Some day skipper candidates asked to see on paper the process flows for carrying out typical tasks on a sailing yacht. This sort of approach is perhaps less intuitive than learning the logic behind the required actions, but for those who think this way, it can be very reassuring to see things as logical lists.

Raising the Main Sail

1. Remove sail ties or unzip cover
2. Head boat close to wind rather than dead in to wind so that boom is to one side
3. Position crew ahead of mast or in cockpit
4. Release mainsheet & kicking strap (also known as the vang or kicker)
5. Free main halyard jammer to give slack at mast so that it can be removed from the cleat
6. Close jammer and pull up as crew if available sweat at the mast
7. Watch for jams e.g. batons catching in the lazyjack lines
8. Tension so that horizontal creases disappear
9. Release the topping lift
10. Tension the main sheet to get top batten parallel to the boom
11. Tension the kicker

1. Check the position of the jib/genoa car and cleat the line
2. Let out the furling line under control around a winch
3. Take the leeward jib/genoa sheet around a winch 3 turns and pull out the sail
4. Winch in to correct position to get telltales flying evenly on both sides

1. Helmsman looks around and calls 'stand by to gybe'
2. Release gybe preventer
3. Sheet in the mainsail
4. Prepare headsail sheets
5. When the main is in the middle, the helmsman turns the wheel and calls 'gybing'
6. Main & jib flip across
7. Ease out mainsheet
8. Re-rig preventer on the other side

1. Helsman looks around and calls 'ready about'
2. Crew prepares sheets - windward take 3 turns, leeward take sheet out of self-tailer
3. Crew call 'ready', helm calls 'helms to lee' or 'tacking'
4. Release leeward sheet quickly as sail starts to back
5. Pull in new sheet
6. Crew change sides of the boat

1. Send crew to mast (harness if rough)
2. Head boat on to close hauled course to keep sailing under headsail
3. Ease the kicker
4. Ease the mainsheet to leave mainsail flapping
5. Pull up topping lift if needed (where no rigid vang)
6. Take main halyard around a winch, lift jammer and ease out
7. Mastman pulls sail down and puts reefing cringle over the rams horn
8. Close jammer and re-tension main halyard checking for sailcloth not getting caught
9. Pull in, then winch tight, the reefing pennant line, checking for sailcloth not getting caught
10. Ease the topping lift
11. Pull in the mainsheet to start sailing again
12. Pull in the kicking strap
13. Take up the slack in the other reefing pennants and tidy all lines
14. Tie loose sail to boom with sail ties and reef notes

1. Shout 'man overboard' and keep someone spotting at all times
2. Tack immediately and leave headsail backed
3. Throw danbuoy and horseshoe lifebelt
4. Press MOB button on GPS to provide a datum
5. Sheet in mainsail
6. Furl away headsail
7. Check for lines in the water
8. Start engine and return to casualty from downwind, MOB to leeward
9. Pick up using stern ladder if calm or by shrouds using lasso, spare halyard or handy billy from the boom
10. Keep casualty warm in dry clothes and head for nearest port

1. Reduce size of the headsail to jib or smaller
2. From close reach, tack without adjusting the sheets
3. As boat turns on to new tack, slowly turn wheel back until full lock to wind
4. Lock steering and put on the kettle

1. Rig inboard end of pole
2. Rig topping lift and downhall (foreguy) to the spinnaker pole bridle
3. Clip windward sheet in to jaws of pole
4. Raise pole to horizontal
5. Pull back on jib sheet to fill the sail