Tacking - What am I doing wrong?????

[dscribner]

In a fresh breeze, anywhere over 12 knots, I have a bear of a time tacking. I get speed, normally, close hauled, then bang a right (or left) and wait for the jib to come over. Probably 80% of the time, the wind will catch the bow and stop us just before coming about, and push us back to the original tack. I've hung my head in shame and resorted to jibing 270 degrees.

What am I doing wrong?? Help me Obi-Salt, you're my only hope!

 

[Alan]

Let's see if we can help. While sailing close hauled and ready to tack the helm is pushed over and the traveler pushed to windward. This action uses the main to help drive the bow through the eye of the wind with less rudder. The rudder, aside from steering the boat also acts as a brake to slow the boat down. Using less rudder makes the tack more efficient. As the bow reaches head to wind the jib/genoa is already backwinding also driving the bow through to the opposite tack. The traveler is centered and the jib sheet released. The new jib sheet takes up the load on the opposite tack.

Hope this helps.

 

[sailaway78]

Rudder

Mentioned in previous post. Too much rudder, by trying to make the boat come over quicker, actually acts as a brake, and will slow you down dramatically.

 

[coopert]

Tack

In a fresh breeze, anywhere over 12 knots, I have a bear of a time tacking. I get speed, normally, close hauled, then bang a right (or left) and wait for the jib to come over. Probably 80% of the time, the wind will catch the bow and stop us just before coming about, and push us back to the original tack. I've hung my head in shame and resorted to jibing 270 degrees.

What am I doing wrong?? Help me Obi-Salt, you're my only hope!

Keep the same tack on jib all thru the turn then releaqse the jib when u feel it is just right! You get some back wind by doing so and your craft will go into the tack.

Tom

 

[RichH]

Would you believe .... its probably not you but your BOAT !!!

Lancers because of their design are sometimes 'difficult' boats to tack; here's a link on past discussion on how make a Lancer 'tack': http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=583582&highlight=lancer 25 tacking

 

[Don12364]

Herein lies the problem


Herein lies the problem. Extract from an owner's review http://www.c-2.com/reviews/revread.tpl?fno=80&id=11882464233543082

Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.:
The keel design results in a number of compromises including somewhat poor windward performance and sluggish response in light air, probably due to the approximately three foot wide keel. Inside there is a depression, or trench, in the floor, which provides ~6 feet of standing headroom in the companionway (you are actually walking "in" the keel) which makes pictures of the interior deceiving as in the head forward (no vee birth) "head room" is only about four feet making head use quite a docking manuever.

IMHO the shallow keel plus it being very wide spoils its action as a foil so, when she heads up into wind, there is insufficient lateral resistance to make the hull track properly to its rudder. This would probably be the case regardless of the size of the rudder.
See the drawing shown in http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_ID=4237 which shows the cabin sole extending right down to the ballast.
May be a help to ensure the engine is raised out of the water when sailing and try heavily raking the mast too.

Also IMHO any boat which cannot tack when the wind strengthens is a liability.
Best allow others to have this problem - get rid.
Sorry.

Roger Long - any opinions please?

 

[Joe]

Don't release the jib too soon.. let the backwinded sail help you through the turn.

Enter the turn slowly to keep your speed up... pulling the main to windward will help turn the boat without using a lot of rudder.

 

[DougM]

Fall off just a little from close hauled to gain a little speed, ease the main a few inches, helm over easily, pass through head to wind and wait until the jib starts to luff before sheeting it in on the opposite tack. regain some speed before sheeting fully in and coming up on your new heading. Like everyone else says, hard over on the rudder is like throwing a barn door in the water. As soon as the bow is past head to wind the rudder should be coming back to amidship

 

[COOL]

I agree that much of your problem
is due to the boats design, specifically
the long shoal draft keel.
Although it is not a great boat for short tacking
up a narrow channel, you should be able to tack the
boat in all conditions.
Make sure you have good boat speed before you
initiate the tack, keep the main sheeted tight but ease
the jib a foot or so just as you luff up sharply, then
allow the headsail to backwind until the boat is on the
new tack, ease the main sheet slightly as you bring
the headsail around and stay footed off until you have
regained your boat speed, then sheet in slowly
and start pointing.

 

[dscribner]

Thanks guys! I know I'm new at this but I thought I was doing SOMETHING right. I was turning too sharply, for sure. Plus I tend to start too close so my speed is probably less than optimum. Couple these with the design of the boat and you have a time, I guess. I'll write all this stuff down and study for next trip out. I'll aslo replace my motor clamp so the motor doesn't fall off again.

 

[Hermit Scott]

I thought it must be mostly the boat too. My C30 just seems to want to go forward no matter what. And I have done everything everything wrong while I am out there.

can you tack easily when you are only using your main or does it make it more difficult to tack?

 

[OldCat]

Tack it like a catamaran?

The sugestion to try less rudder angle is a good one. Also, many beach catamarans, especially asymmetric hulls like a Hobie, have trouble tacking. The solution with Hobies (Prindles, etc) is to backwind the headsail and use the headsail to push the boat around before releasing it to sheet in on the other side. Sometimes Genoas on bigger boats are not set up to backwind w/o damage, especially if sheeted outside of the stanchions, so take a close look at the boat. A jib should not be a problem to backwind. Also in a waves, try doing the tack at the top of a wave.

Hope this helps some,

OC
tich tor ang tesmur

 

[dscribner]

Mi jib is a genoa and it is sheeted outside of the life lines. On my boat, there is no other way. Thanks for all the input.

Suv QaQ 'ej Hegh tlhej quv

 

[Maine Sail]

Mi jib is a genoa and it is sheeted outside of the life lines. On my boat, there is no other way. Thanks for all the input.

Suv QaQ 'ej Hegh tlhej quv

Just be careful back-winding it onto the spreader tips and standing rigging then "releasing" the windward jib sheet or you could hear a ripppppp..... Yep a winch over-ride that went un-noticed during a tack and when it finally let go so did the back-winded head sail... A little back-winding is fine but just don't press it onto the rigging then "snap" let it go..

 

[OldCat]

jIyaj

Mi jib is a genoa and it is sheeted outside of the life lines. On my boat, there is no other way. Thanks for all the input.

Suv QaQ 'ej Hegh tlhej quv

jIyaj.

Keeping the genny off the spreaders is a good idea as well, as noted by others. If you have caps on the spreaders, then it helps, but it still seems a risk to me. And, you have the outside sheeting issues...

Do'Ha', and try different rudder angles and sheeting.

OC
tlhIngan maH! That, and the challenges of different translators...