hauled or on the wind, and the wind is blowing behind your back
instead of approaching the sail from the direction of the mast. If you
are sailing free on the port tack, with the boom at right angles to
the mast on the starboard side, and you should steer your boat
sufficiently to starboard, the wind would strike the sail at its outer
edge or leech and throw the sail and boom violently over to the port
side of the mast. This is called jibing and is a very dangerous thing;
it should be carefully guarded against whenever sailing before the
wind.

Reefing

If you find that the wind is too strong for your boat, and that you
are carrying too much sail, you can let her come up into the wind and
take in one or two reefs. This is done by letting out both the throat
and peak halliards enough to give sufficient slack of sail, then by
hauling the sail out toward the end of the boom, and afterward by
rolling the sail up and tying the points under and around it, but not
around the boom. Always use a square or reef knot in tying your reef
points. In case of a squall or a strong puff of wind, remember that
you can always ease the pressure on your sail by turning the bow into
the wind, and if for any reason you wish to shorten suddenly you can
drop your peak by loosening the peak halliards.

Ready About

Before "going about," or turning your bow so that the wind will strike
the other side of the sail at its mast end, the man {184} at the helm
should always give warning by singing out the words, "ready about."
"Going about" is just the opposite of jibbing.

Right of Way

When two boats approach each other in opposite directions, close
hauled, the boat on the starboard tack has the right of way and should
continue her course. The responsibility of avoiding a collision rests
with the boat sailing on the port tack. But a boat running before the
wind must always give way to a boat close hauled.

When sailing through high waves, always try as far as possible to head
into them directly at right angles. Always steer as steadily as
possible. If you are careful to keep the boat on her course and do not
let your mind wander, only a slight motion of the tiller from side to
side will be necessary.

Flying the Flag

While the "fly" or "pennant" is carried at the top of the mast, the
flag is carried at the peak or upper corner of the sail at the end of
the gaff. The salute consists of tipping or slightly lowering the flag
and ra