KEY LARGO SAILING

SUNSET FLORIDA BAY KEY LARGO

SAILING THE UPPER KEYS 

A
Aft: at or near the stern.
Apparent wind: the direction and speed of the wind felt by the crew. It is a combination of true wind and that created by the movement of the boat.
Astern: behind the boat; to go astern is to drive the boat in reverse.
Auto Pilot: electro-mechanical steering device,incorporating a compass which when set and coupled to the boat's steering system maintains the boat on a constant course.

B
Backstay: a stay that supports the mast from aft and prevents its forward movement.
Backstay: a stay that supports the mast from aft and prevents its forward movement.
Ballast: extra weight, placed low in the boat or externally on the keel to provide stability.
Bilge: the lower, round part inside a hull where the water collects.
Bow: the forward end of a vessel.
Bowsprit: a spar which projects from the bow of some boats and extends the sail plan by allowing headsails to be secured further forward.

C
Class: general category into which boats of the same or similar design are grouped.
Cleat: a wooden, metal or plastic fitting around which a rope is secured.
Clew: the lower aft corner of a fore-and-aft sail.
Coamings: the raised structure surrounding a hatch, cockpit etc., which prevents water from entering.
Cockpit: the after well in a sailing boat.
Come About: to bring the boat from one tack to the other when sailing into the wind.
Compass: an instrument used to indicate directions, either true or magnetic.
Course: the direction in which a vessel is steered, usually given I degrees: true, magnetic or compass.

D
Deck: covering of the interior of a ship, either carried completely over it, or just a portion.
Draft: the vertical distance from the waterline to the lowest part of the keel.

E
Ebb: a falling tide (going out).

F
Fathom: the measurement used for depths of water and length of rope.
1fathom-6ft=1.83 m.
Following Sea: a sea which is traveling in the same direction to that of the boat.
Fore-and-aft: a sailboat's sailing rig.
Forestay: a stay leading from the mast to the foredeck to steady the mast and to hoist the staysails on.
Furl: to roll a sail and secure it to its spar or boom.

G
Genoa: a large headsail, in various sizes, which overlaps the mainsail and is hoisted in light to fresh winds on all points of sailing.
Gybe: to change from one tack to another by turning the stern through the wind.

 SFLORIDA KEYS SUNSET 

H
Hatch: an opening in the deck giving access to the interior.
Halyard: a line used to hoist sails.
Head Sail: a sail set forward of the main mast.
Head sea: a sea which is traveling in the opposite direction to that of the boat.
Headstay: the stay leading from mast to bow to support the mast and on which most jibs are hoisted.
Helm: the steering apparatus.
Heel: to lean over to one side.

I
Isobars: lines drawn on a weather map to link areas of equal barometric pressure.

J
Jib: the foremost sail. It is a fore-and-aft sail and is triangular in shape.
Jury rig: a temporary replacement of any part of the boat's rigging, set up after damage or breakage, which enables the boat to be sailed.

K
Keel: the fixed underwater part of a sailing boat used to prevent a sideways drift and provide stability.
Knot: a nautical mile covered in one hour.

L
Latitude: the distance north or south of the equator measured in degrees.
Leeway: the sideways movement of a boat off its course, as a result of the wind blowing on one side of the sails.
Log: 1. an instrument used for measuring a boat's speed and distance traveled through the water;
2. To record in a book the details of a voyage, usually distances covered and weather.
Longitude: the distance east or west of the Greenwich meridian measured 180 degrees east or west. The 180 degrees meridian is the International Date Line.

M
Mast: a pole or system of attached poles, placed vertically on a vessel, for spreading sails.
Masthead: the top of a mast.

N
Narrows: small passages or channels between lands.
Nautical mile: one 60th of a degree of latitude (a minute); slightly longer than a standard mile.

O
Offshore: away from the shore.
Offwind: any point of sailing away from the wind.

P
Plot: to mark courses, bearings and directions on a chart.
Points of Sailing: the different angles on the wind from which a boat may sail.
Port: the left hand side of a boat looking forward.

R
Reach: to sail with the wind approximately on the beam.
Reef: to reduce the sail area by folding or rolling surplus material on the boom or forestay.
Rigging: the system of all the wires and ropes employed to keep the mast in place and work the sails.
Rudder: Moveable underwater part of a vessel used for steering.
Run: to sail with the wind aft.

S
Sea Breeze: an onshore breeze caused by warm air rising off the land.
Sheet: the rope attached to the clew of a sail or to the boom enabling it to be controlled or trimmed.
Shrouds: wires which support the mast on either side. Also referred to as the standing rigging.
Spar: a generic term for masts.
Spinnaker: a lightweight, three cornered sail controlled with sheets from each clew.
Standing rigging: the shrouds and stays which support the mast.
Starboard: the right hand side of a vessel looking forward.
Stays: wire or rope which supports the mast in a fore-and-aft direction.
Stern: the afterpart of a vessel.

T
Tide: vertical rise and fall of water caused by gravitational attraction, principally of the moon.
Tiller: an attachment to the rudder, of wood or metal, by which the rudder is controlled.
Trim: to adjust the sheets of a boat's sails to take the best possible advantage of the apparent wind.
True wind: the direction and speed of the wind felt when stationary.

W
Winch: deck mounted fitting which provides extra purchasing power for handling sheets and halyards.
Windward: the direction from which the wind blows; towards the wind.

SAILING OFF SHORE OF OCEAN POINTE SUITE 

Boat balance refers to the way the boat tracks through the water. If the boat tends to go in a straight line without any pressure on the tiller it is said to have a balanced helm. If the boat tends to turn upwind when no one is holding the tiller, then it is said to have weather helm. If it tends to turn the other way it has lee helm. The ideal vessel will have about 3 to 4 degrees of weather helm and will still retain a light and easy feel to the tiller or wheel under all conditions of weather. A little weather helm should be welcome; lee helm is always undesirable.

Turning the sailboat away from the wind is to fall off or bear away.  Turning into the wind is to head up or harden up. If the closer turn takes the bow through the wind, it is generally better to tack. If it is closer to turn downwind and take the stern through the wind, then generally jibing is the desired maneuver.

TACKING TO WINDWARD (BEATING)
The only way a sailboat can reach an upwind destination is through a series of tacks referred to as beating, or beating to weather. Tacking, or coming about, is changing the boat's direction so that the bow comes through the eye of the wind.
Since a 45 degrees is about the best a sailboat can point into the wind, tacking requires a turn of about 90 degrees.

Turning the boat through the wind is called tacking or jibing. Tacking is a maneuver where the bow of the boat passes through the wind. Jibing is a maneuver where the stern of the boat passes through the wind. 

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