Tacking

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Ed

Single handed, short handed and guests crewing

With winds above 10 knots and sailing single handed I seek control of the main by sheeting in before attempting to tack or gibing. With guests or new crew I talk them through what is going to happen and assign specific duties. Ask for questions or concerns and tack or gibe. Letting folks know what is going to happen before things get hectic and what they can expect usually works very well. I think what folks fear most is not knowing what is going to happen next - involing everyone on the boat helps take their mind of what could and sometimes goes wrong. Speaking clearly and in a moderate voice helps, what ever happens try not to yell!
 
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Ginnie Iverson

tacking with guests

We have owned a Mariner for 13 years. We sold it in September of 2002 and purchased an O'day 26. The tacking and gibing issue is easy to solve. When we sailed with our daughter on board she went below on heavy air days till we were done the manuever. Also, when we sail alone the problem is solved by not using the jib. We raced the Mariner for years and always had 2 on board. My husband and I are looking forward to this summer and having room to move around and not "stowing"our daughter when we have to change direction.
 
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Bob Maddox

Evangelical sailing

I sail boats from 14' sunfish and laser to a Catalina 30. I singlehand each comfortably. I have sailed with guests on all sizes. When ever I have a guest onboard I always have unspoken goals of making a new sailor, improving a sailor or learning how to do things better myself. Telling guests why I love to sail and then showing them what is involved helps to ***** their interest. Getting them involved raises their interest to the next level. I will allow and encourage them to do whatever they are physically capable of (usually more than they realize). It is great enjoyment for me to walk new crew (guests)through a task and watch them glow after executing a good tack or jybe with their help no matter what their responsibility. In heavy air or tight situations good judgement is required and children or frail adults are given easy tasks or moved to safe spots to avoid injury or frightening incidents. These are infrequent instances. Hats off to those who say "get 'em involved. We need more sailors.
 
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Joe Sanderlin

Tried to tack...but had to gibe!

I have been sailing for about 3 years and recently move to a place where I can practice. I have a Morgan 32 and have sailed her in the last few windy and cold weeks. I have found myself in many (most) situations that I have to gibe rather than tack to move the boat to the course I need. I typically am short handed so I sail with a furled jib only in heavy wind conditions. I am convinced that if I had full cockpit control over the reef of the main I would sail that way too, but I don't. I am comfortable with that method, but am I doing it right? This is an important question because I am about to venture out into the Atlantic and want some insight!
 
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Paul Michaelis

Single hander's approach

I single hand almost all the time, with or without guests. All of my controls are led aft so I don't have to leave the cockpit. If foredeck work is necessary my autopilot will maintain a heading. The jib,a hank-on, has a downhaul for high wind conditions. While this isn't a means of training someone in the techniques of sailing,it does minimize the hazards to myself and guests. Under high wind conditions, gibing is avoided when at all possible.Tacking in winds up to 25 mph has not proven to be a problem, higher than that calls for a sail change or reefing down.
 
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Bob Camarena

Easy for Me

I have a self-tacking, Soling-type, jib on my Catalina 30. All my crew has to do is keep their heads out of the way of the boom. Since I do most of my sailing in the San Joaquin River/California Delta, a self-tending jib is indispensable since we tack every 2-3 minutes.
 
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John Blossom

O'Day 20 - Tricky in a centerboarder

I usually don't pay much attention to these discussions, but this one is interesting. I can tack FAIRLY easily as a single crew/captain, and jibing is not too difficult in light winds, and even not too bad in heavy winds, since center of gravity is not an issue, generally. But I find that the O'Day 20 can be a handful in brisk winds for one person, possibly because it is a centerboarder and it gets to be somewhat hairy managing the transition from lee helm to weather helm as the wind builds up. The center of gravity gets WAY out of whack, with nothing down below to give you balance! I'll do it with a working jib up to about 15-20 knots. beyond that I need some crew ballast towards midships and abeam, it seems. Also, the standard tiller is just TOO short for radical maneuvers whilst managing all of the sheets, as well. Next year's upgrade, I guess.
 
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Alan Ross

Jibe ho

I just yell Jibe Ho, and anyone aboard had better duck. I rarely go out in winds more than 15 MPH, so I have never really confronted a difficult jibe. Alan Ross Eagle Creek Sailing Club
 
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Tom Roberts

Tacking with a tiller is no problem

When I am out sailing alone I steer with the tiller between my legs which leaves 2 hands free to tack or jibe as I have self tailers for the head sail. With crew it is even easier as if there are 3 of us. The 2 crew handle the head sail & I handle the main which is what we do when we are racing.
 
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Paul Lapointe

Get Below

Able to tack and Gibe by myself in normal conditions. If crew available, I share the load by having them handle one sail (ususally the headsail)while I handle the main. If two crewmembers are available, I assign each a sail. In rough conditions I will furl the jib first and then tack or gibe the main when alone. If crew avaible, and based upon experience, I will talk them through the drill and assign a sail. If I have excess people onboard in rough weather or if they are young and inexperienced, I will ask the excess to go below until the gibe or tack is over. In rough conditions, I like to have the cockpit uncluttered in case I have to move quickly.
 
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Barry Sanders

Port tack and Starboard tack Skippers

It's incredable that this topic has come along now as I am soon to launch a unique sailboat . This machine is a schooner rigged trimaran that is 20 ft long and 20 ft wide . It has trapezing frames ( stock Hobie 17 ) outboard of the amas and carries the forward hand trapezing from this frame and suspended from twin wires from each mast to position him on the front portion of the frame and the skipper is suspended from one wire from the aft mast which positions him on the rear of the trapezing frame and steers by means of a 16 ft tiller extension ( one each is fitted to either side of the boat ) . This means that their eyeballs do a 32 ft trip from tack to tack . To keep the vessel under control at all times requires alternate helmsmen on each tack . When a change of tack is required , the current helmsman ( wilst still on trapeze ) brings the vessel closer into the wind , alowing the forward hand to come in off his trapeze and go to the centre of the boat and unlock the jib , fore main and aft main ( to allow the masts to rotate ) and immediatly cross to the other side , hook up on the skipper's trapeze , grab the leeward 16 ft tiller extension and as the previous skipper steers across the wind , pulls the boat away on the new tack . At the same time the previous tack skipper swings in off his trapeze , moves to the centre of the boat and as the boat lays over on the new tack , he sheets in the jib , foremain and aft main then hooks up on the forward trapeze and swings out as the new forward hand . So there you have it , two crew working together to continuously control an " off the beach " crew balasted trapezing schooner rigged trimaran . Cheers from " down under " , Barry Sanders , Hopie 20 Trimaran .
 
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Andrew Brayshaw

Singlehanded Transat

I've just learned alot about tacking and gibing without crew having sailed my Hunter 34 from Punta Gorda, Florida to Italy. The sheet winches are within easy reach of the wheel on the 34 which makes for easy control when alone. Any work outside the cockpit, such as reefing the main was done with the autopilot steering the boat (ST4000+). I did manage to snap 3 drive belts during the voyage but as the boat will happily sail upwind by itself I could always install a new belt without dropping the sails. I was met in southern Portugal by my wife and son who remained on the boat for the last 1000 miles.Even with my family on board I always sail the boat myself whilst my wife looks after our son. This way there can be no misunderstanding who does what and when.
 
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Alberto Zanchetta

Balanced deployment

With one crew manning each port and starboard genoa winches and a couple of wraps of the new sheet on the winch, I sheet in the main and begin the tack. The lazy genoa sheet is released as we pass head to wind and flipped off the winch. That crew assists by tailing the new sheet as I fall off on to the new tack, ease out and set the mainsail sheet. Remember tacking alone in big, choppy seas is better than trying a gybe and pre-setting the sheets makes a world of difference, especially the lazy genoa sheet which has to run free once released.
 
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Fred Scott

Tacking on a Mac 26X by myself or with one other.

I can tack by my self but find it more fun to have someone else on the Jib sheet. Like one time tacking up a narrow channel in a strong headwind and as this channel was very long and narrow I was calling out every few minutes coming about with my brother working the jib sheet laughing all the time and we were moving fast. Have you ever tried to teach a young boy like my grandson who has a attention definate. I gave it a try by having him on the helm and keeping the wheel tuned to the wind by having him pay attention to the tell tales. He finally got it right and was doing a good job of it with some understanding what tacking was. Then after 20 minutes he suddenly said what else is there to do Grandpa?
 
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Herb Ebner

tacking in high winds

I have a Hunter 380. I usually sail with one or two other crew, but occasionally single-hand. So I have tacked in 25-30 knot wind range sometimes with no other crew. This is not that difficult. In that much wind I have the mainsail reefed up to 50%, and sometimes the jib partially furled. I just turn the wheel and the boom will follow. The main will then be in the correct position on the new course, but tthe jib is backfilled. I then lash down the wheel with a bungie cord and can then adjust the jib sheets without changing course. If single-handing or have creww but in very high winds (30+) we don't jibe. We just tack and then fall off to a broad reach. Much easier.
 
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Frank Sears

Pretty easy....

I have a H260 and I added two clutches for the jib sheets. Makes it so easy to tack....
 
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Frank Sears

Pretty Easy...

I have a H260 and I added two clutches for the jib sheets. Makes it so easy to tack....
 
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Peter Furness

Smnall boat,one man.

l My cat.22 has all hallards and sheets leading aft. For that reason I prefer to perform all tacks and gibes myself. As most of my crew and guests are unseasoned seamen it is faster and safer to not involve others. Especialy when performing a gibe.However I will inform them of a gibe so that no one will move or place themself in danger while I gibe.
 
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kathy cone smith

gibing on the mariner 19

I sail a 19-foot Mariner, often with grandchildren ages 6 to 14, and I put them to work handling the jib when tacking, which is always a piece of cake. They like it. Gibing is always more tense and stressful, and I admit I pretty much take that on myself, leaving others out except to tell them to watch for an unpredictable boom swing. But I've learned to hold onto the boom as it comes to the center and let it out manually. It's easier to gibe with the mariner than with any other small sailboat I've handled. I can handle this boat alone, though it's nice to have another experienced sailor aboard. Then I can really relax!
 
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Joseph Lynch

tacking with friends

When we sail with our sailing friends, everyone gets a job, mainsheet, port and starboard jib sheets or on the rail. When we sail with our non sailing friends, we sit them down out of the way and my wife and I do the chores. That way our friends who are not sailors stay safe and we don't have to worry. The name of the game is to have fun and be safe
 
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