Fore-and-aft Sails and Rigs 1—Leg-o’-mutton sail. 2—Gunter sail. 3—Lateen sail. 4—Sprit sail. 5—Lug sail. 6—Boom-and-gaff sail. 7—Cat rig. 8—Jib-and-mainsail rig. 9—Sloop rig. 10—Yawl rig (Polemast). 11—Schooner rig (Polemast)....

No one knows who first invented boats. Probably they were used by primitive man long before he discovered how to use bows and arrows or had even learned to chip stones into simple tools and weapons. But those early boats were not boats as we know them today, for it has taken untold centuries for mankind to improve and develop boats to their present state of perfection. It was a natural and easy matter for a savage to straddle a floating log and, thus supported, cross some pond or stream, and whe

Through countless centuries since man first made and used boats, an almost infinite variety of craft has been developed. In every land where boats of any sort are used the inhabitants have gradually evolved boats adapted to their special needs, the conditions of their seas or water courses and the work in which the boats are to be used. In a great many countries the types of boats in use today have not changed or altered for hundreds of years, but in many other places forms, construction and oth

Nearly everyone knows that the body of the boat is called the hull, but a great many people, even those who live by the sea or who are accustomed to the use of boats, know very little about the various parts of the hull or the proper names for the different portions of it. The principal parts of a small boat’s hull are: the bow , the stern , the deck (if not an open boat); the keel , the thwarts , the bilge , the bottom , the topsides and the gunwales . Each of these is made up of various pieces

Probably the first sail ever placed upon a boat was merely a piece of hide or skin, lashed to a sapling and kept spread open by a rough stick lashed across it. Through all the countless centuries this first form of sail has been retained and while the skin has been replaced by cloth and the rough saplings have given place to well-finished poles or spars, the spritsail, as it is called, still remains one of the simplest, handiest and most widely used of sails. The true spritsail is a square, or n

The first thing you should learn to do if you expect to use a boat, is to learn to swim. A sailboat, properly rigged, well built and intelligently handled, is as safe as a rowboat or a launch and is far safer than any canoe ever built, but under the best of conditions and even with experienced sailors, accidents will at times happen and then the fellow who can swim stands a far better chance than the chap who cannot. Excellent swimmers are drowned it is true, but that’s in spite of their knowled

Every boat, no matter how small, requires a certain amount of care and attention and this is a matter which is all too often neglected. The larger the boat the more care it will require, while boats in salt water need far more attention than those in fresh water. If a boat is pulled up on shore, or is placed in a boathouse when not in use, it will require less care than a craft kept in the water at an anchorage or moorings, but even when thus hauled out there are a certain number of things which

To sailors the ability to tie knots, make splices and do other ropework is known as marlinspike seamanship. The name “marlinspike” refers to a metal instrument used in making knots and splices and this tool, or a somewhat similar but smaller implement known as a fid , is the only article except the ropes which is required in making any knot, tie or splice. There is a vast difference between tying a knot and tying a good knot , and while the one is an abomination, the other is a thing to admire.

Among the first things that the amateur sailor should learn are the rules of the road at sea, for there are just as strict and definite rules for boats traversing maritime highways as are in force for vehicles using highways on the land. But whereas traffic rules ashore vary in different countries, and even in the various states and cities, the rules of the road on the water are alike throughout all the world, and if you learn the rules in force in American waters, the knowledge will serve just

Very few men or boys are capable of planning, drafting, laying down and building a round-bottomed boat. Even if you are expert enough to do this, the finished product will not compare to a boat built by a professional and it will cost far more, especially if time and satisfaction count for anything, than a readymade craft or one built to order. There are many reliable firms which furnish patterns for all sorts of boats, from canoes and skiffs to schooner yachts and big power-cruisers. By means o

In learning to sail a boat or when handling a boat after you have learned to sail, there are certain things you should do and many other things you should not do and of these the latter are perhaps the most important. In the first place don’t try to learn to sail by using several different boats. Every boat has its peculiarities. If you use one boat on one day and another the next you will be confused and will be unable to make rapid progress, for one craft will sail to best advantage with the s

Aback. A sail is said to be aback when its forward side is acted upon by the wind. Abaft. A position toward the stern from any stated point. Abeam. At right angles to the line of the keel. About. To go from one tack to the other. Adrift. Broken loose or uncontrolled. Aft. Towards the stern. A-lee. To the side of the craft opposite the wind. To the leeward side. All in the wind. When the sails have the wind edge-on and shake. Amidships. In the middle. In line with the keel. Athwartships. Across t