First - push the boom and Tiller forward in the same direction until the sail fills with air, as the sail fills the boat will start sailing backwards... and once the boat is out of the "no go zone" (irons) you can sheet-in and start sailing again. It is just that easy!
Many beginning sailors find themselves getting into Irons. Which means that the boat has stopped and is pointing directly into the wind having lost all forward movement. Relax and don't worry it is easy to get out of!
First - push the boom and Tiller forward in the same direction until the sail fills with air, as the sail fills the boat will start sailing backwards... and once the boat is out of the "no go zone" (irons) you can sheet-in and start sailing again. It is just that easy!
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Since you can not sail directly into the wind, you must learn how to tack (zigzag) on either side of the No Go Zone to work your way into the wind... this is called Tacking. When you tack your sailboat, you bring the Bow of the boat through the Wind. First you must gain enough speed to complete your Tack, then you will push your Tiller towards the Sail and hold it there until the Tack is completed. As the Bow of the boat turns towards the Wind the Boom will swing over to the other side of the boat. As the Boom reaches the center of the boat You need duck so the Boom does not hit you then switch sides so that You will be facing Your Sail when the Tack is complete. Continue to hold the Tiller over until the Boom swings over and the Sail fills with wind. You have now completed your Tack and you can center your Tiller. If you do not complete your Tack and the Bow of the boat points directly into the No Go Zone... you are in what we call "IRONS."
We discussed the directions that we can sail in another post. Let's now talk about a few terms, starting out with Windward which is the direction the wind is coming from (toward the wind) and Leeward the direction the wind is going to (away from the wind). In the beginning we will always be sitting on the windward side of the boat facing our sail. We can also throw in Port which is the left side of the boat when facing the bow and starboard which is the right side of the boat when facing the bow. The Bow of the boat is the front of the boat and the Stern is the back of the boat. A couple of good ways to remember Port and Starboard are "Alway leave a little Port Left in the bottle" or "The sailor Left Port Sunburned."
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