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Sail Ho! Trivia Quiz

Last week I went out on San Francisco Bay with my friend Jim aboard his new sailboat. Sailing terms are confusing, and the whole day was one misunderstanding after another. Maybe this quiz will help you to avoid the mistakes I made.

A multiple-choice quiz by bettona. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
bettona

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
208,225

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
491

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. After we left the dock Jim asked me to hold the tiller. I looked around for a farmer, but we were the only people on board. What did Jim ask me to do? Hint

Steer the boat

Grab one end of a piece of rope

Trim the mainsail

Pull in on the preventer

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Once we were underway, Jim sent me to the bow to keep a sharp lookout because he didn't want to hit a dolphin. Gee, I didn't know there were dolphins in San Francisco Bay! While I was peering down into the water to look for one, there was a crunch and we ran into a dolphin, but it wasn't the marine mammal. What was it? Hint

A group of piles

A long dock

A nun buoy

A deadlight

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Jim asked me to look at a chart to find out if the water was deep enough for us to enter Richardson Bay. The chart showed a depth of half a fathom so I told him it was plenty deep. We got stuck in the mud. How much is a fathom? Hint

It depends on the height of the tide

Four feet

Six feet

Ten feet

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Jim asked me to tie a sail on deck. Unfortunately, the knot I tied came undone and the sail blew overboard. Jim said I must have tied what kind of knot? Hint

A clove hitch

A sheet bend

A bowline

A granny knot

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Jim decided to show me how to make a very useful knot. He said I could learn how to tie it if I'd remember a story about a squirrel that comes up a hole, goes around a tree, and then goes back down the hole. What kind of knot did he teach me? Hint

A sheet bend

A granny knot

A bowline

A clove hitch

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. We decided to anchor for lunch. Jim gave me the anchor and told me to lower it over the side and hold on to the bitter end. I did as he said and tasted the end of the rope. It was salty, not bitter, so I threw it overboard. We lost the anchor. What is the bitter end? Hint

The end of the bowsprit

A boathook

The fluke of an anchor

The inboard end of a chain or line

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. When Jim went below to make coffee. He asked me to steer the boat to port. The port of San Francisco was to my right, so I headed in that direction. Jim was annoyed. Apparently I hadn't steered to port but to __________. Hint

Athwartships

Starboard

Aft

Sternward

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Jim wondered aloud if perhaps the shrouds needed tightening. That sounded pretty grim, and he'd mentioned the boat's wake, too. I felt better after he explained that the shrouds are what? Hint

Rigging which supports the mast fore and aft

Rigging which supports the mast from the sides

Lines to tighten the foot of the sail

Chains or rods holding down the end of the bowsprit

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Jim pointed to the mainsail and said it was fully battened with a large roach. A large roach? Yeech! But Jim wasn't talking about vermin. What is the roach of a sail? Hint

The reefing downhaul line

The outward curve in the after edge of a fore-and-aft sail

The boltline

The luff

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. When we finally got back to the marina. Jim said after a day like that he needed to splice the mainbrace. What was Jim planning to do? Hint

Have a drink

Commit suicide

Take a nap

Go to the head

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. After we left the dock Jim asked me to hold the tiller. I looked around for a farmer, but we were the only people on board. What did Jim ask me to do?

Answer: Steer the boat

A tiller is a straight piece of wood or metal which fits into the head of the rudder and is used for steering a boat.

Answer: A group of piles

A dolphin is a group of piles (usually three) driven close together and bound with wire cables into a single structure. Often used as aid to navigation.

Answer: Six feet

A fathom is a measure of water depth equal to six feet.

4. Jim asked me to tie a sail on deck. Unfortunately, the knot I tied came undone and the sail blew overboard. Jim said I must have tied what kind of knot?

Answer: A granny knot

A granny knot resembles a square knot but with the second tie crossed incorrectly, it slips easily and has no place aboard a boat.

Answer: A bowline

Every sailor knows this story, though sometimes the animal is a rabbit or a mouse.

Answer: The inboard end of a chain or line

In the case of an anchor line, it's the end which is attached to some part of the boat, usually a cleat.

Answer: Starboard

Starboard is the right side of the boat when facing forward and port is the opposite.

8. Jim wondered aloud if perhaps the shrouds needed tightening. That sounded pretty grim, and he'd mentioned the boat's wake, too. I felt better after he explained that the shrouds are what?

Answer: Rigging which supports the mast from the sides

A sailboat mast is supported from the sides by shrouds and fore and aft by stays.

9. Jim pointed to the mainsail and said it was fully battened with a large roach. A large roach? Yeech! But Jim wasn't talking about vermin. What is the roach of a sail?

Answer: The outward curve in the after edge of a fore-and-aft sail

This curved portion of a sail increases the sail area and is often supported by battens, or slats sewn into the sail to keep it from sagging.

10. When we finally got back to the marina. Jim said after a day like that he needed to splice the mainbrace. What was Jim planning to do?

Answer: Have a drink

This British nautical term dates from the 17th century.

Source: Author bettona

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nightmare before going online.
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