Larger, more stable boats that have a keel tend to keep you fairly dry under most conditions. If you should choose to sail on smaller boats from time to time for practice or the occasional thrill, there are a few special tactics that you’ll need to know.

For our purposes, a small sailboat is defined as one without a keel such as a racing dingy, or a small catamaran. Basically, a boat that will fit one to two people and will get you wet, whether you fall into the water or not. Side note: be sure to always wear a life jacket aboard a small sailboat.

As we’ve discussed previously, the side forces created when sailing at angle to the wind are offset primarily by the keel, if the boat has one. On smaller boats without a keel, you have to be much more proactive to limit the two effects of side forces: heeling and leeway.

Using the Centerboard and Rudder

The primary means of limiting leeway on a smaller boat is using the centerboard. As we’ve alluded to earlier, the centerboard can be dropped partially or fully, depending on the point of sail.

Some boats have a centerboard that drops straight down through a slit in the bottom of the boat, while others have a centerboard that is permanently attached but rotates at an angle from fully up (parallel to the bottom of the boat) to fully down (perpendicular). Either way, the concept is the same.

The rudder also resists leeway, and some boats have a rotating rudder, much like the latter centerboard configuration just described. However, the main purpose of this type of rudder is to prevent it from getting stuck in the sand when launching from a beach. So don’t worry about fidgeting with the rudder depth while sailing. Just drop it all the way down once you leave the beach and leave it there until you’re going back ashore.

As you might expect, the centerboard should be dropped progressively further as the side forces increase, i.e., as you sail closer to the wind. Notice in the points of sail chart that the centerboard is fully dropped on a close hauled tack, halfway down on a beam reach, and completely raised on a broad reach.

That said, it’s usually better for the centerboard to be too low than too high. Controlling the boat while sailing into the wind will be more difficult with the centerboard up. When sailing downwind however, the only real consequence of dropping the centerboard further than necessary is the added drag. Unless you’re racing, or the winds are very light, this additional centerboard drag probably won’t bother you too much. If you’ve got plenty of wind and aren’t trying to set any speed records, you can just drop the centerboard down all the way and forget about it.

Trapezing or Hiking Out

The other effect of side forces, heeling, is controlled on small boats primarily by shifting the weight of the crew. Since there is no keel, and the boat is lighter overall, the boat is highly sensitive to the location of the crew. You will immediately notice the boat rocking if you move from one side to the other. On smaller boats, you will constantly have to shift sides and body position.

To limit heeling and prevent the boat from capsizing, the first step is to shift all crew topside, i.e. the windward side of the boat that is lifting out of the water. Leaning backwards partially over the side of the boat will further increase righting forces.

In heavier winds the weight of the crew needs to be shifted out past the edges of the boat to limit heeling. In this process, known as trapezing or hiking out, the crew hang over the edge of the boat. While strapped to a line connecting them to the mast to prevent them from falling into the water, the crew basically stand on the edge of the boat and lean backwards to maximize righting forces.

Trapezing is a fairly advanced skill, and beginner sailors should avoid going out when winds are strong enough to make trapezing necessary. However, but if you have the necessary equipment (straps, lines, and harnesses) and don’t mind getting wet, it is quite exhilarating.

Launch and Recovery Under Sail

Launch and recovery of small boats are different from cruisers in two important ways:

1. There is no motor power.
2. The sails – or at least the mainsail – is up before you leave.

Accordingly, you need to use sail power to guide you away from land, and you need to be aware of sail forces even when you are stationary. The sail – or sails – will initially be free when you’re stationary, and you’ll need to set them at a carefully chosen sheeting angle to start sailing.

When raising sails while ashore, use the same general procedure, but make sure the sheets are somewhat loose (but not completely free) and the sails are pointed into the wind. You don’t want the sails full until you’re out on the water.

If you’re familiar with the sailing concepts and maneuvers we’ve discussed so far, you can probably piece together the methods of launch and recovery without a motor. But we’ll walk through them just to be clear.

If you’re launching from a beach, there should be either an onshore or offshore wind (see the section on coastal wind patterns).

Launching into the Wind from Shore

Notice that you’ll always start with the bow pointed into the wind. The idea is to start with the boat in irons with the sails luffing so you can control the boat when walking it out into the water.

When you’re launching into the wind, you simply turn the boat a bit as you walk it out, jump in, and start sailing on a close-hauled tack. Dropping the centerboard as soon as possible improves control.

Launching with the Wind from Shore

You may notice that launching against the wind is very similar to the procedure for getting out of irons. You manually hold the jib into the wind to push the boat backward and rotate around. When you’re about perpendicular to the wind, you can set the sails on a reach and head up quickly to get away from shore.

The launching procedures from a are basically the same as from shore, but you have the added benefit of a fixed object (the dock) to push off of. Start by walking the boat out to the end of the dock using a dock line. Then follow the same procedure as when launching from shore.

Launching into the Wind from a Dock

Recovery under sail can be a bit more difficult simply because you can’t always finish with the boat facing into the wind. For example, when sailing into the shore with the wind at your back, you will go ashore with full sails. For this reason, it’s best to drop the mainsail while you’re still on the water. That way you don’t have to worry about an accidental gybe. You can heave to and drop the mainsail, or if you have enough hands on deck, just follow the normal procedure for dropping the main. Once the mainsail is down, you can sail to shore on a broad reach, ending on a run. As soon as you reach the shore, drop the jib.

Launching with the Wind from a Dock

Recovering against the wind is nearly identical to the end of the MOB procedure. Simply turn up into the wind from a reach and use your momentum to reach shore while the sails luff. If the wind is very strong, you can let the jib run free to slow down, just as in the MOB procedure.

Docking with an onshore wind is a bit trickier. Since you want to end up pointed into the wind, you may have to sail very close to the dock on a beam reach and head up at the last minute.

Another alternative is to simply follow the same process as for going ashore, i.e. approach on a run. However, if you choose the latter option, dropping the mainsail away from the docks is a must, and you need to be very careful not to ram the dock. Whenever you are recovering with strong winds, be sure to let the sheets out a little further than normal, to dump some wind power.

Recovering with an Onshore Wind

The process for docking into the wind is exactly the same as sailing ashore into the wind. The only difference is the harsher consequence of coming in too fast. Sand is soft and forgiving, while docks are not. Be very careful that you don’t have too much momentum coming into the dock.

Recovering into an Offshore Wind

There is also one possibility we haven’t discussed. The wind will usually be coming from either onshore or offshore when you are launching and recovering from a beach. However, docks are not always aligned with the shore. You may encounter a situation where you must dock with the wind coming perpendicular to the dock. In that case, you’ll need to sail on a beam reach close to the dock and then head up into the wind when you get close to the spot you want to dock. At that point you can backwind the jib and drift slowly backwards into the dock.

Docking with an Onshore Wind

Docking into an Offshore Wind

Capsize Recovery

Since they lack the righting force of a keel, small boats are much more easily capsized. You can reduce the likelihood of capsizing by only sailing in light winds and learning to hike out in stronger winds. Even so, capsizing is inevitable if you sail smaller boats often. Fortunately, unlike keelboats, which are virtually impossible to right after being capsized, small boats, can be recovered readily.

To recover a small dinghy, take the following steps:

1. Let all sheets run free. This will prevent the boat from sailing away with you still in the water once it is righted. Keep track of the mainsheet however. You’ll need it immediately after righting the boat.
2. Grab any cargo that fell overboard – such as spare life jackets – and put it in the cockpit. On some small boats, the rudder can come loose easily, so be sure that it is secure before proceeding.
3. Move to the bottom side of the boat. Pull down on the centerboard, and if necessary climb onto it and grab the beam. Use your weight to pull the boat upright.
4. When the boat is upright and you are still in the water, pull in the mainsheet (ever so slightly) as you lift yourself into the boat over the beam. This will give the boat a bit of headway and prevent you from pulling it over on top of yourself when you get in.