A romantic day, wide oceans, heart-pounding, racing or just cruising to a far off place. These are emotions that sailboats bring out in people. Sailboats make you think of historical sea battles and at the same time a peaceful day because a sailboat can do all of these very well.
We have sailboats that are specifically created for just one function in mind or for a variety of functions. You can have a small sailboat that can be used on small lakes and rivers that can teach you how to sail or you can have massive boats that can cross oceans. You have sailboats that can be sailed alone anywhere and you have sailboats that need a team of people to handle them.
‘Sailboat’ is an umbrella term for a wide range of sailing crafts. Sailboats come in a variety of sizes. Large single mast boats, daysailers, dinghy, two-masted sailboats, large yachts, and so on. You can find different sailboats on www.marineservices.co.nz/boat-sales and even get an idea of how much they cost.
Each type of sailboat has a unique set of styles and characteristics and can do different things depending on how it is designed. Sailboats that have onboard quarters crews and passengers are designs with comfort for details and sturdy finishes. Boats used for racing on the other hand are designed for maneuverability and speed and little or no attention is paid to comfort.
Understanding How Sailboats Work
Most sailboats are made up of eight main parts:
- Tiller: The component that helps with navigation.
- Rudder: This part of a sailboat serves the same function as a car’s tire would.
- Mainsail: This is the larger sail that harnesses the majority of the wind power needed to propel the boat.
- Mast: A long horizontal pole that holds up the mast
- Jib: This is the smaller sail that provides extra wind power for the mainsail
- Keel: A slim, long plank at the bottom of the hull that is used to help keep the balance of the boat.
- Hull: The body of the boat that houses all the internal features. A boat’s hull balances, reduces backward pull or drag caused by water friction to ensure smooth sail at all times.
- Boom: Is the part of the sailboat that sailors use to catch wind from different directions.
Sailboat Construction & Hull Design
Sailboats are designed with either a monohull, twin hulls(catamaran), or Multihulls(trimarans). A monohull is stabilized by a ballast. Trimarans and Catamarans on the other hand gain durability from the distance to their hulls.
Although traditional monohull sailboats are the more popular option, catamaran and trimaran sailboats are steadily growing in popularity as they offer increased stability and speed.
Some popular sailboat options are Oyster, Catalina, Privilege, Beneteau, Jeanneau, Fountaine Pajot, Leopard, and Marlow-Hunter.
Sailboat Power Options
1.Sail
One of the main features of a sailboat that differentiates it from another type of boat is that it is powered primarily by wind. Sails are used to harness wind power and navigate the boat through the water. A lot of modern sail are from Dacron(a polyester fiber) and of two types.
Types Of Sails
Roll-up mainsail
This is type of sail is preferred by most beginners as it is not strenuous and appears simple to work with. However, putting up a mast is technically complex and requires serious concentration so nothing goes wrong.
One of the main advantages of this type of sail is the fluid reduction of the sail area when the wind rises. A major disadvantage of a roll mainsail is that it is smaller and provides less power than traditional sails.
Conventional mainsail
This type of sail is easy to use and provides more power than a roll main sail. A halyard is used to raise and lower the sail. A major disadvantage of the conventional mainsail is that it is difficult to reduce the size of the sail when the wind rises.
One of the main advantages of the conventional mainsail is that it provides a lot of power and has a simple design.
2. Outboard Or Inboard Diesel Powered Motors
A lot of modern sailboats also come with an outboard or inboard diesel-powered motor. This is used to power the boat when a greater speed than a sail alone can provide is required or when there is no wind and the boat is motionless.
The Sailing Experience
Sailing offers a unique experience, it can be invigorating and relaxing at the same time. The experience is different every single time you sail and is great for building friendships and family ties. Sailing is suitable for every experience level and is a pleasure able adventure for both the young and old.
The feeling of being at one with the sea and mother nature is something everyone should experience at least once in a lifetime and if it can be helped, regularly. Ultimately sailing is true freedom.
