Keelboat Sailing: Basic Procedure Sequences

Leaving the dock

• Complete checkout sheet and post in locker with member cards.
• Check sails and lines.
• Assign crew to duties
• Fuel tank secured, start engine
• Radio on
• Check: sidelights, stern light, masthead light on
• Release spring lines
• If turning in place at dock:
• Stern man: release stern line, push off stern, step aboard
• Bowman: release bow line. Walk bow along dock to swap ends
• (Stern man: prepare to throw a stern line to the dock)
• Bowman: push off and step aboard
• Forward gear
• Stern man: push off and step aboard
• Motorman: add throttle (for e.g. 3 secs., then back to idle)
• Remember, it can take a boat length or more to gain steerage.
• Stow fenders and dock lines

Raising the main

• Remove sail cover
• Attach main halyard to mainsail head grommet
• Remove sail ties
• Check that main is free of fouled lines
• Check that topping lift is tight
• Center traveler
• Point into wind
• Ease main sheet
• Ease Cunningham
• Ease boom vang
• Tighten main halyard and raise the main, checking the slugs as they feed. (Sweat halyard and cleat).
• On Charlotte/Spackle, tighten downhaul
• Ease topping lift
• Set traveler leeward for high wind, windward for light wind.
• Trim mainsheet
• Tighten boom vang
• Tighten Cunningham
• (Shut down motor)

Trimming the main

• (Check that topping lift is eased)
• Set traveler leeward for high wind, windward for light wind.
• Trim mainsheet
• Tighten boom vang
• Tighten Cunningham
• Check clew outhaul trim

Raising the jib

1. Jib tack secured to shackle?
2. Jib sheets led through jib blocks, stopper knot tied, sheets run correctly, turning blocks set properly fore/aft position?
3. Attach jib halyard to jib head cringle
4. Tighten jib halyard to raise jib (sweat jib halyard)
5. Set leeward jib sheet

Reefing the main

• Turn into wind
• Tighten topping lift
• Ease mainsheet
• Ease boom vang
• Ease Cunningham
• Release main halyard and lower main
• Pull luff cringle to gooseneck and secure with hook
• Tighten main halyard (obtain tension crease from tack to head). Cleat.
• Haul down on leech reefing line
• Coil reefing lines
• Tie in reef points (reef knots)
• Ease topping lift
• Trim main sheet
• Trim boom vang
• Trim Cunningham

Reducing headsail

• Hank on new headsail on forestay below old headsail
• Lead new jib sheets to jib blocks (staying outside lifelines if appropriate)
• Tie stopper knots in ends of new jib sheets
• Turn into wind
• Release jib halyard and drop old jib
• Attach new jib tack grommet to shackle
• Romove old jib from forestay
• Stow old jib
• Attach jib halyard to new jib
• Tighten jib halyard and raise jib
• Fall off wind
• Adjust leeward jib sheet

Lowering mainsail

1. Head into wind
2. Ease mainsheet
3. Ease boom vang
4. Ease Cunningham
5. Tighten topping lift
6. Release main halyard and lower main
7. Flake sail on boom
8. Tie in sail ties
9. Tighten mainsheet
10. Attach sailcover

Returning to dock

1. Decide which side you’ll dock on and from which direction you’ll approach float
2. Assign crew to positions
3. Attach dock lines to cleats and coil them
4. Attach fenders
5. Start engine (turn on steaming light )
6. Head into wind and lower sails
7. Within 1 ft of dock: sternman steps off and snubs sternline around dock cleat
8. Bowman steps off

Securing the boat

1. Cleat off bow and stern lines, one first, then the other
2. Rig spring lines
3. Shut engine off (remove fuel tank)
4. Shut off all switches (remove battery)
5. Stow all sails and lines
6. Secure tiller
7. Check that bilge is dry
8. Secure hatches

Crew overboard

1. Shout “man overboard”
2. Throw flotation and markers in water
3. Assign a spotter. Tell him to keep eyes on MOB and to point at him at all times and to call out bearing and distance to MOB every 10 secs.
4. Fall off down wind, do not bother adjusting sails
5. Ready crew for a tack.
6. Continue about 6 secs.( 5 boat lengths max )
7. Tack
8. Head to a point downwind of MOB
9. Tell crew to prepare to let sheets fly
10. Let sheets fly
11. When directly downwind of victim, turn upwind and coast to a point just above (upwind) of MOB
12. Slow to a stop
13. Retrieve MOB on the leeward side of the boat

Tacking

1. Assign crew to positions and check for fouled lines
2. “Ready about”
3. “Helm’s alee”
4. Trim traveler, mainsheet, jibsheet

Jibing

1. Assign crew to positions and check for fouled lines
2. Trim mainsheet tight. Instruct sheethandler to keep mainsheet tight
3. “Prepare to jibe”
4. “Jibe ho”
5. Trim traveler, mainsheet, jibsheet

Setting anchor

1. Start engine
2. Place anchor and rode on deck. Remove kinks.
3. Place anchor at-ready under rail; cleat off to hold on deck.
4. Check depth
5. Fake out adequate rode for scope of 7-10.
6. Cleat rode to deck cleat
7. Turn into wind and come to complete stop at intended drop point.
8. Drop anchor
9. Back downwind in reverse paying out rode until anchor is set
10. Note position or set GPS

Weighing anchor

1. Start engine
2. Pull in rode
3. When directly above anchor, put it up
4. Clean and stow anchor and rode.
5. Clean deck