Boat Handling Essentials: Mast, Sails, Rigging & Paddling Techniques

1. ORD-7 Ordinary Boat Handling Instructors: George Crowl

2. Course Outline • a. Name the principal parts of the mast, boom, spars, standing and running rigging and sails of a gaff- or Marconi-rigged sloop, schooner, and ketch or yawl. • b. Demonstrate your ability to handle a vessel with paddles or oars by doing one of the following: Safely board a rowboat and row in a straight line for 200 yards/meters, stop, make a pivot turn, return to the starting point and backwater in a straight line for 50 yards/meters. Make a turn and return to the starting point. OR Safely board a canoe, kayak, or paddleboard and paddle a straight line for 200 yards, stop, pivot, return to the starting point, and backwater in a straight line for 50 yards/meters. Make a turn and return to the starting point. Demonstrate a draw stroke to move the boat sideways both right and left, and forward and reverse sweeps to spin the boat both clockwise and counter.

3. ORD-7a Name the principal parts of the mast, boom, spars, standing and running rigging and sails of a gaff- or Marconi-rigged sloop, schooner, and ketch or yawl.

4. Gaff-rigged Sloop • “Gaff” is the boom along the top of the mainsail • Provides more sail area for less mast height

5. Marconi-rigged • Sails have no spars on top. Triangular shape.

6. Mast, Boom, Spar • Mast – Tall, vertical pole – carries sails aloft • Boom – Horizontal pole – holds sail out • Spar – Generic term for above, plus nearly any other pole on the boat

7. Standing Rigging • Holds mast(s) in place • Forestay, backstay • Shrouds (upper, lower, front,back, etc.) • Split backstay • For bowsprit • Any other line (often wire) that does not move

8. Running Rigging • Anything that moves a sail or spar • Halyards • Sheets • Topping lift • Boom vang • Reefing • Etc., etc.

9. Mainsail Parts

10. Gaff-rigged Sail • Top edge of sail has new names

11. Two Main Sets of Terms • Mainsails, mizzen, foresail (not jib) all look somewhat similar and have the same named parts. • Various jibs, staysails and genoas use jib terms.

12. Sloop Sails • Fore – jib or genoa • Aft – mainsail • Mainsail • Jib

13. Ketch or Yawl Mainsail Mizzen Jib Staysail

14. Schooner Foresail Jib Mainsail Staysail

15. ORD-7b (1) [Rowing] Demonstrate your ability to handle a vessel with paddles or oars by doing one of the following: Safely board a rowboat and row in a straight line for 200 yards, stop, make a pivot turn, return to the starting point and backwater in a straight line for 50 yards/meters. Make a turn and return to the starting point.

16. Oars • Several varieties • Blade • Shaft / loom • Collar / leather / sheath (button if provided) • Handle / grip

17. Oarlocks, Etc. • Three main oarlocks are shown • They mount in the hardware below • Oars are protected with the leather and button

18. Rowing Setup • Oars right length – 2x thwart length + freeboard • Oar handles – touch or overlap when set up • Oars – sleeve in oarlocks, button inboard • Oars should naturally have blade in water Boarding • Get body weight low (crouch) • Place one foot on centerline of boat • Grasp gunwales • Bring other foot on board, sit down

19. Catch • Putting the blades in the water, ready to pull • Blades vertical, in water behind you • Leaning “forward”, hands fully “forward”

20. Pull • Lean body “back,” pull with arms • Oar blades in water, traverse about 90° • Power comes here, uses whole body

21. Feather • Raise the blades out of the water • Rotate the wrists backwards to “feather” the blades parallel to the water • Start recovery at the same time

22. Recovery • Bring the blades toward the bow (push handles away) • Keep blades feathered

23. Techniques • Pull the oars evenly • Watch your wake to stay in a straight line • Look over your shoulder occassionally, not very often • To pivot turn, push one oar forward in the water while pulling the other oar backward • To go backward, reverse the Catch, Pull, Feather, Recovery process, dipping your oars and pushing away while in the water

24. Basic Rowing Commands • Out oars – Put the oars in position to row • Give way – Pull the oars in a complete cycle • Hold water – Put the oars in the water abeam, hold them there • Back water – row backwards • Boat oars – rotate the handle aft, put the blade inside the boat forward of where you are sitting

25. ORD-7b (2) [Paddling] OR Safely board a canoe, kayak or paddleboard and paddle in a straight line for 200 yards, stop, make a pivot turn, return to the starting point and backwater in a straight line for 50 yards/meters. Make a turn and return to the starting point. Demonstrate a draw stroke to move the boat sideways both right and left, and forward and reverse sweeps to spin the boat both clockwise and counter.

26. Paddling • Paddling may be done in canoes, kayaks, or paddleboards. • This PPT will be based on canoes for the basics • There are differences between the vessels, the paddles, and the techniques employed in each of these vessels. • This PPT may be modified based on the vessels used for the requirement. If you modify it based on your knowledge of a type vessel, please send it to the author.

27. Advantages / Disadvantages • Face forward to paddle, see where you are going • Easy to dock or come alongside • There are many different strokes to learn • Staying on course is more difficult because of one paddle on the side of the boat • Less power, the body is not as efficiently used

28. Parts of the Paddle

29. Boarding a Canoe • Get body weight low (crouch) • Place one foot on centerline of boat • Grasp gunwales • Bring other foot on board, sit down • Spread knees and kneel on the bottom of the canoe • Provides greater stability • Provides better power for paddling

30. Canoe Kneeling • In spite of many photos showing people sitting in canoes... • The proper way to operate a canoe is kneeling!!! • If you do a lot of canoeing, a pair of roofer's kneepads will be good friends

31. Basic Paddling Stroke • Catch – grip (top) hand and shaft hand put the paddle in vertically or a little slanted backward • Push – shaft hand stabilized the paddle, grip hand pushes the grip forward (bringing the blade backward) • Feather – as the blade leaves the water, turn the blade parallel to the water's surface • Recovery – rotate the blade forward, bring the grip hand close to the chest so you can reach forward with the blade • Is the basic cruising or “forward” stroke

32. Power Stroke • The basic paddling stroke: (it’s all in the arms, shoulders & wrist) • 1 Catch – grip and shaft straight up or blade a little forward (blade in the water) • 2,3,4 Pull – lower hand pull aft on the throat, upper hand push forward or holding grip • Feather – When blade leaves water, turn blade parallel to water • Recovery – Rotate forward, grip is brought closer to chest so you can reach forward with blade. [Not well illustrated here!]

33. Reverse Stroke • Same as above, but backwards • 1 Catch – reach behind, put paddle in near vertical • 2,3,4 Pull – push with the bottom hand, control with the top hand near shoulder • Feather – as the paddle comes out of water, turn the blade parallel to water • Recover – move blade to the rear

34. J-Stroke • Used by singles, or rear of tandem • Keeps canoe going in a straight line • Twist the power face outboard toward the end of the stroke • Used by stern paddler of tandem, less “J” needed than with single

35. Pitch Stroke • Newer than the J-stroke • Preferred, corrects yaw as the stroke starts • J-stroke corrects yaw as the stroke ends

36. Sweep Stroke • Used to turn the canoe slowly away from the paddle side • Reach as far forward as practical • Sweep the paddle out to the side as far as practical, in a half-circle, ending next to the canoe in the rear

37. Draw Stroke • Used to move the canoe sideways toward something • Put the paddle in the water vertically, as far away as you can comfortably reach • “Draw” toward the gunwale • Lift out and repeat • OR twist the paddle in the water to move it out, and repeat

38. Pry or Push-Away Stroke • Used to move the canoe sideways away from something • Both start with the paddle next to the boat • Both push away from the boat • Pry stroke uses the side and gunwale as a fulcrum • Push-away is the reverse of the draw stroke

39. Bow Rudder • In addition, the bow in a tandem canoe has two additional commands (usually give by the stern) • To turn toward the side the bow is paddling on – Bow Rudder – place the throat of the paddle near the gunwale on the paddling side at a 45° angle • To turn to the other side – Cross Bow Rudder – without changing hands, place the throat of the paddle near the gunwale on the non-paddling side at a 45° angle

40. Remember • These are primarily canoe strokes • Kayak and paddleboard strokes will be similar, but different in detail • If someone wants to write a similar set of slides for kayak or paddleboard, please do so and send a copy to me.

41. Questions?