Trouble sailing in 7mph wind...?

shermanator

shermanator

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Jun 25, 2016
11
Macgregor 25 los angeles
Had a quick question.. It was my first time sailing and I was moving along pretty nicely, but wasn't really able to change the direction without my jib sail picking up wind and pointing the bow causing the boat to veer right. I wasn't able to turn left unless I turned the mainsail and dropped the jib.. In which case I was able to sail smoothly again but almost the opposite direction. Seemed like I couldn't sail smoothly in the direction I needed to move in which was about 25degrees head on the wind headed NW.. Should I have been tacking instead? Shifting wind from one side to another on the main sail and zigzagging? Winds were about 7mph. I assume it's more difficult to sail in calmer winds at 7pm verses maybe 12mph?
I eventually did reach my destination with help of my motor. Spent alot of time learning the ropes and getting a feel for my 25 Macgregor , any suggestions?


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Ken13559

Ken13559

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Oct 29, 2005
2,362
Hunter Marine 326 303 Singapore
Macgregor boat not good at pointing so you'll need to sail more off wind to gain speed before tacking. Watch your sail trim.
Lower fully the centreboard/swing keel.
 
Indysailor

Indysailor

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Oct 10, 2009
1,037
Catalina 27 3657 Lake Monroe
Adding telltales to your sails is a great way to learn. They will teach you the right course for a given angle of attack and this may be an over generalization, but I think for most beginners they will show you that a boat can't point nearly as close to the wind as you thought it would, or that the old adage, "When in doubt, let it out" will apply to your sheets.
 
agprice22

agprice22

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Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Perhaps you could sail with an experienced sailor? Or perhaps read ASA's Basic Keelboat guide.
You will not be able to sail 25 degrees off the wind. You will be able to sail near 45 degrees to the wind on either tack, port or starboard. Additionally, the faster you sail, the more the wind will move toward your bow... It is called apparent wind. When you tack, do so smartly. Throw the tiller to leeward smoothly but fully, and the boat will come around. If you stall, let the boat fall off, build up some speed, and do it again. With practice, you will see just how little rudder movement is needed to be smooth. At first, it is ok to overdo it.
Yes. You should sail a zig-zag course up wind. Use your sea room to determine how long each leg will be.
7mph is plenty of wind for that boat, depending on how good your sails are. If your sails are used-up, you will have trouble getting any shape required to sail to windward (45 degrees off the wind). When you approach windward, your jib will luff.
Also, if you are new to the boat, it is possible you are miscontrolling your jib: if you have the windward jib sheet as your working sheet, you may have trouble tacking it. Your leeward sheet is the working sheet, and your windward sheet is the lazy sheet.
There is lots to learn, so sailing with an experienced sailor or reading a book will help.

Thanks,
Andrew
 
Anonymous 121765

Anonymous 121765

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Jan 6, 2010
1,520
Sherm,

I have a quick-look diagram I handout to new sailors. I believe it is from Chapman's Piloting.
This is also a good book to help make you a better sailor & skipper.

It is a quick look at how your sails should look at different points. It is a "general look,"
as all boats because of design & sails have different tweaks but useful.



CR
 

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Joe

Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
8,164
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
When you tack... that's turning the boat toward the direction of the wind... the boat can sometimes not have enough momentum to pass through the dead zone.. or no sail zone... the boat can sometimes become stuck head to wind.... the term is call "in irons". To avoid this problem you need to "backwind" the jib until the mainsail swings across on its own.... you backwind the jib by NOT releasing it when you turn... rather hold it in place as you turn the boat... letting the wind come to the back of the headsail and help push the bow of the boat through the no sail zone. Don't release the jibsheet until the main sail comes across on its own and starts filling. When you do release the old jibsheet... do it quickly and smartly... if you are using a winch, pull the line straight up.. let the wind push the sail across...don't try to pull it with the new sheet...

My next suggestion is to take a sailing class... or study the many how to sail videos on YouTube. There are a million books on the subject of sailing... check the library.... learn the difference between a tack and a gybe.

Finally, I'd be wary about learning to sail by asking such basic questions on a forum.... much of the advice you receive will be confusing and contradictory. Do yourself a favor and take a course and at the very least invest in a good sailing book, like "The Annapolis Book of Seamanship".
 
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rgranger

rgranger

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Jan 19, 2010
12,553
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
Ken13559 said:
Macgregor boat not good at pointing so you'll need to sail more off wind to gain speed before tacking. Watch your sail trim.
Lower fully the centreboard/swing keel.
Click to expand
Sherm has one of the older Mac 25'. Those are actually very fast sailboats and from my experience point quite well. The 25 was followed by the Mac 26S & 26D. It wasn't until Mac made the 26M that they destroyed the sailing quality of the boats.
 
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Charlie Jones s/v Tehani

Charlie Jones s/v Tehani

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Mar 1, 2012
2,182
1961 Rhodes Meridian 25 Texas coast
rgranger said:
Sherm has one of the older Mac 25'. Those are actually very fast sailboats and from my experience point quite well. The 25 was followed by the Mac 26S & 26D. It wasn't until Mac made the 26M that they destroyed the sailing quality of the boats.
Click to expand
Actually the X did that. The M was a much better sailing boat than the X, but had a lousy interior. I used to be a dealer
 
RussC

RussC

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Sep 11, 2015
1,603
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
Are you SURE the keel was fully down? It should take about 30 turns of the winch handle to lower the keel all the way.
 
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rgranger

rgranger

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Jan 19, 2010
12,553
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
TSBB 2 said:
Actually the X did that. The M was a much better sailing boat than the X, but had a lousy interior. I used to be a dealer
Click to expand
;)

Thanks for the correction. The Macs get bashed fairly regularly so I feel the need to defend them from time to time...but as an inexpensive pocket cruiser, they are some of the most boat for the buck out there. Of all of the boats I've owned (embarrassingly many) I put the most miles under my keel on my little Mac 22. I could show up to a ramp and have the boat ready to sail with O.B. at idle in under 20 min. And she had legs. I sailed all up and down the NC coast and Chesapeake bay in that boat.
 
Ken13559

Ken13559

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Oct 29, 2005
2,362
Hunter Marine 326 303 Singapore
Ahhh..my mistake for not realising OP has a Mac25. I had a Mac26X and I've lots of experience sailing it off wind. ;)
 
agprice22

agprice22

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Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
By the way, ASA made those books available in electronic versions.

Hehe... I scanned mine for my iPad when I was doing my Bareboat Skipper certificate .
 
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