3 Things To Check When Under Sail

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Excerpted from How to Sail Around the World

A basic problem with sailing vessels is chafe – things rubbing against one another to destruction – and I refer to it again and again in this book. If a piece of line rubs against a sharp metal corner, there’s a good chance that the line will be ruined or cut in two in a few hours. But if protected by a piece of hose or by better routing, perhaps by a way of a smooth block, a line will last for years. Veteran sailors are always looking at their rigs when under sail to check three things:

  • the trim of each sail and the whole rig together
  • whether the sails are suitable for the current wind strength
  • what’s rubbing on what

To suggest what can be done, I made two circumnavigations with the same main halyard on my 50-footer. (I end-for-ended the ½-inch diameter line after 30,000 miles to put a new section around the masthead sheave.) But I’ve also ruined new lines in a few hours because I got sloppy and inattentive.

For more cruising lessons, advice and stories, purchase Hal Roth’s How to Sail Around the World from Practical Sailor.

Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him at darrellnicholson.com.