebetween the termsunderwayandmakingway.Avessel isonlymakingwaywhen she isactually forgingaheadorasternunder sailormechanicalpower,sothatavesselwhichisstoppedanddriftingthroughthewatermerelyundertheinfluenceofwindandwaves isunderwaybutnotmakingway.

Avesselissaidtoheavetowhenshestopsatsea, perhaps in heavy weather to await thepassing of the storm in order to minimisedamagetothevesselbyforgingahead.Aves

selhove

to

in

this

manner

may

use

a

little

sail

orenginepowertomaintainherpositionwiththeseasononebow,butalthoughunderwayisnotregardedasmakingway.

Whenmovingahead,avessel issaidtobegoingaheadormakingheadway;whenmovingasternsheisgoingastern.Avesselgatherswaywhenshebeginstomovethroughthewater,andshehas

steerageway

when

her

speed

is

sufficient

for

steering

(i.e.

the

rudder

becomes

effective).

Avesselmovingsidewaysissaidtobemovingbroadsideon(toportorstarboard);ifsheismakingheadwayandatthesametimebeingblownsidewaysbythewind,sheissaidtobemakingleeway.When thewind isblowingon toone sideof thevessel, that side iscalled theweather side; theother,shelteredsideiscalledtheleeside.

Avesselissaidtobeadriftordriftingwhenbrokenawayfromhermooringsandwithoutmeansofpropulsion.Whentwovesselsaresailingparalleltoeachotherandare levelwitheachotherthey

aresaid

to

be

abreast.

When

a

vessel

is

lying

next

to

another

vessel

or

next

to

a

quay

it

is

said

to

be

alongsidetheothercraftorquaywall.

VesselHoveTo


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Termsusedinsailing

Closehaulediswhenthesheetsarehauledintightandtheboatissailingascloseaspossibletothedirectionfromwhichthewindisblowing.

Fullandby issailingnotquitesoclose to thewindasclosehauled,with thesails fullandconsequentgaininspeed.

Sailingfreeiswhenaboat'ssailsarefilledandsheisnotsailingclosehauled,iesailingsothatsheis

freeto

manoeuvre

on

either

side

of

her

course

without

having

to

go

about.

See

tacking.

Beamreachingiswhenaboatissailingfreewiththewindabeam.Sheisonaclosereachwhenthewind is forwardof thebeamandonabroad reachwhen thewind isabeamorslightlyabaft thebeam.

Runningiswhenaboatissailingwiththewindabaftthebeam.Seegoosewing.

Beatingistheseriesofalternativetacksaboatmakeswhenherdestinationliesdirectlyupwind.

Toluffistoaltercoursetobringtheboat'sheadclosertothewind.

Tobearawayistoaltercoursetobringtheboat'sheadawayfromthewind.


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Inironsistofailtogoaboutwhenattemptingtotack,sothattheboatliesheadtowindunabletopayoffoneitherside.

Toweatheranobjectmeanstopasstowindwardofit.

Tobackasailistotrimitsoastocatchthewindonwhatwouldnormallybeitsleeside.

To

heave

to

is

to

stop

a

craft

under

way

for

any

reason,

(eg,

for

a

breather,

to

reef,

or

because

theweather istoobadtocontinue).Asailingboat isusuallyhove toasclosetothewindaspossiblecarryingminimumcanvas.

Toshortensailistotakeinsailbyreducingthenumberofsailssetorbyreefing.

Tosetsailormakesailistohoistthesailsandgetunderway.

Togoosewingistosetalternatesailstostarboardandtoportwhenrunningbeforethewind.

Toreefistoreducethesailarea.

In

steering

a

sailing

craft,

the

tiller

is

referred

to

as

the

helm,

and

in

directing

its

movement

ref

erence ismadetotheweatherorleesideofthecraft.Whenthehelm isputtoweather,thebowswillpayofforbearawayfromthewind,andwhenputtoleethebowswillluffuporturntowardsthewind.Closehaulediswhenthesheetsarehauledintightandtheboatissailingascloseaspossibletothedirectionfromwhichthewindisblowing.

Tacking aboat isontheporttackwhenshehasthewindonherportside,andonthestarboardtackwhenshehasthewindonherstarboardside.Aboattacksorgoesaboutwhenshechangesfromonetacktotheotherbyluffingupintothewindandthenbearingawayfromitontheoppositetack.

Gybingis

the

procedure

of

changing

tacks

when

running,

putting

the

stern

through

the

wind.

Tacking

Starboard

Tack

PortTack

Gybing

PortTack

Starboard

Tack


21/44

21

Knots,Lines&Ropework

LearningthefundamentalsofRopework isavitalsteptobecomingaproficientskipper.Youwillneed toknowwhich lines touse for specific tasks, (mooring,anchoring, riggingetc.)&whatknotsorfittingsshouldbeemployedtosecurethem.Youwillalsoneedtoknowhowto

lookafter

your

lines,

how

to

coil,

handle

&

stow

them,

the

use

of

cleats

&

winches

etc.

Materialsusedinropemaking

Syntheticfibreropeswere introduced inmarineapplicationsmanyyearsago,andsincethenhavebecomefirmlyestablishedassuperiortonaturalfibreropes.Nowadaysvirtuallyonehundredpercentoftheropesusedaresynthetic.

The three types that virtually cover the range of synthetic ropes are nylon, polyester

(Teryleneor

Dacron)

and

polypropylene.

Essentially

all

of

these

are

entirely

man

made

in

that

theyhavenocounterpartinnature,andastheyareallthermoplasticmaterialstheycanbetailoredbyheatmanipulationandorientationtoawidevarietyofsizes,finishesandstrengths.

Syntheticfibreropes,unlikenaturalfibreropes,arenotaffectedbygeneralweatheringbutareattackedbysunlight.Thesmallertheropethegreaterthelossofstrengthowingtoexposuretosunlight,asalmostalltheropeyarnsareonthesurfaceofthestrands.Polypropyleneropesaretheworstaffectedbysuchexposuretothesunlight,followedbynylonandTerylene.

All

synthetic

fibre

ropes

are

immune

from

attack

by

water

or

ma

rine organisms, and are equally flexiblewet or dry.Nylon losesabout 7% of rope strength when saturated but recovers to fullstrength on drying out. Experiments have shown that after sixmonths' immersion in fresh and seawater, synthetic fibre ropesshowednosignificantlossofstrength.

Syntheticfibreropes,unlikenaturalfibreropes,whenapproachingtheirbreakingpointgivenoaudibleorvisualwarning.Stretch imparted tomanmade fibre ropes is recovered almost instantaneouslywithreleaseoftension,andwithconsiderablerecoilshould

therope

fracture.


22/44

22

AsTerylenedoesnotstretch it is idealforhalyardsonsailingvesselsand inthemanufactureofthesailsthemselves.Nylon,ontheotherhand,willstretch20%inlengthandwillabsorbshockloads,forthisreason it isparticularlysuitableforanchorwarps,towropes,etc.Polypropylenealsostretches,floatsandischeaperthannylonsoisidealformooringropes.Wireropeisgenerallyusedforstandingriggingandisusuallymadeofstainlesssteel.

Whenavessel isberthedalongsideaquaywall,pieror jetty,orbetweenbuoys,she issecuredby

mooringlines.

A

line

used

for

mooring

a

vessel

by

heaving

on

it

to

ease

her

into

a

lock

or

dock,

or

to

moveheralongaquay,iscalledawarp.Smallcraftmayhaveawarpattachedtotheendoftheiranchorchainforveeringorweighinganchor.

Aheavinglineisalightropeusedwhenberthingtoestablishinitialcontactwiththeshoreinordertopassthemooringlinesorawarp.

Whenattachingfittingstooneanotherweuseavarietyofshackles.Themostusualone isthestraightshackle, inwhichthepincan be unscrewed and removed. There are also snapshackles,

whichmay eitherbeof the

spring

or

the

plunger

type

and bottlescrews (riggingscrews) which, whenscrewed up, shorten andhencetightentheriggingorviceversa.

Tacklesarecommonlyusedinalltypesofvesseltoaugmenttheavailablemanpowerwheneveraloadhastobemovedorlifted.

Atackle

is

a

combination

of

pulley

blocks

with

rope

or

chain

which

formapurchase adevicethatwillincreasetheforceavailable.

Davitsaresmallcranelikedevices forsecuringand launchingdinghiesorlifeboats.Theyareoftenfoundonquaywallsfortheconvenientlaunchingofsmallboats,andonlargerseagoingyachtstosecuredinghiesortenders.Eachdavithasablockandtackleanda

boatmay

be

swung

in

boardforsnugstorageatsea,orswungoutboardforlowering down into thewater clear of the vessel's side orstern.


23/44

23

RopeConstruction

Ropeismanufacturedbycombiningselectedfibreintolongribbonsknownassliver,whicharelatertwistedupintoyarns.Theseyarnsarethentwistedintostrands,threeorsometimesfourofthelatterbeingfinallylaidupintothefinishedrope.Theprimaryobjectoftwistingfibrestogetherinaropeisthattheyareheldtogetherbyfrictionwhenstressisappliedtothewhole.

Traditionally, rope is of a three strand composition whichmaybemadeupinoneoftwoways.

Righthandlaymeansthefinallayingupofthestrandsisthesamewayas inascrewthread,and this isdescribedasaZtwist. Lefthand lay is the reverse of this, described as Stwist.

Plaitedand braidedsyntheticropesareusedincreasinglyonboardyachts.Theadvantagesaresoftnessinhandling,freedomfromtorque,goodwinchingproperties, low stretch, excellent wear as the outersheath protects the strong inner core, and no ten

dencyto

unlay.

Thechoiceofropeforvariousapplications

Thethreetypesofsynthetic ropematerialsvary in theirsuitability fordifferentapplications:nylonhasahightensilestrengthandquiteconsiderableelasticity;polyesterfilamentsarealmostasstrongbutlesssusceptibletostretchandarealsoveryhardwearing,whilepolypropyl

enesare

not

as

strong

as

either

but

are

light

and

less

expensive.

Note

that

with

the

excellent

modernfinishesthedifferentmaterialsarenotreadilydistinguishableatfirstglance,andalsothatsyntheticropesdevelopasurfacehairinessverysoonintheirlifebutthisisnotnecessarilyanindicationofchafeandtheropemay(withpropercare)remainserviceableforanumberofyears.


24/44

24

Varioustypesofsyntheticropearerecommended forthefollowingapplications.

Mooringropes:nylonisstrongandshockabsorbentbutthecheaperpolypropyleneisusuallyadequateifrenewedperiodically.

Anchorwarps:alwaysusenylonbecauseitisstrongandelasticwithexcellentshockabsorbentproperty.Plaitednylon ismostsuitableasitwilllaybetterwhenuncoiledandabout45metresofchainmustbeusedbetweenthenylonandtheanchorsothattheanchorcorrectlyliesontheseabed.

Halyards: for rope halyards use prestretched polyester

(Teryleneor

Dacron).

For

wire

halyards

where

a

rope

tail

is

used,

braidedTeryleneiskinderonthehandsandwillliebetterwhencoiled.

Sheets:braidedTeryleneshouldbeusedasitiskindtothehandsandhasagoodfrictionalsurfaceforgrippingthedrumofasheetwinch.

Mostmanufacturersnowadaysproducetheirropeincoloursfromwhite blue,red,greenandyellow,eitherasasolidcolourorspeckled.Rationaluseofthesecoloursforsheetsandhalyardscanleadtoaconsiderableimprovementindeckworkbyaidingidentification.Thereisnologicalreasonwhyaspecificcolourshouldbeusedforparticularapplications,butasmostoftheropemanufacturerssuggestmoreorlessthesamecoding,itseemsreasonabletocomply

withthis

in

the

interests

of

standardisation.

This

recommended

code

is

as

follows:

Blue forheadsailsheetsandhalyards(exceptwheretwogenoahal yardsarecarried,inwhichcaseoneshouldbeofadifferentcol our).

Red forspinnakersheetsandhalyard.

Yellow forforeguysandothercontrolgear,butportandstarboardcan bedifferent.

White formainsheetandhalyard,andalsoforvariousmiscellaneous applications.

Youmaywishtochooseyourowncoloursbuttheimportantthingistodifferentiatebetween

controllines,

where

confusion

might

have

undesirable

consequences

if

the

wrong

line

is

thrownoffintheheatofthemoment.

PlaitedNylon


25/44

25

Themeasurement,sizesandstrengthofrope

Allropeandwire,whethermadefromnaturalorsyntheticfibre,ismeasuredbyitsdiameterinmillimetres.

Asfar

as

strength

is

concerned,

most

modern

ropes

are

far

in

excess

of

the

minimum

safe

working load required, because if a synthetic ropewere chosen to be of just adequatestrengthforagivenpurpose, itwouldbetoothintohandlewithanycomfort.Forthisreason it ishandlingcharacteristicsaswellasstrengthwhichdeterminestheselectionofsize.The tablebelowshowssuitableminimumsizesofsynthetic ropes foroffshoreyachtsandalthoughthesizeofaboat isan indicationof itsdisplacement, itmustbeappreciatedthattherecanbeaconsiderabledifference inweightbetweena 10metre roundthecans flyerandan11metrefullykittedoutlongkeeledbluewatercruiser.

The strengthof rope ingeneral shouldbegauged from themanufacturer's data, and asstatedabovemostmodernropesselectedfromthetablebelowwillbeinexcessofthemini

mumsafe

working

load

for

their

purpose.

Itshouldbenotedthatstrengthdatasuppliedbymanufacturersappliesonlytonewrope.Itisnotpossibletolaydownruleswhichcanbeappliedtodeterminethedegreeofdeteriorationintensilestrengthwhichhasoccurredinusedrope.Appearance,stretchandreductioninsizeareallimportantfactorsinthiscasewhichcanonlybelefttojudgementandexperience.


26/44

26

CareofRope

Thelifeofropewillbeconsiderablyprolongedifthefollowingpointsarenoted:

1. Thelifeofaropedependsontheamountitisusedunderstrain,becausethefibrestendtoslipasmallamountundereachloadinspiteofthetwistgivenduringmanufacture.Noat

temptshould

therefore

be

made

to

put

a

heavy

strain

on

a

rope

which

has

been

well

used,

or

onceloadedtonearbreakingpoint.

2. Dryanywetropesnaturally,notbyartificialheat.3. Examineropesregularlyandfrequentlyforchafe.

4. Fatigueshowsasareductioninthediameteroftheropebelowitsspecifiedsize.Thisindicatesthattheropehasstretchedunderheavyloadandhasfailedtoreturntoitsnormalcondition.Sucharopeshouldonlybeusedwithgreatcaution.

5. Ifaropeshowsnosignofdamageorfatigueitisunlikelytobemuchbelowitsfullstrength,butconsiderationmustbegiventoage.

6. Kinkingpermanentlydamagesaropeandsharpanglesmustbeavoided.Neverattempttopullakinkoutofarope chasethekinkalongthecoiluntilitrunsoutattheend.

7. Splicing is thebestwayof joining ropes.A rope isnotprogressivelyweakenedbyan increasednumberofsplices theapproximate10%reduction inropestrengthatasplice isequallyeffectiveifone,ormore,splicesareinarope.

8.Cut

out

any

particularly

worn

or

damaged

parts

of

a

rope

and

splice

up.

9. Arighthandedropeshouldalwaysbeuncoiledbytakingawaythatendofthecoilwhichenablestheturnstobetakenoffanticlockwise,iethecoilisunwoundlefthanded.Thereverseapplies to lefthanded ropes.Thereforearighthanded rope iscoileddownsothattheturnsformclockwiseanda lefthandedropecoileddownsothattheturnsformanticlockwise.

10. ropescanbecleanedbydousingwell infreshwater.Saltcrystalsshouldbewashedoutofropesasfrequentlyaspossiblesincetheyhardenthefibreandcauseinternalabrasion.

Becauseof

(6)

above,

knots

reduce

the

strength

of

a

synthetic

fibre

rope

by

between

50%

and

70%.


27/44

27

Protectingropefromchafe

Syntheticropeissodurableandresilientthatwetendtoregarditasbeingimmunetoanysortofwearandtear,butwhensubjecttochafeitcanveryquicklypart.Particularlyvulnerablearemooringlines,anchorwarps,andhalyards.

Temporarychafing

gear

to

protect

a

rope

where

it

is

subject

or

liable

to

chafe

against

some

solid

or

abrasiveobjectcanbeachievedbywrappingalmostanythingroundtheaffectedpart,fromlengthsofoldropestrandstocanvasorplastictubing(suchasanoldgardenhose).

Amorepermanentmeansofprotectingrope,particularlyasplice, isbyserving it.Thisconsistsofputting a tightbinding round the spliceor lengthof ropewithwaxedTerylenewhipping twine.When it is impracticable toprotect the ropebecause of its length (for instance when a sheet chafes against theshrouds),alwaysmakesurethatthereisnothingthattheropecansnag

upon

that

might

accelerate

wear.

Rigging

screws

with

exposed

pins

are

particularlytroublesomeinthisrespectandshouldbecoveredbyflexibleplasticprotectors.Plastic tubingover the shrouds themselves reduceschafetoaminimum.

PartsofaRope


28/44

28

Winches

Winchesallowyoutoexertforceon linesbycombininggearreduction and leverage. By using a longer handlewhich turns asmaller diameter drum, and by utilizing ratchets to keep thedrum from turning thewrongway,winches let you tame sails

which

would

otherwise

be

too

hard

to

control.

Most

sailors

can

producefiftypoundsormoreoftensiononalinebypullingonit.Largecruisingandracingboatsmayhavesheet loads inthe500to5,000 lb. range,which requiresus tomultiplyourotherwiseinadequatestrength.Therefore,weusetacklesorwinchestoincreaseeffectiveness.Winchesusebothleverageandgearreduction toincreasepower.

Types

of

gearing

Onespeedwinches:Turnonedrumrevolutionforeveryhandlerevolution.Limitedtosmallwinches,theseofferlimitedmechanicaladvantage.Leastexpensiveofallwinchtypes.

Onespeedgearedwinches:Thehandleactsonthedrumthroughaseriesofgearsto increasemechanicaladvantage.Thegear reductionallows thewinch toexertmorepower thananongearedwinch.Handleratchetsintheotherdirection.

Twospeedwinches:Increasepoweravailablebychangingspeedswhenthehandleisrotatedintheoppositedirection.Turnthehandleclockwisefora1:1gearratio;turnittheotherwayfor5:1or6:1.Alessexpensivewayofgettingtwopowerratiosinthesamewinch.

Twospeedgearedwinches:Usegearreductions inbothdirections.Firstgearmighthavea2:1ratioandsecondspeedmightbe7:1.Firstspeed(thefastspeed)canbeclockwiseorcounterclockwise,sowatchout.

Threespeedwinches:Popularonracingboats,expensiveandcomplicated.Threespeedsaccommodatebothfasttrimmingandhighpowerratios..

Selftailing

winches

Usefulforallapplications,especiallywhensailingshort

handed,becausetheymakealmosteveryjobonboardeas

ier.Mountthestrippingarmsothatitpointsattheperson

grindingthewinch,somewherebetweenthe5o'clockand7

o'clockpositions.


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29

UsingWinches

Whetheryourearacer,daysailor,orcruiser,winchesareasailorsbestfriendwhenitcomesto

making lightworkofmany jobs .Theyhoist,trim,andreefoursails.Theykedgeusoffshoals,

pullupouranchors,raisecrewmembersinbosunschairs,liftdinghiesoutofthewater,liftpeo

pleoutof thewater inmanoverboardsituations,and toomanyother tasks tomention.But

pleasetake

care

to

respect

the

power

in

these

useful

pieces

of

hardware.

LoadingWinches

The line on awinch is always led in a clockwisedirection, and its importantwhen loading awinchtostartthefirstcoilatthebottomofthewinchandaddsubsequent turnsabove that,butneveroverlapping the lastcoilon thewinch. Initially, justa singleorpossibly two coilsshouldbemadebeforetakingintheslackfromtheline.Ifyou

puttoo

many

turns

on

the

winch

when

the

line

is

still

slack,

thatcancause foulupsandapossibleriding turn.Aridingturniswhenthelinetrapsitselfunderanotherturnoflineonthewinch. Improper coiling of the drum or uneven tensionwhentailingusuallycausesthis.Tailingis,ofcourse,theprocessofhandlingthelineasitexitsthewinch.

Toaddadditionalcoilstoawinchwhilethelineisunderload,grabthetailendofthelineatadis

tanceaway fromthedrumthat is justgreaterthanonecoil.Whilemaintainingtensiononthe

line,keepyourfingerspointingawayfromthewinchandmakeyourclockwiserotationaround

thedrumplacing thenewcoilabove theexisting topwrapon thewinch.Toprevent the line

fromslippingaroundthewinchwhileitsunderload,youllneedaminimumofthreeturns,par

ticularlyifyouretryingtocrankthelinein.Lessthanthreeturnswillnotprovideadequatefric

tionandthe linewillmost likelyslipasthewinchturns,negatinganyprogress.Thatsalsoone

waythatahandcangetpulledtowardthedrum.

Allofthecoilsshouldbemadeonthewinchbeforethewinchhandleisinsertedintothetopof

thewinch. Insertingahandle intoawinchtoosoonmakes itverydifficultforyoutoaddaddi

tionalcoilsaroundthewinch.Ifyouveinsertedthewinchhandletoosoon,itsbesttotakethe

timetoremovethehandle,addyouradditionalcoils,andthenreinsertthehandle.Addingwinch

coilswithahandlestill inplaceresults inasloppyanddangeroustechniqueandoften leadsto

ridingturns.

TailingWinches

Tailingawinch isoneofthemost important jobs inensuringsmoothandsafeoperation. The

methodoftailingwilldependuponwhatkindofwinchyouhave.Standardwinchessimplyfea

tureadrumandawinchhandle.Selftailingwinchesadda linestripperontopthatsdesigned

withteeth

to

hold

the

line

for

you

as

you

turn

the

handle.

Electric

winches

are

usually

equipped

withselftailersandnohandleorexertionisrequired.Eitherofthesewinchtypescanbesingle

speedormultispeed.

RidingTurn


30/44

30

Ifawinch isnotselftailing,youllneedtohaveonehandfreeorhaveanadditionalcrewmembernearbytohelptailtheline(again,takingintheslack)asthewinchdoesitsjob.Theangleofthetailofthelinecomingoffthewinchiscrucialtosmoothoperation.Iftheangleistoolow,thelinemaytrytorearrangeitselfonthedrum,andcreateanoverride.Iftheangleistoohigh,itwillinterferewith the free rotationof thewinchhandleon top.Theheregoal is toensure that the linestaysneatlywrappedonthedrumasitturns,andtoprovideenoughtensionsothatthelinedoesnotslipandnegateyourwinchingprogress.Moststandardwinchesrequirehavingacleatnearbytosecurethe

line

after

the

required

tension

has

been

achieved.

Ifawinch is selftailing, the jobofwinchingbecomesmucheasierand saferwhen sailing short

handed.Asinglepersoncanoperatethewinchwithouthavingtoexerteffortbothwinchingand

tailing.This leavesbothhands free tooperate thehandle.Theself

tailersstrippingarmfeedsthelineleavingthewinchdrumintoaspe

ciallydesignedsetofteethatthetopofthedrum.Theseteethcap

ture the line andprevent it from slipping.With selftailingwinches

caremustbetakentoproperlysizeyourlinewithinthespecsofyour

winch.Ifalineistoolargeortoosmallindiameter,theteethwillnot

properly engage the line.Of courseno cleat is requiredwhen you

wanttoleavethelineinaselftailingwinchunattended.

GrindingWinches Whenwinching,itsimportanttopositionyour

bodysothatthelargermusclesofthebackandlegscanassistintheprocess.Wecantellyoufirst

handthatrelyingsolelyuponyourarmmuscleswilltireyouquickly.Ifyourewinchingfromthelow

sideoftheboat,remembertokeepyourcentreofgravitylowsothatifyouhappentoslipyouwill

notgooverboard.

When choosing awinchhandle, keep inmind that the longer thehandle,themorepoweritwillgenerate.Ashorthandle,however,isgood foroccasionally speeding thingsup in lightwindsbecause itwillturnmorequickly.Ifyouneedalittlemoreoomph,adoublegriphandle will allow you to position both hands on the handle andreally get your whole body involved in the winching process. Ofcourseanotherwaytogetmorepower is tooutfityourboatwithmultispeedwinches.Whenyoufindthatyoucantcrankanylonger,yousimplyswitchspeedsandbythemagicofagreatergearreduc

tionyou

can

once

again

turn

the

handle.

Easing Line Sometimestheamountfrictioncreatedbyawrappedlineonawinchdrumbecomessogreatthatwhenyouremovetensionfromthetail,thelinedoesntwanttogoout.Inthissituationyoucancarefullyremoveonewrapfromthedrum,orcoaxthelineintomotionbyusingtheinsideheelofyourhandasyoureducetensiononthetail.Neveruseyourfingersastheycouldgetpinchedbetweenorunderthe line.Wheneasing linethatisheldbyaclutchstopperinfrontofawinch,alwayswinchinslightlywiththehandleandholdthetailfirmlybeforereleasingtheclutch.Thiswilltakethe

pressureoff

the

clutch

and

make

it

easier

to

open,

and

it

can

pre

ventyourhandfrombeingpulledintotheclutchstopper.Neverunderestimatetheamountoftensionthataclutchstopperisholding.


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31

Emergency Measures Veteransailorsalwayshaveaknife intheirpocket,orsomewherehandy.Ifyoufindyourselfinthemiddleofawinchmishap,havingaknifenearbywillallowyoutoremedythesituationimmediately.

Whena fully loaded jibsheetormainsheet iscutaway froma jammedwinch,beawarethatthenowlooselineonthesailcanbecomeaverydangerousweaponwhippingaboutinthewind.

Cleating

Bollards& rings are used to securemooring lines ashore, alongwithcleats,whicharealsoused for thesamepurposeonboard thevesselbeingmoored.Abowline iscommon forsecuring lines toabollard,a

round turn& two half hitchestoaring.Forsecuringa linetoa cleat think of the wordOXO. First pass the line

around

the

cleat,

then

apply

a

figure of eight and finish offwith another round turn. Anextra figure of eight may berequired if the line is thin orslippery

Whenusingnonselftailingwinches, the line needs tobe secured. This is oftenachievedbyusingacleattosecure the tailed line afterthewinchoraropeclutch,positioned before thewinch.

Multipleropeclutchesenableseveral linestobecontrolledbyonewinch

Caution. The tension applied to the lines before theclutch isappliedcanbeconsiderable.Donotattempttoreleasetheclutchleverbeforetheropeisloadedontoawinch


32/44

32

Termsusedinropework

Belay Tomakefasttoacleat,belayingpin,bittsorbollard.

Bend Thetwistingorturningofaropesoastofastenittosomeobject.

Bight middlepartofaropebetweenitstwoends.

Bitterend Thelastpartofarope.

Chafe Towearthesurfaceofaropebyrubbingagainstasolidobject.

Coil Tolaydownropeincircularturns.

Flakedown Tolayoutaropeinlonglooseturnsreadyforpayingoutquickly(oftentermed'flake'down).

Fall Theropeofatackle.

Fid Taperedwoodenpinusedtoseparatethestrandsofaropewhensplicing.

Haulingpart Thatpartofaropeortacklewhichishauledupon.

Heave Tohaulorpullonaline.

Jam Towedgetight.

Kink Atwistintherope.

Lanyard Alineattachedtoanarticletomakeitfast,egaknifelanyard.

Lashing Apassingandrepassingofaropesoastoconfineorfasten

togethertwoormoreobjects.

Marlinspike Ataperedsteelpinusedasafidtosplicewirerope.

Marry Temporaryholdingoftwolinestogethersidebysideorendtoend.

Nip Topinchorcloseinupon.

Part Tobreak.

Payout Toslackoffonaline,orallowittorunout.

Reeve Topasstheendofaropethroughablock,thimbleorotheropening.

Runningpart Thatpartofaropeortacklewhichrunsthroughtheblocks.

Secure Tomakefast.

Seize Tobindtworopestogether.

Serve Toprotectaropefromchafebybindingit.

Slack Thatpartofaropehangingloose;theoppositeoftaut.

Splice Thejoiningofropebyintertwiningthestrandssoastoincreasethe

diameteroftheropeaslittleaspossible.


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33

Standingpart Thatpartofaropewhichissecuredtosomefitting,incontrasttothehaulingorrunningparts.

Strop Aroperingorslingmadebysplicingthetwoendsofashortpiece ofropeandusedtohandleorliftheavyobjects.

Takeaturn Topassalinearoundacleatorbollardtoholdon.

Taut

Tight.

Unbend Tountieorcastadrift.

Veer Toallowropetorunout;toslackoff.

Whipping Tobindtheendofaropetopreventthestrandsunlaying.


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34

Basicrulesinhandlingrope

(a) Seamenregardtheirknifeastheirbestfriendandcarryitwiththemwherevertheygo.Itisatoolandnotaweaponandtheendofthebladeshouldthereforeberounded,notpointed,andthebladeshouldbesufficientlydeepandthicktocutwithoutbending

(b) Workingaloft,orovertheside,alltoolsshouldbesecuredwithalanyardeithertoapartoftheriggingorroundthe bodytopreventpossibleinjurytopersons,orlossoftoolsovertheside.

(c) Whenaropeiscutitsendsshouldimmediatelybewhippedtopreventitunlaying.

(d) Aheavingline,oranylineorropewhichisbeinghauledin,shouldbecoiledeitherinthehandoronthedeckasitishauledaboardsothatitisimmediatelyreadyforfurtheruse.

(e) Whencoilingarighthandlayropeintherighthandtheropeshouldbeheldwiththerightthumbpointingtowardstheendseabelowandwhencoilinginthelefthandtheleftthumb.shouldpointtowardsthebight.Thecoilwillthenformcorrectly

(f)When

belaying

rope

to

a

cleat,

take

the

initial

turns

as

shown

below

then

continue

with

figure

of

eightturnsroundthehornsofthecleatasmanytimesasarerequired.Itwillbe seenthatwhenthefigureofeightturnsareremoved,theropeisreadytobecheckedundercontrol.Aropebelayedtoacleatmustbereadyforcastingoffatamoment'snotice, sotheturnsshouldnotbecompletedwithahalfhitchbecausethismayjamthem.Afterbelaying,thesurplusropeshouldbecoiledinthehandasdescribedin(e)aboveandthecoilhungoverthetophornofthecleatsoastokeepthedeckclearandtheropedry. Cleatsarenotsuitableforbelayingwire.

(g) Allsyntheticfibreropestretchestonearlyhalfitsownlengthbeforeparting,whenthestretchedropeimmediatelywhipsbackdirectlyalongthelineofpull,thereforeneverstandinthedirectlineofpullwhenheavyloadsareapplied.

(h) Exerciseextremecarewheneasingoutfromacleatorbollardunderheavyload.Itmayslipsuddenlyandcauseinjury.

(i) Asailoralwayskeepsalookoutaloftandneverstandsbelowanobjectwhichisbeinghoistedorlowered,norstandsinsidethecoilorbightofarope.

(j) Alwayslookoutforchafeanywhereandtakestepstopreventit.

(k) Aropewhichhasbeensetuptautwhendrywillshrinkwhensubjectedtodew,rainor

spray.

Such

extra

strain

must

be

relieved

at

once

otherwise

the

rope

may

part

or

become

permanentlydamaged.


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35

Basicbendsandhitches

Theroundturnandtwohalfhitcheswouldbemaderoundapostormooringring.

Aclovehitchconsistsofapairofhitchestosecurearopetoa

spar,railorpost.

Therollinghitchisusedforsecuringaropetoasparwhenthe

pullis

expected

from

one

side

or

the

other,

or

to

another

rope

understrain.Alwayspassthetwoturnsonthesidefromwhichthepullisexpected.

A figureofeight knot is used to prevent a rope runningthroughaneyeorablock.

Thereefknotconsistsoftwooverhandknotsmadeconsecutively,and isusedasa common tie forbending together two ropesofapproximatelyequalsize. It isnot reliable if the ropesareofunequalsizeorveryslipperyunlesstheendsareseizedbacktotheirstandingparts.

Thedoublesheetbendisusedtobendasmallropetoalarger

one.It

will

not

slip

and

is

easily

cast

off.

The bowline is themost useful knot formaking temporaryeyes inropesofallsizes. It isusedforbendingaheaving linetoamooringrope,asa lifelineroundsomebody'swaistandforagreatvarietyofsimilarpurposes.


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36

Mooring

Themostcommonplacetomooravesselisalongsideaquayorpontoon.Whenmooredalongsideaquay that isaffectedby thetide, itwillprobablybenecessary to regularlyadjust themooringlines toallow forthe rise& fall.Pontoonson theotherhand float,sothisadjustment isnot required

Atpopular harboursoronbusyweekends theremaynotbeenough roomon thequay, in thiscaseboatsmayneedtomooragainsteachother.Thisiscalledraftingup.


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37

MooringLines

Thesternlineisusedinconjunctionwiththe

bowlineto positiontheboat&preventthe

sternfromdriftingawayfromthequay

Thebowlineisusedto positiontheboat&

prevent thebow fromdriftingaway from

Theforespringisusedto preventtheboat

frommovingforwardsalongthequay

Thebackoraftspring isused to prevent

the boat from moving astern along the

Thesearecalledbreastlines,theyhold

the

vessel

close

to

the

quay.

Useful

if

there is an offshore breeze & youre

trying to get ashore. Their disadvan

tageisthattheyneedfrequentadjust

ingiftheberthistidal

When rafting,secure to theboatnext toyou

with springs & breast lines, but always lead

your bow& stern lines ashore. Thisway the

whole weight of your boat is not being ex

ertedonthenextboatsmooringlines&cleats.

Whengoingashoreacrossotherboats in the

raft,alwayscrossbytheirforedecks,neverthe

cockpits, unless invited. Thiswillhelp to pre

serveprivacy


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38

MediterraneanMoor

Inareaswherethere is littleornotide it iscommontomooreithersternorbowstothe

quay.Bowstoistheeasieroption&offersmoreprivacy inthecockpit,but it ismorecon

venienttostepashoreifmooredsternto.

MooringBuoys

A mooring usually consists of a floating buoy,

attached by a chain called a riser,which is se

cured to the seabed by one ore more heavy

weightsoranchors.Inrivers&estuaries,linesof

mooring buoysmay be attached to a secured,

continuous heavy chain on the seabed. These

linesof

buoys

are

called

trots.

Forsmallercraft,apickupbuoyisconnectedto

the floatingbuoybyanylon stropwhichoften

has an eye spliced into one end. The pickup

buoyisbroughtonboard,usingaboathookand

theeyespliceisthenfedthroughabowfairlead

oranchorrolleranddroppedontoacleat.

Fore&AftBuoys

Fore & aft buoys are often found, in

rows,close to theedgeof tidal& river

channels. The boat is secured at the

bow&stern&thereforewillnotswing.


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39

Anchors&Anchoring

Beingabletoanchoreasilyandwithconfidenceis importantforanyskipper,whether itbe

simplyenjoyingatranquilspotfor lunch&aswim,or inthecaseofanemergency,suchas

anenginefailureinatidalestuaryorharbour.

Askippershouldnotonlyknowhowtoanchor,butshouldalsounderstandtheadvantages

&disadvantages

of

different

types

of

anchor,

the

significance

of

the

nature

of

the

seabed

andwhatconsiderationsneedtobetakenintoaccountwhenanchoring.

AnchoringEquipment

All vessels should carry at least two

anchorsofasuitablesize(1) whichis

secured to the vesselby a cable (2),

thismaybeallchainoracombination

ofchain&nylon. Ifthere isadanger

ofthe

anchor

becoming

fouled

it

is

a

goodideatouseatripbuoy(3)which

issecuredtothecrownoftheanchor

by a trip line (4), which should be

weighted toprevent it from floating

&foulingpropellers.Thecurveofthe

anchorrodeiscalledthecatenary(5).

On the foredeck the anchor rode isguidedonboardover

theboworstemhead roller, then leadonto thewindlass.

Theanchorshouldbesecuredbyashort line toprevent it

jumpingfreefromitsmounting.

Themainanchoriscalledthebower&thesecondanchoris

calledthekedge.

Whenusingacombinationofnylon& chain for the rode,

the

chain

should

be

joinedtothenylonbya

splice.7

8

6

1

3

4

5

2


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40

Typesofanchor

Thereareseveraldifferenttypesofanchoravailable,theyallhavetheiradvantages&disadvantages

Delta

Good holding to weight

ratio. Stows well on the

bow roller.

Does not hinge flat, so

can be awkward to

stow on deck or in a

Bruce

Good holding to

weight ratio. Stows

well on the bow roller.

Does not hinge flat, so

can be awkward to

stow

DanforthThe Danforth employs a hinged plate to form the flukes. and a stock

to prevent it from rolling over.

As it lies flat, it is easy to stow on deck or in a locker. Care needs to

be taken when handling to avoid trapping fingers.

Plough or CQRStows well on a bow roller, but can be awkward to stow on

deck or in a locker.

Take care when handling to avoid trapping fingers

Fishermans

This traditional anchor

performs well on rock or

weed, but is considerably

heavier than its modern

counterparts. Can be awk-

ward to stow because of

its shape.

Folding Anchor

A small anchor for

use with a dinghy or

other small boat.

Easy to fold & unfold,

easy to store


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41

Toworkefficiently,thepullontheanchor

needstobehorizontalasshownhere.

Ifthe anchorwarpistoshortforthedepth,

theanchorwillnothold,asshownbelow.

Whenusingallchain,theminimumlength ofthecable

shouldbeatleastfourtimethedepth,thisincreasestoa

minimumofsixtimesthedepthwhenusingacombination

ofnylon&chain.

Whenemployingnylon,atleast6metresofchainshould

beusedtoattachtotheanchor,Thiswillpreventthenylon

chafingon

the

seabed.

AnchoringConsiderations

Before selectingananchoragethefollowingfactorsshouldbetakenintoconsideration

Shelter Istheanchorageprotectedfromcurrent&forecastwind&swell

Holding Whatisthenatureoftheseabed,isitsuitableforanchoring,mud&sand

arefarbetterthanrock,clayorweedcoveredareas

Obstructions Aretheanyunderwaterobstructionsthatmayfoultheanchor

Dangers Arethereanycharteddangerssuchaswrecksorrocks

Depth Isittodeepfortheamountofwarpyouhaveavailable.Willthedepthbe

sufficientatlowwater

Room Isthereenoughroomtoswingwithanychangeinwindortide.Notall

vesselsswingatthesamerate.Some ridetothetidewhileothersrideto

thewind

Safelandingarea Ifyouintendtogoashore,isthereasuitableplacetoland

Transits Aretheresuitableobjectsashoretocheckifyouranchorisdragging

Safetoleave Ityouintendtostayovernight,istheanchoragesafetoleaveinthe

dark,shouldtheneedarise

Prohibitions Isanchoringallowed


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42

MarineEnvironment

Waste

Whilstonboarditiseasytoaccumulateafairamountofgarbageandunlikeathomewhereyouhaveyourwheeliebinjustoutsidethereisverylittlespacetostoreit. Sadly,thequantityoflitter

foundin

our

ocean,

seas

and

along

our

coasts

is

rising

and

this

has

a

serious

impact

on

the

envi

ronmentandwildlife. Contrarytopopularbelief,marinelitterdoesnotprovideasuitablehabitat/artificialreefformarineorganisms.Ithasbeenreportedthatsometypesoflittercanpersistinthemarineenvironmentforperiodsupto500years.

Garbagemeansallfood,domesticandoperationalwastesproducedonboard(exceptsewage).Thisincludesfoodwastes,paperproducts,rags,glass,metal,bottles,crockeryandsimilarrefusefromallvessels.

Thebasicprinciplesare:

putnogarbageintothesea

retaingarbageonboardanddisposeofitashore

TheUKhasstrictrulesondumpinggarbageatseawithsubstantialpenaltiesforoffenders.Food

wastesmayonlybedisposedofatseaiftheyhavebeenpulverisedandyouareatleast3miles

offshore(12milesintheNorthSeaorEnglishChannel). Therearerulesforportsandterminal

operatorstoprovideadequatedisposalfacilitiesashore.

Sewage

Withmoreandmoreofustakingtothewatereachyearitisimportantweallknowhowtodealwithourwasteinaresponsiblemanner. Itisnolongeracceptabletopumpitalloutwheneverandwhereveritsuitsanditisourresponsibilitytoconsidertheeffectsthatmayhaveonthesurroundingenvironment.

Blackwater(rawsewage)dischargesarelikelytobecomelesscommonas,since2006,theRecreationalCraftDirective(RCD)hasrequiredallnewvesselstohaveprovisionforaholdingtanktobefitted.Inthemajorityofcases,thewastewaterfromonboardsinksandshowers(knownasgreywaterdischarges)emptiesdirectlyintothewater.

Levelsofsewageinputfromrecreationalcraftarethoughttobesmallcomparedtodirectinputsfromsewagetreatmentworksbuttheeffectsareseriousandcanpotentiallyaffectwaterqualityinanumberofways. Rawsewageposesasaserioushealthrisktohumans,adverselyaffectsshellfishandreducesoxygenlevelsinthewaterwhereasgreywaterdischargeleadstonutrientenrichmentandalgalblooms. Asaresult,itisourresponsibilityasrecreationalboaterstobeawareoftherulesregulatingthedisposalofgarbageandsewage.

TofindoutmorevisittheGreenBluewebsitewherethereismoreinformationonthistopicand

practicaltipsandadviceyoucanfollowtoreduceyourimpactontheenvironmentwhilstboat

ing.


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43

Oil&Fuel

Oilandfuelcontainhydrocarbonsandheavymetalswhichcannotonlyaffecthumanhealthbutcanalsoseriouslydamageouraquaticenvironment. Only5%ofoilandfuelpollutioninthewateris fromcatastrophicspills,themajoritycome fromeverydaysourcessuchasrefuelling,engineemissionsandoilleaks.

Oilspills

are

one

of

the

most

easily

identifiable

forms

of

pollution

in

the

aquatic

environment.

Odourandiridescence(rainboweffect)arereliablecluesforaspill.Smallamountsofoilcancontaminatelargeareasofwaterwhilstlargerspillsonlandcancausetonnesofcontaminatedsoil.Thecontainmentofspiltoilcanpreventfinancial,legislativeandenvironmentalimplications.

Smallcrafttendtospillsmallamountsofrefinedpetroleumproductsrepeatedly,ofteninmarinasandharbours.Thesemayhavepoorwatercirculationandwatermaybeagitatedbypropellersandhullmovementsthatdispersespills intothewatercolumn. Itcanbeassumedthatoilspillsfromrefuellingandmaintenanceoperationsarelikelytobemorecommoninmarinas,andthatthismaycontributetoanaccumulationofpollutants inthesurroundingsediments. How

ever,boat

owners

can

take

simple

precautions

to

minimise

accidental

releases

by

carefully

refu

ellingandmaintainingtheirenginessotheyoperateefficiently.

Antifouling

Environmentalgoodpracticeandantifoulingneednotbe theoppositeendsof the spectrum.Butdoyouknowhowtochoosetherightantifouling,applytherightquantities,carryoutthatmidseasonscrubandremoveanddisposeoftheoldcoatings?

SincethebanningofTBTin1987,copperbiocidesarenowthemostcommonlyusedalternative

forantifouling

paints.

However,

it

is

now

thought

that

certain

species

are

copper

sensitive

with

evenlowlevelsofcoppercompoundsbeingtoxictothemandtheuseofcopperbasedantifoulinghasevenbeenbannedinsomeEuropeancountries.However,itisrecognisedthatthepotentialforimpactisgreatestwhereconcentratedcopperscrapingsareallowedtoenterthewater,ratherthantheslowleachingprocessoftheantifoulingfromtheboathulls.

Antifoulingproductsthemselvesarealsocoveredbyavarietyofdifferentregulations.Ashazardoussubstances,theyarecoveredbyControlofSubstancesHazardoustoHealthregulations(COSHH)andundertheControlofPesticidesRegulations1986theyaresubjecttolegalrequirementsandapprovalbyGovernmentMinisters.TheHealthandSafetyExecutive(HSE)adminis

tersthis

approval

process

and

it

is

the

duty

of

the

user

to

comply

with

the

conditions

of

use

printedontheproductslabel.TheBiocidalProductsRegulations(2001)isnowinforceintheUKandcoverstheuseofbiocideproducts.

We,asboatownersandusers,havearesponsibilitytopreventasmuchantifoulingaspossiblefromenteringtheUKscoastandwaterways. Therealityisthatalloverthecountypeoplescrubdowntheirboatsandantifoulingpaintandresiduedoesleechintothewaterbuttherearesomesimplestepsthatcanbetakentopreventthis.

Formoreadviceonenvironmental&pollutionissuesvisitTheGreenBluewebsite.

http://www.thegreenblue.org.uk/index.asp


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Documents

RYA Day Skipper Module 1 General Seamanship