To Tack or Jibe?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by gamayun

It's just not that simple a concept to implement.

Push the boom to the other side while changing tacks on the downwind leg.

Where's my horse buddy?

[thomm225]

I couldn't get him to come up above. Poor bastard.

[kierjo]

I tried to end it by saying thank you I didn't know just a basic ??? would start a thread war Sorry!!!

[kierjo]

I figure like this would you rather have someone ask a newbie ??? and learn or have that person not do it correctly and sail on thru someone's boat??? lol . I do appreciate all the answers but I have plenty of info now Thank you to all the people that did help or have great input...

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by kierjo

I tried to end it by saying thank you I didn't know just a basic ??? would start a thread war Sorry!!!

Hey JK,

It's how we have fun when we can't sail, or sand, or paint, etc. Thanks for the question.

Tom

[Suijin]

I gybe a lot when I'm headed downwind. When I'm single handing I just sheet it in, center the traveller, then deal with the jib as I bring the boat through DDW. It's one reason to reef conservatively when single handing...just makes sails easier to handle when you only have two hands.

It's worth mentioning that gybes don't always come with warning. Offshore, at night, when it's pitch black and you get jumped by a fierce squall out of nowhere, you need to take instant preventative measures regardless of your direction on the wind. 50 knot gusts that shift wildly can toast your boom hardware in an instant if you don't. Boom vangs are particularly vulnerable. I've seen one, of 1/4" stainless plate, bent like it was warm toffee, bolts ripped right out of the boom, after one hard gybe.

[kierjo]

Thanks tomm225 it is funny stuff. Usually I always get great help from everybody on here and do appreciate advice from everybody, it is fun just reading some of the feedback!! some helpful some funny but yes im sure all in good fun. I can only hope to be as experienced as some people on this site one day. But till then will do my best and learn from others and when not being able to sail or paint I will enjoy my time with everyone on here...!!!

[brazenarticle]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

Jibing is a sailing 101 maneuver, & if you live in fear of it, then you need to go out & practice it....
It ain't rocket science.

Keirjo - good question and lots of fine answers - for me UNCIVILIZED nailed it, if something concerns, confuses or scares the hell out of you practice it. Preferably in reasonable conditions.
Perhaps now that we've beaten the merits of tacking, jibing, gybing or "wearing ship" to a semi frozen sodden mass (apologies and envy to all in a "tropical" condition) we can have a steel cage death match to determine which tack - port or starboard - is superior?
Alternatively we can argue the meaning, various spellings and pronunciations of fo'c's'le?

[OldFrog75]

Originally Posted by brazenarticle

Alternatively we can argue the meaning, various spellings and pronunciations of fo'c's'le?

Forecastle - did I win?

[brazenarticle]

Fo'c'sle ain't a simple thing - do you include the "seat of ease"? Where shall the livestock be grazed? Here in the North East we have 88 days or so before launching. Simple answers will not be admired if they close the game.
You say forecastle, I say Fo'c'sle... do the tween meet at the tabernacle or agreed that is beyond? Or are the limits the length of a goats feed while waiting to be eaten in the mess?
Play the game laddie, don't be claiming "queen me in checkers". We have months to go before sailing in these miserable parts.

[kierjo]

Now I see how everybody does not go insane while they can not sail or have winter down time. You seem to have a good time on this site and keep it going in mind, body and soul learning and joking until sail season arrives upon us....

[Cheechako]

[QUOTE=Suijin;1720540]I gybe a lot when I'm headed downwind. When I'm single handing I just sheet it in, center the traveller, then deal with the jib as I bring the boat through DDW. It's one reason to reef conservatively when single handing...just makes sails easier to handle when you only have two hands.

It's worth mentioning that gybes don't always come with warning. Offshore, at night, when it's pitch black and you get jumped by a fierce squall out of nowhere, you need to take instant preventative measures regardless of your direction on the wind. 50 knot gusts that shift wildly can toast your boom hardware in an instant if you don't. Boom vangs are particularly vulnerable. I've seen one, of 1/4" stainless plate, bent like it was warm toffee, bolts ripped right out of the boom, after one hard gybe.[/QUOTE]

How can you say this?!!!!! Didn't you read the above posts? ITS SIMPLE! Especially when singlehanding a 45 footer in 30 knots!
All you have to do is:
* steer the boat gradually and smoothly across,
*while pulling in the mainsheet to center,
*while bringing the jib across,
*without catching on the staysail stay,
*with various line spaghetti surrounding your feet,
*releasing the main once over and
*while pulling the headsail around,
*followed by winching it in,
*after you have put in the winch handle
*and taking 3 wraps, .....in a controlled manner!
What could be simpler!

[roygee]

not if you want to go where you came from

[Kroakydude]

Just adding my two cents here (and maybe looking for some validation, as to my experience), I own a 37' Endeavor Ketch rig.
When I used to sail on my Catalina 27' I would absolutely agree with everyone that a tack is much easier on the boom, the sails and equipment, rather than a jibe.
That said, I could be full sail with my ketch rig and doing a good five to six knots and if I tack, I am at a complete stall before I recover on the other side of the tack. If I even get the Genoa across the bow! Often times, we have to abandon the tack and go back to sailing in the original direction until we can recover speed.
However, if I jibe, there is a good 3 knots of continuity after the turn and really it seems so much smoother... AND I can't remember ever failing a jibe.
That said, does that mizzenmast (and sail) change the dynamics of the turn? It seems in my tack, its the mizzen that is slowing (or stalling) my turn (and as was said earlier, its possibly the wind across the stern). Is the best bet always going to be the jibe with a ketch rig?

Look forward to your answers.

Thanks,
Rich

[HeinSdL]

When learning to sail a while back I was told that when choosing to tack when actually needing to gybe one was opting for the 'fisherman's gybe'. Makes sense, the fisherman is more sure to get his valuable cargo home. And the fisherman presumably is a very good sailor...

Having said that, gybing with true wind speed up to 25 knots (much reduced apparent) should be quite a standard manoeuvre. With wind speeds above that, everything becomes harder, including tacking, but gybing is simply more dangerous.