Lateral sword

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Typical sword.
Boat dried out in the mud flats . An example of a use of swords motivated by the purpose.
Folding boat with sails. For structural reasons, a sword must be used here.

A side sword is a sword that is used for sailing boats a drift to decrease, especially in side winds.

A side sword is mainly used when it is impractical, structurally difficult or impossible to use a central sword. This can depend primarily on the type of boat, but also on the intended use. Lateral swords are to be seen as the more original, simpler approach, which can also be added to existing boat constructions without major structural effort.

The draft of a sword can usually be adjusted continuously. This makes maneuvering easier in shallow water. Furthermore, depending on the wind conditions, more or less sword area is necessary, so that the flow resistance can be adjusted by partially pulling up the sword. In addition, it is possible, within certain limits, to shift the lateral pressure point depending on the position of the sword and thus easily influence the windward or leewardness . Since leeboards are mainly effective on the leeward side of the ship, they are normally caught up on the windward side in order to avoid unnecessary water resistance.

The sword is usually so heavy that it stays in its lowest position on its own and is picked up with a rope or chain, if necessary with the help of a tackle , to adjust it. Only for lighter swords is it necessary to be able to fix their position in case they would otherwise be moved out of their position by buoyancy or current. For this purpose, one uses, for example, two lines (sword halyard and vang).

Web links

Commons : Side Swords  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Sword and Trim - from the use of the sword on a flat bottomed ship