Tacking tactics

[Old Forum]

Julian Swindell
Username: Julian_swindell

Registered: 03-2007
   
Posted on Wednesday, May 09, 2007 - 04:32 pm:      
There have been a few comments on problems with tacking the WB on other threads, so I thought I would start a thread on this subject. Here's how I do it when sailing solo:
1: Try to ensure the leeward board is down and that the boat speed is high. I'll bear away (or is that bare away , I'm never sure) if necessary.
2: Push the tiller down slightly, then as the boat starts to turn, push it right down and simultaneously move across the boat to the downwind side (this movement of body-ballast seems crucial on my own).
3: All being well the boat comes round until the foresail backs. I let it back hard and turn the boat whilst I centre the tiller, and only then do I let out the old sheet and pull in the new. All being well I sail off happy.
4: If I remember (I usually don't), it is then up with the windward board and down with the leeward one.

To aid single handedness, I have a rope jambed in a cleat under the tiller to hold it in any position I want. This keeps her sailing in the right direction whilst I sort out the foresail.

Where I have real problems is tacking when reefed in a strong wind. She just won't quite go through the wind on most attempts. Any suggestions?

[Old Forum]

Roger Parish
   
Posted on Saturday, May 12, 2007 - 08:09 pm:      
With a long keel boat it has to be sailed around ,it will not pivot about the centre board as with a dinghy. It is very important to keep the jib full and pulling until it passes through the wind. On Tuesday this week I watched a Wayfarer tacking in very strong winds and the crew released the jib far to early (common fault with new dinghy sailors) and each time the boat stalled.Eventually they were driven onto a lee shore and had to be rescued. Backing the jib is useful for turning the head of a boat round but a backed sail is an effective brake! I found that a cleat on the main is usefull sailing single handed as once I have pushed the tiller down and the boat has turned I just concentrate on setting the jib on the new tack. The tiller is centred by two lengths of shock cord.

[Old Forum]

Julian Swindell
Username: Julian_swindell

Registered: 03-2007
   
Posted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - 09:12 am:      
Revisiting this thread I was interested to read Roger's point about keeping the jib full. One problem I have always had is tacking in a strong wind whilst reefed. Many times the boat just doesn't come up into the wind. On one scary occassion I was forced to gybe around in a strong squall, which worked but left us all gibbering.
Last sunday was a perfect sailing day, bright sunny day, puffy white clouds and a good breeze, which really got up into regular squalls. I was single reefed, and found in the squalls I just could not round up into the wind. So I changed tactics. As the boat started to come up into the wind, I let the jib fly. The strong pressure in the main really threw the bow up into the wind. A quick tug on the windward sheet backed the jib beautifully for no more than a second and I was round. I repeated the move several times and it worked each time. So maybe in a strong wind, you need to get wind out of the jib? Reefing the jib might also help, but the weather helm in the gusts is strong enough already, and that would probably make it worse. what are other's experiences in this pretty crucial area?

[Old Forum]

Martin_cartwright
Username: Martin_cartwright

Registered: 04-2008
   
Posted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 - 11:00 am:      
Fit a mizzen Julian!!

[Old Forum]

Adrian Evans
Username: Adrian_evans

Registered: 03-2007
   
Posted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 - 10:53 pm:      
I'm nearly back on the water, and the first thing I shall be doing is rigorous tacking practice, trying all approaches - after a 'moment' last Year on gigha sound not being able to get Peg through the wind in a stronger blow,(two reefs) with a rocky lee shore, and a Sheared shear pin when I chickened out and called on the outboard.
Jim, a very experienced friend, sailed Peg in Similar conditions, two reefs in the main again, and never missed a taCk, with an unreefed jib Sheeted in consistantly hard.