How To Rig a Sailboat

Whether you own one, or are planning to rent one, you should know how to rig a sailboat. This will help you immensely while sailing, and will enable you to be able to navigate the waters better.

To rig a sailboat, you will need

• A sailboat
• A mainsail
• Sheet ropes and lines

1. Determine the type of sailboat you have. A smaller boat will just have a mainsail, while a larger boat will have a mainsail as well as a smaller sail known as a jib. Some boats also have multiple jibs.
2. Now, start by opening your mainsail and spreading it across the deck. If your mainsail is also used to cover the boat, you will need to disconnect it from the boat, by opening any buttons, zippers or ropes that keep it in place.
3. Once the mainsail is open, locate its three sides. The bottom edge is called the foot. There are another two edges to a mainsail (forming a triangular shape). 
4. Now, start by attaching the foot to the boom, which is a heavy pole that holds the bottom of the mainsail in place. The method for doing this will vary, depending on the boat, but generally, you will need to fit the foot into a groove in the boom. Once attached, pull the foot along the boom and attach the outhaul (what pulls the foot of the mainsail along the boom) as far away from the mast as you can. If there is a different method for connecting the foot to the boom, your skipper will probably know how to.
5. Now that the foot is attached to the boom, fit the head of the sail into the groove in the mast. 
6. Now simply attach the halyard (the lines that pull the sail up to the mast) to the groove in the mast.
7. If your boat has a jib, you will also need to attach that. Starting at the bottom, attach the jib to the forward shroud, using clips or ties along one side (the luff) of the sail.
8. Proceed by attaching the two jib sheets (each jib has two sheets that are used to control it). Once you attach them, knot them to prevent them from coming loose.
9. Now attach the halyard, and you will be set to sail.