How to Tack a Catamaran

Successfully tacking a catamaran is one of the most difficult moves in dinghy sailing. The boat's 2 hulls demand that you build speed and maintain power through the tack. Speed and power, however, are not enough to complete the task, since a level of subtle skill is required. Follow these steps to learn how to complete a catamaran tack.

Instructions

1. Set the tack up early. Unlike nimble monohulled boats that turn on a dime, you need to set up a catamaran tack from hundreds of feet away. Find a good point of sail, given the wind conditions, that let you build a solid amount of speed. Keep an eye out for other vessels and possible collision courses and then make a mental "X" on the water to mark where you want to tack.

2. Build speed. You should get the boat going at a solid enough pace that you don't feel like you're working the boat to sustain itself. You should be on an upwind point of sail to minimize speed loss created by a wide turn. Also, make sure the boat doesn't gain enough speed to start lifting just before the tack.

3. Thrust the tiller to leeward with as much power as you can. As you enter into the tack, call out the command to your crew so they can prepare. Thrust the tiller to leeward to turn the bow through the wind. Make sure you do not "over-turn" the rudders by causing them to turn perpendicular to the pontoons, which will create drag.

4. Keep the jib back-winded. While your instinct as a sailor might be to immediately switch the jib over to the new leeward side of the boat, it is critical that you do so only at the right time. Let the jib back-wind so that it helps push the bow through the wind. Once the battens of the main sail click into place on the new tack, then quickly move the jib over to the other side and begin sailing the boat on its new tack.