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Sailing
Questions about wind-propelled water vessels, their maintenance, handling and rules governing their use.
2,485 Questions
If you see a red a green and white light in another boat what does this tell you?
The red (port) and green (starboard) are running lights and can tell you which direction the boat is heading in low visibility conditions. Remember the phrase, "red right returning," which means if the red light is on the right, the boat is returning, or headed towards you. The white light can be a masthead light or a sternlight, and its requirements vary depending on boat length and whether you're operating under international or inland rules.
Who said you are sure as the sun sets that you can reach the indies by sailing west?
Christopher Colombus
With the warmer weather finally here both new and experienced sailors will be taking to the water. Included in the list of equipment that newer sailors will be learning about prior to setting sail is the boom vang. The boom vang prevents the sail from billowing out, twisting, and spilling while sailing downwind.
What are triangular sails called?
One type is the "lateen sail", but there are also jibs; Genoa & spinnaker.
Many nations were represented by the many explorers who sailed in 1497.
Captain Nat Herreshoff, one of America's famous and talented builders of classic sailboats once said, "There are only two colors to paint a boat, black or white, and only a fool would paint a boat black."
What does it mean for a book to say that someone stood in the bows of a boat?
The 'bow' of a boat is the pointy bit at the front! So to "stand in the bows of a boat" simply means that the person has gone to the front of the boat and is standing as far forward as they can get. Colloquial English uses the phrase 'IN the bows' rather than 'AT the bows' but means the same thing.
Assuming You are referring to an Outboard motor: A "tiller" motor is one that has the "handle" if you will, connected to the unit, to control the motor ie the throttle and steer while sitting in the back of the boat. An outboard that runs controls and a steering wheel to a different part of the boat I believe is referred to as a "remote."
What country did Marquette sail to?
French explorer Jacques Marquette sailed to America in 1666. Jacques Marquette mapped the northern area of the Mississippi River.
If you are operating a powerboat at night your green side light must be visible to boats approaching over an arc of the horizon 112.5 degrees and so fixed as to show the the light from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft of the beam on its respective side.
How many sailboats are there in the US?
about 45,000 sailing plesureboats in the u.s. most in fort lauderdale or in south Texas but freshwater is only bout 1,000
I do not think the answer above is accurate. There were over 13 million registered boats in the United States in 2002. I find it doubtful that only 45,000 of them were sailboats.
Here's a quick look at the top 20 states and the total number of boats registered in each:
- 1. California 1,051,606
- 2. Michigan 1,000,337
- 3. Florida 922,597
- 4. Minnesota 834,974
- 5. Wisconsin 650,280
- 6. Texas 624,390
- 7. New York 529,732
- 8. Ohio 413,276
- 9. Illinois 398,431
- 10. South Carolina 383,971
- 11. Pennsylvania 357,729
- 12. North Carolina 353,625
- 13. Louisiana 327,272
- 14. Missouri 325,717
- 15. Georgia 325,135
- 16. Washington 266,717
- 17. Alabama 264,191
- 18. Tennessee 259,235
- 19. Virginia 243,590
- 20. Mississippi 199,037
Head for tide / Stem the tide. Have both anchors out of hawse pipe i.e ready for let go (deployment).
Let go / walk back windward anchor.
Use engine at a very slow speed (Dead slow ahead) & continue pay out cable. Speed over ground to be minimum for not to strain the windlass & cable.
Once paid out about double of the cables (eg 10 shackles for final 5 on each), engine to be stopped.
As V/l commences falling back with the tide, commence heaving on the windward anchor AND Let go / Walk back leeward anchor.
Continue heaving on windward anchor & walking back leeward anchor till final position is achieved i.e say 5 shackles on each anchor.
Running moor is just opposite operation of standing moor but it is more controlled operation as engine is used (The standing moor can be done without the use of engine as first anchor is deployed at upstream.) The other advantage of running moor is that the final turning circle is believed to be lesser than that of a standing moor.
Mind you both running & standing moor is done to minimise the swinging arcs.
Bon Voyage.
Why are the sails on sailboats white?
Not all of the sails are white only sails made out if Dacron are white. But sails made out of carbon are black.
What does it mean when a ship keels?
I believe the complete term is "keel over". This sometimes referred to as a knockdown. If the keel turns straight up out of the water, your boat has "turned turtle". If a large wave turns your boat over end-to-end, you have been "pitch-poled". These conditions are usually cause by rogue winds, rogue waves, or lack of attention to the sails and weather conditions. They do not necessarily mean that the boat will sink.
Another take:"Keeling" is a malaprop -- it's not really a word. People often say "keeling" when they mean heeling. When a boat heels, it tilts laterally, with the wind.
The term "keeling over" is something else: it refers to a position when the boat shows its keel; the bottom-most part of the boat, which means it's turned turtle or gone upside down. So "keel over" is a legitimate term; keeling is not.
What are the ropes that support and control the sails of a ship called?
The "ropes" that raise or lower the sails are called HALYARDS and the "ropes" that control the sails are called SHEETS. Halyards are the lines (ropes) that raise sails. Downhauls lower them (note that they are not always included as gravity does usually help out, though they are sometimes necessary). Sheets are used to pull the bottom corner of a sail aft (or towards the "stern" or back of the ship). Tacks pull them forward (ie towards the "bow" or front of the ship). Square sails also have lines that are used to douse (square sails are often "lowered" by pulling them up, and set by letting them fall down as they are attached on the top edge by a long horizontal spar called a yard) or to reef them (decreasing the sail area in cases of heavier wind) These are the buntlines, clewlines, reeflines, and reefing points. The yards that hold square sails up also need to be able to turn, and lines attached at their ends called braces pull either the port or starboard (left or right) end of the yard aft. There are, of course, many more however these are probably the most important.
How can a heavy ship sail in water?
A heavy ship can sail because it has sails, an engine, or some means of propulsion. If the question is about how the ship can float, it is the buoyancy of water that allows it to avoid sinking. By using a strong hull and making it "hollow" inside, the hull will displace water. The amount of displaced water will equal the total mass of the vessel. As long as we keep water out of the "inside" of the hull, we can put lots of stuff (cargo) in it and it will still float. The vessel will only sink to the point where it displaces an amount of water equal to its total mass. As long as the hull is watertight and rises above the level of the sea (so it can't take on water), it floats.
Well the actual route was: Southampton (Hampshire) - Cherbourg (Normandy) - Queenstown (Southern Republic of Ireland) - New York (East Coast of US)
Most new "sail boats" produced have engines strictly for convenience
