In this video you will learn the main parts of your boat, sails and rigging, how to recognize
them, and what they are called.
And we will also show you the most common type of knots used in sailing and how to tie
them.
Boats come in all different shapes, sizes and construction.
They can be made from wood, fibreglass or durable plastic, so depending on what type
of sailing you plan to do there is a boat for you.
It’s best to avoid dashing out and buying the first one you see.
It’s better to try as many different boats as possible to ensure that you buy the best
one for your needs.
Sailing Centres offer great purchasing advice, sailing clubs are also a good place to start
looking, and some even offer boats for hire.
There are many different combinations of sail fixtures and fittings.
The basic principles are the same, but from boat to boat small differences will apply
depending on your particular set up.
Every boat however does have the same basic components.
These are the hull, the mast which is generally made of aluminium, the boom which connects
to the mast.
The sails and the rudder assembly.
The front of the hull is called the bow, and the rear - stern or transom.
To help with manoeuvring ashore a launching trolley should be used.
These have large soft wheels and are designed to go in the water and make launching easier.
A seat that runs sideways across the boat is called a thwart.
The bit you sit on is called the side tanks, and the outside edge of the boat is called
the gunwale.
The mast is either self supporting like this Laser, or supported by a series of wire rigging.
The side rigging is called shrouds.
And the front wire is called a forestay.
You may have spreaders fitted to your boat, these horizontal brackets help to spread the
load of the rig to the mast.
The kicking strap is either permanently fitted to the boom like this, or clips under the
boom.
This control stops the boom from rising and makes the sail control easier whilst you are
sailing.
The boom connects to the mast with a flexible joint called a gooseneck.
The gooseneck is either slid into a hole on the boom like this, or in some situations
left permanently fixed.
The rope used to tie the boat to the trolley and help during the manoeuvring process is
called the painter.
The painter is also used to tie the boat to the pontoon during rigging.