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Walt

wrote:

You just aquired a Hobie 17. This boat does not
have a jib--just a mains'l. The fellow who gave it
to you compained he could not tack the boat.

What was he likely doing wrong?

Who the fark knows? Ineptitude knows no bounds. There used to be a
hobie 17 in these parts whose owners didn't know how to lower the main
sail, so they just left it up to flog 24/7.

What is the best way to tack the boat?

1. Make sure you have decent boat speed before the tack. i.e. you're not
pinching. That may mean footing off a bit if necessary

2. Easy with the tiller! You want a big wide turn, not a sharp angle. If
you stall the tiller the boat will stop. Since most cats have
signigicant weather helm, you can usually just let the tiller go slack
in your hand and the boat will round up nicely. No need to push it over.

3. Trim in the main to help the boat turn up into the wind. Once you
pass head to wind, ease it so that it doesn't fight you through the rest
of the turn.

4. Keep turning until you are on a close reach, then trim in the main
and sail off.

5. If you do get stuck in irons, center the tiller, backwind the main
(on the opposite side to where it was before you tacked) and once you
start moving backwards push the tiller *slightly* the opposite way that
you had it to tack. The boat will back around to the new tack. GOTO 4.

//Walt