Rigging and tacking

[shadypark]

So I have had my boat about 4 years now and starting to feel pretty comfortable with how she handles and her quirks, but I noticed last weekend that I was having a particularly hard time making a starboard tack (moving to the right against the wind did i say that right?). The wind was about 8-10 knots, I would build up speed, push over the tiller and when the time felt right let out the sails some (only the main was used). This worked fine for a port tack.
For some reason i couldnt get across the wind, eventually with the tiller out as far as reasonably possible and the main sheets let pretty far out, the boat would still start to tack to the port.

my two though are rigging and/or and issue with the rudder but i am pretty stumped

thanks in advance!

[deniseO30]

Kind of boat? Do you have a head sail? Masthead boats are slug like without the headsails

8-10 could be light air for just a main sail to tack also. I think the experts will need more information. I'm no expert

[hellosailor]

shady, were you in a lake? Or open water where there might also have been a cross-current pushing the boat?

[zz4gta]

Don't ease the main. The main will add weather helm and help the boat turn into the wind.

What was your boat speed? If you're going to slow you won't have enough momentum.

You also should not need to push the tiller hard over. When you do this the rudder stalls, just like sails, and it becomes a brake dragging through the water.

How close to the wind were you pointing before you started your tack? Trying to tack from a close reach to a close reach will be more difficult than one that is close hauled.

Try turning just a bit slower, keeping the main sheeted hard on, and when you get to head to wind, turn the tiller another 20* to snap off the finish of the tack.

[sailingdog]

Also, when did you last check the rigging? If it isn't right, tacking can be a biatch.

[chef2sail]

Turning quickly can stall the boat with the water pushing hard against the rudder. A Purposefull turn will hold the boat speed. Thats really what you are trying to accomplish...maintain boat speed and change directions.