How do you tack a sailboat?

Sail close-hauled at full speed, check the water is clear, call “Ready about” and wait for the crew to answer “Ready”, then call “Lee-oh” and push the tiller firmly towards the sails. Turn steadily through the wind, swap the jib to the new side, and settle close-hauled on the new tack.

A tack turns the bow of the boat through the wind, from close-hauled on one side to close-hauled on the other, a turn of about 90 degrees. For a few seconds in the middle the sails flap and give no drive, so the boat carries on through the turn on her own momentum. That is why a tack needs speed.

1. Get ready. Sail close-hauled with the boat up to full speed. Look all round, especially behind you and on the side you are turning towards, to check the water is clear.
2. “Ready about.” Warn the crew. They take the working jib sheet off its cleat or self-tailer, keeping a few turns on the winch and the tail in hand, ready to let it go, and put the new sheet on the other winch. When ready, they answer “Ready.”
3. “Lee-oh.” Push the tiller firmly towards the sails. The bow swings into the wind and the sails start to flap.
4. Through the wind. Keep the turn going at a steady rate. The boom comes across, so keep heads low. The crew let the old jib sheet go and pull in the new one quickly, before the sail fills with wind.
5. Change sides. The helmsman crosses to the new windward side, facing forward, swapping hands on the tiller and mainsheet.
6. Settle. Straighten the tiller when she has turned about 90 degrees, or a few degrees more, with the sails just eased. Let her build speed, then bring her back up to close-hauled.

Some crews say “Helm’s a-lee” or “Tacking” instead of “Lee-oh”. Whichever call you use, the whole crew should know it.

The commonest problem is turning too slowly, or stopping the turn halfway. The boat runs out of speed while still pointing into the wind and stops, in irons. Push the tiller firmly and keep it there until the bow is through the wind, and next time carry more speed into the tack.

After a good tack the boat comes out at about half her speed and is back to full speed within five or six boat lengths.

More in the book: Chapter 6, Steering and tacking