Learn To Sail A Schooner No.3

Image 1

Lines 1, the bow line and line 4, the stern line, hold the boat into the quay. Line 3 is the head spring and 2 is the back spring. The head spring stops the boat from going ahead and the back spring stops it going back.

Together they prevent Trinovante from surging ahead and astern in the berth. Individually they are invaluable in close quarters manoeuvring.

Image 2

All the lines have been taken in except the head spring No 3.

In slow ahead with starboard rudder applied the ship is in a stable position held into the quay by the tension on the head spring and the prop wash deflected from the rudder.

Now only one line is left for the crew to cast off

Image 3

The engine is then taken out of gear and the crew ease some slack in the head spring so that it may be cast off from ashore. We can also use a slip line if there is no handy passerby.

The line is then hauled in by the crew.

The ship will now blow sideways away from the quay with the bows tending to fall off the wind first.

This can be corrected if necessary with a short burst of ahead with full port rudder.