Introduction

My goal is to travel the world, in order to better learn about the condition of people and the natural environment in many different places. To this end, I have decided to become a sailor, purchase a sailboat and then sail the boat around the globe.

I could fly, which would certainly be faster, but I see sailing as more environmentally-friendly means of travel. I would like to reduce my carbon footprint to a minimum. Sailing is slow: the average speed of 5 knots is is only slightly faster than walking pace. At that speed it takes about 3 weeks to sail across the Atlantic, and 5-6 weeks to sail across the Pacific.

That said, a sailboat is also a home, equipped with ablutions, beds, cooking and dining areas. Not to mention clothes and toys and other goodies. It is possible to live comfortably on board.

That said, mooring in a marina can be expensive, depending on the location and the season. Anchoring is free, however good achorages are not always available.

At time of writing, a decent-sized second-hand sailboat could cost 40,000 €. The marine environment is harsh; the sun, the water and the salt wear away equipment over time. Annual maintenance could cost 10% of the boat’s value.

Sailboats and their parts are specialist items: demand is low, therefore they are not mass-produced. Quality needs to be of the highest standards to resist the harsh environment furthemore one’s life depends upon it. Constant vigilance is required. Sailing is a rather tricky task; mastering it requires many hours of training. Certainly, floating on the water is not everyone’s cup of tea. Seasickness seems to strike some but not others. There is always the risk of running into a storm. Also, a sailboat can be quite confining at times. It is clear that there are pros and cons to this lifestyle, to be weighed out carefully. I suppose the only way to know for sure it to try it out. So let’s get started.

Hull

The hull is the defining characteristic of any boat, be it a sailboat, a motorboat or a rowboat. The hull floats in the water, partially submerged. The line where the surface of the water touches the hull is known as the waterline. The more weight placed inside the hull, the lower it will sit in the water, potentially dangerously so. Conversely, if the hull is too light it will sit too high and be unstable. Ballast is added to provide the ideal weight.

The front of the hull, known as the bow, has a V-shape to divide the waters which flow down either side of the hull as the boat travels forwards. The rear of the hull is known as the stern. The two sides of the hull are symmetrical.

A boat with a single hull is known as a mono-hull, but a boat can have multiple hulls connected together. A boat with two hulls is known as a catamaran and a boat with three hulls is known as a trimaran.

Hulls are equipped with a keel, a fin that protrudes from the base. The keel helps to maintain a steady course through the water. Without the keel, the boat would veer sideways through the water due to the pressure exerted by the wind upon the sails. The keels of mono-hulls are filled with lead weight, which helps the boat to remain upright. Indeed, were the boat to capsize in a heavy storm, the weight of the keel would cause the boat to right itself rather quickly. The weight of the keel can represent up to one third of the total weight of the boat. Multi-hulls usually only have a very light retractable keel known as a dagger-board or centerboard, as the multiple hulls themselves help to keep the boat upright. However these boats are not self-righting: in the case of a capsize the boat is more likely to remain with the mast pointing into the water.

To steer a boat through the water, a rudder is attached to a shaft that runs through the rear of the boat. The shaft is attached to a tiller or a wheel. The helmsman turns the tiller to steer the boat.

The length of the hull is the primary size measurement of a boat. A hull length of 10,5m (35”) is considered big enough to store all the needed equipment for blue water cruising, and yet still small enough to comfortably handle solo. The shape of the hull has a direct influence on the speed of the boat. The beam is the widest part of the hull. Narrow boats go faster through the water. However, narrow boats have less internal space, problematic for those seeking to live aboard. The height from the base of the keel up to the waterline is known as the draft. The draft of a sailboat limits the possibility of traversing shallow water.

Traditionally, hulls were made of wooden beams. Wood is rather fragile, and can be attacked by sea creatures that bore through the hull. Hulls can also be made of steel, aluminium and fiberglass. Steel is strong, but very heavy, which makes for a slow sailboat. It is also subject to corrosion in water. Aluminium is lighter than steel, but costlier, and especially prone to galvanic corrosion. To protect an aluminium hull, pieces of sacrificial zinc, a less noble metal, must be bolted to the hull and replaced every year. Most sailboats today have fiberglass hulls. Fiberglass is a good compromise between strength, weight and resistance to the elements.

Over time, marine life will attach to the hull below the waterline; this will create friction and slow down the boat. Therefore, the boat needs to be periodically removed from the water for cleaning with a high pressure hose and a sponge and then repainted with anti-fouling paint. This process is known as careening. The anti-fouling paint is toxic to marine life and helps to slow down growth.

If the hull fills with water then it will ultimately sink. Inevitably, some water will enter the hull, either from waves crashing over the deck or from leaks in the hull or in the plumbing. This water collects in the bottom of the hull, generally beneath the floor planking in an area known as the bilge. This water needs to be bailed out. On a rowboat the water would be bailed out with a bucket, but on sailboats pumps are used. Most boats have battery-powered pumps that start automatically, although an additional manual hand-back is a required back-up. Obviously, any leaks in the hull need to plugged in short order.

Propulsion

The most basic method of propelling a boat through water is by rowing with a set of oars. Historically, this technique was used on galleys, large boats equipped with banks of oars, manned by large crews, often slaves, who rowed to the beat of the drum and the crack of the whip. These days most boats are propelled by a propeller attached to a shaft and cranked by a motor. The motor is commonly powered by diesel fuel, which the notable exception of the submarines and aircraft carriers of the United States navy that generate steam through nuclear fusion and the experimental PlanetSolar solar-electric boat. All but the smallest of sailboats are equipped with a motor to propel the boat either in the absence of wind or in complicated situations such as ports and marinas.

The alternative to mechanical propulsion is wind power. Sails made of fabric can be hoisted to capture the wind and drive the boat forwards. The sails are held up by poles known as spars. The mast is the primary spar, a vertical pole attached to the base of the hull at the mast step and towering up into the air. The mast height generally exceeds the sailboat length.

The mast needs to be stayed in order to maintain its upright position. Wires are attached to the top of the mast and run down to the hull. Two wires run to the front and the back of the boat, and extra wires run down either side. The front wire is known as the forestay, and the back wire is known as the backstay. The side wires, known as shrouds, run through two or more spreaders, horizontal beams attached near the top of the mast to provide extra lateral support. Together these wires are known as the standing rigging. The backstay can be tightened to pull the top of the mast backwards slightly. Apart from this, the standing rigging never moves. Where the standing rigging meets the hull, chainplates are used to distribute the load through several bolts. The forces exerted upon these chainplates is considerable; a failure in high winds could result in a demasting.

Traditionally masts were made of wood, although today they are generally made of aluminium. Aluminium masts are lighter and stronger. They are also hollow, which means that ropes can be run up the inside. Masts can also be made of carbon fiber, which is so strong that that no standard rigging is required; the mast is unstayed, thus freestanding. However the use of carbon fiber masts is still uncommon.

A sailboat may have multiple masts, although this is quite rare for a small sailboat. A sailboat with one mast is known as a sloop. A sailboat with two masts is a ketch. A ketch has a taller forward mainmast, and a short mizzen mast aft.

The boom is a spar attached perpendicular to the mast. It is attached through a gooseneck, a special double axel, which allows the boom to swivel from left to right and up and down. The boom holds the main sail in place.

A whisker pole is a spar that is also attached perpendicular to the mast. The whisker pole holds the genoa or spinnaker in place when sailing downwind.

A bowsprit is a spar that projects forward of the bow. It allows the forestay to be stepped further forward, increasing the potential sail area of the foresail.

Sails

To propulse the boat, sails are hoisted to capture the wind. When not in use, sails are furled, and then either stowed in bags or wrapped in protective covers. Today sails are generally made of Dacron, a synthetic fibre. Sails are custom-made by specialist sailmakers. Replacing used sails is major recurring expense.

Mainsail

The mainsail is triangular-shaped. The top corner is known as the head. The head runs up the back of the mast, generally through a rail that facilitates hoisting and furling. The bottom corner at the base of the mainsail, known as the tack, is attached to the mast. The far corner of the mainsail is attached the the end of the boom at the clew to maintain its shape. The bottom edge is known as the foot. The luff is the edge that runs up the mast. The third edge, the hypotenuse essentially, is known as the leech. The leech is not straight, but actually curved. The sail is not flat, but gently rounded, to better capture the wind. Plastic horizontal battons are often stitched at regular intervals up the mainsail to help maintain optimal shape. When out of use, the mainsail is generally folded in accordion fashion over the boom, tied down and then covered.

In-mast furling

Some boats feature mast furling, where the mainsail rolls up inside the mast. While this simplifies furling, it does come with disadvantages. Mast furling precludes the use of horizontal batons. Also, mast furling introduces added complexity; if the system fails at sea in high winds it will be impossible to furl the mainsail; it will then surely tear itself to pieces after sustained flapping. Mast furling is common in charter (rental) boats, which do not venture far from shore and where convenience is favoured over security.

Jib

The jib is a triangular-shaped sail that is attached by its tack to the forward-most point of the boat. The head is attached near the top of the mast. The clew is attached to two ropes, known as sheets, that run back to either side of the cockpit. On most sailboats, the jib is attached to a roller-furler. Hauling on the sheet unrolls the jib. While this happens, a different sheet starts to roll up on a drum at the base of the jib. Later on, hauling this other sheet causes the jib to furl on itself.

Genoa

Very large jibs that overlap the mainsail are known as genoas, these are quite common on most sailboats.

Staysail

The staysail is a smaller jib, used in the place of the genoa in strong winds. It is mounted between the genoa and the mast. On some boats the staysail is mounted on a second roller-furler, as with the genoa.

Trysail

The trysail is a very small sail, set during gales in place of all other sails. Its purpose it to maintain forward motion and enable the helmsman to steer.

Spinnaker

The spinnaker is a large parachute-shaped sail for light to moderate winds. It is possible to have a large, light, fragile spinnaker for light winds and then a smaller, thicker spinnaker for moderate winds.

Spare sails

A spare mainsail and jib should be kept onboard.

Running rigging

TODO…

Halyard no play Bowline

Sheet some play Figure of eight

Preventer some play

Block (pulley)

Cleat

Horn cleat (anvil)

Shackle (U-shape with bolt)

Gasket

Winches

Self-tailing

Mooring lines lots of play

Fenders Clove hitch

Anchors

Windlass

Storm drogue

Instruments

Wind speed & direction

Wind vane

Anemometer

Depth sounder

Navigation aids

Compass

Knotmeter

GPS

Charts

Paper

Digital

Lights

Communication

VHF Radio

Satellite receiver

Collision avoidance

Radar reflector

Radar detector

Radar

AIS

Self-steering

Autopilot Wind vane steering

Auxiliary motor Motor hours

Propellor, folding, zincs

Diesel tanks

Batteries

Power lights, electronic instruments

Charging

Shore power

Motor

Generator

Solar panels

Wind turbine

Water turbine

Safety

Lifejackets

Strobe

Distress radiobeacon

Lifeboat

Dinghy

Life abord

Deck

Cabins

Fresh water tanks

Water pump

Water maker

Water heater

Galley

Food stores

Stove, oven, LPG

Fishing

Sleeping

Berths, lee-cloths

Marine head

Black water holding tank

Shower

Stowage (storm proof)