932 



Popular Science Monthly 



Owing to the fact that the wind 

 pressure on the sail exerts a certain 

 force on the bow of the boat, this 

 "veering" is overcome by swinging the 

 rudder at an angle. This balances the 

 force of the sail. Every well-designed 

 and properly rigged boat — whatever its 

 size or number of sails — should have 

 what sailors call a "weather helm;" 

 that is, if the tiller is let go, the boat will 

 fly up into the wind and come to a stop 

 with the sails shaking. This is accom- 

 plished by using a properly proportioned 

 head sail or jib, and in single sail or 

 "cat-rigged" boats like the one we have 

 made, by stepping the mast well forward 

 toward the bow. A few boats carry a "lee 

 helm," that is, if the tiller is let go the 

 boat sags ofif to leeward, and if the 

 rudder is not thrown across to prevent 

 it, the sail will jib over and the boat 

 swing around as on a pivot. A boat 

 thus badly rigged and balanced, is a 

 dangerous craft for anyone to handle; 

 it is a tricky boat. Furthermore, a 

 boat so balanced is slower under sail, 

 because the rudder must be swung 

 across at a considerable angle in order 

 to keep it headed up to the wind, and 

 this drag of the rudder greatly retards 

 the speed. 



Some boats can sail closer to the wind 

 than others and the single sail or cat- 

 rigged type will point higher to wind- 

 ward than a sloop-rigged craft which 

 carries a jib. No boat can sail directly 

 against the wind ; therefore, when sailing 

 up-wind we must travel at an angle — 

 which diagonal course is called "tack- 

 ing." Suppose we are sailing close- 

 hauled — beating to windward, the wind 

 blowing in the direction indicated by 

 the arrow, page 931. As we cannot sail 

 directly against the wind, we must 

 "tack" or sail a certain distance close- 

 hauled with the wind on one side, and 

 then go about and sail close-hauled 

 with the wind on the other side. Thus 

 we proceed to windward in a series of 

 zig-zag courses. 



In the diagram just referred to, the 

 wind is "dead ahead" and the tacks are 

 equal. If the wind is a point or two off, 

 as shown in the next diagram, one tack 

 will be longer than the other, as shown 

 in the dotted lines. This sailors call 

 "making a short leg and a long leg." 



Tacking against the wind or "beating 

 to windward" as most skippers call it, 

 naturally requires much practical ex- 

 perience before one can get the best 

 speed out of a boat. Some boats will 

 sail closer than others but any well- 

 designed and properly rigged craft 

 should be able to point up within 45 

 degrees of the wind. 



When sailing as close-hauled as pos- 

 sible the sail must be trimmed rather 

 flat. It is, of course, possible to pull in 

 the sail too much ; this must be avoided 

 for if trimmed too flat, the speed of the 

 boat is much retarded and the side drift 

 or leeway becomes more marked. In 

 trimming the main sheet, pull it very 

 flat, then ease it off until the edge of 

 the sail along the hoist or mast wrinkles 

 and flutters. The old hand always 

 makes use of this fluttering, which 

 indicates one is sailing "full and bye" 

 or as close to the wind as possible 

 without sacrificing an iota of speed. 



In handling the boat, a good skipper 

 will endeavor to "coax" his craft closer 

 to the wind, "crawling to windward" as 

 the sailor calls it. This is done a 

 thousand and one times during a day's 

 sail, by heading the boat close and then 

 easing it off, with the sail just a-flutter. 



When going about on another tack 

 the boat is eased off a trifle, and the 

 rudder thrown across, slowly and stead- 

 ily. If the rudder is worked too quickly 

 it checks the speed and may even put 

 the boat in "stays" — so that it simply 

 drifts sternwards, and necessitates swing- 

 ing the bow around with an oar. When 

 sailing with companions, going about 

 is generally preceded by calling out 

 "hard-a-lee," which warning enables 

 passengers to duck the boom as it 

 swings over, and to shift to the wind- 

 ward side if needed. 



The approximate trim of the sail 

 with the wind at the several points of 

 the compass, is shown on page 933. No. i 

 shows the sheet trimmed flat for sailing 

 close-hauled. No. 2 with bow wind. 

 No. 3 wind a-beam. No. 4, wind abaft the 

 beam. No. 5 wind on the quarter, and 

 No. 6 with wind dead astern. 



In small sailing craft, the boat is 

 commonly ballasted or trimmed by 

 shifting the weight of the skipper and 

 one or two companions, but the boat 



