How to Come About and Tack on a Sailboat

Coming about in the wind, or tacking, is one of the fundamental skills of sailing. After all, beginning sailors will need to know how to get back home, even though their sails are full of wind taking them in the opposite direction than where they wish to go. Tacking is an easy maneuver to get you anywhere you want to go.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Prepare to turn the boat's bow through to the wind. Basically you'll be turning the boat so the wind, which is blowing on one side of your boat will be blowing against you on the other side. This is a full turn of 90 degrees.

2. Get up to a good speed. The sailing boat needs to be going fast enough that the wind won't be able to overpower the boat and hold her to the way she was already moving. Or worse, keep her out of the turn and the wind out of the sails so the boat won't go forward in any direction.

3. Shout "ready about" to alert the crew to the maneuver so they can man the sails and avoid the boom that will swing across the boat. When the crew is ready, call out "coming about."

4. Push your tiller so that it is on the lowest side of the boat's turn while it heads into the wind. Put the jib on the other side after you release it. Now you should see the wind fill the sail again and you are turned heading in the opposite direction.

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