Learn To Sail A Schooner No.8

Sailing Into Harbour

About These Learning To Sail A Schooner Articles

John, Trinovante’s skipper started writing these articles after some Trinovante Crew asked for more information on the fundamentals of schooner handling. These articles are not imagined theory. John has written about specific situations that have arisen.

The main idea here is to get sail off progressively and in good time.

Seafaring is an ongoing learning process and John cautions against set piece manoeuvers. You need a plan but it needs to be flexible because things don’t always go according to plan.

Sail Training on Trinovante involves learning how to safely handle ropes, tying basic knots and using winches, among other things. The crew need these skills is to be able to carry out manoeuvres under sail or power.

Full in-depth knowledge of exactly what is going on is not essential, so dip into these Learning To Sail articles only if you want to.

Print Learn To Sail A Schooner No.8

The object is to reduce sail steadily and smoothly as the harbour is approached, maintaining speed for as long a possible and making up to windward,while avoiding having a last minute rush to reduce sail and overshooting.

Don’t know the names of the sails? Check out Trinovante’s Schooner Sail Plan

1 Fisherman topsails off. These can be folded and bagged relatively early. this can be done quite quickly with a skilled crew.

2 Mizzen off. With the mizzen stowed we can still make to windward and tack if necessary. any disruption caused to the helmsman by being enveloped in the folds of sails is got over with early.

3. Staysail off. This is furled to the boom and lifted across to the weather rail, leaving the lee rail clear for stowing the jib.

4. Foresail off. Sufficient distance is now made to windward. With only the jib and mainsail now set we can still claw up a bit to windward if necessary.

5 Jib off. We are now effectively hove too Trinovante will slightly fore-reach with the helm locked while the crew stow the jib and ready the fenders and lines for docking. When we are ready we bear away and run down to the harbour getting the main of as we go.