Science of Sailing Part 1
Have you ever watched a sailboat way over in the wind and think “OK how is that thing not flipping?” Totally fair question. At first glance, it looks a little wild, but sailboats, especially the bigger ones are built to handle it. There’s actually a lot going on below the surface that keeps everything balanced and upright.
The keel
The keel is the big heavy, thin, looking thing under the boat. It does two huge jobs.
Stability
Balance
The keel acts as a counterweight as the wind tips about one way the keel pulls it back the other way that’s why keels are so heavy. The average weight of a heel for the Volvo ocean race weighs about 5241 kg about 11554 lbs. That’s like having two full-size SUVs hanging off the bottom of the boat.
Balance
sailboats are all about the balance between the wind above and the wave below. Two important forces are always in playe:
Center of gravity (where the boats weight is focused)
Center of buoyancy (where the boat naturally floats)
When the boat leans or heels, these two centers shift in a the way that actually helps the boat right itself.
Sailboat can still heel a lot
A sailboat can still lean over at crazy angles up to 90° or more before I get into any real danger of capsizing.
Catamarans
Catamarans don’t have a heavy keel; instead they stay upright because they’re really wide. That makes them really stable at first, but if they tip too far, they don’t flip back like monohulls. So they’re really great for home sees but not as forgiving if things get really rough on the water.
Smart sailers
Boat design does a ton of the work, but good sailing habits matter too. Things like:
Reducing the sale when it gets too windy a.k.a. Reefing
Keeping weight balanced
Paying attention to the weather and not pushing what your boat can handle too much.
