A sailboat is a vessel that uses the power of wind to move through water or air. Sailing can be as leisurely or strenuous as you want to make it and can be a wonderful way to get out on the water with family and friends. The main parts of a sailboat are the mast, rigging, and sails.
There is a lot of work that goes into maintaining a sailboat, especially if you are cruising long-term. It is a common estimate that boat ownership and maintenance costs will be 10-20% of the purchase price per year. This is a good reason to carefully strategize your sailing goals before purchasing a sailboat, and to plan for some mechanical skills.
Whenever a boat moves through the water, it creates a bow wave with a wavelength that is proportional to its speed. A slower boat generates a bow wave with many crests and troughs. This turbulence increases resistance four or five times as much as smooth flow along the hull.
A keel is a fin-shaped portion of the underside of the boat that acts like a fish tail. The keel reduces resistance by creating a pressure difference. The faster-moving side of the keel has lower pressure than the slow-moving side. As the keel travels through the water, this pressure difference causes it to angle down on the high-pressure side and up on the low-pressure side, creating a twist in the flow that forms vortices behind the bottom rear of the keel.
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