Gybing

[musicman]

So gybing would be turning and putting your stern into the wind when you're travelling downwind? Is that correct? if not, could someone please give the proper definition? Also, i heard you can damage your mast while gybing...how does that work? any help is much appreciated, and thanks in advance!

RK

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[BobE]

Yep, If the wind is coming from behind the boat and you turn the boat so the stern moves through the direction from which the wind comes, the main boom will have to change sides.. Other wise you will be running "by the lee"... When you Gybe the boom is pulled in from one side of the boat and released at the right moment on the other..
It's not normally a problem unless done unintentionally. In this case the boom whistles across and lams out on the other side, possibly taking a dozy crewman off the coach roof.. so not a good thing.. Also if the gybe is done shortly after rounding a windward merk in a fractionally rigged boat the running backstays (runners) must be taen in and let off at just the right time or the mast could go over the bow...
Severity of all this of course depends on wind strength as it's reduced by the speed of the boat when running and increased when beating..

Happy land sailing in the middle of Europe!!
Cheers Bob E...

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[oldharry]

Gybing is what happens when you are running downwind, and turn through the wind. You 'gybe' the sail when you pull it across to what is now the downwind side of the boat.

In a strong wind, if you do this accidentally you can - apart from clobbering anyone who happens to be in the way - cause such a hefty jolt to the rig and mast that it breaks - usually ending up in dismasting!

A controlled gybe is acheived by hauling in the mainsheet until it is tight before bringing the wind across the stern, so that the movement of the sail is minimised.

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[ubuysa]

I was out a couple of weeks ago with a skipper who is (like me) relatively innexperienced but has done RYA courses and a lovely gent whose been sailing for a great many years but not done the RYA stuff. We were sailing with the wind on the stbd qtr, the experienced gent was helming, the skipper was on the mainsheet and me on the genoa winches. "I'm going to gybe" hollers the helm, "sheet in the main please". As I got ready to move the genoa across the skipper turns and says "can we use the proper instructions for a gybe please". The helm was already over and the gent on the helm almost pleaded "sheet in the main, PLEASE". Too late. Whilst the skipper was still trying to extract the "correct" calls from the helm the boom went crashing over the cockpit (just above the skippers head) and slammed out on the opposite tack. I was too busy gybing the genoa to catch the exchange between skipper and helm, but I did hear the skipper later ask "why did we just have an uncontrolled gybe?" The helm replied calmly, "it wasn't uncontrolled, you just didn't sheet in the main when I asked!!".

Tony C.

<hr width=100% size=1>There are 10 kinds of people, those who understand binary and those who don't.

 

[dralex]

The helm can still not really be excused as he still had a responsibility to gybe the boat safely- by just going ahead before the boat was set up put other people at risk of injury and also may have damaged the boat. You have an obligation as helm to ensure everybody is ready before you do the move. If the instructor felt the helm was not experienced enough, he should have taken control of the situation before this happened.

<hr width=100% size=1>Life's too short- do it now./forums/images/icons/wink.gif

 

[Nickel]

The proper instructions are all very well, but it's understanding that's more important than anything else.

My girls know the proper calls - probably rather too well - to the extent that if the helm calls out 'ready about' or 'ready to gybe', they'd be shouting 'ready' even if they were below on the heads! Last time we were out I was having to add the rather improper call - 'How about really ready?!'

It is definitely the helm's responsibility not to start the manoeuvre until everyone is really ready! Likewise insisting on a prescribed form of words when everyone knows exactly what is going on seems a bit silly. I did some training with an old salt, who recalled an experienced American sailor who when preparing for tacking would shout, 'I'm turning this baby,' then as he put the helm over 'here we go!' It certainly seems to convey the right amount of meaning!

Blame is a very easy thing to start chucking about a boat, but it doesn't make for a fun day's sailing.

<hr width=100% size=1>Nickel

Being paranoid simply means - having all the facts.

 

[snowleopard]

<the proper instructions for a gybe>

there are in fact many different sequences of commands for tacking and gybing but any skippers insist that theirs is the only right one. as far as i am concerned the correct one is what everyone understands, not just those who are regulars on the boat. for example i had a german crew who held onto the mainsheet during a gybe because he didn't understand the commands. sounds to me like the helmsman's orders were perfect in this respect. going ahead anyway without waiting for the main to be sheeted in was not however.

over the years i have used various commands, for example i was taught

'ready about .... lee oh'

when racing on a river with lots of rapid tacking

'tack!'

sailing a big boat with strangers

'stand by to come about... lee oh... let go and haul'

and on my current boat with self tacking rig

'leave that b*****y sheet alone'



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[oldharry]

I would be on the helms side in that one! But he should not have started the manoever until he knew everyone was ready.

But what are the 'correct' commands? Cant think of anything he could have said to make it much more clear.

Come to think of it, sounds a bit as though the helm was quite rightly trying to recover an impending uncontrolled gybe.

Basic rule of seamanship. "On receiving a command: do it NOW, and argue afterwards"


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[Stemar]

"He should not have started the manoever until he knew everyone was ready."

In normal circumstances, I'd agree, but what does he do if he's 100 yards from leaving his keel on Bembridge Ledge?

Reading between the lines, I wonder if the helm hadn't figured out that conditions were sufficiently benign for a "crash" gybe not to do any damage, and was making a point


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[ubuysa]

<font size=1>Reading between the lines, I wonder if the helm hadn't figured out that conditions were sufficiently benign for a "crash" gybe not to do any damage, and was making a point</font size=1>

I wondered whether this was the case and asked the nice gent afterwards, but he said not. He felt the time was right for the gybe (which we all knew was coming up soon anyway) and expected the man on the mainsheet (who just happened to be the skipper) to sheet in when asked.

Tony C.

<hr width=100% size=1>There are 10 kinds of people, those who understand binary and those who don't.

 

[alant]

Not an excuse though surely - he should still be aware "if he's 100 yards from leaving his keel on Bembridge Ledge?" & organised his crew accordingly.
Doing anything as drammatic a gybe can sometimes be without being ready is b----y stupid. People can get hurt - what would happen if as well as not noticing that you'r fetching up on Bembridge Ledge, a crew member happens to be making his way across the deck.
Usual routine should be to tell the crew what is going to happen, so that they can get ready. Then ask "are you ready" & expect affirmative replies. Shout then be "helm to weather" & "gybe ho" as the stern passes thru the wind. This allows the mainsheet to be centred & released under control (this should also be done quickly, making sure mainsheet is not held centred for to long).
Helm should bear up slightly just before "helm to weather" increasing boat speed before going opposite helm in the gybe. This speeding reduces apparent wind & makes boom easier to control.

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