How Do You Sail A Boat Better?
Do you use the right body mechanics to avoid injury like muscle pulls or back strain when working a sailboat sheet winch? Whether your winches are regular or self-tailers, you will learn how to sail a boat better than ever before when you get the winch to do most of the work for you. 1. Stand or squat and face the winch Strange as it might sound, I’ve been on boats with experienced crew that try to trim a loaded headsail sheet while sitting down with their backs to a winch. That’s just begging for injury! Stand or squat so that you face the winch to get the best mechanical advantage every time. 2. Make wraps based on line diameter Use clockwise turns around the winch drum. If you use line about the same diameter as the end joint of your little finger, use three wraps. As the diameter decreases–as it does with some high-tech synthetics–use four wraps or more. You want enough friction on the winch drum to grip the sheet as you trim it in. If your winches are self-tailing, make the fina
