Parts of a Sailboat

Use of the wind is one of the oldest forms of powering a vessel. Sailboats range in size and complexity, but all have basically the same four components.

• The hull carries the passengers and supports the rigging.
• The rigging includes many parts of the sailboat, such as the lines (sheets and halyards), mainsail, headsail (jib), boom, and mast.
• The keel or centerboard is attached to the bottom of the hull and keeps the boat from sliding sideways through the water.
• The rudder is used to steer the sailboat, turned by a tiller or steering wheel.