Stránka:roll 1911.djvu/204

Campcraft 183 has become instinctive. It is convenient to remember that the fly should always point as nearly as possible to the end of the gaff, except when you are sailing free or before the .wind. Close to Wind Sailing with the boat pointing as nearly as possible against the wind is called sailing dose to the wind; when you lmve turned your bow to the right or left so that the wind strikes both bo?t and sail at right angles you are sailing with the wind abeam; as you let out your sheet so that the boom makes a larger angle with an imaginary line running from the mast to the middle of the stern you are sailing off the wind; and, when your sail stands at right angles to this same line, you are sailing free or before the wind. Before the Wind Sailing free, or before the wind, is the extreme opposite of sailing close hauled or on the wind, and the wind is blowing behind your back instead of approaching the sail.from the di- rection of the mast. If you are sailing free on the port tack, witIx the boom at right angles to the mast on the starboard side, and you should steer your boat sufficiently to starboard, the wind would strike the sail at its outer edge or leech and throw the sail and boom violently over to the port side of the mast. This is called jibing and is a very dangerous thing; it should be carefully guarded against whenever sailing before the wind. i?eefing If you find th-?t the wind is too strong for your boat, and that you are carrying too much sail, you can let her come up into the wind and t?ke in one or two reefs. This is done by letting out both the throat and peak halllards enough to give suffcient slack of sail, then by hauling the sail out toward the end of the boom, and ?fterward by rolling the sail up and tying the points under and around it, but not around the boom. Always use a square or reef knot in tying your reef points. In case of a squall or a strong puff of wind, remember that you can always ease the pressure on your sail by turning the bow into the wind, and if for any reason you wish to shorten suddenly you can drop your peak by loosening the peak halllards. Ready About Before "going about," or turning your bow so tlmt the wincl will strike the other side of the sail at its mast end, ?gn Digitized by ?,,? ? '?(? I.?L.