A fairlead is a turning point for running rigging like rope, chain, wire or line, that guides that line such that the "lead" is "fair", and therefore low friction and low chafe. [1] A fairlead can be a hook, ring, pulley, chock, or hawse (hole) sometimes surrounded by rollers.
If the line is meant to be moved while in the fairlead, the angle in the line created by the fairlead must be shallow to minimize friction. For larger angles a block or pulley is used as a fairlead to reduce friction. Where the line is removed from a hook fairlead before using, the angle is not an issue.
A fairlead can also be used to stop a straight run of line from vibrating or rubbing on another surface.
Fairleads are used on most sailboats. Even a simple Sunfish sailboat has two fairleads. A ring fairlead holds the halyard parallel to the mast so its cleat can be located near to the cockpit. [2] On models without a deck block for the sheet, a hook fairlead in the forward edge of the cockpit gives the sailor options when handling the sheet.
When attached to a track to make its position adjustable, a fairlead leading a jibsheet to a winch can be moved fore, aft and sometimes side to side to allow a sailor to tune sail trim to wind conditions. [3] In this duty, angle of the fairlead determines the depth of the sail, height of the clew, leach tension and other sail trim variables. [4]
While fairleads are most frequently found in nautical or sailing applications, they can be found anywhere rigging is used. For example, in off-roading, a fairlead is used to guide the winch cable and remove lateral strain from the winch. A roller fairlead is used with steel cable and a hawse fairlead is used with synthetic cable.
An example of hook fairlead can be seen on buildings with an angled flagstaff mounted over a door. At the base of the flagstaff is usually a hook so the flag halyard can be held parallel to the pole, and still tied off to a cleat beside the door, rather than above.
A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in or let out or otherwise adjust the tension of a rope or wire rope.
In sailing, a halyard or halliard is a line (rope) that is used to hoist a ladder, sail, flag or yard. The term "halyard" derives from the Middle English halier, with the last syllable altered by association with the English unit of measure "yard". Halyards, like most other parts of the running rigging, were classically made of natural fibre like manila or hemp.
A traveller is a part of the rigging of a boat or ship that provides a moving attachment point for a rope, sail or yard to a fixed part of the vessel. It may take the form of anything from a simple ring on a metal bar or a spar to, especially in a modern yacht, a more complex "car" – a component with bearing-mounted wheels running on a shaped aluminium extrusion.
A spinnaker is a sail designed specifically for sailing off the wind on courses between a reach to downwind. Spinnakers are constructed of lightweight fabric, usually nylon, and are often brightly colored. They may be designed to perform best as either a reaching or a running spinnaker, by the shaping of the panels and seams. They are attached at only three points and said to be flown.
Running rigging is the rigging of a sailing vessel that is used for raising, lowering, shaping and controlling the sails on a sailing vessel—as opposed to the standing rigging, which supports the mast and bowsprit. Running rigging varies between vessels that are rigged fore and aft and those that are square-rigged.
Sail components include the features that define a sail's shape and function, plus its constituent parts from which it is manufactured. A sail may be classified in a variety of ways, including by its orientation to the vessel and its shape,. Sails are typically constructed out of flexible material that is shaped by various means, while in use, to offer an appropriate airfoil, according to the strength and apparent direction of the wind. A variety of features and fittings allow the sail to be attached to lines and spars.
The Sunfish is a personal-size, beach-launched sailing dinghy. It features a very flat, boardlike hull carrying an Oceanic lateen sail mounted to an un-stayed mast.
In sailing, a boom is a spar (pole), along the foot of a fore and aft rigged sail, that greatly improves control of the angle and shape of the sail. The primary action of the boom is to keep the foot flatter when the sail angle is away from the centerline of the boat. The boom also serves as an attachment point for more sophisticated control lines. Because of the improved sail control it is rare to find a non-headsail without a boom, but lateen sails, for instance, are loose-footed. In some modern applications, the sail is rolled up into the boom for storage or reefing.
The Shields, also called the Shields 30 and the Shields One-Design, is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Olin Stephens of Sparkman & Stephens as a one design racer and first built in 1962.
The Express 27 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Carl Schumacher as a racer and first built in 1982.
A sail is a tensile structure, which is made from fabric or other membrane materials, that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles. Sails may be made from a combination of woven materials—including canvas or polyester cloth, laminated membranes or bonded filaments, usually in a three- or four-sided shape.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to sailing:
The Chance 32/28 is a Canadian and French sailboat, that was designed by naval architect Britton Chance Jr. and first built in 1972.
The Bluejacket 23 is a 23-foot (7.0 m) Canadian trailerable, fibreglass monohull sailboat designed by Cuthbertson & Cassian as a day sailer and club racer and first built in 1967.
The S2 9.2 is an American sailboat that was designed by Arthur Edmunds as a cruiser and first built in 1977.
The Island Packet 29 is an American sailboat that was designed by Robert K. Johnson as a cruiser and first built in 1981.
The J/35 is an American sailboat that was designed by Rod Johnstone as a racer and first built in 1983.
The Eagle 38 is a Dutch sailboat that was designed by Hoek Design as a day sailer and first built in 2019.
The Little Harbor 44 is an American sailboat that was designed by Ted Hood and first built in 1983.
The Lagoon 440 is a French sailboat that was designed by Van Peteghem/Lauriot-Prevost as a cruiser and yacht charter boat. It was first built in 2004.