Page:Small-boat sailing; an explanation of the management of small yachts, half-decked and open sailing-boats of various rigs; sailing on sea and on river; cruising, etc (IA smallboatsailing01knig).pdf/167

 will be required if the holding ground is bad or if it is blowing hard.

Having come to an anchor or picked up your moorings, lower the main-boom on its crutch and stow the sails neatly. Put their coats on the mainsail and foresail, if these sails are dry; if they are damp furl them loosely and hoist and dry them as soon as you have a chance. On no account put the sail coats on wet sails, as to do this will infallibly produce mildew. Slack off the clew of the mainsail before stowing it, for by keeping the clew constantly hauled out taut along the boom (a common fault), you will pull the foot of the sail all out of shape. Belay all halyards, sheets, backstays, etc., neatly, but not too taut if they are dry; remember that a shower of rain will cause all your hemp rope to shrink considerably, and then an over-taut preventer backstay, for example, may put such a strain upon the topmast as to break it. Slack up the bobstay tackle and haul the bobstay up to the stem, so that it may be clear of the chain.

If it be blowing hard, or the holding ground be bad, or if for some other reason it is uncertain whether your single anchor will hold the vessel, her, that is, ride to two anchors placed at some distance apart, so that the two cables form an angle. To moor, let go on one anchor and veer out twice as much cable as you intend to ride by. When the cable is taut let go the second anchor. Heave in on the first cable and veer out the second until