Why gybe when tacking?

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matnoo

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Yes, im a newbie...

went out with my 'sailing teacher' last weekend, and he gybed whilst tacking back and forth up an estuary.

I understand gybing is where you turn until the wind bears onto the lee side of the mainsail and so it whacks the boom across. The reason being to change to an opposite tack.

I can understand it when youre on a run, sometimes you want the mainsail on the other for various reasons (not least so you keep in the shade!)

But why gybe when tacking? It means you have to turn through pretty much 270deg instead of about 90 and it also puts a lot of stress on the boom (?)... oh and it nearly hits me in the gob every time!!!


I did ask him at the time but I got 'somtimes you just do' as a response! Not sure what that was meant to mean!

Ta in advance!

Mat
 
The only reason I can think of is if the boat is difficult to tack. If it is not going very quickly it might not get all the way around to the other tack - e.g. only turn through 45 or 50 degrees and then stop moving through the water. At that point there would be no flow over the rudder and it would stop turning. When the boat is head to wind and not able to turn in either direction it is said to be caught "in irons".

No doubt others will come up with different reasons, but that is all that occurs to me.
 
You say 'sailing teacher', do you mean RYA instructor or just a bloke who takes you sailing. I cannot understand why anyone would do this, for any reason.

Without any further explination it sounds a bit like bad practice.
 
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and it also puts a lot of stress on the boom (?)... oh and it nearly hits me in the gob every time!!!

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what boat are you sailing, he is a bad teacher if he knocks his students out. The main should be winched into the centre to gybe safely.

The opposite to what you descibe may also be done when it's very windy and you dont want to gybe the boat so you tack it round through the wind. you could put the boat through 300 degree to achieve this.
 
Was he demonstrating something in particular, like a man-overboard maneuver?

Otherwise I can't think of any good reason to gybe to change tack when working to windward.

Incidentally, tacking and gybing describe two opposite actions, so you can't gybe while tacking. Both bring the wind from one side of the sail to the other, but tacking does it when the wind is ahead, gybing when the wind is astern.

Tacking back and forth to travel upwind is usually called 'beating'.
 
I've only been sailing for 50 years so haven't yet had experience of that technique but hope to learn more soon.
I've heard of it being used for square riggers, is your teacher a C S Forrester reader?
Apart from the dubious technique, any one who says "because that's how it's done" is probably not a very good teacher.
I suggest you try sailing with someone else occasionally for a more balanced view.
 
There are occasionally boats where it's sometimes necessary to do this - it's called "wearing round", so wouldn't be too quick to condemn his technique without knowing the facts. eg. I would sometimes do it on my Hobie Cat in a strong wind especially if it was bumpy cos the bows could be very reluctant to pass throught the wind.
 
oh youve hid a nerve here !!

Even I know as a stinkie that gybing should be done in a controlled manner & best avoided if possible
 
Yes but picture the scene: you've been caught downwind of your port of shelter in a gathering hooley. There's a nasty chop, and the boat that you've taken out handles like a dog, won't go to windward and won't tack. You've taken an acquaintance out for their first ever sail, and after a thorough safety briefing have been patiently explaining all aspects of yachting in a neat, clear and potted manner, answering every question promptly and courteously. Now you're struggling with tiller, trying to reef, nasty gybes that threaten to carry the rig away, and an unpleasant and uncertain beat back to your home port. As you undergo yet another involuntary chinese gybe caused by the rudder lifting out of the water, and struggle to prevent a broach using hands teeth and legs, novice crew asks why you're gybing rather than tacking.

Do you respond by (a) explaining the laws of hydrodynamics; (b) "sometimes you just do", or (c) "@*&^%***&£^$"(*)&**"?
 
Was it in very light wind? Some boats have to go round "the wrong way" i.e. stern through the wind in such conditions because they are not going fast enough to go through the tack. I have heard of a long keeled motorsailer that could not be persuaded to tack at all. Your instructor's reply to your question does seem pretty odd however, and it would have been better to have pulled the mainsheet in tight to centre the boom before attempting a gybe in anything bigger than a dinghy.
 
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so you can't gybe while tacking.

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Eerrrrmmm - think about that again!

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I'm thinking about it, and not getting anything.

Care to expand?

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I've always used "tacking" to describe zig-zagging up to windward as well as the actual action of getting the bows through the wind. So you could wear round and gybe to get from one tack to the other. I have only done it once when my boat didn't want to put its nose through the wind (F5+ and choppy). I was too close to the shore to build up speed to have a second go, so it was safer to bear away and gybe.
 
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Was he demonstrating something in particular, like a man-overboard maneuver?

Otherwise I can't think of any good reason to gybe to change tack when working to windward.

[/ QUOTE ]It is practically impossible to get my genoa round the staysail when tacking so either I gybe round or bring the genoa almost all the way in. Depends, but I gybe round quite a bit though I only ever long-tack, I tend to run the engine if short-tacking is required.
 
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