On Deck - How Things Work - Part 1 - Foresails - Claire

Let's "raise" a sail. The easiest might be a furled sail at the bow (front) of the boat. It's wound up like a window blind. The high up "pull out lines" are called sheets and control how much sail is out. Here there are 2 sheets connected at the same point on each blade sail, one for each side of the boat for 2 sails- The jib or "Yankee" (forwardmost) and the staysail (the one behind).

Remember you can click on the photos to make them bigger.

 The bottom of the staysail spindle has the furling line we pull to wind up the sail when the sail is not in use.

The sheet and the furling line go back to the cockpit for easy access. The sheet goes around a winch which makes it easier to pull in. A self-tailing winch has a crown of teeth to hold the line from slipping back, so you don't have to hold the tail with one hand. A winch always turns clockwise.

Self-tailing winch with 2 wraps

Winch handle holders at base

The winch handles are kept in their holders at the base of the helm when not in use so they can always be found, and not lost overboard.

The main sheet (control line) is at the end of the mainsail boom and connects to the traveler on the deck.

Self-tailing winch with 4 wraps

Halyard and other line clutches port side

Halyard clutches starboard side

 The mainsail is raised with a halyard. On this boat is the blue line one on the right is the mainsail halyard. These lines normally don't have the taller self-tailing winches because the clutches have teeth to keep the lines from slipping back when they are closed. To release a line and release the teeth, open the clutch. (pictures of open clutch later due to email delay)

Dave and I usually help each other with each sail. For the furlers, to furl, one pulls the furling line while the other keeps tension on the sheets so they don't get tangled in anything on deck. To pull the sails out, we release the furling line so it can wind back into the spindle, and we pull the sheet on the leward (downwind) side, but also keep some tension on the windward side sheet, so it doesn't get tangled in anything. If either of these sheets are let totally loose, they could slap widely and be hard to get back into control. They could hurt you or something on the boat.

For the mainsail, we head into the wind, close the main halyard clutch and hoist the main halyard up as far as we can by pulling it by hand. Then we need to wrap it around the winch and use the winch handle to get it up last 2 feet. Heading into the wind keeps the least tension on the cars on the mainsail track helping them go up easier.

 - Claire