This is a definition sailing lesson about turning sail boats around so you can go in the opposite direction – tacking and gybing – and it contains the links to methods, tips and tricks to help prevent you getting tangled up in manoeuvres. This is part of our Free Online Sailing lessons
Prerequisite – Correct Tiller Handling for Sailing Dinghies
The most important thing is have you read the section on Tiller Handling yet?
This is incredibly important as it allows your eyes to be out looking at the sail and boat and other boats rather than looking at your hands. It might feel unfamilar at the beginning, but it will make your tacks and gybes much more reliable. The basic trick is do not swap your hands on the tiller or sheet until on the new tack. Because you are taking your eyes off everything that actually matters.
We explain how and have a video or two below.
It might feel strange, but if you do it all the time – then any other way will feel strange!
All Free Online Sailing Lessons – Index
- Sailing Upwind with less effort
- Increase confidence in Stronger Winds
- Downwind with less distress
- Gusts, Gybes and tacks easily
- Not hitting other boats and more
Basic Lesson – the difference between Tacking And Gybing.
Many times when we turn the boat it is a small direction change. What about the larger direction changes?
At some point we have to turn the boat around. The sail is on one side of the boat. When we turn 180 degrees it ends up on the other side of the boat and we can return to where we started from.
Here they are.
A Tack is when the front of the boat points towards the wind direction
during the turn.
Sail flaps when we pass through the “in irons” angles to the new upwind angle.
A Gybe is when the front of the boat points away from the wind direction during the turn.
The sail will move from out near 90 degrees to near 90 degrees on the other side.
Make sure you have the Safety Knot in the mainsheet :)
Our absolute Priority – Swap steering hand after!
Beginners always have trouble with tacking and gybing because they think that they have to do six things at once.
Interestingly – five of those things are very compatible, but number six messes everything else up!!!
List of things we have to do when tacking or gybing
- Steer through the tack or gybe
- Stop turning at the correct angle
- Keep the boat level
- Don’t hit anything
- Don’t get hit by anything.
These are not too difficult if we are looking up and around as we steer through the tack or gybe.
But there is a hidden demon. Which is incompatible because it requires looking down, but is actually quite easy to deal with.
- Change Hands – if you look at your hands during the tack or gybe you will mess up the more important list above.
This video shows what the right method looks like. You don’t have to learn it yet – just see how smooth and neat it is because the sailors can see where they are going and what the sail is doing and importantly – how much the boat is heeling so they can correct.
Video image can take a moment to load.
Delay changing hands UNTIL AFTER THE TACK OR GYBE …
…when on the NEW COURSE …
… with the RIGHT SPEED
Bet you your other basic sailing book didn’t tell you that!
Something small and fun to practice next time you go sailing
SAILING PRACTICE – steer a course with your hand behind your back without tacking. Anyone who has done some OK steering can do this – it is just the same.
- Just sail normally.
- Now point your knees forward
- Put the tiller extension behind your back
- Reach behind you with your forward hand to grab the tiller extension
- Focus on your destination and continue steering for 5 minutes.
- Turn boat around and do the same so your other hand can practice.
If you look down to swap hands you will mess up all the high priority things and increase the chances of hitting something, capsizing or hurting yourself.
We will delay changing hands until after the tack or gybe.
This is where the Prerequisite of Tiller Handling is essential. It makes it easy to change sides WITHOUT changing hands. And it makes it really fast.
Changing of hands prematurely prevents beginning sailors from learning how to tack and gybe smoothly and accurately.
It is why intermediate sailors find it nervous to tack and gybe in stronger winds …
… they are looking at their hands rather than at what is important.
So having talked about that here are the links to the specific sections of tacking and gybing.
Our Sections on Tacking Techniques
Coming on Tuesday – go down page to subscribe for notification if you like.
Our Section on Gybing Techniques
INDEX to All our Free Online Sailing Lessons
All Free Online Sailing Lessons – Index
- Sailing Upwind with less effort
- Increase confidence in Stronger Winds
- Downwind with less distress
- Gusts, Gybes and tacks easily
- Not hitting other boats and more
Our Sailboat and other Boat Plans
See link at top of the page.
