Sails are most often torn or split through carelessness in tieing in the points when reefing, or not untieing when shaking out. The first man will tie his points hard, the second slack, consequently bringing undue strain on one cloth. All the points should be tied with as nearly equal strain as possible. Another cause is allowing sails to fall and lie over pointed things, like oarlocks, anchor stocks and belaying pins. Somebody steps or hauls on the sail and the point goes through.
Mending sails:
If you have a sister, or know somebody else’s sister, get her to show you how they herringbone or darn a rent, such as they frequently have in their clothes. This knowledge will enable you to mend a rent in your sail, and perhaps save the canvas from being torn to pieces. A small hole in a sail can be temporarily mended with court plaster. If the sail rends and starts to split up the cloth put in a safety pin at top and bottom of tear until you can get at it with a needle. Always carry a spare yard or two of canvas when cruising, as it will frequently come in handy for mending and other purposes.
Knotting and splicing:
Every young yachtsman should learn to make the simple knots and splices. Nothing looks worse than to see on a boat a lot of rigging that is knotted or fastened together in a lubberly fashion. There is no need of learning the fancy knots, unless you want to, but you should know how to make the following knots, etc.:
- Square or reef knot,
- Figure eight,
- Overhand,
- Fisherman’s bend,
- Carrick bend,
- Clove hitch,
- Half and whole hitch,
- Bowline,
- Bowline-on-a-bight,
- Sheet-bend,
- Rolling hitch,
- Wall and crown,
- Sheep-shank,
- Short splice,
- Sailmaker’s splice,
- Cut splice,
- Eye splice,
- Whipping, common,
- Whipping, Spanish,
- Serving,
- Mousing,
- Plain, stitching,
- Herringboning.
Washing down:
A boat’s deck and cockpit should be thoroughly washed at least once a day. Nothing looks worse than a dirty deck. Wooden decks should be washed before the heat of the day gets on them: Canvas decks can be scrubbed at any time. If on salt water, always take advantage of a rain and give your decks a good hard scrubbing to get the salt off. If you have a crew, teach them to wash down the first thing every morning, and see that they do it
Keeping clean below:
The first lesson to learn on a yacht, and the first to teach your crew, is that there is a place for everything, and that everything must be kept in its place. If they take anything out to use make them put it back at once in its place just as soon as they are done with it. Make every man keep his berth tidy, his clothes put away, and his bedding properly aired and folded. Teach them not to throw cigarette butts, tobacco and match sticks on the floor, and to spit overboard and not on the deck or in the cockpit. Don’t leave dirty dishes about. Keep your cabin just as tidy as you do your deck.