Chapter 1 The Boat & 2 Basic Sailing Theory

Question 1

What is a Pushpit?

Answer 1

(Stern Pulpit)- Metal railing enclosing the stern

Question 2

What is a Stern?

Answer 2

Aft (back) part of the boat

Question 3

What is a Beam?

Answer 3

The widest part of the hull

Question 4

What are Stanchions?

Answer 4

Upright supports for the lifelines

Question 5

What is a Pulpit?

Answer 5

(Bow pulpit) metal railing

Question 6

What is the Bow?

Answer 6

Forward part on the boat

Question 7

What is a Companionway?

Answer 7

Stairs or ladder aboard a vessel

Question 8

What are Halyards?

Answer 8

Lines for raising and lowering the sails

Question 9

What is the Forestay?

Answer 9

Wire running from the top of the mast or near top of the mast to the bow

Question 10

What are Spreaders?

Answer 10

Horizontal struts which hold out the shrouds from the mast

Question 11

What are Shrouds?

Answer 11

Wires running from the mast to the deck to give lateral support to the mast.

Question 12

What is the Boom Vang?

Answer 12

Block and tackle leading diagonally from the boom to the bottom of the mast.

Question 13

What does the Boom Vang do?

Answer 13

It tensions the after edge of the sail and prevents the boom from lifting.

Question 14

What is the Backstay?

Answer 14

Wires running from the top of the mast to the stern.

Question 15

What is the Topping Lift?

Answer 15

Line leading from the top of the mast to the after end of the boom to support the weight of the boom when the sail is lowered.

Question 16

What is the Cunningham?

Answer 16

line adjusting the tension of the forward edge of the mainsail.

Question 17

What is the Outhaul?

Answer 17

Line adjusting the tension of the bottom of the mainsail along the boom.

Question 18

What are the sheets?

Answer 18

Lines that control the sail trim (set)

Question 19

What is the head?

Answer 19

Top corner of a sail.

Question 20

What are the battens?

Answer 20

Wooden or plastic slats set in the batten pockets that help maintain the shape of the sail.

Question 21

What is the Leech?

Answer 21

After edge of the sail.

Question 22

What are reef points?

Answer 22

Small lines set into reinforced patches to accommodate reef ties.

Question 23

What are Telltales (ticklers)?

Answer 23

Short lengths of wool that indicate airflow over the surface of the sails.

Question 24

What is a clew?

Answer 24

Lower aft corner of a sail

Question 25

What is the foot of a sail?

Answer 25

Lower edge of the sail.

Question 26

What is the Spinnacker?

Answer 26

Large balloon-like sail often brightly covered that flies ahead of the forestay.

Question 27

What is the Storm Jib?

Answer 27

Foresail used in very strong winds (it’s smoll)

Question 28

What is a jib?

Answer 28

A foresail the size of the foretriangle or less.

Question 29

What is the genoa?

Answer 29

Type of salami.

The largest foresail, overlapping the foretriangle formed by the mast, deck, and forestay

Question 30

What is the Luff?

Answer 30

Forward edge of a sail.

Question 31

What is the Tack?

Answer 31

Lower forward corner of the sail.

Question 32

What does it mean when a sail is “reefed” and what are the two ways of doing it?

Answer 32

Page 10 - Reduced in size so that it can be adapted to an increase in wind strength - there are two types of reefing:
Jiffy (or slab)
Roller

Question 33

What is a gooseneck?

Answer 33

a hinged fitting attaching the boom to the mast.

Question 34

What are fairleads?

Answer 34

Fittings through which lines are led to guide them or to change their directions so that they will not interfere with other lines of the boat. (Little wheely things)

Question 35

What are cleats?

Answer 35

Fittings for gripping and securing lines?

Question 36

What are hanks?

Answer 36

Clips on the luff of a foresail by which the foresail is attached to the forestay.

Question 37

What are slugs (slides)

Answer 37

Fittings attached to a sail by which the sail is attached to the mast or boom.

Question 38

Where is port side?

Answer 38

When you face forward, the left hand side of the boat.

Question 39

Where is starboard side?

Answer 39

When you face forward, the right side of the boat.

Question 40

What is windward?

Answer 40

Towards the direction from which the wind is blowing (also known as upwind or “to weather”)

Question 41

What is leeward?

Answer 41

Away from the direction from which the wind is blowing (also known as downwind or lee)

Question 42

What is Leeway?

Answer 42

The leeward motion of a boat, a side-slipping through the water caused by the wind against hull and rigging.

Question 43

Is the keel able to prevent leeway?

Answer 43

No, not entirely.

Question 44

What are the points of sail from Winward to Leeward? (reference found on page 20)

Answer 44

1. Close Hauled
2. Close Reach
3. Beam Reach
4. Broad Reach
5. Run

Question 45

What’s the difference between heading up and bearing away?

Answer 45

Heading up is altering course TOWARDS the wind. Bearing away is altering course AWAY from the wind.

Question 46

Where is the mainsail carried on a starboard tack?

Answer 46

Port Side

Question 47

Where is the mainsail carried on a port tack?

Answer 47

Starboard side

Question 48

What does the position of the main sail determine?

Answer 48

The Tack

Question 49

What is tacking?

Answer 49

Turning the boat so her bow passes through head to wind - by heading up then bearing away.

Question 50

What’s gybing?

Answer 50

Changing tack where the stern of the boat passes through the wind. The boat bears away to a run and the sails are changed from one side of the boat to the other.

You gybe ass turkey

Question 51

What two ways can you change tack?

Answer 51

Gybing or Tacking