1. Keep it Going
Sailboats can be enjoyed leisurely on quiet lakes as well as on the ocean for exciting trips. The only requirements for a sailboat are movements in the wind and a bottom deep enough for the keel to move without hitting bottom. Smaller sailboats have moving keels, which can be lifted in shallow water. These are typically day sailboats, which do not have cabins for sleeping. Learning how to capture the wind with the various sails that may be on a boat is vital to keeping it moving in one direction. The sails are constantly adjusted to keep the boat flat in the water. A sailboat moves most efficiently when the hull is evenly in the water.
2. Stop the Heel
Heeling happens when the boat begins to lean to one side. While a sailboat can continue to move through the water when it is heeling, it will lose speed. Larger sailboats, 26-feet and above, have a long enough keel that they can lean really far over to one side before they risk tipping. A smaller sailboat, or a dinghy, will tip easily if it heels too far to either side. Many sailors, especially new, inexperienced sailors, enjoy the ride while heeling. It can be really exciting to be riding the water sideways. An experienced sailor prefers steady, constant motion, adjusting the sails and the weight in the boat to compensate for the heeling.
3. Adjustments Needed
If you are on a sailboat with a movable keel, you can raise it to lower the boat back to its level position. On larger sailboats, you should adjust the sails and the direction of the steering to get the wind back into the sails in the right amount that you need to keep moving. Sometimes that means changing direction for a while or sailing to the starboard or portside further than you had planned. You cannot control the wind and when it decides to change speed and direction, you have to adjust. Shifting the weight around on the boat can also help reduce heeling. Ask all the crew members to sit on the high side of the boat, using their weight to lower it. In really rough seas where you might have little room to turn, you may even have to move some of the cargo inside the boat to put the weight on the high side. Reducing the sails may help to right the boat, but it will also slow you down, which is definitely preferable to capsizing.
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