Anthology of Sailing

Anthology of Sailing

These stories are fiction, completely made up. Any semblance to real people, places or events is purely coincidence. I have used real places in these stories to give the reader foundation and structure, however, the places described are not accurate and the author has not researched them for accuracy. In other words, if you have been to the places described here in these stories and found it not accurate – remember it’s fiction.

These are a series of seven stories all centered around sailing. They can be read in any order. Each one is independent and stands on its own.

If you are new to the world of sailing, I have provided descriptions of some of the terms used in this anthology. These very simple explanations, will be more than you need to fully enjoy the stories.

If you are familiar with sailing, skip this section and enjoy the stories.

Port - the boat’s left side

Starboard – the boat’s right side

Sheet or sheeting – a line that runs from the sail to the cockpit allowing the user to adjust the position of the sail to better catch the wind. The main sail has a main sheet and the jib sail has a jib sheet. Sheeting the sail in, would be pulling the line (sheet) in.

Tack or tacking – moving the boat from port to starboard or starboard to port so the oncoming wind passes across the front of the boat. Being on a port tack means the wind is coming from the port side of the boat.

Jibe or jibing – similar to a tack except the boat is moved so that the oncoming wind passes across the back of the boat. This can be a dangerous move in high winds because it can cause the main sail to flip from one side of the boat to the other at a high rate of speed. See definition of boom.

Beam – side of the boat. Wind that is a beam, is 90 degrees to the front of the boat.

Aft or stern – back of the boat

Forward or bow – front of the boat

Jib – the sail at the front of the boat. There are lots of different types and sizes of sails that can be flown at the front of the boat but jib will be used here.

Furling / furl – sails that roll in or out are on a furler. It is like a vertical window shade that allows the sailor to use lines to furl the sail in or out.

Saloon or salon – it is the main area typically down the steps and inside the boat from the cockpit. I have seen it printed and spoken using either term but I believe it is the same thing.

Head – toilet on a boat

Bimini – a covering over the cockpit area

Tell-tales – small, long strips of cloth or thin plastic sewn onto the sail or the trailing edge of a sail to better show the flow of the wind across the sail.

Close hulled – sailing directly into the wind as close as possible without being in irons

In irons – when the boat is positioned directly into the wind, the forward motion of the boat will be stopped and the boat will be in irons.

AIS – automatic identification system. It is a system where boats can transmit their position and receive the position of other boats. The system uses satellites and/or VHF radio.

Shroud and stay – shrouds and stays are wires that hold the mast in position. Stays are fastened to the front and back of the boat and shrouds attach to the port and starboard sides of the boat.

Gunwale (pronounced gunnel) The outer-most side/edge of the boat.

Galley – kitchen on a boat.

Slip – dock or area between two docks where a boat is parked. A marina is typically composed of dozens of individual slips for boats to park in that keeps them safe and protected from other boats.

Boom – is typically a thick metal (or wooden) bar that extends from the mast to the stern of the boat. It is used to fasten the bottom two corners of the triangular main sail. The mail sheet controls how far the boom is allowed to extend to the port or starboard. The boom is typically over the cockpit area and often at head height. Sailboats often have a boom-vang which is typically a rope/pulley that pulls down on the boom and makes the sail flatter. This can make it more aerodynamic given the wind conditions.

Luff – forward edge of the sail. A sail that is luffing or flapping usually starts or is first noticeable at the forward edge of the sail. Luffing is the typical sailing term used for a flapping sail.

“Here’s to tall ships and small ships

and ships that sail the seas

...but the best ships

are friendships

may we always be."

Sailors toast – anonymous