Need jibing knowledge

[jimshipsky]

Sailing my Cal 21 I jibed three times today.
The way I learned was to haul in on the mainsheet as the boat turns, having it in tight as the stern crosses the wind, then ease it back out on the other tack.
This worked fine the first two jibes.
But on the third jibe, either the wind was stronger or I got hit by a gust. As the stern crossed the wind and the boom crossed over, the boat heeled suddenly, a lot, and broached.
I'm wondering if I should have very quickly eased the mainsheet after the turn to prevent the broach?

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

yes sir you should

 

[Ken Cross]

It sounds to me like you have it. I usually pull the main sheet in hard, make my turn, then ease it out as needed.
Sometimes I tie in a preventer for downwind. Then I need to remove that too for a jibe.

 

[Johnb]

It sounds to me like you have it. I usually pull the main sheet in hard, make my turn, then ease it out as needed.
Sometimes I tie in a preventer for downwind. Then I need to remove that too for a jibe.

Agreed - plus just before jibing head away a bit so you are further from an accidental jibe while you are attending to pulling the main in. The idea (at least mine) behind having the main in tight before turning is it does'nt build up as much momentum if it does not have as far to travel.

 

[jimshipsky]

Let me add some info:
Say the wind is from due south, 180 degrees.
I'm running downwind, steering a course of 10 degrees.
The wind is on the starboard side of the mainsail.
I give the command, "Prepare to jibe."
The crew hauls in the mainsheet as far as it will come in, to a close-hauled position.
The boat is not broaching.
I turn the boat to a course of 350.
The wind gets on the port side of the mainsail.
Exact same situation as before the jibe, except opposite hand.
The boat broaches.
Why?

 

[JohnShannon]

Helps to counter steer as the main is coming across gets ahead of things.

 

[jimshipsky]

Please explain counter steer.

 

[JohnShannon]

Well as the jibe starts happening (boom starts coming over) steer so as not to jibe, but not enough as to really not jibe.

 

[capta]

You'll pretty much have it all under control once you've grown another couple of hands and perhaps a knee, or two. It's such a newbie misconception that a boat can be sailed with just two hands and feet.
Seriously though, the person on the helm needs to anticipate a broach before it happens. From experience, you now know that it can happen, perhaps 33% of the time or more. So, after the sail has come across, start easing the sheet and putting the helm down a bit. At a certain point, your boat will no longer want to broach anymore and you can steer to course, trim the sheet and relax.

 

[jssailem]

newbie misconception that a boat can be sailed with just two hands and feet

I can, but maybe not as easily as with 2 or 3 sets of hands and feet..

 

[Jackdaw]

In a 21 foot boat in less than 12 knots a breeze, leave it all the way out until you're dead downwind. Then just grab the main sheet and throw the whole thing over to the other side. Done. I Jibe boats up to 35 feet this way.

 

[justsomeguy]

In a 21 foot boat in less than 12 knots a breeze, leave it all the way out until you're dead downwind. Then just grab the main sheet and throw the whole thing over to the other side. Done

Somewhere here, there's video of Pia doing that. Quite handily too.

 

[jssailem]

Jibing is best learned on a small tippy boat in the summer. You get really good or you spend a lot of time in the water. Fun all day.

 

[jon hansen]

Jibing is best learned on a small tippy boat in the summer. You get really good or you spend a lot of time in the water. Fun all day.

like this:

 

[jon hansen]

good jibs in this video

 

[Jackdaw]

Somewhere here, there's video of Pia doing that. Quite handily too.

Maybe, but I like how Jodi does it here.

 

[jimshipsky]

Thanks guys.
Think I'll try the Jackdaw method tomorrow!

 

[RussC]

Thanks guys.
Think I'll try the Jackdaw method tomorrow!

The first few times you try this, do it with less sheet out until you get the feel for it.

.02

 

[jon hansen]

good choice

 

[LeslieTroyer]

for end boom setups I do the same as JackDaw. for mid boom I pull the sheet about 1/2 way

Les