Did you realize that you can replace all of those pieces of line or ribbon you use for sail ties with a single piece of line? Learn to sail like a pro with this super secret used by offshore delivery sailing crews.

If you are anything like me, sail ties are a pain. They never seem to be quite long enough, get tangled up like spaghetti when you stow them, and you never seem to have enough to do the proper job. Here’s an easy, fast way that you can use on a cruising or racing sailboat of any size. Use a single, long piece of nylon or Dacron line to tie off your flaked mainsail to your sailboat boom. Follow these five easy steps:

1. Make Your Mainsail Containment Line

Use a long piece of small diameter line at least four times as long as your sailboat boom. If you only have short lines aboard, join them together before you go to the next step. That way, you will have more than enough line to tie off the flaked mainsail once you get started.

2. Begin with a Bowline Knot

Tie a bowline knot onto one side of your containment line. Make the small loop of the bowline 3″ to 4″. Keep the bowline loop small so that it’s easier to work with.

3. Loop the Line around the Sailboat Boom

Coil your containment line. Break the coil in half and pass the part with the bowline over the top of the boom. Thread the other side of the line through the bowline knot to form a loop near the forward part of the boom. Slide the bowline to position it on the side of or beneath the boom. Pull hard on the line to make a tight loop around the bunched up sail.

4. Half-Hitch Along the Top of the Boom

Pull the line straight up to the top of the boom and hold it in place. Loop the other end under the sailboat boom and thread it back through the line on top to form a half-hitch. Move two feet down the boom and repeat this method to form another half-hitch on top of the boom. Continue half-hitching the line at two foot intervals. Keep all of the half hitches on top of the flaked mainsail to make your containment system work smooth and easy.

5. Secure the End of the Line

Knot the bitter end of your containment line to a strong boom fitting, such as a bail. Then go back to the front of the mainsail and remove more slack from of the line. Tighten up the loops at each half-hitch, working your way aft. Repeat the process to the end of the boom. Take the slack out of the bitter end and tie it off again. Now you have your mainsail secured and ready for sea with a single, strong, containment line.

Use these five steps to get your flaked mainsail under control easier than ever before. Learn to sail with more skill and efficiency with this innovation from the world of sailing delivery crews!

Captain John Jamieson shows sailing skippers the fastest, easiest ways to learn to sail like a pro. For a free weekly sailing newsletter plus more sailing tips, articles, and sailing videos, visit skippertips.com