How to Position a Sail While Reaching

Sailing a boat with the mainsail hanging out over the water is called reaching. To monitor your speed and prevent your sailboat from swamping, you must correctly position your sail during this maneuver. Follow these steps.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Pull on the lines that tighten or loosen the position of the boom, loosing them from the clamp.
2. Remove these lines from their clamps and reset the sail. Be careful not to let go. This task requires strength. Some boats have cranks, which makes the adjusting easier.
3. Clamp the lines or lock the crank to set the sail. You may also need to reposition the jib. If this is the case, also complete the following steps.
4. Set the tiller or lock the wheel.
5. Move forward and remove the lines that are holding the jib.
6. Adjust as necessary, then reset the line in the clamp, and return to steering.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to set the sail before it is full, or you will have a hard pull ahead of you.
• Set very carefully, or you could capsize the boat.