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SAILING YOUR HOBIE 18’
Safe and sane guideline for the beginner; and an easy
review for the experienced.
Always wear a life jacket when boating.
BALANCING THE BOAT
When sailing, sit on the upwind side of the boat (wind on
your back) just in front of the tiller, facing the sail.
Balance your weight further outboard as the boat begins
to tip or heal over with the wind in the sails. Tuck one
foot under the hiking strap for balance. Use your hand
that is forward to hold and control the mainsheet. Use
your hand that is aft to steer.
STEERING
Steer the boat by pushing the tiller away from you to
turn towards the wind. Pull the tiller towards you to turn
away from the wind. Keep the movement of the tiller to a
minimum to prevent over-steering. This will help you
keep the boat moving in a straight line as you pay
attention to other watercraft and sail adjustments.
SAIL POWER
Face the sail in order to pay close attention to the trim or
adjustment of the sail. When the front of the sail, just
behind the mast, luffs or flutters in the breeze, you lose
power. To start moving, pull the sail in just enough to
stop the sail from luffing. There are also short ribbons
hanging on either side of the sail. Follow the diagram of
sail and course adjustments above using the "tell tails"
to get the most performance out of the sail for all angles
of sailing. The tell tails react to air flowing over the sail
and will help you see that the sail is pulled in too tight or
too loosely. If you pull the sail too tight you will stall the
sail power. Ease the sail out until it luffs, then pull it in
just a little until it stops luffing. You will adjust the trim
whenever the wind changes direction or you change
course.
Refer to the sail trim diagram below for approximate sail
settings for the different points of sail or directions you
will be sailing. Note the "can't sail zone". You cannot sail
in this direction due to the fact that the sail will luff
constantly when pointed into the wind. If you get stuck in
irons (or stop pointed into the wind) you will need to
reverse the rudder and push the sail forward to back-
wind it. The jib should be back winded by the crew to
assist. This will back the boat up. Reverse the rudders
and let the sail out until the boat is positioned more
across the wind (close reach). Then you can correctly
trim the sail and start moving forward.
WIND
COMING
ABOUT
FALLING
OFF
HEADING UP
WIND
CAN'T SAIL IN
THIS AREA
Close Hauled
Close Hauled
Close Reach
Close Reach
Medium Reach
Broad Reach
Medium Reach
Broad Reach
Downwind Run