How to Calculate Sail Depth

Sailboats are beautiful and complicated pieces of craftsmanship.

Sailing has a rich history. From its early incarnation as man's primary mode of transportation to a competitive sport, sailing has a wide appeal. Before simply diving into sailing, however, take the time to learn at least a little about your surroundings on a sailboat. You may find it extremely difficult to get the gist of the pieces of the sail and sailboat. According to North Sails, the sail depth plays an important role in performance. The more sail you have, the more wind your boat can capture, increasing your speed.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure

Instructions

1. Locate the head rope on the sail. The head rope is a part of the boltrope -- a precautionary seam sewn onto the upper edge of the sail to prevent tearing.

2. Locate the foot rope, sewn onto the lower edge of the sail.

3. Measure the distance between the head rope and the foot rope with your tape measure to determine your sail's depth.

Tips & Warnings

• Measure the sail while it's mounted on the boat with some wind blowing in it. With the wind blowing into the sail and stretching it, you'll get a more precise measurement of the sail depth.

• Wait until the boat is at port to measure the sail depth. Measuring it at sea while the boat is crashing into waves is a good way to get yourself thrown overboard.

References

• The Free Dictionary: Headrope
• Dictionary: Depth of a Sail
• North Sails: Set Depth
• Your Dictionary: Boltrope
• Your Dictionary: Foot ope