As we’ve seen, a sailboat cannot sail directly into the wind. The “no-go” zone covers approximately 45° on either side of the wind, so how does a sailboat move toward a desired point that is located upwind? The answer is by tacking back and forth on a zigzag-like path.

While the tack of a boat refers to its direction with respect to the wind, tacking refers to the action of turning into the wind so that the bow of the boat passes through the wind. With such an action, the sails are “flipped” to the opposite side and the boat assumes a tack on the other side of the wind. For example, a boat tacks from a close-hauled starboard tack to a close-hauled port tack. Note that the word tack is used to describe both the heading and the action of turning.

A sailboat can also turn so that the stern of the boat passes through the wind. This action is known as a jibe. The boom and sails are flipped to the other side of the boat for both a tack and a jibe, but the distinction is whether the boat is turning into or away from the wind.

Although tacking and jibing may seem like the same thing, there are some key differences that need to be kept in mind.

First, the sails, and the boom are much further extended during a typical jibe than a typical tack. Although it is possible – and sometimes advisable – to tack from a port broad reach to a starboard broad reach by tacking 300° into the wind, most often such a turn is accomplished by jibing 60° away from the wind. Conversely, it is possible to jibe between close-hauled tacks, but there is no reason to ever do so intentionally. The sheeting angle is larger on downwind points of sail, the only circumstances for a jibe, so the boom travels a much further distance relative to the boat during a jibe than a tack. This difference can easily be seen by comparing the sheeting angles (the angle between the sails and the boat) in the illustrations below.

Second, the boom swings much more rapidly during a jibe than a tack. Notice from the figures that a tacking boat passes through the no-go zone, causing the sails to luff as the boat turns. The wind gradually fills the sails as the boat comes out of the tack. On the other hand, during a jibe, with the wind coming from behind the boat, the boat does not pass through the no-go zone, and the wind pushes the sails from fully extended on one side of the boat to fully extended on the other side of the boat nearly instantaneously. In fact, the wind can so easily change sides of the sail when the boat is pointing downwind, a jibe can even accidentally on runs.

These two factors, the distance and the rapidity of boom travel add up to a jibe being much more violent than a tack. This can be dangerous to the boat, and more importantly to the people aboard. Large forces created by the boom swing can cause wear and tear on the mast and rigging, and can also cause injury – potentially severe – if the boom comes in contact with someone’s head. For this reason, the danger to the boat and crew, some charter companies forbid running, and you also might consider a similar moratorium on downwind sailing in high winds.

Tacking Procedure

Now that we’ve described tacking and jibing, we’ll cover the actual procedure of each. The figure below gives the procedure for executing a tack. Note that the steps are described in terms of the captain’s actions and those of the crew. On a single-manned sailboat, obviously, the captain would have to also carry out the crew’s actions, and the communications wouldn’t be necessary.

First, the captain announces the intention to tack by calling out “prepare to come about,” or “ready about?” The crew then prepares for the tack by uncleating – but not releasing – the active jib sheet. The sheet is held in place by hand, and kept wrapped on the winch if one is being used. If there are enough crew, one person can get in position on the opposite side of the boat near the other jib sheet. Once in position and prepared, the crew lets the captain know by calling out “ready about,” or “ready.”

Next, the captain shifts the rudder or wheel hard to turn the boat across the wind towards the opposite tack, while announcing, “coming about” or “helm is alee.” As the bow turns, the jib luffs and the crew releases the active jib sheet by simply letting go or calmly unwrapping it from the winch.

While the jib is still luffing, the crew sets the opposite jib sheet – wrapping it around the winch if one is used – and cleats it.

After the boat has reached the desired heading, the mainsail and jib can be trimmed further. The crew can make any remaining adjustments to the jib sheet and the traveler can be adjusted for the mainsail. Notice that no adjustments to the mainsheet are necessary for a simple tack to the opposite point of sail.

There are a couple things that can go wrong with a tack, both relating to working the jib sheets. If the active jib sheet is released too soon, the boat will lose power and may not have enough momentum to make it through the entire turn. Since the boat is turning through the no-go zone, momentum is critical for maintaining headway and steerage. If the jib sheet is released too soon, or the turn is not sharp enough, the boat can end up in irons.

Another possibility is that the opposite jib sheet is not set quickly enough by the crew. If the jib sheet is not set while the jib is luffing, it can become difficult to bring in the sheet with the sail full of wind. In this case, the captain can turn back into the wind slightly, allowing the jib to luff and making it easier for crew to work the sheets. Just be sure not to turn too far back into the wind and end up in irons.

Tacking Procedure

Jibing Procedure

The jibing procedure is similar to a tack. The main difference is that the mainsail is the focus of a jibe while the jib is the focus of a tack. To reduce the danger of the boom swinging across the boat, the mainsheet is brought in as the boat turns and then let out after the wind fills the sail on the other side. This reduces the boom travel at the moment that the wind switches from one side of the sail to the other, which greatly reduces danger.

The captain announces the intention to jibe by asking the crew to “prepare to jibe.” The crew then responds by getting in position to work the mainsheet and announcing “ready to jibe.”

The captain then begins to turn the boat – more gradually than during a tack – announcing “jibe ho” or “helm is aweather.” The crew must then bring in the mainsheet as the boat begins to turn.

Once the boom swings across the boat – hopefully not very far since the mainsheet has been brought in – the crew begins to let out the mainsheet. When the jibe is complete, the crew can set the jib and make any remaining adjustments to the mainsheet and traveler.

Notice that the jib is not adjusted until the end of the jibe. Since the boat is not turning through the no-go zone as in a tack, there is no need to worry about losing momentum. The main concern is the danger of the boom swing. In racing situations or when more crew hands are available, the jib can be worked during the turn, but it’s not necessary for making the turn.

Jibing Procedure

Preventing an Accidental Jibe

The potential danger of an accidental jibe, as mentioned earlier, can be reduced by avoiding sailing directly downwind on a run. Another rule of thumb involves monitoring the angle between the bottom of the jib and the horizon. When the bottom of the jib falls so this angle is less than 45°, it’s an indication that you may be getting too close to a run and an accidental jibe is possible. Adjust by heading up a bit towards a broad reach point of sail.