Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

23
Chapter
How to Tell the Main from the
Jib: A Sailor’s Vocabulary
In This Chapter
◆ Sailing schools give you the basics, but hands-on instruction is best
◆ The names of all that stuff
◆ Learning the points of sail
Sailing is an art almost as old as boats themselves, and those who take the time to
learn (it doesn’t take much) are rewarded with voyages that offer peace and grace
and blessed silence that many feel is more at one with the watery environment
than the noise and the fumes generated by powerboats.
Sailing is a thinking person’s mode of transportation, employing physics, geometry,
and ergonomics. It’s not for those who simply want to step aboard, turn the
key, and take off. But with a bit of study, anyone can learn the basics of sailing in
a long weekend. After that, it’s a long path you can follow as far as you like
toward becoming a master.
And although sailing can be among the most tranquil of sports, it can also be
among the most exciting and challenging. It holds a life-long attraction, both for
those who race avidly in competition and for those who only race avidly for the
best sundown anchorage.