Where is the outhaul on a sailboat?

The outhaul is a line that connects to the clew of the mainsail (the ring in the lower aft corner) and pulls the sail back toward the end of the boom. On most boats, this line or wire cable passes around a block (pulley) down into the boom, as shown in this photo.

What is a boat outhaul?

An outhaul is a control line found on a sailboat. It is an element of the running rigging, used to attach the mainsail clew to the boom and tensions the foot of the sail.

What are the sails on a boat called?

Mainsail: As the name implies, this is the main sail of the boat. It is the sail attached to the back of the mast. Mast: The mast is a large, vertical pole that holds the sails up. Some boats have more than one mast.

What do black sails on a boat mean?

Many yachts sails are now made from carbon, which leads to better performance. Carbon is black, and therefore the yacht sails you see on the high performance racing vessels will be black.

What does Cunningham do sailing?

The cunningham controls the fore and aft position of draft in the mainsail or genoa and works together with the traveler, mainsheet, outhaul and vang to optimize sail shape and increase boatspeed. Cunningham controls lead to the crew to encourage adjustment as wind speed changes.

What does the vang do on a sailboat?

The vang allows vertical adjustment of the boom, and is an extremely important tool to shape the main for speed. Tension the vang to tighten the leech, flatten the sail and bend the mast. Cruisers use the vang to keep the boom from rising when sailing downwind and abraiding the main.

What does outhaul mean?

: a rope used to haul a sail taut along a spar.

What is an outhaul mooring?

Whether you call it a clothesline moor or an outhaul, it’s slicker than mossy rocks. And it’s easy to do, once you collect a few pieces of gear. The clothesline needs two anchors to work — one on the beach and one in the water. The shore anchor can be in situ, like a boulder or tree.

What is a Code 0 sail?

A code zero is strictly a downwind sail. A code zero is often classified as a spinnaker in terms of racing, hence the restriction on the length of the mid-girth, but it’s not a true downwind sail. If you’re going downwind, you’ll use either a symmetrical or asymmetrical spinnaker.

What do you say when tacking?

The Helm declares that they are beginning to tack by saying, “Hard-A-Lee”. There are a couple variations on this command and if you want to say something else, it’s your boat, just make sure everyone on your boat understands what you are commanding.

How long do carbon fiber sails last?

It depends on harshness of use, but even when treated well, sails can only be expected to retain good shape for half to two-thirds of the structural life of a sail – that’s roughly 1,700 to 2,700 hours of use.

Why are sails black now?

Black has not always been the fast look for sails, but lately more and more black sails are showing up on the water. Why? The simple answer is that many sails are now made with carbon fibers—the strongest load-carrying material in sails—and carbon is black.

Where does the outhaul go on a sailboat?

The outhaul is a line that connects to the clew of the mainsail (the ring in the lower aft corner) and pulls the sail back toward the end of the boom. On most boats, this line or wire cable passes around a block (pulley) down into the boom, as shown in this photo.

When to use a winch on a sailboat?

A winch is needed on moderate to large sailboats to exert enough tension on the foot of a large mainsail. The tighter the outhaul is pulled, the flatter the bottom of the sail becomes. The looser the outhaul, the fuller the sail.

When to move the mast around on a boat?

Moving the mast around at deck level whilst controlling the leech tension allows you to balance the feel of the boat (helm). The simple rule is when it goes light and you want to increase helm move the mast back and as the wind increases and you want to reduce helm move the mast forward.