Let's pretend the wind is blowing South and I'm sailing South and wanted to go north what am I doing wrong, I turn right and just as the nose almost comes around it blows back to South with no recovering and so and so on til I fire up the motor and get going up wind then I'm fine!
Mac 224 turning up wind
- Thread starter sailnewbie
- Start date
I'm guessing that sail trim is the issue here. Try making your turn in smaller increments (10 - 15 degrees at a time) adjusting your sails each step of the way. Pretty soon you'll get the feel for it and you'll be able to keep your sails trimed as you make your turn.
I was wondering if that was part of the problem that I'm turning to slow, I'm a little chicken to make a fast turn
Wind direction is based on where the wind is blowing FROM. "wind is blowing south" is a tad unclear. If you're sailing south and the wind is behind you, it is a NORTH wind.
So, you're headed south and the wind is behind you so you are on a run. Correct? You want to turn around and head North (or thereabouts). You have two choices, tack around or jibe around. Here is my guess on what you are doing: You are tacking around too quickly without adjusting the sails as you come around and you are killing your boat speed to the point where you no longer have steerage. You are now dead in the water and the wind blows the nose back down and off you go South again. The thing to do is to tack around to an easterly (or westerly) course and bring the sails in to a beam reach setting. Bring the main in first if you are short handed. Then trim the jib. Get some boat speed and then come up close hauled trimming the sails in close. Of course, you can't go north if that is where the wind is coming from. The best you can do is about a 45 or 315 heading. You will have to tack your way North.
Markwbird, thank-you, that's exactly right, our lakes are narrow and there's either wind in your nose or you have 200yds left/right to choose from, so you thank a slow turn adjusting as I go will do!
Uhm, not really. He's on a run with the wind behind him. One can only TACK through the wind.
Depending on which way he chooses to turn, he could make the turn without jibing, which would be easier.
The answer, to the OP, is to choose which turn you want to make, jibe or not, obviously easier without jibing.
Then make a slow 90 degree turn, and while doing so trim the sails to a beam reach. You'll now be going either east or west with the wind coming sideways.
Then turn further up into the wind to close hauled while trimming the sails more.
Are you asking what do you do to get to your destination to the North? If so you have to tack your way up-wind. Sail on a close reach one tack as far as it seems reasonable then tack 90 degrees to the other side. Keep doing this back and forth until you reach your destination. You may be able to reach your destination with only one tack or you may need to follow wind gusts or dodge obstacles or something else requiring you to do several tacks.
Have it, it's good, I'm a see n learn rather than read n learn but I'm trying and will accept anything as I can learn on different ideals
When turning upwind from a run I have both the tiller and main sheet in hand,
adjusting the main continuously as I turn up. Same for turning down from a beat.
The main usually isn't cleated and the jib isn't adjusted fully until I've settled on my new course.
If the lakes you are sailing in are that darn narrow (200 yards!) you will have to tack many many times to get up wind and your sail trim and tiller handling will need to be darn good to maintain speed for those tacks since you have so little room to build speed after going about.
For you in such a narrow waters you will need good technique - keep working at it and it will come.
adjusting the main continuously as I turn up. Same for turning down from a beat.
The main usually isn't cleated and the jib isn't adjusted fully until I've settled on my new course.
If the lakes you are sailing in are that darn narrow (200 yards!) you will have to tack many many times to get up wind and your sail trim and tiller handling will need to be darn good to maintain speed for those tacks since you have so little room to build speed after going about.
For you in such a narrow waters you will need good technique - keep working at it and it will come.
Yea they are narrow, few spots that open up, my only close big water is the Ohio river and at this point I'm scared of the barges with my skills. I have a motor but they can fail and always seem to when really really needed
I recommend that you try rocky Fork Lake. Many sailboats there and a sailing club.sailnewbie said:
We was just talking about that lake and possibly paint creek, 1.5 hrs away not to bad and then ceasars Creek look enormous but I hear there's alot of boat traffic there
macgregor is the ONLY boat I have ever had trouble tacking. The common wisdom has it to luff your jib and adjust your main until you tack. Not on Macgregor! it took me a couple of seasons and this forum to find out that the only way to tack Macgregor is to keep your jib tight but do NOT release you sheets. Instead, cross the wind and let the jib push you across. keep it sheeted on now windward side until you are sure your bow is far enough down wind. Only then release the windward sheets and pull the jib on the lee side. Weird, but once I started doing it, I have never had any problems tacking, even into waves.
Try it. It might be the ticket. Also, you want to maintain as much speed as you can.