Manoeuvres

Don't worry, "manoeuvres" was just the best word I could think of to group the following.  Travelling in a straight line is easy enough, but you've got to be able to do a wee bit more than that.

Tacking: Turning can be done in one of two ways.  Tacking is turning into the wind.  This is the easier method as everything happens more gradually than in a gybe.  As the boat comes round, the sail gets closer to the wind (it is sometimes a good idea to sheet in the mainsail during the turn to maintain steerage).  When the boat is pointing directly upwind the sails will flap until the boat comes around on the opposite tack.  See a note on the word "tack".

 This is a little gif I nicked from the ISAF.  It shows a boat beating up to a mark on a starboard tack, gybing (I think - the boat is still on a starboard tack, so does it count as turning?   The boat turns away from the wind so does that count as a gybe) round the mark and going into a training run with what looks like a spinnaker.

Gybing: Gybing is turning away from the wind.  As the boat turns away from the wind the sails stay taught but once the wind gets behind the sails they flip over onto the other side.  You have to be quick to jump across to the other side when the sails change or you'll be in danger of capsizing.  It helps to sheet in the mainsail just before a gybe - the sails will flip over sooner and then can be sheeted out again.

Reversing: When in irons, you'll have to reverse.  In small dinghies with only a mainsail you can "push, push and pull, pull."  In other words, push the boom away from you and push the tiller to the opposite side.  This will reverse and turn the boat.  Then pull in the mainsheet and pull the tiller towards you and off you go.  In larger boats (where I for one wouldn't be too happy pushing the boom) you can back up the jib.  That is, if you want to go off to port, sheet in the starboard jibsheet.  This will allow the jib to catch the wind and push the bow back to port.  Once far enough from the wind, slacken the starboard jibsheet and sheet in the port jibsheet and off you go.

Heaving-to: Heaving-to is getting into the stopped position; the hove-to position.  Compared to being in irons, it is easy to start up again; all you have to do is sheet in.  The hove-to position is pointing perpendicularly across the wind with the sails sheeted out to the leeward side and flapping in the wind.  To hove-to, go into a reach and let the sails out until you stop.  It helps to turn into the wind once you let the sails out to slow down the boat, then simply turn away from the wind into the hove-to position when you still have a bit of steerage.  In boats with a jib, it might be better to back up the jib.  Steer the boat across the wind, let out the mainsail and back up the jib.  This wind will be pushing the bow downwind, so turn the rudder so that it's pushing the bow into the wind.  Apparently (I've never tried it) it works better than just letting out all the sails.

Pinching: When beating, it is usually the objective to move upwind as much as possible.  Turning to far into the wind will slow the boat down but doing it just a little bit at a time for short intervals will help you to move upwind.  This is pinching.

Slowing down: To slow down on a beat or a reach simply let the sails out - they'll loose power and the boat will slow down.  On a run, you have to sheet in.  I'll get back to you on that one.

Back