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/178

 than in smooth water. If there is much sea sail the boat under snug canvas, which she can carry without danger in the squalls; for if a steep comber comes down on you and you have to luff up to it just at the moment that a heavy gust compels you to let go your sheets, you will lose all control over the boat; her way will be lost, and she may be rolled over by the next wave. To sail safely across rough water, you should keep your eyes on the seas alone and steer so as best to ride over them, regardless of the squalls, having your sails ramping full; this can only be done by reducing your canvas sufficiently.

It is a good rule, when sailing a small boat, not to belay the sheets. Take a turn with the sheet round the after-thwart, or a pin or cleat, and hold the fall in the hand; the sheet can then be let go in a moment. If two men are sailing the boat, the one steering can tend the main-sheet, while the other looks to the fore-sheet. Patent cleats have been invented for open boats, which automatically release the sheets so soon as the wind pressure on the sails and the consequent strain on the sheets exceed a certain limit and heel the boat towards the danger angle. But, if one must belay one's sheet, perhaps the safest and simplest method is the old-fashioned one represented in Fig. 68. On either quarter of the boat an iron pin is fitted under the gunwale, allowing space for the sheet to pass between it and the boat's plank