How to Sail a Boat

Before you learn, have someone show you the rigging on your boat. This is beyond the scope of this article, as all boats are different. This will cover the hardware present on most small sailboats and common sailing techniques and insert as many definitions of terms as you will need. You should know the names of the different pieces of hardware on your boat, all the lines, and should have rigged your boat at least once by yourself before proceeding. Your first sailing experience should be on a small inland lake. Pick a nice day with a steady light onshore breeze and no inclement weather. Better yet, if you have a friend who can sail, bring them along. Their experience will be invaluable. Best to start small before you tackle a Tall Ship!
[edit]Steps
If your boat doesn't have some kind of wind direction indicator, tie a couple 9" pieces of old cassette tape or oiled yarn to the shrouds (rigging cables that hold up the mast) on each side, about 4' up from the sides of the boat. You will need these. (Some sailors find cassette tape to be just too sensitive for this purpose.)
Do a visual check of all the standing rigging (stays and shrouds) including the cotter pins or ring pins on the clevis pins securing the standing rigging to the hull! Many sailboats have dismasted because a 15-cent pin was missing. Check the halyards (lines) and sheets (the lines that control the sails). Make sure that they are not wrapped around each other or anything else. Pull ALL lines out of cleats & winches. There should be nothing binding any line; all should be free to move and be clear at this point. If you have a topping lift (a small line that holds the back of the boom up & out of the way when the sail isn't in use) untie it & let it out until the boom sags downward quite a bit. Retie it. Watch out for the boom; it's just swinging around at this point.
Point the boat into the wind. This isn't always easy; the boat won't turn readily because it's not "under way" (moving). Do the best you can. The idea is to raise the sail while the slugs or rope that slide in the groove in the mast are at their least resistance, ie. perpendicular to the groove, with the sail straight back. With the sail in this position, it also won't be snagging on any shrouds or any other hardware.
Hoist the mainsail by pulling down on its halyard (line), all the way until it stops. It will be flapping around (luffing) like crazy, but thats ok for a short period of time (Excessive luffing will drastically reduce the life and durability of the sail). The leading edge of the sail (luff) should be tight enough to remove scallops, but not so tight as to create vertical creases in the sail.There should be a cleat in the vicinity of where the halyard comes down; wrap the line around the bottom and do a half figure-eight motion around the cleat. Then as you round the bottom, grab a piece of the halyard at the top of the cleat, and twist it around so the free end goes under to the inside and forms a loop. Push the loop over the top of the cleat and pull down with the free end until it's tight. It should look tight and neat. Remember this; it's how you tie off to any cleat of this type. There will probably be a small rope going downward from the base of the boom, though a small clam cleat. Pull it tight in the cleat (not really tight).
Raise the jib (front sail). Find the halyard that does this; pull it up all the way and secure it to its cleat. Everything should be flapping like mad, now.(Sails are always raised mainsail first, then the jib, because it's easier to point the boat into the wind using the main.)

Points of sail
#Turn the boat to the left (port) or right (starboard) so it's about 90 degrees off the wind. This is known as a beam reach. Pull on the main sheet until the sail is around 45 degrees away from straight back. It's a safe place for the main while you trim the jib. You will start moving and tilting (heeling) away from the wind. A heel of more than 20 degrees usually indicates that you're being overpowered. Releasing the mainsheet a foot or two ("breaking the main") will lessen the amount of heel and things should return to a more comfortable sailing angle.
There are two jib sheets, one on each side of the boat. Pull on the jib sheet on the leeward side (the side away from where the wind is coming from). The jib will form a pocket; trim the sail just until the front edge just stops flapping (luffing). Keep your hand on the tiller and stay on course! You have just entered the world of the sailor, and you will have to learn to do many things at once, or suffer the consequences.
Trim the mainsail in the same manner, letting out the main sheet until the front edge just starts to luff, then pulling it back just until it stops. If you or the wind hasn't changed direction, this is the most efficient place to set the sails. If anything changes, you have to trim them in response.
Watch the front of the sail edge on the main and jib. If it starts to luff, you have two choices. Either tighten the sail sheet until it stops luffing, or change direction (bear off). When the sail luffs, it means that you are going too much into the wind for your current sail setting. If you steer slightly away from the windward side (the weather side; opposite of leeward) your sails will stop luffing. Change direction or change sail setting, as fits the circumstance.
Watch your wind indicators (telltales). The cassette tape does this job as well as anything. If you see it change so that the wind is coming from a direction that is more behind you, you will be wasting energy. Let out the sail till it luffs, and tighten again till it stops. You will be doing this constantly; watching the sails, the telltales, and trimming sails if for no other reason than to see where you're at. When the wind is at your back and side (aft quarter), it's called a broad reach. This is the most efficient point of sail as both sails are full of wind and pushing the boat at full force.
When the wind is at your back, you are running with the wind. Not as efficient as reaching, because the jib is covered by the mainsail and not filling with air. Sometimes you can pull the jib over to the other side of the boat where it will fill. This is called wing-on-wing and you have to maintain a steady hand on the tiller (or use what's called a whisker pole to hold it out there) to keep this sail configuration. BE CAREFUL THOUGH - when the boat is running the sails will be way off to the side, and because the wind is basically behind you the boom can jibe or change direction suddenly, coming across the cockpit with quite a bit of force, sometimes with catastrophic consequences. If you have a wind-direction indicator at the top of your mast, do NOT allow the arrow to point at the mainsail. If it does, you are "sailing by the lee" and inviting an accidental gybe. If you're standing up when this happens, it can literally knock you out, and worse, out of the boat. Watch for this when running with the wind. It's a good practice to pull the sail in a bit when running so it doesn't have far to go if it jibes.
Now that you've done some of the easier points of sail, turn the boat slightly into the wind, maybe 75 degrees off the wind. You will have to pull the sheets tighter so the sails are almost in line with the boat. This is called a close reach; your sails are acting like the wing design of an airplane, the wind is pulling the boat instead of pushing it. A boat with the sails set as such is called close-reaching. Continue to turn into the wind and tighten the sheets, until you can go no farther (the jib should NEVER touch the spreaders on the mast). This is called close-hauled, and is as much angle as you can go into the wind on your boat (about 45-60 degrees off the wind). On a gusty day, you will have all kinds of fun with this point of sail! Pointing is the max, but is not really efficient.
Sail into the wind to a destination, sail into a heading that is as close as you can get on a close reach. When you've gone as far as you think prudent, suddenly turn the boat across the wind, pulling out the jib sheet as the boat turns past windward. This is known as changing direction by tacking or simply, tacking. The main and boom will come across, but they don't have far to go, and probably won't hit you in the head; the main will self-set on the other side. you will have to quickly set the jib sheet on the opposite side, while steering the boat just to the point where the mainsail luffs. If you do this correctly, the boat won't slow down much and you will be sailing across the wind in the other direction. If you're too slow, and the boat stops, you will have "lost your way" (origination of that expression; also at this point pondering the origin of "three sheets in the wind") and the boat will be pushed sideways a little until it gains speed. This is known as being "in irons", which is embarrassing but every sailor has experienced it. Being in irons is easily remedied. When the boat begins moving backwards you will regain steerage. Point the tiller in the direction you wish to go and tighten the jib sheet to windward, backwinding the sail. The wind will push the bow through the wind. Once you've completed your tack, release the sheet from the winch on the windward side and pull in the sheet to leeward and you'll be on your way again. Because speed is so easily lost when tacking, (going in a zigzag fashion into the wind) you'll want to peform this maneuver as smoothly and quickly as possible. Keep zigging and zagging into the wind until you get to your destination.
Understand that you have some practice on calm days, learn to reef your boat (make the sails smaller). You need to do this when the wind is too strong. Reefing needs to be done before you think you need to; see warnings below.
That's the basics. Sailing is wonderful, demanding, peaceful, dangerous, fulfilling, frustrating, etc. You will pick up many new friends, habits, and colourful language as you go along, especially when racing. If this is too much for you, go buy yourself a stinkpot (motor boat) and be done with it.


[edit]Tips
Always know where the wind is coming from! A "windex" (a small wind vane mounted on the top of the mast) will help you a lot, but most small boats don't have this. Get the shroud telltales or just use old cassette tape. It works fine, in my experience, better than the commercial products!
Many sails have telltales on them as well; pieces of colored material attached to the front sail edge. Your sail is trimmed properly when the ALL telltales are streaming aft.
If something bad happens, too much wind, man overboard, etc remember that you can bring the whole thing to a halt simply by pulling all three sheets out of their cleats or winches. The boat will (mostly) stop.
Learn at least two knots. The figure eight knot is tied in the ends of lines to prevent them from going through the fairlead, pulley, or sheave they pass though. The bowline ("King of knots") is used to tie a loop though something to attach it. When properly tied, it never slips and is easy to undo, even after being stressed by a heavy load. Here is a great site that shows you how to tie various knots and hitches: http://www.animatedknots.com/indexboating.php?LogoImage=LogoSeaRoom.jpg&Website=www.searoom.com
Get a book on sailing that has more extensive info on the mechanics of sailing; this is beyond the scope of this article.
Learn everything you can about all the sailing gear you will use, and even the gear you will probably never use. It will give you insight into what happens out there.
Make sure you have a motor on your boat and that it is in good repair, and that you know how to use it. This is essential if you are a beginner; it will get you out of most any trouble.
Be sure to learn about the tides in your area(if any), as in some places this can have almost as strong an effect on your movement as the wind.
Try learning to determine the wind direction using your ears - let the wind blow onto your back, then slowly turn your head left to right and back until you feel it "equalize" over your ears. Once you find that point, you now know the wind direction, and using this method, you can understand the wind more without having to use your eyes.
If you have a yacht club near you, you might volunteer as a crew for racing. You will learn more in one race than in years of sailing by yourself


[edit]Warnings
In sailing, your very life may depend on doing things before they need to be done, when they first cross your mind. If you wait until it needs to be done, it may be too late or very difficult. Follow your instincts.
Remember the old maxim "It's better to be on the dock, wishing you were on the lake, than to be on the lake, wishing you were on the dock". Don't let enthusiasm overcome your good judgement on a day you should not go out. The apparent wind while tied alongside at the dock may be very different out on the water. Many novices (and experienced sailors, for that matter) get into trouble venturing out when there is too much wind to sail safely.
Going overboard is a serious matter, especially if you are alone. Cold water, currents, and other boats all can account for serious dangers, and if the sails are up, the boat will take off much faster than you might expect. Additionally, many boats float so high on the water (freeboard) that it is difficult to climb in or haul people in without assistance. When sailing at night, always wear a shoulder-mounted flashlight/strobe emergency signaling device, making it much easier for SAR (Search And Rescue) crew to spot you in the water.
Look out for and honour navigational buoys, they'll let you know where the safe water exists. In North America, on your way out of the marina, RED buoys are almost always left to port (left) while GREEN buoys are left to starboard. (Remember, Red-Right-Returning). For most of the rest of the world, this is the other way round.
Know how to read clouds and the weather they may bring. A good site can be found at: http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/weather1.htm


[edit]Things You'll Need
A life vest (Personal Flotation Device) is mandatory on all boats for all passengers. (A pealess whistle attached to the PFD is an excellent idea!) You should wear one at all times. If you have children with you, they should wear one even when you are at the dock.
Make sure you have an anchor with at LEAST 50' of line aboard, it can pull you out of a situation where you're aground or blowing onto a leeward shore. Don't attempt to sail under extreme weather conditions until you have gained experience, and then stay near shore.