A vessel to sail her best wants to be kept on a level water line; the minute she shoves her head up or down it kills her speed. This is true of sail, power or any kind of craft. Therefore, in racing, see that your crew keep her trimmed to a level by constantly moving and balancing their weights. If a man goes out on the bowsprit move a man aft to counterbalance his weight. Never let a bunch of men get forward, as is often done when taking in or setting light sails. It is better to do this work slower and keep the boat properly trimmed.
Balloon-jib sheet, to shift a:
Have two separate sheets rigged with snaphooks. If you come down to a mark with your balloon jib on one side and want to shift it over so as to carry it on the other, before jibing over gather the sail up and roll it out to the stay; there stop it. Unhook the sheet on that side and hook on the other. As soon as you are round break out. By doing this you don’t have the bother of passing the sheet in use forward around the stay and aft again in the other side all of which takes time and causes confusion. When not in use, keep the sheets hooked to the stay, and fast aft. You can stop the sail with the sheet, using a turn similar to that made round a flag when hoisted in a ball or bundle.
Shroud-parting:
If a shroud parts, go right on the other tack; then get any tackle you can that is idle and set it up in place of the rope carried away. If you have no tackle aloft that is not working get a piece of hawser or large-sized rope and pass it round the mast above the other rigging. Take it round the spar with a clove hitch and stop the end. Seize a bight in the lower part high enough up to get the watch tackle in between it and whatever you have at the rail to make fast to. Then set it up and rack the tackle. If the chain plate is gone, and you have nothing to make fast to, you can secure the lower end in this way, as I once did. Bore a hole through the deck just inside the clamp, and one through the side just below the clamp. Pass a piece of wire rope through these holes and marry the ends. Into this loop hook your tackle. All boats of any size should have two shrouds on each side.
Burst main sheet:
If your main sheet bursts or the shackle breaks and the tackle gets away, keep the boat as near the wind as possible. Then slack up on the weather topping lift until you can reach the bight. Get this inboard and aft, and haul on it easily, slacking down the throat of the sail at the same time; then the peak. If you have only one lift rove, slack down the throat, and try to get a line on the boom, as far out as possible. If this won’t work, cut off the hoops, unship the heel of the boom and run it inboard. It is a very dangerous situation if any sea is on, and requires skill and courage to master it.
Mast carried away:
If you carry away a mast in a seaway get it clear of all gear as soon as possible, as it may smash in your side. If it is rigged with wire shrouds and rigging screws, and you cannot get these loose, saw off the head of the mast just below the eyes of the rigging. If the sea is not too heavy you can veer the broken spar astern and tow it, or else haul it in over the stern and lash it fast. It is better to save the spar, if possible, as it makes it easier to replace it.