So, lets put it all together. You can't sail into the wind (no go zone) or you wind up in Irons but, you can sail off the wind Close Hauled, Close Reach (towards the wind), Beam Reach (across the wind), Broad Reach and Running (away from or down wind).
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In Part 1 we said that you can only sail approx. 45 degrees off the wind and that you can not sail directly into the wind. But, when you sail downwind... you can now sail in any direction when sailing away from the wind.
A boat can't sail directly into the wind... in order to sail you must fall-off (point the bow away from) the wind about 45 degrees to a close hauled position. Falling-off even more approx. 70 degrees is a Close Reach and sailing at 90 degrees or across the wind is a Beam Reach.
Many beginning sailors find themselves getting into Irons. Which means that the boat has stopped and is pointing directly into the wind having lost all forward movement. Relax and don't worry it is easy to get out of!
First - push the boom forward until the sail fills with air, as the sail fills the boat will start sailing backwards... now push the tiller in the same direction as the boom and once the boat is out of the "no go zone" (irons) you can sheet-in and start sailing again. It is just that easy!. We just got back from a 4-day weekend in Venice Beach, Florida. Yes... a little break from sailing but, I have to get out and get under the water sometimes and do some diving too! It is my second favorite sport! Usually the extent of my diving is scraping the bottom of our boats and is not nearly as fun as hunting for sharks teeth.
We had a wonderful time diving and finding pre-historic fossilized sharks teeth and many other kinds of fossils from other animals as well! Still waiting to find that 4 or 6 inch Megalodon sharks tooth... maybe next time! There are many types of sailing available for people of all ages. A club member at a sailing club in Daytona Beach recently retired from sailing at the age of 90 years young. How cool is that... plain and simply admirable to have sailed for that many years! Since we start our youth programs at the age of 8 years old, that could potentially be a sailing career of 82 years of pure enjoyment on the water. I know that I used this quote in my last post but it seems so appropriate to use again here.
"The gods do not deduct from a man's allotted span, those days spent sailing." Until next time Fair Winds and Following Seas... The Three Major Rules That We Live By Are:
1) Don't Break the Boat... 2) Safety of Skipper and Crew First... 3) Let's Have FUN! So... let's get out on the water and have some FUN! And always remember... "The gods do not deduct from a man's allotted span, those days spent sailing." Hello to all this is my first blog for sailing instruction, tips and information about our site and events. Keep an eye out for helpful videos about sailing and even learn from having a camera onboard during your sailing lessons.
I look forward to seeing this site and our sailing community grow with your help and enthusiasm! What do we plant when we plant the tree? We plant the ship that will cross the sea - We plant the mast to carry the sails - We plant the planks to withstand the gales - The keel, the keelson, and beam and knee - We plant the ship when we plant the tree. |