By Lance Lee
Sailing is the art of harnessing natural forces (wind, tide, waves) to move a boat forward and backward quietly and at will to reach clear destinations and to attain desirable speeds. It follows that learning to sail be achieved in simple, straightforward rigs in which the various vector forces (diagonal slant of wind force on sails, the lift of the vacuum created behind those sails, and the various balances created by differently located sails, size of rudder, depth and location of keel, centerboard, or daggerboard-lateral resistance) can be understood in their logical, straightforward applications of physics.
Seamanship involves the Laws of Paradox as it is really what you do when you don't know what to do. It involves finding oneself off balance when only quick-wittedness and swift action can regain balance and control. With both ancient traditional technology (the axe, knife, longsplice, sounding lead) and up-to- date "high-tech" forces (Loran, radar, fathometer, the Hawkins courser or plotter), it is to know or decide when to apply which.
It follows that after relative mastery of the sailing arts, one graduate to attaining seamanship. It follows equally that this be done in complex rigs with as many variables as one can bring to bear to begin off balance and through the development of skill, decisiveness, and judgment attain that degree of certainty and competence through which to act deliberately and successfully when you don't know what to do.
Dories are very fine training vessels for the attainment of seamanship. They are tidily unstable when unloaded necessitating gaining stability through quick movement and cat-like tread - not alone but with shipmates who must learn to respond to each other through body language. Individuals burdened with the responsibility to make the ship safe automatically become the "stout hearts" necessary at sea. Three masted, dipping-lug rigged gigs with the variables or "forces" of ten oars, three methods of steering, three sails with double reef capacity in fore and main, and four configurations of the spanker when scandalized, plus the opportunity to move weight forward and aft, port and starboard at will provide that complexity.
With it, paradoxically comes a crack at gaining sureness out of confusion. The square rig poses a perfect parallel to first learning to row in an empty dory. In the square rig many of the laws of fore-and-aft are "violated" (one doesn't round up to make or take in sail but the reverse, one "burdens" the boat with stone balance to achieve great stability and thus safety while, when first learning of these boats one goes to sea without that ballast to prove an ability to go from instability and lack of control to its antithesis. Such traditional craft and rigs serve the goals of seamanship training admirably.
Just as sailing affords pure and liberating pleasures (release from tensions and landward responsibilities), so the practice of seamanship affords training for ambassadorial responsibilities. The laws of paradox need always apply in the two disciplines. A diplomat must learn to smile when inwardly enraged, to give when his/her instinct is to take, to absorb aggravation and disappointment rather than insist on her/his perception of Right, and to strive for compromise when compromise seems to be the manifestation of weakness-and sometimes the reverse. Diplomacy, like the application of traditional or high-tech technologies, becomes the art of knowing what you do or say when you don't know what to say or do.
 “Master After God”
Lance Lee – ACFUSA
Jan de Hartog, who coined the title phrase in his unusually fine novel, The Captain, got out of Holland before the onslaught of the Nazis as skipper of a deep sea salvage tug. During the Battle of the Atlantic this man, one of a handful such as Conrad, Melville, Reisenburg and Bone who have been there, wrote with a rare clarity and authority of the sea.
In the Atlantic Challenge gigs, the principle, if not the dreadfulness of the Atlantic war holds true. Being cox’n of a gig - - even on soundings as we enjoy them – draws down on reserves of response and responsibility which make one second only to God.
But this is not a high falutin’ concept. Consider. The cox’n is in charge of the souls of thirteen crew, must factor, in given circumstances and to be expected, often planned for change, ten 17’ oars, three masts, as many sails with two reefs in both main and fore and three ways of setting the spanker and of steering, of the weather, the nearest lee shore and his/her ability to avoid it, the selection of trustworthy mast captains and sufficient diplomatic supervision to reaffirm these choices. She/he is in charge always for carefully selected rotation from mast captain to bow watch or from foresail halyard to navigator. Perhaps above all, when under sail, he/she must be satisfied that those crew members assigned to halyards and sheets have slippery hitches or “s” turns around a belaying pin and hold the bight of each line live in their hands. Of such uncleated prudence is safety won - - and the ability to carry considerable canvas in great safety.
Perhaps the greatest strength of these unusual elegant training vessels lies in the practice of rotating the skipper or cox’n. Ideally all thirteen hands, at the direction of the senior crew member, take command and that is the greatest gift we can afford Atlantic Challenge members. Such rotation lends quietly invisible empowerment to the cox: it subtly demands that she/he think – deliberately, clearly, drawing on all experience to date and if not rashly, and not swiftly, seldom slowly.
The question is occasionally raised, “What if an inexperienced cox “freezes”? The answer lies in community - - the other twelve in the boat. No shame obtains from either freezing or forgetting a command from the manual of oars. The crew is there to back up a freeze with a quiet, non-judgmental word, phrase and reassurance. And when thoughtfully run, before making sail it is calmly noted – by that senior member or any other, that if under sail and a freeze, an immanent collision or emergency require instant control over the boat, the command “Strike Sail” means that both main and foresails drop in the boat in three seconds, the pressure off and the gig under control. Logic has it that the mainmast captain give that command, the foremast captain, the stroke oar or anyone perceiving the situation may and is encouraged or adjured to hail out those two words.
Common sense suggests that a novice cox first under oars until a sense of familiarity and the natural urge to move on up the scale leads to doing so under sail. Rotate command. It is a Godly Gift.
  Glossary of Nautical Terms
abaft toward the stern relative to some other position on the vessel
abeam a location or direction at right angles to the fore aft line of a vessel
aft at or toward the stern of a vessel
aft oar the stroke oar nearest the stern of a boat. The stroke oarsman sets the rhythm for the rest of the crew
after thwart the seat nearest the stern of an open boat
amidships in or toward the middle of a vessel
astern any point behind a vessel, to move backward
back a sail to position the sail so the wind blows on its forward side or a yard
backwater to drive a boat backward by pushing the oars in the opposite direction to which they are usually pulled
beam the part of a vessel's frame that runs from side to side and on which the deck is laid, the width of a vessel's hull at its widest point
bear up to sail closer to the direction from which the wind is coming
bear off to sail lower or further off the wind
bearing the direction of an object from the viewer's position
beat sailing in the direction from which the wind is coming by a series of alternate tacks or changes in direction across the wind
before the sailing with the wind blowing directly from behind
wind
belay to make a rope secure by wrapping it around a cleat or belaying pin in a figure 8 pattern
bend to attach a sail to a yard, boom, gaff, or stay, to tie one rope to another
bight a loop of rope or chain
bilge the inside of a vessel's hull from the keel to the point where her sides rise vertically
block a device consisting of one or more grooved pulleys mounted in a casing and used to achieve mechanical advantage
boat oars to bring the oars into the boat
boathook a sharp, pointed metal hook with a wooden handle used to hold a boat alongside or push it off
boat's head the bow of a boat
boltrope rope sewn to the edge of a sail for added strength
boomkin a portable boom projecting from the stern of a gig. At its outer end is a block through which the mizzen sheet is led
bow the forward end of a vessel
bow oar the oar located nearest the bow on the port side of a boat
bowsed the process of pulling out or down the halyard by a second person to
apply additional pressure to set the halyard
bowsheets a platform at the bow of a small boat that provides structural support and is sometimes used as a seat
buoy a floating marker
burton the lower two part section of the halyard including the block
cardinal buoys indicate the direction of the safest water to pass the buoy relative to its
position
carry away to break off or wash away
cleat a wooden or metal fitting with a single or double horn around which a rope can be wrapped in figure 8 fashion
clew the lower corners of a square sail or the aftermost point of a fore
aft sail
close reefed a sail reduced in size to its last set of reef points to present as little of its canvas to the wind as possible
come about to steer a vessel into and across the wind which then acts on the other side of the vessel to allow her to sail in a new direction
come into to sail so close to the wind that it strikes the sail from the forward side
the wind
course the direction in which a vessel is steered
ensign a flag or banner
eye splice a loop at the end of a rope made by splicing the end back into the rope
fathom a measure of length equaling 6 feet, a little less than 2 meters
fenders anything acting as a buffer or bumper to protect a vessel's sides from chafing against a wharf or another vessel
fittings the permanent equipment for a vessel
fore located at or near the front of a vessel
fore
aft and aft running lengthwise, from stem to stern, parallel to the keel
fore and aft any rig consisting of fore aft sails only
rig
fore and aft any sail that is set running lengthwise on a vessel
sail
forward at or toward the front of the boat
fouI to snarl or tangle
fresh breeze a comparatively stiff wind with a velocity of 17 to 21 nautical miles per
hour
furl to gather up a sail, roll it over a yard, boom or stay and secure it with
gaskets
gasket a small line or canvas strip for securing a sail to its yard, boom or gaff
after it is furled
gudgeons eyes which slip over the pintles to provide pivoting action for a rudder
gunwale the heavy plank on the upper edge of a vessel's side
halyard a single rope, or rope in combination with blocks and tackle, used to hoist or set a sail
haul to pull, drag or tug on a rope to alter a vessel's course
the wind hauls when the direction from which it blows changes in a clockwise fashion, e.g. from west to north
head the forward part of a vessel, the top of the mast
heave to to stop a vessel by adjusting some of the forward sails so that the wind strikes them on the forward side thereby counteracting the push of the aftersails
heel base of mast, tip to one side as the boat “heels” over
helm a wheel or tiller used to steer a vessel
hitch a knot, loop or noose by which a rope is made fast to another object
hull the body of a vessel excluding deck structure, spars, rigging and machinery
jib a triangular sail set on a rope leading from the bow or bowsprit to the top (or near top) of the fore-topmast
keel main structural member or "backbone" of a vessel
knees a piece of wood grown to the shape required and used for securing the thwarts to the sides of the boat or other components of the vessel
lanyard a piece of rope or cord for fastening or holding an object
lashing a general term used for any small rope, chain or wire used to fasten one thing to another
lateral buoys mark the port or starboard sides of a channel
lee the sheltered or downwind side, the wind blows onto the lee shore of a
lake
leeway the difference between the course steered and that actually sailed
the angle of drift caused by wind or current
lightering movement of materials or stores by ship’s gig
long splice a splice in which the rope is unlaid 18 to 24 times the diameter of the rope, thus making a thinner splice the same diameter as the rope
luff the foresail edge of a fore aft sail, to sail closer to or turn a vessel's head toward the wind
lugsail a four sided sail hoisted on a yard and often used on small boats
mainmast the tallest mast, usually second from the bow of a vessel
make sail to raise the sails when getting under way or spread more canvas for greater speed
mast a vertical spar that supports a vessels yards, booms, and gaffs
mast clamp a metal clamp used for securing the mast to the thwart
masthead the upper part of the mast
mast step a piece of wood secured to the keelson into which the heel of the mast steps
midship located near the middle of a vessel
moored to secure a vessel to a wharf or anchors
painter a length of rope permanently secured to the bow of a boat for mooring or towing
peak to raise upright, the upper and outer corner of a gaff, lug or lateen sail
peak halyard a single rope or tackle used to hoist the outer end of a gaff
pintle vertical pins on which the rudder ships or turns
poppets pieces of wood which fit into the rowlock spaces to prevent water washing aboard. They are shipped when the oars are not being used and are fitted with lanyards
port the left side of the vessel if one is looking forward
port tack the direction being sailed when the wind is blowing from the port side of the vessel
pump a mechanical device used to pump water from the hold of a vessel
quarter the rounded part of a vessel's side; located near the back where the side meets the stem
reach ahead to move ahead very slightly
reef to take in part of a sail so that less canvas is exposed to the wind
reef points short pieces of rope or grommets fitted in a row across a sail so the sail can be reduced in size
reeve to pass the end of a rope or chain through a block or deadeye
rib one of a vessel's frames
rigging a vessel's masts, yards, booms, other spars and all the rope used to support masts, set or take in sails, and hoist or lower booms, yards and other spars
right ahead straight ahead
right astern directly behind you
roll the tilting movements of a vessel from side to side
rope yarn a yarn or thread comprised of a number of fibres loosely twisted together; several rope yarns make up a strand of rope
rowlock oarlock, a U shaped swiveling crutch in which an oar is placed for rowing
rudder a vertical flat piece of wood or metal hinged to the stern of a vessel and used for steering
rudder post the heavy upright timber at the stern of a vessel to which the rudder is attached
running a slip knot made at the end of a rope
bowline
running used to adjust, hoist or lower the yards and to set and take in sails
rigging
sea room space at sea needed to maneuver a vessel
seize to fasten or bind with small cordage
seizing the turns of thin cordage used to bind, lash or fasten one object to another on a vessel
set up to draw or pull rigging taut
(rigging)
shake describes sails that shiver or flap when a vessel sails too close to the direction from which the wind is blowing, shake out a reef – to remove the reef
sheave a disc or wheel grooved around its circumference and set into a block, mast or yard as a roller over which a rope travels, a pulley
sheer plank uppermost plank on outside of a vessel's hull
sheet rope leading from the lower comer of a sail and used to set or re
position it
ship oars to place oars in the water and prepare for rowing
ship water to take water on board, for example from a large wave
short splice a splice made by unlaying the strands of rope about 12 times the diameter of the rope and marrying them to form a short bulky splice
shorten sail to reduce the spread of sail by reefing or taking them in
shroud one of a set of strong ropes extending from the sides of each masthead to the sides of a vessel to support the masts
snatch block a block with a hinged opening at the top to enable a rope to be placed directly over its sheave without passing it through the hole in the block
snub (a line) to hold a line taut
sound the to measure the depth of water
water
spar a general term for a boom, mast or yard
splice to join a rope end with any part of the same or another rope by interweaving the strands
sprit a small spar that extends from the mast near the foot of a sprit sail diagonally across the sail to its top outside comer. It is used to spread the sail to the wind
sprit sail A four sided fore aft sail used in small boats
square away to alter a vessel's course so she sails in the same direction the wind is
blowing
stanchion an upright post for supporting a deck, rail or other structure
standing the fixed rigging that supports masts, bowsprit and includes shrouds,
rigging backstays and forestays
starboard the right side of a vessel if one is looking forward
starboard the direction being sailed when the wind is blowing from the starboard or
tack right side of a vessel
steering
oar a long oar placed over the stern of a boat for use as a rudder
stem the foremost timber in a vessel's frame
step a socket in which a mast or stanchion is set to keep it in an upright position
stern the aft end of a vessel
sternpost the heavy upright timber attached vertically to the keel at the back of a vessel. The rudder is hung on this timber, so it is frequently called the rudder post
sternsheets a platform at the stern of a small boat that provides structural support and is sometimes used as a seat
stove in describes a vessel's planking that is badly crushed or broken inward
stow to pack away, lash in place or secure
strake one row or strip of planking on a vessel's hull
swamped describes an open boat filled with water
tack The lower forward corner of a fore aft sail
The lower comer of a square sail closest to the wind
Any rope or fastening that secures the lower corner of a square sail closest to the wind
The act of changing the direction of a vessel so the wind blows on the opposite side
The direction that a vessel is heading relative to the direction from which the wind is blowing
A vessel is sailing on the port tack when the wind is blowing from the port side
The distance and duration sailed on either a port or starboard tack
tackle a set of blocks in which rope or chain is used to gain mechanical advantage. Collectively a number of sets of blocks make up a vessel's tackle
tauten to haul tight
tender describes a vessel that is top heavy and thus unstable
thwart one of the planks that extend crosswise in an open boat for lateral stiffening and often used as a seat
tiller a long piece of wood or metal fitted into the rudder head for working it
transom the stern planking of a vessel to which the after ends of the side planking are fastened
trim to adjust the sails or yards, to adjust a vessel's floating position by moving ballast or cargo in the hold
unbend to detach or remove from a secure position
unlay to unravel the strands of a rope
unreeve to haul a rope or chain out of a block, deadeye or other similar device
unship to remove or detach from a vessel
unstep to remove from its step or slot, e.g. to unstep a mast
warp a heavy rope or hawser used in mooring or shifting a vessel
to move a vessel in a harbour by hauling on warps attached to anchors or bollards
watch a period of duty, usually four hours, to which part of the crew is assigned
wear to steer a vessel onto another tack by turning the head of the vessel away from the wind instead of across the wind
whip a rope passed through a single block and used for hoisting
windward in the direction from which the wind is blowing
yard a spar attached at or near its midpoint to a mast
yaw to swing wildly off course or turn to the left or right
yoke a piece of wood or metal shipped into the rudderhead to which lines are attached for working the rudder
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