Introduction

If you’ve ever been sailing, you know that there are a lot of things to keep track of. And if you haven’t been sailing before… well, let’s just say that keeping track of all the things required to ensure your boat doesn’t crash into anything is difficult enough without adding any extra challenges. If you’re new to sailing, one of the most important things to remember is this: Don’t let your sail get hitched to something! So what does that mean exactly? Well, in a nutshell, it means don’t let your line get wrapped around something on land or in the water (like another boat or buoy). But how do we prevent this from happening so we don’t have any trouble while setting up our gear? Here are five simple tips:

Preventing Your Sail From Getting Hitched To Something:

In order to prevent your sail from getting hitched to something, you should do the following:

• Don’t leave your sail unattended. This is obvious, but it’s worth saying because of how many people have been led astray by this fact. If you can’t be near where your sail is at all times, then put it away and get someone else to watch over it for you. The consequences of leaving your sail unattended are too severe for risking them on accident or even in a moment of weakness!
• Don’t leave your sail in the sun. This one is also pretty self-explanatory—the UV rays will damage the fabric and make it less durable over time, which means that if there are any tears or rips in the material when they occur (and they will), they’ll be much harder to fix without replacing most or all of what’s left behind from those initial damages. If possible, store them indoors where heat won’t damage them as much–though don’t let anyone forget about them either!

Rule number one.

The first rule of preventing a sail from getting hitched is to always keep it clear of the ground. You don’t want to be in a situation where your sail is hitching on something and you can’t get it off, so keep your sail at least a foot above the ground when you are not using it.

Rule number two.

Rule number two:

Keep your sail clear of the ground, water, other objects and people. This should be self-explanatory but we feel it’s worth mentioning. If your sail gets hitched to something on shore or in the water, there is a chance that it could rip if pulled too hard during high winds.

Rule number three.

Rule number three: make sure you have a good knot. This is important, because if your knot is not good, you will get hitched to something and then have to go through all of these steps again.

To make sure that your knots are good, you need to follow a few guidelines:

• Make sure the knot is tied correctly. We’re talking about simple rules here – if there are two strands of rope, then tie them together using an overhand or figure-eight knot (photo).
• Make sure the knot is tied with the right rope. For example, if you want to tie two strands together so they will not come undone when in use, then use a bowline or sheet bend for this purpose (photo 1) because these types of knots work well for ropes under tension like sheets and halyards; meanwhile clove hitch or fisherman’s knots would not be appropriate because they rely on friction between surfaces instead of around each other like loops do

Rule number four.

Rule number four: use a winch to raise and lower the sail.

Using your body, no matter how strong you are, is not the best way to raise or lower your sail. Using a winch (or pulley system) is much easier on your body and allows you to do it more efficiently. If you’re using a halyard block at the top of your mast with two lines attached for raising and lowering sails, using a winch will help reduce strain on those lines.

If you’re not sure how to use one yet, we definitely encourage asking someone who knows what they’re doing!

Rule number five.

Rule number five is keep your sail bag in a safe place. This can be tricky, especially if you’re using an inflatable dinghy or catamaran and don’t want to leave it unattended on shore. If you do choose to leave your boat unguarded, make sure there are no trees or branches overhead that might snag your bag before you get back.

As far as keeping the sun off of it goes—well, we know what happens when too much UV exposure hits polyester: it shrinks and gets brittle. You definitely don’t want this happening to your sailbag! Keep it out of direct sunlight whenever possible, especially when traveling by air (unless you’ve got some kind of special “sun-proof” bag).

The top five things to keep in mind to prevent your sail from getting hitched to something.

• Don’t leave your sail unattended.
• Don’t leave your sail unattended in the water.
• Don’t leave your sail unattended in the water near a dock or marina with a boat nearby.

Conclusion

The key to preventing your sail from getting hitched to something is to keep it clean, dry and free of dirt, sand or other debris. If you do this, then your chances of the sail getting caught in something will be much lower.