sailboat seamanship 201
- Calls all tack commands. (Position: bow; then mast as stated below.) In
short tacking, the skipper should call the tacks. Call the prepare-answer part
at least 10 seconds before the execution part. Th is gives a new crew time to
get set. Aft er you call for the execution of the tack, immediately move to the
leeward, aft side of the mast. Keep your feet behind both headsail sheets. - Manually backwinds the headsail (as needed). (Position: mast [if
necessary]; otherwise, return to bow.) If necessary, grab the sheets and back
the jib to help force the bow through the wind. Your position next to the
mast provides the ideal location to help the trimmer in this maneuver. As
soon as the bow passes through the wind, take up position at the bow once
again. Th en repeat all steps.
DECISIONS TO MAKE BEFORE YOU BEGIN
If short tacking in areas with lots of boat traffic, you must not get in the
way of other vessels. It does not matter that you are under sail. Rule 9 of the
Navigation Rules states, “A vessel of less than 20 meters in length or a sailing
vessel shall not impede the passage of a vessel that can safely navigate only
within a narrow channel or fairway.”
Do not attempt to short tack in areas that do not allow room to maneuver.
You must have room to turn in a complete 360-degree circle under complete
control. If in doubt, start your engine and place it in neutral, but remember
that this changes your status to powerboat under the Navigation Rules (see
Chapter 7). If you have no engine, anchor and wait for a wind shift to take you
down the channel in safety. Know what the tidal current is doing (Chapter 5).
Short tack during a slack or fair (on the stern) current if possible.
STUCK IN IRONS, SHEET JAMS, AND GROUNDING
Discuss with the crew what to do if things go wrong. Concentrate on three
possible scenarios: getting stuck in irons, a sheet jam (override) on the winch,
and a grounding. Make a few simulations to test the crew’s grasp of each
scenario.
Stuck in irons. If you get stuck in irons (the boat is stopped into the wind
with sails luffing) and your boat stalls halfway through a tack, backwind the
headsail. On a tiller-steered boat in a light breeze, you might feather the
rudder to help get the bow around. Another option is to fall off right away
and head downwind. When clear, head up, build up momentum, and start
the tack sequence again.
Sheet jams. If you get a sheet jam on the winch, the helmsman should
luff up slightly to take the load off the sheet. Hopefully the sheet trimmer
can then remove the override. When it’s clear, the helmsman falls back to
the close-hauled course.