Utilità

Boom Vang / Kicker: Trimming the Boom Purchase

The vang, or kicker, is the purchase that links the boom to the base of the mast, and its whole job is to control boom height and therefore the tension in the mainsail leech, especially once the tr...

Protecting Lines from Chafe at Fairleads

A line wears out where it slides against a hard edge under load, so the most reliable way to protect it is to reduce friction at the contact point and lift the line clear of the edge altogether. Fa...

Boom Preventer: How to Rig a Restraining Line

A boom preventer is a restraining line that runs from the end of the boom to a lead point near the bow and back to the cockpit, holding the boom in its eased position so it cannot slam across the b...

How to Read Tides and Currents

Reading tides and currents comes down to interpreting three pieces of information: the time and height of high and low water, the range (the difference between the two) and the direction and speed ...

Modular Block: One Block, Six Configurations

A modular block is a block whose head and accessories come apart and reconfigure, so the same sheave body can become a fixed, swivel, hook, shackle, becket or blind block depending on how you rig i...