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In the middle of the boat you’ll have a centreboard, which either pivots around a
pin like this, or slides up and down like this, which is called a dagger board. Your
boat should have at least two buoyancy tanks to keep you afloat. They are designed that
should one become holed the boat will still float. The buoyancy tanks form the main body
of the hull that you sit on, with an additional tank at the bow of the boat.
Drainage holes are fitted at the back of the boat to allow you to drain any water that
may collect in the buoyancy tank while sailing. These holes are secured with bungs which must
be fitted before you go afloat. The boat will not sink if you do not fit the
bungs, but it will fill with water and be very difficult to steer if you don’t.
To steer you’ll have a rudder which is fixed to the back of the boat, and controlled by
a horizontal pole which is called the tiller. The final part of the assembly is the tiller
extension, which is the bit that you hold. The rudder blade pivots around a pin which
allows it to be easily raised and lowered, and once down is secured in place with a piece
of rope held in a jam cleat on the tiller.
The person steering is called the helmsman, but when we use this term it applies to both
male or female. This person steers the boat by holding the tiller extension across and
in front of their body with one hand, and the mainsheet in the other hand. This is called
the dagger grip. This grip allows you to control the mainsail and rudder easily. In a two hander
the second person is called the crew. This person controls the jib, and if fitted the
spinnaker. To help you lean out and balance the boat, hook your feet underneath the toe
straps.
The left hand side of the boat is called the port side. And the right hand side the starboard
side. In front of the boat is called ahead, and behind the boat is called astern. The
side of the boat under the boom is called the leeward side, and the side of the boat
opposite the boom is called the windward side. As you change tack or gybe, the windward and
leeward descriptions change sides as well. All the other descriptions remain as they
were.
Boat and wind speeds are measured in knots, and one knot is 1.85 kilometres per hour.
Understanding what all the parts of your boat are called will help you to understand better
the other training videos on this site.