Gybing a sailboat
means turning the bow of the boat down through the wind. You must learning how to gybe if you want to be able to sail downwind.
Using the diagram our sailboat is initially on a starboard tack (wind hitting the starboard side of the boat first).
When the helmsman (person steering the boat) wants to gybe, he will call out to his crew “Ready to Gybe”. This signals the crew to ready the sheets (lines that control the mainsail and foresail) in order to complete a smooth and controlled gybe.
When the crew has readied the sheets the crew will yell, “Ready”.
The helmsman will then say, “Gybe Ho” or “Gybing” to notify the crew that he has started to make the turn down through the wind.
It is important that the helmsman make a slow turn down through the wind so that the crew has ample time to control the sails, specifically the mainsail and the swing of the boom.
As the bow of the sailboat heads more downwind, the headsail (jib, genoa) will just start to relax. This is an excellent indicator that the boat is near the midway point of the gybe. It is important therefore, that the mainsheet be trimmed to bring the mainsail over the centerline (middle) of the boat. In other words, you must control the boom so that it does not swing violently across the deck.
When the boom has been centered the helmsman will continue making a gentle turn down through the wind. It is important to have the mainsheet at the ready so that the mainsail can be allowed to swing out from the boat gently as the sail catches wind on the new tack. Having a cleated mainsheet as you complete the gybe is not a good practice. This is especially so on small sail boats where a ’sloppy’ gybe can easily lead to capsizing.
Other crew members will be working the headsail (jib, genoa). As the boat turns more downwind the headsail will begin to luff. Assuming the boat is on a starboard tack as per our diagram, the crew at this point, will throw off (release) the port jib sheet and pull the jib through (across in front of the mast) using the starboard jib sheet. The jib sheet will then be quickly secured to a winch or cleat and the jib trimmed for maximum performance.
If you are sailing solo or if you have only one crew member aboard, then for the inexperienced sailor it will be difficult to work both the mainsail and the foresail at the same time during a gybe. It is important therefore to focus primarily on the mainsail. A luffing jib poses no threat but a mainsail and boom whipping across the deck taking out shrouds and possibly snapping the mast is potentially life threatening.
Once you have controlled the swing of the boom and secured the mainsail to the new tack then switch your attention to the headsail.
It is okay to let the headsail back on itself. When you are ready, release the windward sheet and let the headsail blow across the foredeck controlling the sail with the leeward sheet.
How to Tack a Sailboat
Tacking a sailboat means changing the direction (or tack) of a sailboat by turning the bow of the boat up through the wind. In order to sail upwind you must tack back and forth across the wind.
- Tacking a sailboat
The left hand side of a boat as you face the bow is the port side. The right hand side of the boat as you face the bow is the starboard side.
At the bottom of the diagram the sailboat is initially on a port tack. To determine if a boat is on a port or starboard tack, you must know which side of the boat the wind hits first.
In our diagram the boat is initially on a port tack – the wind is hitting the port side of the boat first.
When the helmsman (the person steering the boat) wants to tack, he will call out to his crew “Ready About” or “Ready to Come About”.
This signals the crew to ready the sheets (sheets are the lines that control the mainsail and foresail). Readying the sheets means making sure that they are not tangled; that they will be free of any obstruction and that they are positioned to best facilitate carrying out the tacking maneuver.
When the crew has readied the sheets the crew will yell, “Ready”.
The helmsman will then say,”Helms Alee” or “Hard Alee” to notify the crew that the turn up through the wind is being initiated.
It is important that the sailboat have enough speed (momentum) to carry itself through the turn. Turning the boat sharply is not only hazardous but will also cause a sudden loss of boat speed and the boat may stall head to wind (in irons).
Turning the rudder approximately 33 degrees will provide a smooth and controlled turn without much loss of boat speed. It will provide the crew with ample time to control the jib sheets and mainsheet.
As the boat makes the turn, the bow of the sailboat begins to point more directly into the wind and the jib and then the mainsail will begin to luff (flutter). At this stage and in light winds, the windward (upwind) jib sheet can be released and the leeward (downwind) jib sheet can be tightened as the boat comes around onto the new tack.
It is a common mistake for novice sailors to over tighten the new windward sheet (formerly the leeward sheet before the boat changed directions) which makes the sail too flat and less efficient. It is better to have the jib more rounded once the boat has tacked and then tension the jib sheet as the boat increases speed and begins to turn more up into the wind.
In stronger winds and bigger waves, boats have more difficulty in carrying boat speed through to the completion of the turn. To help swing the bow of the boat onto the new tack, instead of releasing the windward jib sheet as the jib begins to luff at the half way point of the turn, leave the windward jib sheet cleated and allow the jib to blow back onto itself (this is called backing the sail). Since the jib is more flush to the wind, the wind will push the bow of the boat through the turn onto the new tack. As the boat begins to swing onto the new tack, the windward jib sheet can be released and the new windward jib sheet can be hauled in as the jib moves across the foredeck.
Once the boat has finished tacking and the sails begin to fill, the mainsail and the jib can be trimmed to the new point of sail.
Stalling in a Tack
Stalling midway through a tack is a common problem and it all relates back to boat speed and carrying the boat’s speed through the turn.
Turning the rudder too sharply will act like a brake and will drop boat speed considerably.
Turning the sailboat too slowly will cause the boat to slow down and not have enough speed to carry through the turn onto the new tack.
Improper sail trim, (i.e. sail eased out too far as you enter the turn), will cause the sails to be less efficient, which means less powerful and boat speed will drop quickly as the turn is entered.
Releasing the windward jib sheet too soon will de-power the jib, increase drag and cause the boat to lose speed rapidly.
Getting out of a Stall
When a sailboat stalls with no forward movement (this is called being ‘in irons’) with its bow directly into the wind you lose steerage. Evenutally however, the boat will turn to one side of the wind or the other. The sailboat may fall back onto its original tack or it may fall onto the new tack.
To help the boat swing to one side of the wind or the other, you can ‘back the sails’ by using the sheets or by physically holding the sails out to the side. This will cause the boat to turn away from the wind, which will allow the sails to fill with air and enable you to regain control over the boat.
On smaller boats, the rudder can be used to sweep the bow off to the side of the wind. Pull the tiller slowly one way as far as you can and then push the tiller fairly quickly across the boat. The rudder will act like a paddle and help swing the bow.