I have been reading some books lately by an author whose stories all take place on sailboats. He uses a lot of sailing terms and many times I’ve wondered exactly what he was describing, so I did some research on the terms. We also recently purchased a WindPaddle™ sail for our inflatable kayak and wanted to know more about principals of sailing so we could get the best use out of the sail.

Basic Sailing Terms

Let’s start with nautical basics for those of your who are true beginners:
* Aft (also called .. Stern) - The back of a boat.  
* Bow - The front of the boat is called the bow.
* Port - Port is always the left-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow (front).
* Starboard - Starboard is always the right-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow.
* Knot – A measure of speed equal to one nautical mile (6076 feet) per hour. Also fastenings by tying two ropes together.
* Stow – Put an item in its proper place.
 
These are basic sailing terms:
* Leeward - Also known as lee, leeward is the direction opposite to the way the wind is currently blowing.
* Windward - The direction in which the wind is currently blowing.
* Beam-Reaching - Sailing in winds coming from the side rather than from behind.
* Battens – Flexible strips of wood or plastic most commonly used in the mainsail.
* Sheets -  Ropes or lines that are used to control the position of a sail.

WindPaddle™ Sailing Tips

Armed with the above nautical terms, let’s cover some of the things you should know when sailing with one of the new WindPaddle™ Kayak Sails. It’s a good idea to practice coiling, folding and stowing the sail on your boat so you are comfortable with it before going out on the water. You want to feel secure when opening the sail and being able to stow it when you no longer have a need for it. You also must be able to tell which way the wind is blowing, because the WindPaddle™ is a downwind sail. We usually try to paddle into the wind and use the sail to carry us back to our original starting point. As you gain more experience, you’ll learn how to do a little beam-reaching. Though the WindPaddle™ works best when you have a steady 10 knots or more, you might want to first try out the sail in light winds to get the feel of the sail and in an area that doesn’t have a lot of traffic. It shouldn’t take very long to understand how the sail is going to react and you will feel more comfortable in the stiffer breezes. Finally, be sure to follow all your basic kayak safety rules.

Sailing in your kayak can be fun, and you will almost certainly get some inquisitive looks from others.