This is the presentation for the FIRST day of ASA 101. This series of three presentations is based on my 5 years experience as a sailing instructor and 30 years in corporate training. The first day of ASA 101 is designed to explain the parts and their function of a sailing boat. The time on the water should be structured to make you comfortable with the way the boat behaves.

1. ©2018 Edward Herlihy
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ASA 101:
Basic Keel Boat Sailing
Capt. Ed Herlihy
ASA Instructor ID:200605260

2. ©2018 Edward Herlihy
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Objectives
• To gain the skills necessary to skipper a 20-30 foot
sailboat (keelboat) in light to moderate winds and
sea conditions.
• To gain knowledge of basic sailboat commands,
terminology and function of parts of the boat.
• To understand basic sail trim and the “points-of-
sail” and be able to operate the boat on these
points-of-sail.
• To understand the navigation rules to insure safe
operation of a sailing vessel.

3. ©2018 Edward Herlihy
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Why are YOU here?

4. ©2018 Edward Herlihy
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Course Outline
• Parts of a boat
• Wind
• Sail Trim
• Tacking & Gybing
• Leeward and Windward
/ Above and Below /
The Grid System
• Mooring Grab & Crew
Overboard
• Running Lights
• Rules of the Road
• Federally Required
Equipment
• Aids to Navigation
• Preparation to get
under way

5. ©2018 Edward Herlihy
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Overview
Every day:
2hr classroom/lecture, and 4+hr on the boat
Day 1 – Theory and skills
Day 2 – Skills
Day 3 – Theory, skills, and the test

6. ©2018 Edward Herlihy
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Parts of the boat
P18-23
• Hull
• Deck
• Pulpit
• Pushpit (stern pulpit)
• Cockpit
• Lifelines
• Mast
• Gooseneck
• Boom
• Headsail
• Mainsail
• Keel
• Rudder
• Bow
• Beam
• Stern
• Transom
• Port
• Starboard
• Fore
• Aft
• Ahead
• Abeam
• Astern
• Quarter

7. ©2018 Edward Herlihy
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Monohulls
• Planing Hull
– No ballast
– High CG
– Daggerboard
• Displacement
Hull
– Ballast
– Low CG
– Keel or
Centerboard

8. ©2018 Edward Herlihy
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Review: Parts of the Boat

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Review: Parts of the Boat

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Sails – The boat’s engine
P21
• Main Sail
– Reef Points
– Streamers
• Head Sail/Foresail
– Jib
– Genoa
– Telltales
Forestay or
Headstay
Foresail
or Headsail
Backstay
JibGenoa
Foot
Luff
TackClew
Head
Battens

11. ©2018 Edward Herlihy
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Rigging
P22
• Standing Rigging
– Keeps the mast up
• Running Rigging
– Controls the sails

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Running Rigging:
Basic Sail Controls
• Halyards – ignition key
• Sheets – throttle
– Luffing is a flutter along the leading
edge or luff of the sail. It is quiet.
– Flogging is the whole sail whipping
about like a flag. It is noisy.
– "When Freaking Out - Let It Out!”
– "When In Doubt - Let It Out!“
• Outhaul –
– Flattens and depowers the sail

13. ©2018 Edward Herlihy
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Winches
P34
• Allow you to exert great force on a
line
• Self Tailing or not
• Single Speed / Two Speed
• ALWAYS wrap in Clockwise
direction
– Keep your fingers from getting
caught!
– Three or four wraps
– Over guide and into cleat
– Then use a handle
– Remove handle after use
Drum
Base
GuideCleat
Handle
Drive Hole

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Raising the Sails
P37
• Raise the mainsail first
– Remove and stow sailcover
– Connect halyard shackle to headboard
– 5 lines to release:
• Sheet ● Vang
• Reefing ● Halyard
• Sailties LAST
– Haul on the halyard
• Unfurl or raise the jib
– Furling line
– Halyard
• Hanks
TO UNFURL
PULL ON
JIB SHEETS
TO FURL
PULL ON JIB
FURLING LINE

15. ©2018 Edward Herlihy
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Wind – fuel for the sails
• Varies in strength
and direction.
• How do you find
where the wind is
coming from?

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Managing the Sails:
• “Trim” – increase tension on a working sheet
• “Ease” – let some tension out of a working sheet
• “Blow” – release a working sheet
• Manage the jib from the LEEWARD side of the boat
• Sails are “SET” when they have the proper tension on
their working sheets

17. ©2018 Edward Herlihy
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Sails are Wind Benders
• Sails can generate 1/3 of their power from
PUSH
• Sails can generate 2/3 of their power from
PULL
– Sails are most efficient when there is
LAMINAR air flow across them.
• When sailing upwind all power is PULL
• When sailing across the wind power is a
combination of PUSH & PULL
• When sailing downwind power is only PUSH
Coanda Effect (1910)
WING
FASTER moving air
... LESS Pressure
SLOWER moving air ... MORE Pressure
Bernoulli’s Principle (1738)

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Points of Sail
• Luffing Arc / No Go Zone - ~45º on
either side of the "Eye of the Wind". In
the center of the luffing arc is IRONS or
THE EYE OF THE WIND.
• Sail Trim:
– Close Hauled – all in
– Close Reach - 1/4 Out
– Beam Reach - 1/2 Out
– Broad Reach - 3/4 Out
– Run - All Out
• Avoid luffing sails and over trimming
• Ease sails until sails luff, then trim in.
• "When Freaking Out - Let It Out!”
• "When In Doubt - Let It Out!"
Up and In
Down & Out

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Steering a boat with a tiller
• Helmsperson usually sits opposite the sail (and boom)
– Visibility - Can see mainsail and ahead
– Balance – Counterweight to the force on the sail
• Helmsperson must CHANGE SIDES when the sail
changes sides (Tacks or Gybes)
• Head Up / Go Above (positive) –
Push tiller toward boom
• Fall Off / Go Below (negative) –
Pull tiller away from boom

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Steering a boat with a tiller
Tacking (TTT) P48-49
Turning the bow of the boat through the wind from CLOSE HAULED
point of sail.
1. Look around - situational awareness - plan your tack.
2. HELM: "Make Ready to Tack" / "Ready About" / "Prepare to Tack“
3. CREW: uncleat jib sheet, and prepare to trim on opposite side
4. CREW: "READY!“
5. HELM: Sight 90º over your shoulder - Pick a specific object
6. HELM: "Tacking" / "Coming About“
7. HELM: Push Tiller slightly toward BOOM. (Tiller Toward Tack).
Boat will begin to turn
8. HELM: When Main & Boom flog, change side of boat WHILE
LOOKING FORWARD. (pass tiller behind your back)
9. CREW: When Jib collapses, trim on other side
10. HELM: Stop turning (center tiller) when pointed at object from
step 5.

21. ©2018 Edward Herlihy
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Steering a boat with a tiller
Gybing (TAG) P50-51
Turning the stern of the boat through the wind from BROAD REACH
or RUN
1. Look around - situational awareness - plan your gybe.
2. HELM: "Make Ready to Gybe" / "Prepare to Gybe“
3. CREW: Uncleat jib sheet, and prepare to trim on opposite side
4. HELM: Trim Mainsheet ALL the way in
5. CREW: "READY!“
6. HELM: Sight a new predicted target
7. HELM: Change side of boat WHILE LOOKING FORWARD. (pass
tiller behind your back)
8. HELM: Push Tiller AWAY from BOOM. (Tiller Away Gybe) Say
"GYBING!“ or “GYBE HO!”
9. HELM: When boom switches sides, stop turning (center the
tiller)
10. CREW: Trim jib

22. ©2018 Edward Herlihy
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Getting out of “Irons”
Sailing off a mooring
• Back the jib on the tack that you wish to
sail off on (if stbd. tack, back jib to stbd.)
• The bow will blow down, and boat will
turn.
• Once the bow blows down to where you
would be on a close reach, trim the jib with
the leeward sheet, trim the main, and sail
away!

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Knots
1. Figure 8
2. Double Overhand
3. Clove Hitch
4. Cleat Hitch
5. Round Turn and
Two Half Hitches
6. Square Knot
1
2
3 4
5
6

24. ©2018 Edward Herlihy
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Course Outline
 Parts of a boat
 Wind
 Sail Trim
 Tacking & Gybing
• Leeward and Windward
/ Above and Below /
The Grid System
• Mooring Grab & Crew
Overboard
• Running Lights
• Rules of the Road
• Federally Required
Equipment
• Aids to Navigation
• Preparation to get
under way

25. ©2018 Edward Herlihy
All rights reserved
Let’s go Sailing!