Quote:
Originally Posted by Sailormon6
If you need a tailer with the strength of a gorilla to tack your jib, and he's getting arm-weary, the solution is with the helmsman.
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I fully agree, and in a crewed situation I prefer that. But as a cruiser I sometimes have my hands full making sure the gear is preserved and secured before I can concentrate on returning to my intended heading.
I will say that in lighter, but steady winds, I sometimes cleat off BEFORE I've completely tacked over, and rely on boat speed to finish the tack and to fill the sail. This is possible because on the boat I usually sail solo, there's a very large J measurement and I point pretty high. Part of the foresail will be filled while the other part is "on the edge" and I have a pretty good sense of how hard to trim. I should also point out that my old boat doesn't have self-tailing winches, so it's necessary to cleat off quickly or to physically hold the sheet until you've figured out sail set and course.
And you're correct in pointing out that a "tiny" tack frequently means you don't need to use the winch handle at all.