Sailing is a world of work – but sailing is also a world of fun. Otherwise, sailing is impossible. Basic sailing begins with knowing what to call what when we go on board. Sailing has its own unique vocabulary that must be learned, and fast. The front of the boat is called the bow, the rear is the stern. When one goes to the stern, it’s called going aft. The left side is called port, or the port side, and the right is starboard. The long upright pole is called the mast and it holds up the sail which when rolled close to the mast is almost invisible, but when unfurled to its widest gives the boat its name – sailboat! When the wind is right, it’s the sail that moves the wonderful sea craft to wherever you wish it.
Basic sailing also includes knowing all the ropes-literally. There are ropes that fix the sail to the mast, as well as to the foredeck and fixtures aft. The ropes when fixed to the sail or mast are also called lines, and you grab the fore lines when asked, or the aft lines when needed, or you wrap your arms around the mast so you don’t go overboard. Now in basic sailing you wonder how to “drive” the sailboat in the right direction once you really start going. Pointing the sailboat in the desired direction is also called steering, the same way we steer our car, but on a boat it’s called the helm and it’s connected to the rudder located below the stern. Smaller sailboats may not have the familiar round helm, but a simple handle called a tiller connected to the rudder below. The helmsman (not driver, remember?) simply moves the tiller left or right to point the sailboat left or right.