When one goes to ocean, the first related word that anyone would remember is of ships. Ships have always come a long way in the history of mankind.
From simple sailing boats to today’s sophisticated army naval base all constitute the family of ships. One such type of ship is the sailing vessels. Sailing vessels where the first ships that hit the ocean.
Speaking about the history of the sailing vessel, they were mainly used for long distance travel over water. This type of sailing navigation was used extensively before the invention of the steam engines.
In the modern world usage of sailing vessels are becoming very less. Sailing vessels were mainly used by British, French and the Spanish that helped them to establish their colonies across the world.
They used the sailing navigation to go to new lands. Sailing ships were the only means of available transport for them for trading goods. Sailing vessels where also used as battle ships.
The main part of a sailing vessel is the rigging that is responsible for the movement of the ship. Masts, sails and cordage all together constitutes the rigging that transfers the force of the wind to the ship, which moves forward. The mast is the tall vertical pole that supports the sails of the ship. A sailing vessel may contain one or more sails depending upon the size of the ship. Hull is the main body of the ship. It provides buoyancy and makes the ship to move ahead without sinking.
Sailing in such vessels is not an easy task. There are many factors that hurdle the voyage. Since sailing of the ship is completely dependant on wind, if there is no wind then there is no movement at all. An opposite situation is facing a storm at the sea. This is a major havoc as it may result in a ship wreck or may blow away the ship in unwanted directions.
The people who take care of the ship are called sailors. Since the vessel is driven by wind and not by any artificial energy source, it must be navigated carefully. Hence navigating the ship is done in regular intervals known as watches. The duration of each watch may last for four or six hours. Many sailing vessels use ship bells to keep track of time. The bell is rung after completion of every half an hour.
Sailing of the sailing vessel is done by expertise people who are well versed in sailing ships. Keeping track of direction is very important. So the most important instrument that every captain of the ship needs is a compass. The compass always points to the north thus showing which direction the vessel is navigating. In olden days when the compass was till not invented, crew used to take the North Star as their reference to know the direction.
Quick Tip #1
If your new to sailing it is essential that you get proper training or you could put yourself or somone else on the water at danger. Check your area for sailboat lessons and complete the course before you take your own sailboat out on to the water. |
Quick Tip #2
Always keep up to date on the days weather forecast before heading out to sail because storms and high winds can come out of nowhere. This can be an expensive and dangerous mistake to make. |
Quick Tip #3
When you go sailing be sure to always bring a compass and a good set of paddles because if the wind dies down and your engine breaks you could float out to sea or smash your sailboat on the rocks. |
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