REEFING. 'One night, as we drove with two reefs in the main-sail, A spray washed him off, and we ne'er saw him more.' DIBDIN. Reefing the sails is a performance with which every person should be thoroughly familiar who ventures to leave the shore and take the command of a sailing-boat; for it is impossible to tell how soon he may be compelled to reef the sails, in order to ensure a safe return to himself, his crew, and his boat. Reefing should generally be done in anticipation of a strong wind or heavy sea; it should always be commenced in time, performed carefully, and with as little delay as possible, for lost moments in fair weather are difficult to regain in foul. In a sailing match, the boat is kept on without reefing as long as she can stagger under her canvas; but on such occasions there are always plenty of hands aboard to assist in the expeditious management of the sails. When about to reef the sails, luff the boat up close to the wind, but not so as to allow her to come about; ease off the jib-sheet, or, if you intend to set a smaller jib, take in the other the first thing; then haul the fore-sail aweather, and make it fast; haul in the main-sheet as close as possible, and the boat will be laid-to.' 6 Now lower the peak, then the main, sufficiently for the intended reef; cast off the main-tack, and begin at the earings, or outer end, by hauling down the reef, and securing it with the reef-earings to the boom; then tie up the points with reef-knots, all along the sail, and make the main-tack fast. The reefing being so far completed, set up the peak, cast off the main-sheet, trim the fore-sheets, and the boat will then be under a single-reefed main-sail. Another reef may be hauled down in a similar manner, and the boat will then be under a double or two-reefed main-sail; and so of a third reef. Never tie up the points of a second or third reef until the first or lower ones have been secured; you may then shake out the reefs one at a time, as the wind decreases. Always look to your reef-tackle before setting sail, and see that the earings are sound and strong; for it is seldom necessary to reef except in heavy winds, which try the strength of ropes and tackle. FURLING THE SAILS. This is also frequently termed 'stowing the sails;' it merely implies rolling them up neatly, and in a sailor-like manner. The main-sail is furled as follows:-The sail being lowered down into the boat, place the gaff and boom close together, one on the top of the other; then lift the flap of the sail over the boom, and lay the aft-leech over the flap, hauling it taut from the gaff end; keep all taut whilst another hand rolls up the loose sail neatly, and close to the gaff. The sail should not be rolled round the boom, nor round the gaff, but close up to the latter. Then pass three or four small lashings round the sail and over the gaff, and, having secured them, the main-sail will be furled. The fore-sail may be furled in the following manner.When the sail is fixed to, and traverses the fore-stay up and down, by means of brass thimbles (the most usual way), it should be let down to the stem of the boat, rolled up, and an cilskin coat spread over it. In small boats, when the foresail is not attached to, or does not traverse the fore-stay, but the rope on the fore-leech of the sail forms the fore-stay, then the fore-tack may be unhooked and the fore-sail rolled up in the main-sail. Jibs and gaff-topsails are generally kept in the forecastle, or in the cabin, or whichever is driest and most convenient. In small sailing-boats having neither cabin nor forecastle, they are sometimes rolled up in the main-sail. After the main-sail is furled, a water-proof coating should be put over it, extending from the mast to the boom end; but it is not a good plan to leave the sails coated and furled for any length of time. A few days will sometimes incur the risk of mildew; therefore they should be exposed to the air as often as possible. The sprit-sail is generally furled by rolling it up close to the mast-not round it--after taking out the spreet, and without lowering the main-halliards; the fore-sail should be rolled up inside the sprit-sail. It is a neat method, but an oilskin coating cannot conveniently be fitted over a sail furled in this manner. When the sails are wet, they should be loosely furled, unless they can be spread out to dry. New sails should be well and frequently wetted with salt-water, when the boat is under way, to preserve them from mildew. In damp or wet weather sails require much attention, and must be frequently spread and exposed to the air during the driest part of the day; if neglected for any length of time (although under an oilskin coat), they are very liable to be disfigured and otherwise injured by mildew. SAILING TO WINDWARD. Thus tars at sea, like swabs at home, By tack and tack are biass'd, The furthest way about we roam, To bring us home the nighest.' DIBDIN. Sailing or beating to windward is one of the most interesting performances connected with the art of boat-sailing. The tyro should spare no pains to make himself master of it; and with that view he must thoroughly accustom himself to the use of the tiller; and practice sailing in all the varieties of light airs, gentle breezes, and strong winds. The art of sailing a boat against the wind, by sundry zig-zag performances, is one that requires considerable attention, a watchful eye, and frequent practice; for although the rudiments of the art may be learnt in a few lessons, the art itself, which is the perfection of boat-sailing, can only be acquired from long experience. The principal thing for the helmsman to attend to in sailing to windward with effect, is to watch the foreleech of the main-sail, or that part nearest the mast. The boat should be sailed as close to the wind as possible without shaking this part of the sail, which is always the first to quiver to the breeze, and warn the keen-eyed sailor of too close a luff. Many sailors steer by a vane at the mast-head, and some cannot sail a vessel without one; but such is an uncertain guide, and it is a bad practice to steer by it. Some steer by the ripple on the water, which may be all very well when the wind is light, but at best an uncertain guide. The young boatman who wishes to become skilful in the art of sailing to windward will practise his eye upon the fore-leech of the main-sail, which is always the most faithful and unerring indicator; the instant the slightest waver is perceptible in this part of the sail, he should bear up a little; the least motion of the tiller will suffice, if the boat be in proper trim. It often happens that the wind is unsteady, blowing sometimes in a continued strong breeze for two or three minutes or more, and immediately afterwards a light wind follows; but this occurs chiefly with easterly winds, which are generally irregular. On such occasions great advantages may be gained by watching the effect of the wind upon the luff of the mainsail; for the boat can be sailed two points nearer the wind in some of the gusts than in others; then is the the time for the skilled helmsman to wedge his way to windward in the race, and leave his opponents in the lurch. The greater the force of the wind, the closer the boat may be sailed to it when in smooth water; and in racing, or match sailing, an experienced helmsman will so narrowly watch the wind, that should the slightest variation occur, he will take advantage by sailing his boat up to it with all possible precision, but never so as to allow any part of the sail to quiver or hinder the boat's progress. It is a well-known maxim in sailing to windward to 'keep her full,' that is, to keep the sails full of wind, and not allow any part of them to quiver; for a shaking or quivering sail is, at the time, of but little assistance to the boat. In beating to windward in a very narrow channel, it is best to take in the jib, and work the boat under main-sail and fore-sail; the jib is the sail that sticks the boat ashore in channels which are so narrow that a vessel is no sooner round and on fresh way than it becomes necessary to put her about again. On putting the helm down, to 'come about,' it should not be put over too suddenly, but gradually, that the boat may obey it quicker. Some people are so impatient in getting the boat round, that the helm is jammed over all at once, and oftentimes the boat misses stays in consequence, which not only causes delay and vexation, but danger as well. Another practice equally erroneous is, putting the helm up before the boat is fairly round, by which means she loses way, or lays head-to-wind, without going ahead; and it then becomes necessary to haul the fore-sail aweather, to pay her head off, or the main-sheet must be eased to allow her to veer off into the wind. In sailing to windward, a good deal of discretion is required as to the proper sized jib to set. As a general rule, a boat will go to windward better with a small jib than with a large one. Many a race has been lost through carrying too large a jib when working to windward. The effect of a large jib is to sag the boat to leeward, particularly when she has but little way on her; this may be seen when the boat is put about. It is a good rule, that the jib-sheet should never be trimmed on coming about, until the boat is fairly going ahead on a fresh tack. Gaff-topsails are seldom of any assistance to a boat when working to windward, except in very light airs, and under high cliffs; they are, however, of great service in reaching and running with a free wind. But, withal, it is impossible to bring out the utmost speed of which a boat is capable, unless a number of preliminary points be first carefully attended to-such as ballasting, rigging, setting and shifting sails, trimming the sheets, &c. &c., each of which is almost an art of itself, and cannot possibly be learnt without considerable attention and experience; but with these combined, a good sailor, with a good boat, will frequently have the satisfaction of finding himself foremost in the race. And experience, with skill, may make many an oldfashioned vessel beat a new one. |