Tacking with a main off an anchorage

[TiggerToo]

I have never had problems with this before.... a couple of weeks ago. Tigger just refused to tack. In the end we just switched on the steel sail...

Any hints? Where should I start / relearn this useful technique?

Conditions were: gentle breeze (8 kn) flat achorage, plenty of room. Tigger just sat back on her anchor chain and refused to budge... tried to "back the main", tried loosening the foot to increase camber.....

 

[peterb]

Tide?

What was the tide doing? Frequently it's more powerful than the wind.

 

[Litotes]

I have never had problems with this before.... a couple of weeks ago. Tigger just refused to tack. In the end we just switched on the steel sail...

Maybe I'm missing something, but why not set a little bit of jib to help turn her head and get some wind into the mainsail? Doesn't have to be a lot, so needn't get in the way as you work the anchor.

 

[Adonnante]

For a multihull perspective we never sail of the anchor under main, the fully batten large roached main can take charge in an unpredictable way. The jib is always used even if only partly unrolled, it can be backed to determine the chosen tack and assisted out of the wind with backed rudder(s). Once the head is off the wind its just a matter of sailing upwind and hoisting the main and fancying up.

Peter.

 

[TiggerToo]

What was the tide doing? Frequently it's more powerful than the wind.

no tide

 

[fireball]

That's the problem - putting up the main will cause the boat to swing into wind (if it wasn't already) and then you've got nothing to push against - and as you know, you can't sail directly into the wind!
Using a scrap of genoa held out will allow you to push the nose round to get some drive into the main.

 

[jimi]

In the OP you say you backed the main, did you keep it backed with the rudder hard over in the oppposite direction to get off to the side of the wind?

 

[TiggerToo]

In the OP you say you backed the main, did you keep it backed with the rudder hard over in the oppposite direction to get off to the side of the wind?

yes... was that wrong thing to do?
we were in Coverack at the time...

 

[jimi]

its what I think I would have done....I'm busy drawing little diagrams trying to work it out now!

My little diagrams indicate the rudder should be on the same side as the backed main. However in practice I'd just waggle it about and go with the way it decides to move ;-)

 

[ianat182]

Tacking with a main

You could set up your sails as for being 'hove to', just part furled jib pulled across ,release the bow-line, gybe the main,sail away from the mooring.
No need to alter the jib sheet . The fact that you gybe means you'll have generated speed right away.
Heaving-to is good practice for MOB anyway, and then becomes second nature for a cuppa or the loo requirements too.

 

[jimi]

Its not a mooring, its an anchorage and the OP is trying to tack up the anchor chain to make it easy to lift it

 

[dukes4monny]

Hmmm, thinking about it, you would need to move your 'pivot point' which is naturally at the bow when at anchor.
Not sure if this would work, but, use a long snubber line (chain hook) to the anchor chain, this would need to be just over the boats length.......run this outside of the guard wires etc., now let more anchor chain out, about half the boats length. Now move yourself to midships and haul (or winch) the long snubber line which will allow the bow to fall away and start sailing.............

 

[TiggerToo]

Its not a mooring, its an anchorage and the OP is trying to tack up the anchor chain to make it easy to lift it

exactly so Jimi. What I am not sure is: why did I not manage to do it this time, when I have managed so often before? In fact she has often decided to start sailing of her own accord....

girls... hey, that is what boats are (don't quote me please)

 

[alahol2]

I must admit, it has never failed for me but then I always start to pull in the anchor chain and that seems to start the sequence. Maybe you just needed a little way on through the water?

 

[flaming]

I have never had problems with this before.... a couple of weeks ago. Tigger just refused to tack. In the end we just switched on the steel sail...

Any hints? Where should I start / relearn this useful technique?

Conditions were: gentle breeze (8 kn) flat achorage, plenty of room. Tigger just sat back on her anchor chain and refused to budge... tried to "back the main", tried loosening the foot to increase camber.....

Common mistake in this situation is too pin the main too hard, try easing it out to get some drive into it.