Tacking changes a sailboat’s side of the wind by turning the bow through it, so the sail goes slack for a moment and then fills on the other side; jibing does it by turning the stern through the wind, which is more dangerous because the loaded sail and its boom or yard sweep across the boat at head height in an instant. Pull the sheet in tight before a jibe, steer the stern through, and let the sheet out on the new side; to cover 2 km straight upwind at 45° to the wind you sail about 2.83 km, because each leg is longer than the straight line.
Part of Small Sailboat Construction
Tacking and jibing are the two ways a sailboat changes from one side of the wind to the other: through the bow, with the wind ahead, or through the stern, with the wind behind.
The Sail Changes Sides Once In Each Manoeuvre, But Under Very Different Loads
In a tack the boat is moving into the wind. As the bow passes through, the sail stops pulling, flaps, and fills again on the other side. The boat is least powerful at that moment and its momentum must carry it through. In a jibe the wind comes from astern, the sail is full of wind and held out to the side; when the stern passes through the wind, the pressure that held the sail out disappears and the sail is thrown across the boat by its own weight, the weight of its spars and the pull of the sheet.
The carrier’s four steps for a tack are: call “Ready about”; call “Helm’s alee” and push the tiller toward the sail; the bow swings through the wind; the crew adjusts the sheet for the new course. For the jibe: pull the sheet in tight, steer the stern through the wind, let the sheet out on the new side.
What You Need
- Light wind (the carrier’s 10-15 km/h) and open sheltered water
- A crew who knows the calls and the position to take (low, in the middle, clear of the swing)
- A sheet free to run (see Running Rigging)
- A tiller you can move quickly (see Rudder & Tiller)
Method: Tack And Jibe
Tack.
- Check the water ahead and to the new side; call “Ready about” so the crew moves their weight to centre.
- Call “Helm’s alee” and push the tiller toward the sail, gently so the rudder does not stall.
- As the bow passes through the wind, let the sail flap; do not haul it in.
- The crew moves to the new windward side as the sail fills and the helmsman straightens the tiller.
- Adjust the sheet for the new heading.
Jibe.
- Check the water and warn the crew with “Stand by to jibe,” so they duck and keep heads low.
- Haul the sheet in until the sail is nearly on the centreline, which cuts the distance the sail can swing.
- Steer the stern through the wind with a smooth tiller movement, and call “Jibe-ho” as the sail crosses.
- Let the sheet out quickly on the new side so the sail does not slam against its limit.
- Straighten the helm; do not over-steer in the other direction.
Worked Example: The Cost Of A Zigzag
You want to reach a point 2.0 km directly upwind. If the boat can hold 45° off the wind, each leg lies at 45° to the straight line, so the distance sailed is 2.0 ÷ cos 45° = 2.0 ÷ 0.707 = 2.83 km. At 3 m/s that is 2,830 ÷ 3 = 943 s, or 15.7 minutes. If the home-made rig can only hold 60°, the distance is 2.0 ÷ cos 60° = 4.0 km and the time 4,000 ÷ 3 = 1,333 s, or 22.2 minutes, 41% longer. Every tack on the way also costs some speed while the sail is slack, a cost this article does not put a number on because it depends on the boat and the crew.
Common Mistakes
- Tacking too slowly — the boat loses its speed head to wind and stalls, drifting backward; steer firmly but not abruptly, and keep the sheet free.
- Jibing on a run with the sheet out — the sail swings the full width of the boat; always haul in first.
- Accidental jibe — while running, a wind shift or a wave can put the wind on the back of the sail; avoid sailing dead downwind and keep the wind slightly on one side.
- Assuming “no boom” means “no sweep” — a spritsail has no boom, but its sprit, sheet and foot still cross the boat (see Spritsail Rig).
Safety
An uncontrolled jibe can break the mast, tear the sail or knock a person overboard
The boom or yard crosses the cockpit at head height. Duck on every jibe, keep clear of the sheet’s path, and if you are knocked into the water follow the cold-water steps in Safety & Capsizing Recovery. Do not jibe in strong wind; head up and tack instead, or lower the sail and row.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Safety & Capsizing Recovery — what to do when a manoeuvre goes wrong
- Combine with: Points of Sail — why the wind changes strength as you turn