Commands for going about.

[prv]

"Mind your heads!" would seem to be the appropriate call.

As kids in dinghies, we used to say "stand by to gybe" and "gybe oh", but these days I don't really have any fixed pronouncements. I'm sure at least some of the time, "mind yer 'eads" is what I end up saying as we're about to go.

Pete

 

[Flying Penguin]

I can't see how you link a strange and ancient language to those incidents.
"Mind your heads!" would seem to be the appropriate call.

I'm a great believer in the Plain English Campaign.

It really doesn't matter what the commands are as long as everyone is on the same page, it could just as well be:

"Justin Beiber" - Get Ready, crew respond with "Selena Gomez" when ready

"Mary Kate Olson" - Starting To Turn

"Beyonce" - Start winding in on the other side

No need to start inventing new "plain English" terms if you can agree the order of existing terms. It really doesn't take long to memorise two/three terms which are specific to tacking, in fact it reduces confusion if they aren't used in any other circumstances.

 

[Bosun Higgs]

What's the norm, if there is one?

1/ " prepare to tack"
2/ crew reply "ready" when they are
4/ " tacking in 5...4...3...2...1"
5/ "tacking"

 

[Searush]

Hmmm, doesn't anyone else have the scenario;

Sh*t the jibs backed, we'll have to tack?

Or,
Bloody'ell what happened then? (after an accidental gybe)

Or,
Forget it, we'll just go back as we were. (when a tack fails)



Sailing should be fun, full of unexpected surprises & fresh delights . . .

 

[prv]

1/ " prepare to tack"
2/ crew reply "ready" when they are
4/ " tacking in 5...4...3...2...1"
5/ "tacking"

What's the countdown for? Since the crew are ready (they've just said so) why not go straight away?

(Just curious)

Pete

 

[Lakesailor]

As usual. People are trying to make a simple activity into a wondrous right of passage.

Far too much attention is paid to "tradition"
If it were that important we'd still have hemp rope and baggywrinkles.

However. You must all free to do what you want on your own boats.

 

[maby]

I can't see how you link a strange and ancient language to those incidents.
"Mind your heads!" would seem to be the appropriate call.

I'm a great believer in the Plain English Campaign.

And I did say "you can question the language..." - one of your previous posts did seem to be questioning the need for the instructions at all. If you are out pottering along the river in a light breeze, you can afford to be fairly relaxed about it - if you are sailing in significant winds, possibly racing - and possibly carrying more canvas than is strictly sensible, there seems to be a good argument for something which includes a more positive acknowledgement and some intermediate status information.

 

[maby]

Hmmm, doesn't anyone else have the scenario;

Sh*t the jibs backed, we'll have to tack?

Or,
Bloody'ell what happened then? (after an accidental gybe)

Or,
Forget it, we'll just go back as we were. (when a tack fails)



Sailing should be fun, full of unexpected surprises & fresh delights . . .

All of the above - but you've missed out "Sorry - put some ice on it!"

 

[Flying Penguin]

All of the above - but you've missed out "Sorry - put some ice on it!"

And "stop moaning, you can always pour another one"

 

[Searush]

All of the above - but you've missed out "Sorry - put some ice on it!"

Ice? You sail in the Arctic then? Or do you steal it from the pub at lunch time?

I quite often seem to have forgotten to slack off the topping lift, so the boom will generally pass over most people's heads - except the tall ones & that's their own fault for having the wrong parents.

 

[shaunksb]

"Lee Ho" is definitely an abbreviation of "Lee Helm"

Are you sure?

I think it is an abbreviation for

"Let go and Haul"

Ho = Haul

as in heave ho



______________________

 

[nigelmercier]

... where the crew can't even see where the helm is.

If my crew can see where the helm is, they are not paying attention to their job.

 

[Frankie-H]

"watch yer heid" works well!

But that is mainly for the jybe.

For going about, I totally agree with 'Ready about .......lee ho'

 

[Frankie-H]

As usual. People are trying to make a simple activity into a wondrous right of passage.

Far too much attention is paid to "tradition"
If it were that important we'd still have hemp rope and baggywrinkles.

However. You must all free to do what you want on your own boats.

What on earth would you do with baggywrinkles on your boat

This is really a serious question. Sailing can be dangerous and you do not always sail with the same crew. It is therefore important to standardise some phrases, which can be used on all boats and by all crews. If you do not do so confusion can and will ensue and this certainly can lead to injury or even worse.

 

[BobPrell]

I can't see how you link a strange and ancient language to those incidents.

Chay Blyth himself has stated that the use of arcane yachting language serves no useful purpose.

The contributor who said the helmsperson was once not the skipper was pro'ly right. In ancient times the skipper told the sailor what to do with the helm, rather than telling them the desired result (turning the ship in this case). Apparently this was a contributing factor in the loss of the Titanic. (Brown, David G. (2000). The Last Log of the Titanic. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-07-136447-8.)

 

[onesea]

As usual. People are trying to make a simple activity into a wondrous right of passage.

Far too much attention is paid to "tradition"
If it were that important we'd still have hemp rope and baggywrinkles.

However. You must all free to do what you want on your own boats.

I think its called standardisation? It seems that the sea had it before allot of industries. With history some of the terms have become less meaning full...

Most sailors understand the terms and soon learn them...

Most are interlinked in there own cranky way: Leehelm, Lee Ho, Leeshore, leeside.

You could start talking about high side, lowside often with beginners onboard you do. Soon they pick up on the jargon, then start to understand more about what's going on around them.

Plus added to the fact Jib halyard is easier and shorter to say than the rope that pulls the front sail up, or main sheet instead of rope that pulls the back sail in.

What do you call a kicking strap (Or Vang (think that comes from US) to a beginner?

Nautical terms do develop and become outdated. I was sailing with an Auzy who talked about the "Sly Pig" he actually meant was "Cunningham" took me a minute .

There are people who use nautical terms to confuse, then there are those that do that with a dictionary in every daylife in for similar reasons.

 

[bbg]

"Pret pour virer?"

"Oui."

"OK - on y va."

"Merde, on a perdu 4 places sur ce bord."

"Oui."

 

[DanTribe]

I used to crew on a racing boat and with one particular crew member the commands were;
"ready about, lee oh,
no, wait until the jib luffs before letting go,
no, the turns go on the winch the other way round."

Next tack, exactly the same, he never did get the hang of it.

 

[maby]

Ice? You sail in the Arctic then? Or do you steal it from the pub at lunch time?

I quite often seem to have forgotten to slack off the topping lift, so the boom will generally pass over most people's heads - except the tall ones & that's their own fault for having the wrong parents.

You don't have a fridge/freezer? How do you keep the wine chilled?

 

[onesea]

I used to crew on a racing boat and with one particular crew member the commands were;
"ready about, lee oh,
no, wait until the jib luffs before letting go,
no, the turns go on the winch the other way round."

Next tack, exactly the same, he never did get the hang of it.

LOL I always check (and tell beginners) which way a winch turns before I load it and still get wrong

You don't have a fridge/freezer? How do you keep the wine chilled?

Bilges